Two of the most consistent veterans in the business, one almost certainly bound for the Oscar this year if it all pans out, the other an actress who just churns out solid performance after performance even if the films aren't quite up to scratch.
5. Excalibur
Morgana is a rather tasty role for any actress to dig her teeth into, and young Helen Mirren is certainly up to task in this schlocky, uneven but in parts rather entertaining retelling of the King Arthur legend. Mirren could not be more alluring and menacing in the role of this medieval femme fatale, and the highlight of her performance is in her anti-chemistry with Nicol Williamson's Merlin, which are by far the best scenes in the film.
4. Eye in the Sky
A performance I only like more and more I think about it, Eye in the Sky is one of the year's most cereberally satisfying and emotionally impactful films which drives its point along nicely without ever taking sides. It's a terrifically directed and atmospheric film with Mirren front and centre as Colonel Katherine Powell, who's determined to complete a mission to take out high-level Al-Shabaab militants meeting in a safehouse in Kenya at any cost. Mirren disappears into the tough, no-nonsense Colonel brilliantly and also allows for little moments where the more senstive side to her character seeps in, and is one of the factors that make this film a great film.
3. The Last Station
It's not a great film, but Mirren is certainly fantastic as Sophia Tolstaya, Leo Tolstoy's wife who fights for control of his will and estate with an assortment of wily Tolstoy disciples. Mirren has to deal with a not-particularly stellar screenplay and tepid direction, but still manages to light sparks aplenty with her vivid depiction of an emotional, charismatic, complex, ambiguous but ultimately very loving wife. She injects each scene she's in with the proper amount of conviction and style and makes the film much more impactful than it has any right to be.
2. The Long Good Friday
Some might not take to this performance as much as myself, but I think it's a rather excellent piece of work that shows Mirren's complete and utter dedication at such an early stage in her film career. Mirren's stylish and rather incisive portrayal of the mob boss's wife plays perfectly off Bob Hoskins, the two generating a very unique sort of chemistry in their scenes together. Each second of Mirren's performance is particularly stylized but she's rather brilliant in each one of them.
1. The Queen
I might do a head-to-head in the future, with The Crown being such a huge thing nowadays and all, but I'll just say that this is a terrific, (near) career-best performance by Mirren as Elizabeth II which expertly brings a complex woman to life while even more importantly, being utterly convincing as the Queen Mother in every aspect of her characterization. Even if you're not all that interested in the storyline, you'll be pulled in by the strong emotional investment and conflict Mirren brings to the Queen's handling of Princess Diana's death, all coming into play for a truly powerful ending.
6. The Tempest
7. Phil Spector
8. Trumbo
9. Hitchcock
10. Woman in Gold
I'll leave discussion of her brilliant portrayal of Elizabeth I to a future head-to-head...
5. Taken
Easy enough to take this performance for granted, but despite the film being a bit generic on the whole, Neeson's performance completely defined a new wave of 'old man with gun' films. He's a brilliant 60-something action hero and it should not be sniffed at, being this convincing as a retired badass who will find you - he carries each action sequence terrifically and despite the simple nature of the role adds more than enough gravitas to his depiction of a man desperately searching for his daughter.
4. Michael Collins
The film as a whole fails to really get into the skin of the Irish political scene and Collins as a man. It's a period in history I think could make for scintillating, in your face, brilliant cinema, as it stands its a solid by-the-books biopic, but it could've been so much more. Neeson is properly charismatic and sweet as the folk hero and energetic as the rabble-rousing leader, but I do feel if the film had gone a bit more in-depth to the man he could've given a great performance. As it stands it's a good one.
3. Rob Roy
Released in the same year as Braveheart and thus somewhat overshadowed, Neeson's turn as Robert Roy Macgregor, another Scotsman who battles Englishmen for his family in the Scottish highlands, is a dynamic piece of work by the actor. He's pitch-perfect in playing to every side of the man from his badassery, to his tender and deep emotional connection to his wife (Jessica Lange). Plus, he looks pretty grand in that Scottish battle get-up.
2. The Grey
A fairly effective survival/disaster film with Neeson on absolute top form in a physically demanding role as a wolf hunter stranded in the snowy wilderness with several other men after a plane crash. Neeson brings the underlying fear and intensity to the role by his portrayal of the character's emotional state, but most impressive is watching how he constantly adjusts the personal struggle of the character to the physical struggle with his surroundings. He has mounds of presence to spare and completely owns every one of his 'loud' moments onscreen as well as he plays the 'intimate' moments; great work.
1. Schindler's List
An utterly brilliant performance that's actually my favourite of the cast in a waterright ensemble. That final breakdown scene is unforgettable, and never fails to hit me in the emotional spot; Neeson's work is one of the core reasons why Schindler's List is such a powerful film in many regards. The most highly emotional, intense scenes of the film are of course are the highlights, but in terms of being the lead Neeson carries the hefty weight of the film on his shoulders beautifully. He ells the transition of Oskar Schindler, the man who everyone loves and who can bring everyone over to his side, in a convincing fashion, while never shying away from his flaws. He even manages to be quite dynamic, charismatic, and even funny when the film requires him to be. If I had to nitpick, I guess his accent might be a bit inconsistent at points, but I hardly care to be honest. It's a great bit of work that first brought Neeson into the spotlight, and it remains to be seen whether he can top this with Silence...
6. Kinsey
7. Les Miserables
8. Non-Stop
9. Love Actually
10. Kingdom of Heaven
Just before this list, thought I'd talk about the late, great Bob Hoskins and how he influenced the whole British gangster genre so strongly. I haven't actually seen all his performances in this vein, but the two most prominent ones, The Long Good Friday and Mona Lisa, are two of the great performances of the 80s, and two of the greatest portrayals of criminals of all-time. I'll write a long, extended article on him soon enough, but as a rather domineering powerful crime boss and an insignificant little henchman, he's utterly convicning as both. There's a reason he was perhaps the go-to tough guy in the 80s despite his diminutive stature; he's as perfect at playing the criminal as he is as the likable endearing hero in stuff like Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and gosh, some of his emotional reactions in both of these films, like his reactions to his close friend's death and his final scene in The Long Good Friday and his reactions to Simone's outburst at him in Mona Lisa, are some of the best silent acting ever.
Hon. Mention: Snatch
I don't love this film as much as some do, but I can't deny it's definitely a fun gangster film. More refined than Lock,Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and largely resisting the excesses of some of Guy Ritchie's later work, I'd say this is the best realisation of Ritchie's particular sort of dynamic, robust, never-stop-talking style of cinema. I wouldn't say there's much of a plot to it; but it does have Brad Pitt as the most incoherent Irish travelling boxer ever. I'd say this is a film to experience more than think about too deeply, it's a fun ride and if doesn't all make much sense, not to worry.
10. The Escapist
More of a prison film than crime film, I guess, but it does deal with the British underworld elements quite a bit, especially in the form of Rizza (a terrifying Damian Lewis) who rules over the prison with an iron, vehement fist. Led by an invested Brian Cox, a gang of inmates devise a plan to get out of jail, fast. The film is kind of standard in terms of plot, but what sets it apart from other similar films is Rupert Wyatt's atmospheric, restrained direction, and its watertight ensemble featuring everyone from Joseph Fiennes (surprisingly believable thuggish thief), Liam Cunningham (doing what he does best as the wise moral support), Seu Jorge (the quirky prison chemist), Dominic Cooper (the young upstart) and of course Lewis and Cox, two of the most underrated British actors working today.
9. Sexy Beast
Another film that's a bit overrated, but look past the hype and you'll find an actually rather good little gem of a British thriller lurking underneath. Ben Kingsley is pretty unforgettable as Don Logan, even if some of the viscreal effect might indeed come from the fact it's Ghandi the Gangster. There's a lot to the film besides just his performance though; it has rather luscious cinematography and direction (courtesy of music video director Jonathan Glazer), particularly at the lavish Spanish villa of Gal (Ray Winstone), and its third act heist is actually rather exciting. The script is laced with profanities, violence and political incorrectness, all with a rather lighthearted vibe; it's not a great gangster film, but it's certainly a very good one.
8. Layer Cake
A Guy Ritchie-esque gangster film that I actually like a more than any of the actual Guy Ritchie films, this was one of Daniel Craig's first proper leading roles which helped set him up to play Bond. Craig is rather terrific as 'XXXX', an unnamed cocaine dealer who makes his way through a series of much bigger crimes than he's accustomed to involving all manner of shady sorts, including a particularly sexy Sienna Miller, good-natured but deadly crime bosses Michael Gambon and Colm Meaney, a whole host of British character actors as lowlife criminals and even Ben Whishaw and Tom Hardy in small roles thrown into the mix. The film is as stylish, cool, suave and sexy as films of this sort come along; there's very little in the way of a message or moralitiees, but like Snatch it's a wickedly fun ride, even more so. Plus, the editing is fantastic.
7. The Long Good Friday
A mostly rather good, if occasionally a bit standard, crime thriller which has some great aspects, namely its lead performance, and the no-holes barred, gritty approach it takes on the violent, unsparing British underworld. The film is rather terrific in slowly transitioning from a rather casual, easygoing, lighthearted look at a rather amusingly prim and proper gangster Harold Shand (Bob Hoskins) looking to legitamize his gang empire, into a gradually escalating levels of violence and threats against Harold that gradually bring out the ugly 'criminal' side to him. I won't say the film is flawless on all fronts, some of the plot developments and side characters are a bit routine, but the cinematography and framing of violence is unforgettable, the building of tension is fantastic, the criminal boss' wife (played by an excellent Helen Mirren) is actually given some development, and the ending is an absolute corker.
6. Eastern Promises
One of David Cronenberg's best films, the film is perhaps best known for a long, extended sequence where a tatted up Viggo Mortensen fights off a bunch of assailants naked in a public bath. There's more than just that sequence to the film - although if that's what you're here for, you get your money's worth. The film is a rather small-scale and intimate look into the Russian underworld in London, from the viewpoint of British nurse Anna (Naomi Watts), and their handling of the death of a teenage prostitute who could possibly implicate them in their drug smuggling, sex traffiking ring. The film is rather violent, cynical and quite dark, though there's also a hint of idealism and sensitivity at its core to the relationship between Anna and Mortensen's Nikolai. Some of the Russian accents (except Mortensen's which is pitch-perfect) are a bit iffy and the runtime is a bit short, but largely this is a rather harrowing and effective look into the grimiest, darkest criminal life.
5. The Hit
John Hurt, Terrence Stamp, Tim Roth. All as gangsters - a cold, hardened and remorseless hitman, the soulful, philisophical 'snitch' he's been hired to assasinate, and the hot-blooded upstart he recruits to help him, respectively. Sold? The film is an atmospheric trip through Madrid, where not a lot of actual killing takes place, and mostly focuses on the dynamic between these three very different breeds of criminal. The relationship between them is terrifically drawn through rather snappy, often lyrical dialogue that sticks in your mind, and despite being a 'slow-burn' thriller you'll be kept thrilled throughout. Plus, any film that has one of its gangster quoting John Donne has to be something special.
4. Dirty Pretty Things
Not really a 'gangster' film so to speak, but a rather fantastic little British film that became a bit of a sleeper hit on the awards circuit, garnering an Academy Award nomination for its screenplay by Steven Knight (the creator of Peaky Blinders). Chiwetel Ejiofor and Audrey Tautou (coming straight off the success of Amelie and delivering an, in my opinion, far more impressive performance here) lead the way as two immigrants in London struggling to make ends meet at dead-end jobs, and coming into contact with the very seedy underworld of organ trading. The film is low-key and understated in the best possible way; unlike many films of this sort, the stylized dialogue between its characters are so naturalistic and actually give a lot of insight into the particular time and place it's set in. In particular, there's some lovely little comedic gem scenes between Ejiofor's Senay and his Chinese herbalist/doctor buddy played by Benedict Wong, and some chilling scenes involving Senay's confrontations with the shady side of the hotel he works in. The slow-moving nature of the film might not be for everyone, but I love it personally.
3. Mona Lisa
Again, another great Bob Hoskins performance in another great Neil Jordan movie, I can also see why many might not take to this film as it's a crime film based around a character who's barely a criminal really; despite having recently gotten out of jail, low-level criminal George is like Fergus in The Crying Game, a man going through the motions of a criminal existence because it's the only way of life he's ever known. The exploration of a crook who'd normally be the expendable henchman in a crime film of this sort, to ultiamtely be a kind and genuine, if troubled man at heart, is fantastic as we see how his relationship with an escort (Cathy Tyson) gradually develops his character; each uplifting, chilling and heartbreaking moment is dealt with beautifully by Jordan's knack for nailing small human interactions (he was kind of the Jeff Nichols of the 80s and 90s, in many ways). Featuring some of the best acting and screenwriting in recent memory, and a fascinating against-type turn by Michael Caine as a brutal gangster, this is a gangster film well worth watching.
2. Get Carter
Speaking of against-type Michael Caine, ever fancied seeing ol' Afred/Alfie brutally rough up some fellow crooks? Look no further than the seminal classic British gangster film Get Carter, featuring an utterly brilliant Caine as Jack Carter, a gangster on a path of vengeance to look for the murderer of his brother, and delving into the seedy underworld of Newcastle - it's a terrifically realized world and despite the film's scope being small, it feels like such a complete universe in itself. There's an edge of 'coolness' to the film which is undeniable through Caine's performance and the stylized cinematography, but the tightknit and rather brilliant screenplay immediately shatters any ideas that this will be a routine 'crime is cool' film. The seedy world Carter enters is ugly and unsparing, and Caine's performance and Mike Hodge's direction excellently handle this all towards a deeply troubling and great conclusion.
1. Brighton Rock
A film based on one of my favourite novels by my favourite novelist of all-time, that more than merely doing it justice, somehow manages to also stand on its own as a great gangster film. Violent teenaged gang leader Pinkie Brown is probably the greatest gangster character in fictional history and Richard Attenborough, in his first prominent film role, absolutely kills it as the cold, remorseless and utterly inhuman figure we are so repulsed and terrified, yet utterly absorbed with. The film stands as one of the great examples of working alongside the censorship of the time, as elements of violence and its Christian themes (especially its ending) deemed to dark in the source novella are converted to equally brilliant setpieces here; you'll never forget the death scene of Fred Hale in the Tunnel of Love even though it was technically 'limited' by the censorships, or the unforgettable ending even though it's entirely changed from Graham Greene's original one. The film parallels the enjoyable, comedic investigation of Hermione Baddeley's Ida Arnold into Pinkie's life, and Pinkie's own twisted 'romance' of sorts with a waitress he fears will implicate him in one of his murder's the resulting product is a deeply powerful and rather unsettling tale of immorality and sin, that uses the setting of Brighton beautifully and turns a small story into one with a big, big impact.
Points system: 6 points for #1, 4 points for #2, 2 points for #3, 0 point for #4, -2 points for #5, - 4 points for #6
Direction
1. The Russo Brothers, Captain America: Civil War(+6)
2. Scott Derrickson, Doctor Strange (+4)
3. Tim Miller, Deadpool (+2)
4. Bryan Singer, X-Men: Apocalypse (0)
5. Zack Snyder, Batman v.s. Superman: Dawn of Justice (-2)
6. David Ayer, Suicide Squad (-4)
The Russo brothers have now proved themselves to be, essentially, masters of the superhero genre in almost every regard. Civil War seemed like an impossible feat to pull off, with so many different elements to balance while never losing sight of it being a Captain America film, it's a wonder it didn't all become a huge mess. That they managed to craft what is the greatest superhero film of this decade so far, is incredible. Doctor Strange was finely directed by Scott Derrickson with a very assured and consistent hand that establishes another successful, and in this case very stylish element to the Marvel Cinematic Universe very well. Tim Miller's direction is fun and knows how to make use of its somewhat scattershot components very well, even though it never stands out beyond being serviceable. X-Men: Apocalypse is interesting in that several elements of the X-Men films Bryan Singer had previously been less adept at - the 'lighter' moments, the 'fun' segments - are directed very well, but when the material calls for the more dramatic and 'serious' side of his talents, he falters big-time. Although his direction never is bad like Zack Snyder is for about 95% of BVS, failing to engage the audience whatsoever in Superman's plight and thoroughly messing up large portions of the Batman side of things, though within that are some cracking sequences which show promises of a great film. Ayer's direction is easily the worst on this list as he never finds a proper tone to the film; it would've benefited if he'd stuck to the gritty, hard-hitting machismo he'd established well in the likes of End of Watch and Fury, since his work here is ultimately a mess, with neither the humorous or darker side of things cohering properly, resulting in every scene spiraling out of control in a bad sort of way.
Screenplay
1. Captain America: Civil War(+6)
2. Deadpool (+4)
3. Doctor Strange (+2)
4. X-Men: Apocalypse (0)
5. Suicide Squad (-2)
6. Batman v.s. Superman: Dawn of Justice (-4)
Deadpool has a very, very, very funny script; it's enjoyably self-referential and meta in its deconstruction of the superhero genre, perfectly evoking the same sort of atmosphere as the comics. Doctor Strange has a screenplay with a few thinly sketched bits involving Stephen Strange's life back in the Big Apple, and a few rushed character developments brushed over with vague speeches (hello, Baron Mordo), but it's very brisk, describes its concepts thoroughly and in an accessible way, and the highlight is like Deadpool the humour, especially in scenes involving the two Benedicts. There's nothing overtly BAD about the scripts to Apocalypse or Suicide Squad, their plots are just extremely unoriginal and many characters become mere visual ciphers due to how thinly sketched they are in the script. There's some funny one-liners and character moments in both those films though.
The top and bottom of my list though are worthy of particular mention. The script to Civil War is everything the script to Dawn of Justice should've been. It establishes the conflict between the two parties with clarity and depth, and fleshes out exactly why each individual takes on their respective stances, without ever making anyone out to be a strawman. The central relationship between Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes is beautifully crafted by the script, as is the growing animosity between Steve and Tony; the villain's plotting though rather complex, all makes complete sense and is never compromised by the writing. And there's beautiful little scenes of individual writing like Wanda Maximoff and Vision discussing their place in the world, the final conversation between Tony and his best friend Rhodey, and the incredibly moving funeral of Peggy Carter. BvS has a script that is littered with plotholes in terms of the villain plot, and that's only the tip of the iceberg. The villain is as sloppy in terms of characterization as his grand schemes, and you never quite understand what he's getting at, and not in a 'mysterious' sort of way, more a 'stupid' sort of way. The central conflict between the Man of Steel and the Caped Crusader is incredibly dumbed down from what could've been, springing from some incredibly convenient contrivances and resolved with the stupidest scene of the year. Very little, if any, of the screenplay works, and I struggled throughout in trying to pinpoint where the stories and characters the film tosses around were building up to.
Hero (es) (Main)
1. Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr., Captain America: Civil War(+6)
2. Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool (+4)
3. Benedict Cumberbatch, Doctor Strange (+2)
4. Will Smith and Margot Robbie, Suicide Squad (0)
5. James McAvoy and Jennifer Lawrence, X-Men: Apocalypse (-2)
6. Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill, Batman v.s. Superman Dawn of Justice (-4)
No matter what way you look at it, DC really flunked it with Superman, among other things. I'm a Man of Steel apologist, but even that film had problems with how it depicted Superman, although it worked there because he was still a superhero in development, there were definitely lots of flaws with how one-note and moody he was at points, although Cavill had more to work with as well in terms of charm and emotional power. Here, Superman is little more than a walking, barely talking prop, a piece of meat. In contrast, Bruce Wayne/Batman gets a lot of focus, but the film really drops the ball in trying to make Batman a straight up psychopath, a somewhat dumb detective who makes judgements that are WAY too swift. Ben Affleck manages to make a lot out of a rather poorly written role and excels best as the man in the Batsuit, and is a suitably brooding Bruce Wayne. As for suicide squad, the two selling points and leads of the film, Deadshot and Harley Quinn, are introduced, fit the tone of the film, and both Will Smith and Margot Robbie are charismatic enough performers to make their characters work memorably, even if there was perhaps even more depth to be found in the roles.
Cumberbatch's Dr Strange is rather memorable bit of Sherlockian arrogant genius routine at the start, and is very convincing in gradually transitioning the character into a better man and earning the 'wow, he's a badass now' moments. His accent's a bit iffy, I'd rather he used his normal accent, but I didn't mind as it added to the...strangeness, of Steven. Ryan Reynolds, of course, got to play the role he was born to play of Deadpool. It's not his best work, that'd be Mississipi Grind, but he certainly fits the role to the tee and nails every second of the irreverent superhero routine. The current controversy behind the scenes of Deadpool 2 I'd actually say is earnt because frankly, I feel Reynolds knows the vigilante better than anyone else.
As for the established heroes, what I loved about the dynamic between Chris Evans' Captain America/Steve Rogers, and Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man/Tony Stark, is that they built it up through every previous film, even the lacklustre ones. Yet even within just the context of Civil War it works. When Cap says 'the safest hands are still our own', or talks about how though you can't always save anybody, you can't give up, even the brainwashed Bucky Barnes, you believe his conviction entirely; and Downey Jr. fascinatingly turns the characterization of Tony Stark in a full circle by utilizing the elements of his previous performances in a different fashion, to create a truly distraught, disillusioned man crumbling from within. Together, the two heroes work in tandem to create something quite special. With X-Men: Apocalypse, we once again get the McAvoy/Fassbender/Lawrence trio established by this new X-Men 'prequel' universe. I'll get onto Fassbender in a bit, but what worked wonderfully in Days of Future Past sort of falters here. Professor X sort of retreads along the similar lines of the previous film again, and it's not as effective this time round, though you have to give McAvoy credit for giving it his all once again. Mystique as a hero I've always been a bit 'meh' about, it worked (sort of) in Days of Future Past, it doesn't here. Firstly because it just doesn't cohere with the plot in a seamless fashion, secondly because Jennifer Lawrence just cba. Neither actor is terrible, in fact McAvoy is quite good still, but the way the characters are utilized in the film just feels uninspired and ineffective on the whole.
Antagonist (Main)
1. Daniel Brühl, Captain America: Civil War(+6)
2. Mads Mikkelsen, Doctor Strange (+4)
3. Ed Skrein, Deadpool (+2)
4. Oscar Isaac, X-Men: Apocalypse (0)
5. Cara Delevinge, Suicide Squad (-2)
6. Jesse Eisenberg, Batman v.s. Superman: Dawn of Justice (-4)
It was a bad year for superhero villains, largely. Less said about Jesse Eisenberg the better; the thing is, with the right sort of approach, say his Mark Zuckerberg mixed with the more direct, biting ill-intentions of his James Simon in The Double, he could've been a great Lex Luthor, but I don't know, maybe he didn't film deserved a great villain and just decided to have a bit of fun. Fair enough, right? I'm kind of tempted to rank Delevinge and the horrifyingly poor portrayal of the Enchantress lower than Eisenberg because it's just an embarrassing performance for a good actress. I've had enough of mystical sorcerers/sorceresses as villains in these sorts of films, especially when they result in every film finale having that 'vague beams shooting out of building' denoument that feels painfully rehashed every time it's used. Following on the trend of good actors placed in bad roles, the great Oscar Isaac is placed under unrecognizable makeup, and utterly wasted as the titular Apocalypse. I did not feel compelled at all by the aesthetic or the performance, which is odd because pretty much everything else I've seen Isaac in, no matter how big or small the role, he's impressed.
Skrein's Francis (as Wade Wilson would like to have you know) is technically a fairly standard 'bad Brit' villain, nothing great but perfectly serviceable. I'd say the same for Mads Mikkelsen's Kaecilius, except he's played by Mads Mikkelsen, who always adds a little something even to the most thankless roles. The villain here is an even thinner one than his Casino Royale antagonist, but Mikkelsen adds enough menace, poignancy and even some wry humour to his portrayal to make an impression. The best villain this year, however, was funnily enough also from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which usually has the tendency to have thankless villains even in their best films. Daniel Brühl's Zemo is a much more modest figure than some of the previous gods, men in iron suits and electric whiplashes, robots, etc. but he's also the greatest because the scope of his plans are so brilliantly realized by the script and his performance. Zemo is more an Iago figure than some overt, cackling villain, and I loved the originality behind such a portrayal. Once again, Civil War wins these stakes.
Ensemble (Part I, the 'good' side)
1. Captain America: Civil War(+6)
2. Doctor Strange (+4)
3. Deadpool (+2)
4. X-Men: Apocalypse (+2)
5. Suicide Squad (-2)
6. Batman v.s. Superman: Dawn of Justice (-4)
Superman's side of things couldn't possibly be blander in Dawn of Justice, where Lois Lane (Amy Adams), already not the best fit for the role, becomes a bit of a stick in the mud, the Daily Planet team are decently acted enough but don't have much to do. I'm tempted to rank the 'good' ensemble of Suicide Squad at the bottom purely because many of the well-acted and well casted characters they have, like Jai Courtney's Captain Boomerang, and Jay Hernandez's Diablo, are very underused. Then you have characters like Katana who's utterly sidelined and useless for much of the film, and Rick Flag who was originally going to be played by Tom Hardy and ended up being played by Joel Kinnaman, who gives the worst supporting performance of the year so far. The character is intended to be a bit of a blank slate, I'll grant him that, but he somehow manages to make every line reading and gesture seem so completely out of place, and really drags an already not very good film down with every line reading. Thankfully, Viola Davis' Amanda Waller helps to somewhat redeem the film on that 'authoritative' front since she gives a rather entertaining, cold and professional performance as the true boss of the Squad.
I'd say the 'good' ensembles to Apocalypse and Deadpool are about on equal par; the usual regulars of Nicholas Hoult, Lucas Till, and especially Evan Peters as Quicksilver, are all fine, as are the new entrants of Cyclops, Jean Grey and Nightcrawler. Rose Byrne gives a kind of awful reprisal of Moira McTaggert but that's alright since she doesn't do all that much. In Deadpool we get some very entertaining comedic relief in the form of T.J. Miller's Weasel, fine romantic support in Morena Baccarin's Vanessa, and some rather entertaining sidekicks in the form of X-Men Negasonic Teenage Warhead and Colossus. They all add to the film very nicely and provide more than worthy sparring partners for Deadpool.
Doctor Strange's entrance into the mystical dimensions is greeted with some welcome faces: Tilda Swinton as the Anicient One providing gravitas, humour and an added dose of poignancy, Chiwetel Ejiofor as the straight-laced and moralistic Mordo, and Benedict Wong as an enjoyably serious, deadpan Wong. They all have great chemistry with Cumberbatch and add to the film in their own ways, and I also have to praise Rachel McAdams for making the most out of her incredibly limited love interest role. Then Civil War. For the 'good' side of the conflict, I'll go with Cap's anti-Records side. Elizabeth Olesen's Scarlett Witch gets a massive upgrade this time round in terms of characterization and stuff to do and acts as one of the hearts of the film, and while the likes of Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) get less to do, they stand out incredibly well despite their limited screentime, bringing a welcome dose of humour (especially Rudd) to the film - and Ant-Man also gets perhaps the single most AWESOME moment in it.
Emily VanCamp's Sharon Carter doesn't get a lot to do, but nails her big scene of her speech at Peggy Carter's funeral, a speech which encompasses the core themes of the movie. Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff is used to sort of balance the two conflicting sides together and Scarlett Johansson gives a really impressive performance in playing the conflicted nature of her character finally guided towards helping Steve. Anthony Mackie's Falcon is an even more energized, even more charismatic and funny presence this time round; and strikes up a really funny camaraderie with Steve Rogers' other best friend, Bucky Barnes. Sebastian Stan and Chris Evan strike up a believable and very moving friendship that is the true heart of the film, and helps make Civil War not just a story of conflict but also of friendship.
Ensemble (Part II, the 'bad' side)
1. Captain America: Civil War(+6)
2. Batman v.s. Superman (+4)
3. Deadpool (+2)
4. Doctor Strange (0)
5. X-Men: Apocalypse (-2)
6. Suicide Squad (-4)
For the 'bad' side of the BvS: Dawn of Justice ensemble, rather than focusing on the very forgettable side characters to Lex Luthor's plot (only Holly Hunter and Scoot McNairy make impressions purely because they're good actors in strangely small roles), I'll focus on Batman's side of things. Now despite seemingly forgetting that she's with him in the third act (a set up for a really awkward joke), Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman is absolutely splendid, and I can't wait to see more of her portrayal in the near future. Jeremy Irons isn't exactly having the time of his life as Alfred but I found he gave more than enough humour and wit to the role to make it work very well, and I'd love to see his dynamic with Bruce expanded in the upcoming films. Deadpool and Doctor Strange have serviceable side villains, I enjoyed the whole Dormamu section in Doctor Strange more than most, definitely. I'd say Deadpool is better in that regard because its villains are so squeamishly sleazy that you want them to get their comeuppance so, so bad.
Apocalypse and Suicide Squad are both largely disastrous in terms of establishing the side villains. The Enchantress' brother shape shifting morphing thingy is so poorly established by the film that there was absolutely no, menace, whatsoever, Even worse is the overhyped incarnation of the Joker by Jared Leto, a performance that gets worse and worse the more I think about it. The villains in SS are essentially failures through and through; the Apocalypse villains aren't that much better though. Most of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are entirely useless beyond their participation in a few action scenes; Psylocke, Angel, Storm, all get very little to do than stand around and strut their extravagant costumes. But Michael Fassbender as Magneto actually gives a very good performance this time round as a particularly heartwarming, loving Erik Lensherr in the first act, resulting in a tragic scene which involves some of the best acting of Fassbender's career. Unfortunately after that he also becomes more just a stand around, look cool with your powers sort of villain.
For this round again, I'll have to award Civil War the win. Frank Grillo as Brock Rumlow/Crossbones, despite his short screentime, is quite memorable within it. The more minor characters of Rhodey, Vision, etc. on Stark's side have a lot to do in very little time, and Don Cheadle and Paul Bettany are more than up to task. Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross is something of an underutilization of William Hurt, but he is perfectly fine in the role, and the character serves the purposes of the plot well enough. The highlights though of the new 'anti-Cap' ensemble, would be the fantastic introductions of T'Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), and Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland). Boseman could not be more perfectly cast as the epitome of grace and class as the Prince of Wakanda, delivering his lines with such elegance and poise; he shows the path of grief and vengeance he goes down remarkably well, carries himself with such assurance in the action scenes, and his final scene with Brühl is one of the best-acted scenes of the year. And ol' Spidey, after that dreadful The Amazing Spider-Man series,
Special Effects
1. Doctor Strange(+6)
2. Captain America: Civil War (+4)
3. X-Men: Apocalypse (+2)
4. Batman v.s. Superman: Dawn of Justice (0)
5. Suicide Squad (-4)
6. Deadpool (-2)
Doctor Strange has some of the best, biggest special effects of the year; every trippy, dimension-bending scene is so flawlessly handled. Civil War also has incredible effects, we've seen a lot of them before but a lot of exquisite, subtle work is done on stuff like Black Panther's eyes, and the bigger stuff like that Giant Man scene. Apocalypse and Dawn of Justice have perfectly decent SFX in all regards, again nothing we haven't seen before, but largely without flaws; and Deadpool and Suicide Squad, while having a few iffy and in the former's case, slightly more budgetary-constrained effects, are largely fine too. Really, from a technical standpoint, none of these films have massive special effects problems, though Deadpool has with good reason, the smallest scope of it. Set Design
1. Doctor Strange(+6)
2. Batman v.s. Superman: Dawn of Justice (+4)
3. Captain America: Civil War (+2)
4. X-Men: Apocalypse (0)
5. Deadpool (-2)
6. Suicide Squad (-4)
Again, the whole world crafted in Doctor Strange is something to behold; the Kamar-Taj, the Sanctums, even just Strange's hospital, all have such character of their own. Dawn of Justice has a particularly spiffing looking Batcave, Civil War has a few memorable sets (though what takes place in them is more memorable), and the X-Mansion, etc. in Apocalpyse look good as always. Again there's a certain less appealing and forgettable quality to a lot of Deadpool's sets but they're not bad, it's just not the film's focus; and Suicide Squad has the prison which is well designed, but everything else feels a bit off. The Joker's apartment and the finale, in particular, just feel a bit out of place. Costumes/Makeup
1. Captain America: Civil War(+6)
2. Batman v.s. Superman: Dawn of Justice(+4)
3. Doctor Strange (+2)
4. Suicide Squad (0)
5. Deadpool (-2)
6. X-Men: Apocalypse (-4)
I have many reservations about the new Batman, but the Batsuit is not one of them; and Wonder Woman's costume is great too. These two elements alone put it near the very top. Civil War and Doctor Strange, as per usual for Marvel, establish the old heroes with their usual great set of costumes and the new ones have some spiffing gear, especially Strange's Cape, Black Panther's whole suit, I wouldn't say the new Spidey suit is an absolute favourite of mine but I like it well enough. Also, some extra credit to Civil War for it's wonderful matching of Vision with some fine smart casual clothing. The other films are all just fine on the costuming front besides Apocalypse which makes some seriously bizzare choices with the Four Horsemen. Editing
1. Captain America: Civil War(+6)
2. Doctor Strange (+4)
3. Deadpool (+2)
4. X-Men: Apocalypse (0)
5. Batman v.s. Superman: Dawn of Justice (-2)
6. Suicide Squad (-4)
For such a long and epic film, Civil War actually breezes along quite nicely, with a good amount of pacing and yet never feeling rushed; each scene builds to the next one very well. Almost as impressive is Doctor Strange which also establishes its new universe with a remarkable pace that arguably might be too fast at certain points, but nevertheless is extremely solid work. Deadpool flaws along very well too, I'd say the opening and the ending is a bit choppy in parts but that might've been intentional, and really the midsection where Wade Wilson establishes himself as Deadpool is pretty well-paced stuff. Apocalypse is perfectly fine in this regard, I have issues with the film's but not really how they're edited together. Dawn of Justice is a film you can just tell by watching it that there's a more coherent extended edition lurking somewhere, oh wait...anyway, the film itself is poorly edited in many regards, just in terms of not bridging scenes from the Batman and Superman side of things all that well, certain scenes dragging on for too long, too short, or just not making sense at all.
It'd be at the bottom of the list if not for the atrocity of editing that was Suicide Squad. I'd say part of my enjoyment of the film came from how atrociously the first few minutes or so were edited; absolutely no coherence at all, and the more I think about it my enjoyment might've been in a very Wiseau-esque fashion. Past that point, the pacing is really off at various points, Joker's scenes in particular fittting extremely poorly into the film; and one notable instance of terrible editing is the scene where the Enchantress turns 'bad'. It comes out of nowhere, establishes nothing, and once it flashes across the screen you derive nothing from it. Sound
1. Doctor Strange(+6)
2. Captain America: Civil War (+4)
3. Batman v.s. Superman (+2)
4. Deadpool (+0)
5. X-Men: Apocalypse (-2)
6. Suicide Squad (-4)
All films sound okay, to very good. I'll give the edge to Strange because in the scenes where we're immersed in the 'otherworld' are all rather evocative. Civil War, BvS, Deadpool all have good sound effects, and even if Apocalypse and Suicide Squad have iffy moments in terms of the action scenes, they're still both largely solid. Cinematography
1. Doctor Strange(+6)
2. Captain America: Civil War (+4)
3. X-Men: Apocalypse (+2)
4. Deadpool (0)
5. Suicide Squad (-2)
6. Batman v.s. Superman: Dawn of Justice (-4)
Again, Strange has cinematography that is really out of this world, and I'd say it's one of the highlights of the film, though Civil War is close on its tail with its less extravagant but equally effective camerawork that's particularly dynamite in individual sequences like the opening action sequence to take down Brock Rumlow, the Spiderman v.s. Bucky and Falcon fight etc. Apocalypse has some solid camerawork, particularly in the Wolverine sequence and of couse any scene involving Quicksilver; and Deadpool is also very finely filmed albeit with a slight tinge of budgetary constraints to its aesthetic. Suicide Squad and BvS both have extremely problematic camerawork, and I'll put the latter at the bottom for now because outside of the Batman warehouse scenes, the excessive use of slo-mo by Zack Snyder and odd angles he uses to film various sequences, from action to simply conversation/exposition scenes, are really distracting.
Soundtrack
1. X-Men: Apocalypse(+6)
2. Batman v.s. Superman: Dawn of Justice (+4)
3. Deadpool (+2)
4. Captain America: Civil War (0)
5. Suicide Squad (-2)
6. Doctor Strange (-4)
BvS has a marvellous Junkie XL/Hans Zimmer score, the stuff of dreams really, and Deadpool has some perfectly matching tunes, especially 'X Gon' Give It to Ya'. I love Civil War to bits but I'll admit the soundtrack doesn't really stand out in the way that the other great Marvel films like Iron Man, The Winter Soldier and especially Guardians of the Galaxy do; Suicide Squad has some great songs it actually uses quite well in parts, but cuts them off to early and the actual score is fairly generic. Doctor Strange, though a film I really, really liked, has a largely forgettable soundtrack. In the end though, I'll give the win to X-Men: Apocalypse since it blends a solid action score and 80's tunes seamlessly, and feautures 'Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)' by the Eurythmics in what is still one of my favourite scenes of the year. Fun Factor
1. Deadpool(+6)
2. Captain America: Civil War (+4)
3. Doctor Strange (+2)
4. X-Men: Apocalypse (0)
5. Suicide Squad (-2)
6. Batman v.s. Superman: Dawn of Justice (-4)
Not gonna lie, though it had lots of issues, I largely enjoyed Deadpool through and through because it was such a fun, easy watch. Not a single dull moment even in the sketchier and less well-made bits, though I would say that Civil War is far more satisfying to watch overall. Doctor Strange was quite a blast, far more than I expected it to be, Apocalypse has a lot of extremely fun moments to make up for the questionable choices in the screenplay, performances etc. Suicide Squad was fun, though at points in a 'so bad it's fun' sort of way, and I mostly hated BvS through and through for its mostly dreary, dark and dull tone. Seriously; the Nolan films were dark and gritty, but also made it compelling to watch and in parts, so very exciting to watch. Snyder's take on the Bat seems to be directed to making him as gruesome and unpleasant to watch as possible, and his take on Superman seems to be at best, indifference, and at worst a certain dispassionate quality to his direction. Emotional Factor
1. Captain America: Civil War(+6)
2. Doctor Strange (+4)
3. Suicide Squad (+2)
4. Deadpool (0)
5. X-Men: Apocalypse (-2)
6. Batman v.s. Superman: Dawn of Justice (-4)
Though I can see why some may not have felt so strongly about it as I did, Captain America: Civil War is probably still the most emotionally powerful film of the year so far - I say so far because it looks like Hacksaw Ridge, Silence, Fences and Rogue One are all going to be pretty emotionally charged. Anyway, Civil War acts as a sort of emotional statement on the journey of my favourite Avenger. It explores every facet of what makes him a true hero even with the odds stacked against him; and I've mentioned how all the most poignant sequences, from the funeral scene to his reminisces with Bucky about the past, and to add to that you have Tony Stark's equally heartbreaking storyline of self-reflection and being haunted by his past. In comparison, the other superhero films this year can't quite match the depth of emotional intensity in Civil War, but Doctor Strange does have a strong emotional undercurrent in both Strange's journey into a better man and the Ancient One's final scene, even if Baron Mordo's character transition is a bit shortchanged. Suicide Squad, for all its flaws, does manage to have a few genuinely heartrending subplots; Deadshot's relationship with his daughter is rather movingly handled, Diablo's backstory is rather powerful and makes you care about the character in a very short span of time, and despite the insurmountable flaws of the film on a technical level, there's glimpses of a darker and more emotionally impactful film in these moments. Deadpool and Apocalypse work less well in the 'emotional' moments than the 'fun' moments, but aren't overtly bad in them, and Deadpool sort of works around that by always having a tongue in cheek during these scenes. Apocalypse would be more powrful if it made better use in developing McAvoy's Professor X arc though; in comparison to Days of Future Past, it seems relatively tame and derivative. Batman vs Superman though, completely mucks up its emotional core. Batman's rage at Gotham's destruction is well handled in the opening sequence, but Superman's own emotional journey is seriously stunted and underdeveloped (especially if you compare it to Captain America's arc over his first two films), and the 'MARTHA' scene is one of the worst failures at emotional manipulation in recent memory. I'll end with this.
Results:
Captain America: Civil War - 72
Doctor Strange - 48
Deadpool - 24
X-Men: Apocalypse - 0
Batman v.s. Superman: Dawn of Justice - -14
Suicide Squad - -34
It's strange because on my rankings of 2016 films, Suicide Squad actually ranks slightly higher than BvS because I enjoyed it more - maybe I need to re-evaluate that. But besides that, these rankings make sense; Civil War is still my favourite film of the year so far, I really liked both Doctor Strange and Deadpool, Apocalypse was average, and the other two are bad, not wholly bad, but poorly made films.
I'll admit the Narnia films aren't entirely my cup of tea, but they're certainly well made, well directed an well cast overall. The greatest decision they ever made though was casting Swinton as the White Witch Jadis. She's so menacing and cold in the role but also convinces you how she'd manage to sway Edmund earlier on to her side with her persuasive, icy charm. She could not have been more perfectly cast and if you contrast this with her brief performance as a much warmer sort in Broken Flowers from the same year, it's quite remarkable really.
4. Snowpiercer
Extremely entertaining performance that does so much to enliven the film, and I'd say one flaw of it is that she disappears from it about halfway through. Before that though, Swinton is utterly fabulous at disappearing into the role of Minister Mason, the spokesperson on the titular train for the mysterious Wilford who exudes such meancing vehemence with her every word and breath, and is so intimidating and vicious yet utterly hilarious at the same time. For someone with such a distinctive screen presence, it's amazing how much of a chameleon Swinton can be, and she utterly becomes this rather odd and peculiar figure that you really want to know more about even after the film ends.
3. We Need to Talk About Kevin
A great performance that deserves a much more cohesive film. The source material novel is actually good, but the film fails to really capitalize on it with its rather disconnected approach, which I suppose does work on some levels in terms of establishing the dreary and dark world these characters live in. The problem is that it makes lots of scenes of the titular, troubled Kevin seem almost cartoonish, and Ezra Miller doesn't really help matters with a rather off-putting, in the wrong sort of way, performance. Despite all the flaws of the film Swinton gives her all. In the past scenes she gives a strong portrayal of a mother who attempts to be the best parent she can, but just can't bring herself to fully embrace her rather troubled son. Then in the 'present' scenes she's simply great at giving a harrowing portrayal of a woman worn out by society's hate for something she didn't do, but yet she feels the blame for.
2. Michael Clayton
Some can't see the brilliance in this relatively brief performance; I for one, think it's one of the best supporting actress performances of all-time, hands down. In what could've been an utterly thankless and forgettable role, Swinton delivers fascinating character study of a lawyer at wit's end, not willing to go without a fight. Each scene with her is just so fascinating to examine with her presence as she cuts such a despearate figure at wit's end, trying to use malice to get out of her predicament, you almost end up rooting for her. Her performance is, surprisingly for a thriller of this sort, very primal, very raw in showing the mentally unstable businesswoman, and is utterly fascinating in portraying how she has to put on a front to hide it.
Plus, her final scene with George Clooney is the best acted scene of her career, which is quite something. Well-deserved Oscar.
1. Orlando
I'll actually wait till the near future to examine this further, since this is truly a performance worth examining with greater detail. Orlando is the first Virginia Woolf text I read, it's a very special book and the film, while naturally being unable to perfectly adapt it, does its very best to honour it. Swinton has a challenging role beyond the whole 'Orlando is a woman/man' divide. That adrogynous aspect of the performance aside, it's also psychologically and thematically one of the most difficult characters in any medium to pull off, and it's to Swinton's credit that she entirely succeeds. I'll need a full article to properly elaborate, but there's a reason this was her true breakout performance.
6. Only Lovers Left Alive
7. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
8. Doctor Strange
9. I Am Love
10. Hail, Caesar!
I've talked a bit about quite a few of the films on here already, so I'll leave extended thoughts to the newbies...
10. Interstellar (4.5/5)
I've bumped this up after a recent re-watch. It's still a very flawed film in many regards in terms of the overcomplicated writing, and subsequently the diminishment of certain characters' depth. Nevertheless, in terms of visual panache and sheer epic scale this is one of Christopher Nolan's finest moments, and he has at his helm a marvelous lead performance from Matthew McConaughey that's certainly proved to be fairly influential over the past two years, with the whole array of space-bound great lead performances around.
9. Silent Running (4.5/5)
A film which might not look all that great on the packaging, but take a peek inside and you'll find something quite special: a dated 70s sci-fi film that nevertheless still packs quite the punch in the modern day. An excellent Bruce Dern plays Freeman Lowell, a dedicated botanist/ecologist who tends to a variety of plant specimens on board a space freight greenhouse. When orders come in to have the greenhouse domes destroyed, Lowell goes on a rogue mission to essentially, save the plants. Dern's performance is fascinating and utterly engrossing as he portrays the man's almost singlehanded devotion to the plants as something initially quite unnerving, but ultimately quite poignant. The film's aesthetic is a bit on the pulpy side and the theme songs are really cheesy 70s sync, but I personalyl think it works perfectly. The goofy looking robots in particular, while far from being as iconic looking as say the Star Wars droids, do have a personality to themselves altogether which makes their fates equally palatable as a human's. It's a rather fantastic film altogether.
8. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (4.5/5)
One of Speilberg's most idealistic, wonderful films, a flaw it does have is that its initial build-up, while stunning to look at, does drag a bit. Once it really gets going though, it's a compelling science-fiction odyssey on Earth as we watch Richard Dreyfuss' everyman do everything he can to communicate with the aliens, all leading up to a stunning and emotionally poignant finale.
7. Apollo 13 (4.5/5)
A rather exciting, heartfelt film based on a fascinating true story of survival, about the ill-fated but ultimately uplifting story of three astronauts on board the Apollo 13 who spiralled towards imminent death, only to save themselves with their expertise and the helping hands on earth. The film is technically handled in a very straightforward, workmanlike manner by Ron Howard. What raises it above films of this sort which came afterwards is the sense of camaraderie between the crew members (played well by Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon and Bill Paxton), its understated but effective visual scheme, crisp editing and engaging script which fires off exposition and scientic mumbo jumbo in a very accessible fashion.
6. Woman in the Moon (5/5)
Fritz Lang was a genius; anyone who directed M is, really, but in addition to that he had a whole filmography of rather impressive films that I've been slowly making my way through. Woman in the Moon is the best of the lot I've seen so far. It makes for an interesting comparison to M's underworld, even though there certainly is aspects of that here, in its more positive reflections of human nature, represented by the selfless Helius (Wily Fritsch) who's certainly a far more simple and likable figure than Peter Lorre. Anyway, the film centres on an expedition to the moon in search of gold, the complications on the journey via a love triangle, gangsters
5. Gravity (5/5)
Even if you didn't like the film, or found it boring, you have to marvel at it from a technical standpoint. Those shots, those angles, how did they do all of that? Alfonso Cuaron and Emmanuel Lubezki are simply geniuses whose work in this match each other perfectly; you'll feel like you're really, really deep in space. Beyond that all, on a storytelling level the film is quite simple. Sandra Bullock's terrific lead performance helps carry you the whole way through, and makes you invested in the film even when her plight is going nowhere but downwards, and it makes a potentially cold and inaccessible film a poignant tale of survival.
4. The Right Stuff (5/5)
A film that's, well, made of all the right stuff. The story of seven military pilots selected for Project Mercury, the first manned spaceflight by the United States, is a brilliant story, excellently directed by Philip Kaufman and incredibly well cast on all fronts. All characters, the pilots, the pilots' wives and the kooky NASA recruiters (played by none other than the dependable character actors Harry Dean Stanton and Jeff Goldblum), all have their individual standout moments. The highlight though of the film is Chuck Yeager, one of the most fascinating characters in all film history, played by Sam Shepard in a great, quiet and understated performance. The film's story is one of triumph against the odds, and is refreshingly good-natured and fun, not in a saccharine and sickly sweet way, but by just being such an honest-feeling movie that never strikes a false note.
3. The Martian (5/5)
I've written way too much about this already, so...basically, Matt Damon utilizing everything that's great about his screen persona on Mars, rescue mission initiated on earth by a stellar ensemble, a perfect blend of comedy and poignant drama, Cast Away in space but more fun, essentially a flawless film on every front. It's never 'amazing', so to speak, but you cannot fault it in any regard from the flawless, humorous script by Drew Gooden, to the efficient, to-the-point and realistic special effects.
2. 2001: A Space Odyssey (5/5)
Truly a film that has not only stood the test of time, but transcended it; 2001 is a film that has some serious issues with pacing, and I wouldn't say it's exactly accessible without some prior reading, but give it a few goes and like me you'll find something special in there. It's perhaps Kubrick's most daring and all-encompassing achievement as a director, every frame has his preoccupation to detail stamped all over it, and he really takes the viewer on a journey like no other. Although I'll admit my favourite segment of the film might be the one set on earth, the prehistoric man section, the outer space bits are all visually stunning, and actually, contrary to what one might think of the 'soulless' post-Dr Strangelove Kubrick, he does actually put a bit of heart and emotion into the proceedings via the 'character' of HAL-900.
1. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (5/5)
My favourite of Speilberg's 'feel good' movies, few films have consistently touched me over the years like E.T. has. I'll admit some might find it overly simplistic or cheesy, but I find it comes by its sweet innocence quite honestly, and never cheats in making you like its endearing characters or laugh at their sweet antics. The relationship between the titular alien and Henry Thomas' Elliot that comes by so beautifully is the great combination of a Melissa Mathison's screenplay, Speilberg's direction and some great special and practical effects, and if the ending doesn't evoke any emotion in you, then I guess you're entitled to your own opinion, but I can't see why.
Alternatively, if we don't count either 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' or 'E.T. because they're not at any point set in outer space, then add these two animated films in: Wall-E, which I'll be writing more about in the future; and A Grand Day Out which features good ol' Wallace and Gromit on a cheese-surfaced moon, and a rather menacing 'antagonist' in the robot 'The Cooker' who ends up being a rather sympathetic character.
Hon. Mentions: Pitch Black, an underrated space thriller. It does have a somewhat noticeably low budget which does hold it back on several fronts, but it's a thrilling action set of setpieces with a rather solid Vin Diesel in the lead as the role he was born to play (move aside, Dominic Torreto). Moon. Not quite a great film, but certainly a good one. Duncan Jones would move on to greater heights with Source Code, but I do find this to be a compelling enough, atmospheric one-setting film with a rather terrific one-man show by Sam Rockwell. Oblivion, another underrated Tom Cruise film in recent years. I kind of love the establishing scenes of the film and its desolate landscape of Earth, and find its gradual transition into an action film to be convincing and well-done, plus Cruise and a surprisingly good Olga Kurylenko give it quite a moving human centre. The Day the Earth Stood Still (both versions). The 1951 original is a very timely and interesting piece of cinema reflective of the attitudes of the time towards outsiders and extraterrestrial prospects, but the 21st Century version is also a rather solid film in itself.
I'm also going to see Solaris soon.
As for my promised article on Arrival...more than four days after seeing it, I'm still ruminating over it, so I'll just give a few thoughts that are bumbled into my head:
The script and the daring directions it takes, is sitting really, really well with me now.
As is Amy Adams' lead performance; in fact, she might be among my favourite female leads of the decade now. I also think she'll get in for the Oscars.
The more I think about it, the more I think the film's best comparison is actually, funnily enough, a film I don't care all that much for: American Beauty, and another film I really like, Life of Pi.
There's an aspect of the film I have a slight reservation with, but to discuss it would be spoiler-y, so I'll wait until more people have seen it.
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