Reel and Roll

Sunday, 28 July 2019

'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' Review

Quentin Tarantino once again takes a revisionist paintbrush to history, his canvas this time around being 1969 Hollywood where former television star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) struggles with alcoholism and to make his impact as a fringe actor in Hollywood while his more content buddy, former stunt man and chaperone Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) gets into a series of hijinks which lead him to the infamous Manson Family, and Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) moves in next door to Rick as her career blossoms...

The Good:

- The heights of Tarantino's sleight of hand is as evident as ever here with regards to many of his stylistic choices. The choice of soundtrack this time round is not only as catchy as always but if anything, embodies the time period better than any of his previous works. The cinematography is excellent throughout, and the costumes, set design, are all pitch-perfect both in terms of accuracy towards the period will granting their own very QT-esque style. I will also say that aside from one reservation I'll get to later on that he definitely delivered on them with a lot more nuance than one might expect.

- Acting is, as per usual, strong on the whole and I love that QT found so many talented actors to play relative bit-parts that add so much to the overall picture. Highlights from the supporting cast would be Mike Moh's pitch-perfect Bruce Lee, Margaret Qualley's somewhat loveable, somewhat insane hippie Pussycat, and Julia Butters as precocious yet very endearing child actor Trudi Fraser.

- DiCaprio and Pitt are a fantastic combo. DiCaprio once again proving that perhaps comedy is where his true calling is with a hilarious portrayal of a down-on-his-luck wannabe superstar whose pursuit of acting perfection is both pathetically funny but also somewhat moving. And Pitt giving his best performance in quite sometime as the mysterious, soft-spoken and for lack of a better word, badass Cliff who is easily the highlight of the bonkers third act. And their chemistry together is fantastic.

- Some of QT's best individual scenes ever - I'll keep mum for fear of spoilers, but his handling of the action sequences and the 'fake film' interludes are some of his finest work to date. It's also arguably his most wholesome film to date which makes for a nice change of pace.

- Handles what could've been some major 'ehhhh' factors very sensitively and with maturity that you might not expect of QT. The Manson Family are genuinely quite creepy but the way they are depicted is in a way that does not exploit the original tragedies.

The Bad:

- Margot Robbie is lovely as Sharon Tate but I wish she'd had a bit more to do acting-wise. As it is her subplot is more of just a set-up for the third act.

- Absence of truly memorable dialogue I'd say, which is odd for a QT film as for all the reservations one might have with Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight, there were certainly loads of memorable lines from those. It's still a great screenplay but perhaps less memorable.

- The film is deliberately aimless in its overarching tone which is fine, but there are several sequences I do feel could've been cut out, if not altogether excluded. The pacing is a bit off here and you do feel the extra length of the film which is not a problem I had with say, The Hateful Eight which I felt kept its breakneck momentum sustained throughout the whole nearly three hour runtime.

- QT really needs to stop using the narration motif in his films. It worked for Kill Bill and Inglorious Basterds and somewhat for The Hateful Eight but here despite getting Kurt Russell to do it, it feels forced.

The Ugly:

- This film will ultimately be quite divisive, as with any QT film, when looked at against certain topics and critiques, particularly with regards to gender roles, its treatment of Bruce Lee, its treatment of real-life events, liberties taken with real people...personally, I'm giving it all a bit of room to breathe before giving more thought. I will say that I definitely have issues on these fronts, as with any of Tarantino's filmography, but not necessarily on the negative side, but I do think a debate in this regard is necessary.

Conclusion:

Having thoroughly loved his last three films, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is probably my least favourite of his most recent work in the past decade or so. However, it's still a strong, occasionally amazing, film from one of the industry's most unique voices, and I was thoroughly entertained throughout.

Sunday, 21 July 2019

The MCU's Future - What's in Store/Reel and Roll's Thoughts (Comic-Con 2019)

How does one follow up something like Avengers: Endgame? A whole lot of everything, apparently.

Black Widow - 1st May 2020 (film) directed by Cate Shortland

L - R: Florence Pugh, O.T. Fagbenle, Rachel Weisz, Scarlett Johansson

L - R: David Harbour, Florence Pugh, O.T. Fagbenle, Cate Shortland

Confirmed cast:

Scarlett Johnasson, reprising her role as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow
David Harbour as Alexei
Florence Pugh as Yelena
Rachel Weisz as Melina
O.T. Fagbenle as Mason

Hype level: B

Given the events of Endgame this is clearly expected to be a prequel, and the MCU has assembled quite the cast for this one, with the incredibly talented Pugh's inclusion being particularly intriguing. It'll be interesting to see what direction they go with this one, if it'll be a change of pace and a smaller, more intimate story given that it doesn't need to deal with added ramifications/more buildup for the MCU and can afford to be a more self-contained story, and we may well find out what REALLY happened in Budapest...

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier - Fall 2020 (Disney+ Series)

L - R: Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie

Confirmed cast:

Anthony Mackie, reprising his role as Sam Wilson/Falcon
Sebastian Stan, reprising his role as Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier
Daniel Brühl, reprising his role as Helmut Zemo

Hype level: B -

Mackie and Stan have shown incredible chemistry both on and offscreen so hopefully this will be a good continuation of this, although I have to admit I really hope they do give ol' Bucky Barnes a proper break at some point, he's gone through a really long rough patch, and I hope the series doesn't fall into the trap into making them too much of a cutesy joke duo. Adding in the return of Zemo, who was one of the first MCU villains to properly break through the mould of underwhelming antagonists, and the experimentation with the miniseries format for a Marvel scale story, piques my interest. An unknown quantity but one I'm nevertheless anticipating.

The Eternals - 6th November 2020 (film) directed by Chloé Zhao

L: Chloe Zhao
L - R (back row): Lauren Ridloff, Richard Madden, Angelina Jolie, Kumail Nanjiani
(front row): Brian Tyree Henry, Lia McHugh, Don Lee

Confirmed cast:

Richard Madden as Icarus
Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo
Lauren Ridloff as Makkari
Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos
Salma Hayek as Ajak
Lia McHugh as Sprite
Don Lee (a.k.a. Ma Dong-Seok) as Gilgamesh
Angelina Jolie as Thena

Hype level: B

Kudos to Marvel for embracing diversity in the right way, as this is a pretty intriguing mix of actors, and hopefully is also a sign that the MCU will continue to go bonkers with the Celestial/cosmic side of things. Zhao is also a brilliant director as evidenced by her breakthrough The Rider, hopefully her still will translate to a big-budget production like this.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - 12th February 2021 (film) directed by Destin Daniel Cretton

L - R: Destin Daniel Cretton, Simu Liu

Confirmed cast:

Simu Liu as Shang-Chi
Awkwafina as ???
Tony Leung Chiu-Wai as The Mandarin

Hype level: A -

Well talk about some major throwbacks, as we go back to the very beginning with the Ten Rings, the terrorists essentially responsible for spring boarding Tony Stark's journey into Iron Man, and his antagonist in Iron Man 3 the Mandarin - but this time for real, and pitted against the MCU's first Asian hero. Liu seems like a good casting choice, I like Awkwafina, but I have to say the biggest boon here is casting the legendary Leung in a role I hope they'll give the required complexity and nuance to. Plus this is being released on my birthday. Hype, for sure.

Loki - Spring 2021 (Disney+ Series)

Tom Hiddleston

Confirmed cast:

Tom Hiddleston, reprising his role as Loki

Hype level: C -

Hey, I love Loki as much as anyone else, and Hiddleston certainly delivered throughout each of his appearances, smaller or more substantial, as the God of Mischief. I do however, think that he got the perfect sendoff in Infinity War and frankly, that exploring more of the Loki who goes AWOL in Endgame in the '2012 alternate timeline' doesn't really pique my interest. I'm all for exploring the multiverse but honestly, I don't know how much more Loki has to offer as a character especially if he's going to be removed from the Thor storyline.

Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness - 7th May 2021 (film) directed by Scott Derrickson

L - R: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen

Confirmed cast:

Benedict Cumberbatch, reprising his role as Doctor Stephen Strange
Elizabeth Olsen, reprising her role as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch

Hype level: A

Now the idea of making a Doctor Strange horror film is a fantastic idea, given how some of the best elements of the first film verged into this territory and Derrickson's background in the genre. All bets seem to be off if you're going to blend the powers of Strange and Scarlet Witch together (though don't forget Wong, and maybe Karl Mood will be back), as visually speaking this may be even more of a trippy affair than the first film. And honestly there's no better individual to explore the multiverse concept now than the Master of the Mystic Arts.

WandaVision - Spring 2021 (Disney+ Series)

L - R: Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany

Confirmed cast:

Elizabeth Olsen, reprising her role as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch
Paul Bettany, reprising his role as Vision
Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau

Hype level: B-

I'm not quite sure what to expect from this, except that it'll definitely be quite experimental in nature, which is a good thing, but could potentially feel a bit extraneous in the overall MCU canon. I'm all for getting Olsen and Bettany back to reprise their roles, though, and I'm sure that this will find some way to bring some more meat to one of the more thinly sketched MCU relationships.

What If...? - Summer 2021 (Disney+ Series)

Jeffrey Wright

Confirmed cast:

Jeffrey Wright as the voice of The Watcher

And featuring the vocal reprisals of -

Haley Atwell as Peggy Carter
Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa/Black Panther
Josh Brolin as Thanos
Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark
David Dastmalchian as Kurt
Michael Douglas as Hank Pym
Karen Gillan as Nebula
Jeff Goldblum as The Grandmaster
Sean Gunn as Kraglin
Chris Hemsworth as Thor
Djimon Hounsiou as Korath
Toby Jones as Arnim Zola
Neal McDonough as Dum Dum Dugan
Natalie Portman as Jane Foster
Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye
Michael Rooker as Yondu
Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/The Hulk
Stanley Tucci as Dr Abraham Erskine
Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury
Michael B. Jordan as Killmonger
Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man
Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier
Chris Sullivan as Taserface
Taika Waititi as Korg

Hype level: B

A series exploring a series of hypothetical 'what if'-scenarios over the MCU chronology, in an episodic Twilight Zone style format sounds intriguing. It seems like the kind of format where the MCU can afford to be hit and miss and be a bit daring since there's no risk at all. And Wright's voice as an omniscient overseer seems pitch perfect.

Hawkeye - Fall 2021

Jeremy Renner

Confirmed cast:

Jeremy Renner, reprising his role as Clint Barton/Ronin/Hawkeye
??? as Kate Bishop

Hype level: C

I'm all for seeing more of Jeremy Renner onscreen and him getting those hefty Disney pay checks. However, the direction they seem to be going in with this series - exploring more of the Ronin phase of the character in between Infinity War and Endgame...I don't know. It doesn't sound particularly intriguing to me on paper, and I kind of like how the film left much of it to the imagination. Nevertheless, I'll approach it with an open mind.

Thor: Love and Thunder - 5th November 2021 (film) directed by Taika Waititi

L - R: Taika Waititi, Natalie Portman, Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson

Confirmed cast:

Chris Hemsworth, reprising his role as Thor Odinson
Tessa Thompson, reprising her role as Valkyrie
Natalie Portman, reprising her role as Jane Foster

Hype level: A+

Okay, that title is what gets me halfway there in terms of excitement, as it seems that they're really ready to let Taika Waititi loose with whatever he wants to do with Thor the character and Thor the story. Overjoyed for the reprisals, and though Jane Foster wasn't the best written character in the previous films, I'm sure that choosing to develop her story arc into 'female Thor' could result in something quite special and exciting (plus Portman's adeptness at comedy has often been overlooked - take a look at her SNL appearances).

Mahershala Ali will play Blade

L - R: Kevin Feige, Maheshala Ali

A very good casting choice for the role, although he had a really thankless character in Alita: Battle Angel the whole aesthetic was basically a prevision to how he'll probably look as Blade. Wesley Snipes was iconic in the role but I'm sure Ali will find a way to own it and make his mark.

Black Panther 2, Guardians of the Galaxy 3, Captain Marvel 2, Fantastic Four, Mutants in the works

More details will probably be announced at next year's Comic-Con. Particularly excited to see who they cast as the new Fantastic Four.

Sources: Reddit, IGN, Variety, Entertainment Weekly

Friday, 12 July 2019

The three sub-plots that stole the show in 'Stranger Things' Season 3

SPOILERS AHEAD

I really didn't know what to expect from Season 3 of Stranger Things. That ending tease to Season 2 aside, everything had wrapped up pretty neatly and I was interested, but also wary, about the direction the Duffer Brothers and co. would take the series in.

On the whole - I was impressed. Though there were faults and perhaps some of the series' nadirs in the first few episodes, more in terms of the balance of tone, and some of the writing - not a fan of making Hopper into an entitled goofball, and a little bit of teen romance goes a long way -, it remained compelling in its slow burning yet never slow pace, a feast for the eyes and ears, consistently humorous and ultimately quite emotionally compelling.

Crux to the show's popularity is undoubtedly the character dynamics, and I have to say that in this department the show did not disappoint, despite a few odd exclusions (no Will and Jonathan Byers scenes frankly makes the latter seem really redundant). The kids remain as electrifying as ever in their interactions forever, whether it be just shooting the breeze or planning how to once again deal with the Upside Down. The connection between Mike and Eleven, though a bit soppy, did end up going somewhere, and Joyce and Hopper, though it took a while to get going, ended up being rather heartfelt and impactful. The highlights of the season in this regard, however, ended up being in somewhat expected yet unexpected places.

'Dude! You did it! You won a fight!'

First off, I'm so glad they did not forget about the glorious chemistry between Steve (Joe Keery) and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo). The two are simply a delight in every scene they're together in, and credit to the Duffer Brothers for realising this and yet not overplaying this note. It just simply felt natural for the two to once again be lumped in together with some madcap scheme that somehow ends up becoming contingent to the plot. Even through some of the rough patches of the earlier episodes, I have to say Dustin's plans saved the day and grabbed my attention back every time.

It would be too easy to perhaps just do the same thing as last season with these two characters, but I loved the subversion this season of Steve being more hapless than ever and yet subsequently all the more endearing, as well as actually being so enthusiastic about joining in with the antics of Dustin. The way the series has developed Steve from jerk jock to endearing schmuck has been perhaps the highlight of the series' arcs, and credits to not only the writing, but Keery for pulling it off.

"I can't believe I'm gonna die in a secret Russian base with Steve 'The Hair' Harrington."

As icing on the cake - or perhaps, a whole cake in itself - was the inclusion of Robin (Maya Hawke). The way the series integrates new characters so seamlessly into the storyline is commendable, and this particular choice of giving a new sparring partner for Steve and Dustin was inspired. Hawke's performance was easily the highlight of the season for me, and I loved every scene we spent with her Robin. Sarcastic yet affable ice cream server to intrepid translator, the more she got involved with the Stranger Things storyline the more absorbed I was with her character, to the point that I started to care about her predicament even more than some of the more firmly established characters on the show.

Her big scene in the bathroom with Steve, which took on a direction that not only was unexpected but also made complete sense, was perhaps one of the best written, directed, and acted scenes in the series so far, and I have so much respect for how they pulled it off, making it feel organic, unforced and very, very moving.

'Hopp, he did ask for cherry...'

Speaking of moving, how about that random Russian scientist we met in the first scene who we'd most probably expect would meet a gruesome and satisfying death by the series end? Alexei (Alec Utgoff), or 'Smirnoff', ended up being one of the biggest surprises for me in the season. Not only was it such an effective way of essentially humanising the 'enemy', by showing a scientist who was pretty much an innocent pawn in their game, finding such joy in the simple things in life. Alexei was one of the funniest parts of the season, and honestly brought much needed life into some heavy exposition scenes, and his eventual departure was I'll admit a truly saddening moment, up there with some of the most moving deaths in the series.

'Seven feet...'

If that was unexpected though, what they ended up doing with Billy (Dacre Montgomery) absolutely floored me. I'll admit that in the previous season I'd found the character a bit extraneous, a bit of a caricature, but this season made sense of it all. Billy was, frankly, quite terrifying here as a sort of 'minion' to the Upside Down, through Montgomery's physical performance and some excellent, genuinely creepy sequences showing how being possessed by the Mind Flayer makes him both stronger than ever while also revealing the character's inner fallibilities all the more. This all builds up to Billy being the unlikeliest hero of all. Which if you'd told me this last year I'd have scoffed at you, but the execution of this was I have to say, the most emotionally resonant scene in the finale for me. See, I still love the show for the original reasons - Eleven's story, the soundtrack, the visual creativity - but it's nice to see it also surprise me with new things to be delighted by at every turn.

Monday, 29 April 2019

(SPOILERS) An MCU Retrsopect: End of an Era (Beginning of Another)

If you've seen Avengers: Endgame. The hype. You get it. If you haven't...what're you doing here?

SPOILERS AHEAD

The 22nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, running at a grand three-hour length, has shattered box-office records across the globe and received so much acclaim for the efforts of the Russo Brothers, Kevin Feige, and the collaborative cast and technical teams behind this decade-long journey beginning with a genius playboy billionaire philanthropist forced in a rusty suit, and culminating in Earth's Mightiest Heroes fending off a massive purple megalomaniac. The buildup of so many films, superheroes, villains, and everything in between has resulted in an objectively epic universe. After Endgame, some characters' journeys will continue - the snapped returnees, with the likes of Doctor Strange, Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Spider-Man, Falcon, Scarlet Witch and many others likely to pave the way for the new Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy continuing their wacky exploits, and the arcs of Endgame showing that Rocket Racoon, Nebula, War Machine and especially Ant-Man still have roles to play in the universe. Plus with the Fantastic Four and X-Men rights...exciting times ahead.

Now, however, let's play tribute to the OG sextet of Avengers. Some will continue on in different wavelengths, some have waved their final goodbye...we shall see.

'None of this makes sense' - Clint Barton aka Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner)

Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) took a bit of time to find his niche in the MCU. It's tricky to find a place for an archer, albeit an exceptionally skilled one, within the parameters of the increasingly large scale scope of the MCU. But find it he did. While he might have been a bit of a plot device in the first Avengers, by Age of Ultron for all the faults of that film it must be given credit for developing him into. the quipping, wisecracking and all too self-aware everyman and family man we've grown to love in Clint. Endgame placed him into some truly dark times and it's remarkable how it struck the perfect balance between this darker, grim transformed Clint while still letting us root for the sympathetic individual looking to do right, no matter how overwhelming and ridiculous the odds may be. He may well pop up again sometime soon in some capacity, but I kind of hope he just gets his happy ending with his loving family.

'That's my secret Cap. I'm always angry' - Bruce Banner aka The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo)

Now while I do think having Professor Hulk in Endgame might've deprived us of the crowd-pleasing Hulk antics we've all grown to love, it does serve as a pretty natural endpoint for a character whose transition into the universe, while not the smoothest, has ended up being one of two major re-casts in the MCU that really worked well. Ruffalo's take on the Hulk has been remarkable in making for such a likeable geeky presence juxtaposed with the unease and paranoia of a man constantly on edge about being on edge. The CGI has only improved all the more with each film with regards to the big green guy, with Ragnarok being a particular high point in its use of the Hulk, and with Infinity War and Endgame we've seen him come full circle into accepting both sides of himself into one. He might not have gotten a lot to do here, but don't forget that his ultimate task this film was essential in causing a snap change in the Avengers's stakes against Thanos.

'I'm only alive because fate wants me alive' - Thor Odinson (Chris Hemsworth)

No character has made a bigger leap from 'serviceable' to 'great' than Thor in my eyes, and so much credit has to go to so many collaborative efforts in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Hemsworth has always been rock-solid in the role, he really is Thor and no one else could've introduced the thunder-wielding, Mjolnir-thrashing character like him. Admittedly however, in his earlier films he was a tad overshadowed by his nefarious brother Loki, and in the Avengers film by the more dynamic arcs of the other heroes. Over his last three appearances however, he's become in short, an absolute beast. Ragnarok exploiting his natural talent for comedy and badasses so well, Infinity War bringing such emotional poignancy to his characterisation, and Endgame merging the comedic and dramatic sides of our loveable, flawed yet WORTHY hero so well. I'm glad we'll be able to see more of him again soon enough in a Guardians of the Galaxy film. Though really. Have a salad.

'I have no place in this world' - Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson)

It's easy to forget how long Nat's been part of the MCU, since Iron Man 2 where she was the sexy, sultry, enigmatic undercover spy. She's always been a welcome part of the universe, but I will say that it's the Russo Brothers films where she's really excelled in. From being a perfect partner to Captain America in The Winter Soldier to her conflicting arc between doing what she thinks is right and what she feels is right in Civil War, and to her absolutely heartbreaking culmination of her arc in Endgame, Natasha has gone from steely assassin without a family and any real connection, to perhaps the most empathetic of all the Avengers. The ultimate tragedy of someone with no real familial connections and a haunted past, making the ultimate sacrifice for the family she found along the way. Her conclusion to Endgame was perfect even though it unfortunately left her out of the grand finale, and my only nitpick would be I'd have loved if she'd had a little more screen time with Banner.

'I can do this all day.' - Steve Rogers aka Captain America (Chris Evans)

Cap's been my favourite Avenger ever since his first solo film. While not without its own set of flaws, it was a great introduction to a man who's so much more than just the product of a bottle of super serum. No one could play Steve Rogers as well as Evans, a scrawny kid from Brooklyn who overnight becomes a national hero, yet never loses sight of what has always driven him: doing right by people, doing the right thing. Whether it's going to strength to strength in his old-values hero learning to adapt to modern society across the first two Avengers film, or showing how his optimism and will to do good results in an arc where he realises he can't save everyone, and how he simply can't compromise his ideals in The Winter Soldier and Civil War when it comes to his ol pal Bucky Barnes (a true bromance for the ages). In Endgame I thought Cap was just terrific, period.. By this point, you follow Steve Rogers wherever he goes. He just is unquestionably the hero everyone strives towards, sometimes without even saying a single word, in showing the simple yet brilliant resilience of the First Avenger. Evans in his portrayal manages to be heartbreaking, hilarious (his fight with himself is a particularly golden moment), and incredibly rousing in giving us some of the most goosebump inducing moments in the MCU, and I'm so glad he finally got his dance.

'I am Iron Man' - Tony Stark aka Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.)

The road for Tony Stark has both on films and within the film universe, not the smoothest. From the risky initial casting choice of RDJ and setting up a universe with a somewhat well-known yet not household name comic book character, to taking the risky approach of introducing Tony Stark as a damn charismatic, yet not immediately 'hero material' protagonist, 2008's Iron Man could've absolutely tanked. Luckily Jon Favreau, Downey Jr. and co absolutely nailed the terrific origin story Stark and while Iron Man 2 was a massive step-down in quality, both films helped to set up Stark and his iron-masked alter ego as the cornerstone of the film universe. Downey Jr.'s arc hasn't come in the most flawless of films sometimes, but he's managed to make every step count, from the PTSD afflicted Tony of Iron Man 3 and Age of Ultron naturally segueing into the Tony determined to keep heroes in check at all costs and avoid future collateral in Civil War. Going on from that he developed the growing family man in Tony with his dynamic with Peter Parker and his relationship with Pepper Potts finally blossoming into a marriage and in Endgame, a sweet child. In these past two films, Tony Stark has gone through hell and back. He's gone through the grief, anguish of defeat by Thanos, and the subsequent acceptance of the new life. And the sacrifice of that new life for the sake of the universe. It's never an easy journey for Tony, but he ends up finishing where he started: the man who started the Marvel Cinematic Universe, ends by, well, saving it. Because he's Tony, who will make the sacrifice play.

MCU Ranking so far:

Avengers: Endgame
Guardians of the Galaxy
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Iron Man
Avengers: Infinity War
Thor: Ragnarok
Captain America: Civil War
Doctor Strange
Black Panther
The Avengers
Captain America: The First Avenger
Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2
Iron Man 3
Captain Marvel
Thor
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Ant-Man
Thor: The Dark World
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Avengers: Age of Ultron
The Incredible Hulk
Iron Man 2

Wednesday, 13 March 2019

Top 10: Nicolas Cage

10. Matchstick Men

You'll probably have seen the 'PISSED BLOOD' scene at the pharmacy even if you haven't seen the film, which is about two shifty con artists played by Cage and an ever-energetic Sam Rockwell. Cage's Roy has Tourette's, panic attacks and OCD, so it must be said this is one of his most mannered performances, and I'll say he mostly pulls it off into a rather entertaining portrayal of this shady man with so many phobias. His best scenes are however the ones he shares with an apparent daughter he never knew about (a terrific Allison Lohman, probably best known for Drag Me to Hell) as the two share a gradually burgeoning chemistry that's both funny and oddly sweet.

9. Bringing Out the Dead

One of Martin Scorsese's most experimental films, it must be said that while I'm not a huge fan of the film overall (not that I dislike it), it's certainly got a great cast. Cage in many ways acts as the rock centre of the film, sure he has scenes where he goes off the bender as paramedic Frank Pierce, but it's mostly a rock-solid reactionary performance that bounces off his succession of partners. Cage plays off each one of them - John Goodman, Ving Rhames, Tom Sizemore - with aplomb in their varying degrees of madness. Though the film is one of Scorsese's most stylistically heavy films Cage is never lost behind that vision and gives a terrific turn.

8. Face/Off

It's a shame Cage doesn't seem to enjoy playing villains in general since he's damned good at playing one. Castor Troy is one of the most arch archvillains in Hollywood history, amplified by the over-the-top direction of John Woo, but it all adds up to some of his nuttiest work as the ridiculously over-the-top terrorist. One wonders how it took so long to capture such a hammyindividual but I digress. Once the titular 'switch' of the film takes place between Troy and FBI agent Sean Archer (John Travolta), while Travolta struggles a bit with transitioning into the Cagey villain (though his performance is not without merit), Cage is great at playing the sudden 'hero' of the story, with a particularly amazing scene where he shows the madness, tragedy, and dark hilarity of a good man trapped in a bad man's body.

7. Joe

Warning: this is not a pleasant film to watch. It's very bleak and blunt, and even though at its centre is the burgeoning friendship between Cage's titular foreman and a young boy who comes to work for him (Tye Sheridan), along the way there's a deadbeat alcoholic abusive father, dangerous criminal ties, and unpleasant clashes involving policemen and dogs. Having said that, Cage is captivating to watch in a particularly subdued turn, giving a very internalised portrayal of a man with a dark past, but also a softer side to him that feels very much earned, and is particularly great in his final scenes where he finally decides to take action for the greater good.

6. Raising Arizona

It's a shame the Coen Brothers and Cage haven't collaborated together since one of the earlier films, for both parties' filmography, in this zany crime comedy about ex-convict 'Hi' McDonough (Cage) and his wife, police officer Edwina (Holly Hunter). Cage and Hunter are quite the charming pair and make their romance really work, their struggle to conceive rather moving, and their exploits to kidnap a baby from wealthy magnate Nathan Arizona (Trey Wilson) rather hilarious. Cage's work is constantly on the move as the situation continually escalates and grows madder, and he makes it all the funnier with how consistently he keeps his character's laconic, laidback nature.

5. Mandy

The utterly bonkers grandeur of what can be best described as a cinematic drug-fuelled trip, let me make note that Cage's performance here is as one of the more 'normal' elements of the film initially where his Red and onscreen titular spouse Mandy (Andrea Riseborough) lie a happy idyllic life together before it's torn apart by some particularly loathsome cultists led by Linus Roache's Jeremiah Sands, and some particularly gruesome biker demons. In his slow descent into madness and revenge in the second half of the film, is mostly scenes of him reacting and going mad against the psychedelic imagery and madness surrounding him as a man on a mission. He gives a largely silent, but rather powerful portrayal of such a transformation, and finds some incredible scenes to work with, particularly in the incredible bathroom breakdown after witnessing a life-shattering tragedy that may well be his best-acted scene of his career.

4. Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans

What should probably be seen as Cage's definitive 'Nic Cage' performance over stuff like The Wicker Man, quite frankly, because this is actually a good film, an intentional comedy, while still having a lot of classic nutty Nic Cage moments that gives the people what they want. As the titular lieutenant whose port of call is in, you guessed it New Orleans, Terence McDonogh. Not 'bad' as in sinister and evil, or wholly incompetent, but more of in the sense that he's casually corrupt and addicted to drugs. Cage's entire performance is a tight wire performance between a fairly commanding cop and a completely off-the-hook druggie, and it's a big, broad performance for sure, but what makes it work is how damn funny he is in the role, whether it's his excessively hostile interrogation at an old people's home, catching suspects in his own manic way, and watching a soul break dance into the afterlife with an iguana in toll.

3. Adaptation

What's better than Nic Cage? A pair of Nic Cages, playing the film's screenwriter Charlie Kaufman in a fictional portrayal of himself and his fictional doofus twin brother Donald. Individually he plays both brothers impeccably from the neurotic, insecure artist trying to make something 'important', to the naive yet endearing doofus energy of his twin who wants to emulate his brother, resulting in some particularly hilarious exchange of ideas about their respective screenplays, while also creating some powerful moments in the end as the brothers learn life lessons from one another. Watching how this pair of Cages interact with other characters, one another, and go through the film's gradually more insane plot is a sheer delight, and I highly recommend this film to all.

2. Wild at Heart

Cage at his most directly charismatic, quite frankly, as he once again like in Raising Arizona plays a charming Southern ex-con, Sailor Ripley, but in a much different type of film this time around with David Lynch taking the reigns. Cage is perfectly at-one with the bizzaro world that Lynch creates him of the seedy underworld his character has to manoeuvre through. He's never sleazy even though he is most certainly peculiar and dangerous in his own way, and instead has such charm in his interactions with Laura Dern's Lula Pace Fortune; the two have an insane amount of chemistry and every scene with them together is an absolute treat, and no matter how weird the film gets (and it gets very weird), the two are astonishing in the power they create through their romance. Then there's the Elvis impersonation of the character that is an inspired choice that drives his whole performance, and grants us some memorable moments of Nic Cage breaking into Elvis in two most unexpected song numbers.

1. Leaving Las Vegas

Cage won an Oscar for his best performance thus far as alcoholic Ben Sanderson in this adaptation of John O'Brien's semi-autobiographical novel. Alcoholism having destroyed everything in his life back in L.A., Ben embarks on a trip to Las Vegas, where he plans to drink himself to death. Cage gives a hard-hitting portrayal of a functioning alcoholic hitting rock bottom and finding ways to go even further. It's a difficult performance to watch as Cage is just so good at hitting the extreme notes of a man for whom alcohol is a way of life, whether it's in the BIG scenes like the outburst at the bank, or quieter scenes as he drunkenly checks into a hotel and silently realises how far he's fallen. There are brief respites in the form of his relationship with Elizabeth Shue's prostitute Sera, as the two characters find a strange kinship in the different forms of abuse and torment they experience. Just taken from a few random clips out of context this might just seem like a Cage freakout performance, but it's an extraordinary, powerful and deservedly acclaimed performance, period.

Saturday, 23 February 2019

Final: The Reel and Roll Awards 2018 (FULL LIST)

Best Picture

First Man ★★★★★
Roma ★★★★★
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs ★★★★★
Leave No Trace ★★★★★
Can You Ever Forgive Me? ★★★★★
Burning ★★★★★
The Guilty ★★★★★
Mission Impossible - Fallout ★★★★★
The Favourite ★★★★ 1/2
Boy Erased ★★★★ 1/2
If Beale Street Could Talk ★★★★ 1/2
A Star is Born ★★★★ 1/2
Isle of Dogs ★★★★ 1/2
Blindspotting ★★★★ 1/2
Avengers: Infinity War ★★★★ 1/2
Creed II ★★★★
Deadpool 2 ★★★★
Mandy ★★★★
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse ★★★★
Sorry to Bother You ★★★★
Stan & Ollie ★★★★
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again ★★★★
The Old Man and the Gun ★★★★
Shoplifters ★★★★
Won't You Be My Neighbour ★★★★
Widows ★★★★
Crazy Rich Asians ★★★★
Support the Girls ★★★★
Dogman ★★★★
Black Panther ★★★★
Journeyman ★★★ 1/2
Cold War ★★★ 1/2
First Reformed ★★★ 1/2
A Quiet Place ★★★ 1/2
Thoroughbreds ★★★ 1/2
The Sisters Brothers ★★★ 1/2
The Rider ★★★ 1/2
Bad Times at the El Royale ★★★ 1/2
At Eternity's Gate ★★★ 1/2
BlacKkKlansman ★★★ 1/2
Tully ★★★ 1/2
Game Night ★★★ 1/2
Hereditary ★★★ 1/2
The Hate U Give ★★★
Disobedience ★★★
A Private War ★★★
McQueen ★★★
Blockers ★★★
Bumblebee ★★★
Love, Simon ★★★
Mary Poppins Returns ★★★
Mary Queen of Scots ★★★
Outlaw King ★★★
Christopher Robin ★★★
Halloween ★★★
Wildlife ★★★
Searching ★★★
RBG ★★★
Suspiria ★★ 1/2
Bird Box ★★ 1/2
Ant-Man and the Wasp ★★ 1/2
The Other Side of the Wind ★★ 1/2
Colette ★★ 1/2
The Little Stranger ★★ 1/2
Incredibles 2 ★★ 1/2
Green Book ★★ 1/2
Cargo ★★ 1/2
Ocean's 8 ★★ 1/2
Aquaman ★★ 1/2
Solo: A Star Wars Story ★★ 1/2
Destroyer ★★ 1/2
Bohemian Rhapsody ★★
Sicario: Day of the Soldado ★★
The Wife ★★
Ready Player One ★★
Annihilation ★★
American Animals ★ 1/2
Red Sparrow ★ 1/2
The Cloverfield Paradox ★ 1/2
Beautiful Boy ★ 1/2
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald ★ 1/2
Vice ★ 1/2
Mute ★
Pacific Rim Uprising ★
The Predator ★
The 15:17 to Paris ★
Life Itself ★

Best Director

Alfonso Cuarón, Roma
Damien Chazelle, First Man
Joel and Ethan Coen, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Lee Chang-dong, Burning
Marielle Heller, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Yorgos Lanthimos, The Favourite
Barry Jenkins, If Beale Street Could Talk
Christopher McQuarrie, Mission: Impossible - Fallout
Debra Granik, Leave No Trace
Gustav Möller, The Guilty
Paweł Pawlikowski, Cold War
Joel Edgerton, Boy Erased
Wes Anderson, Isle of Dogs
Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Steve McQueen, Widows
Carlos López Estrada, Blindspotting
Panos Cosmatos, Mandy
Bradley Cooper, A Star is Born
David Lowery, The Old Man and the Gun
Drew Goddard, Bad Times at the El Royale
Hirokazu Kore-eda, Shoplifters
Steven Caple Jr., Creed II
Matteo Garrone, Dogman
Paddy Considine, Journeyman
John Krasinski, A Quiet Place
Boots Riley, Sorry to Bother You
The Russo Brothers, Avengers: Infinity War
Chloe Zhao, The Rider
Morgan Neville, Won't You Be My Neighbour
Ryan Coogler, Black Panther
Julian Schnabel, At Eternity's Gate
Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman
Ari Aster, Hereditary
David Leitch, Deadpool 2
Orson Welles, The Other Side of the Wind
David Gordon Green, Halloween
Jon S. Baird, Stan & Ollie
Jacques Audiard, The Sisters Brothers
John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, Game Night
Andrew Bujalski, Support the Girls
Ol Parker, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
Cory Finley, Thoroughbreds
George Tillman Jr., The Hate U Give
David Mackenzie, Outlaw King
Paul Schrader, First Reformed
Matthew Heineman, A Private War
Travis Knight, Bumblebee
Jason Reitman, Tully
Josie Rourke, Mary Queen of Scots
Paul Dano, Wildlife
Jon M. Chu, Crazy Rich Asians
Ian Bonhôte, Peter Ettedgui, McQueen
Lenny Abrahamson, The Little Stranger
Aneesh Chaganty, Searching
Sebastián Lelio, Disobedience
Betsy West, Julie Cohen, RBG
Peyton Reed, Ant-Man and the Wasp
Rob Marshall, Mary Poppins Returns
Luca Guadagnino, Suspiria
James Wan, Aquaman
Greg Berlanti, Love, Simon
Brad Bird, Incredibles 2
Marc Foster, Christopher Robin
Wash Westmoreland, Colette
Susanne Bier, Bird Box
Yolanda Ramke, Cargo
Kay Cannon, Blockers
Karyn Kusama, Destroyer
Ron Howard, Solo: A Star Wars Story
Stefano Sollima, Sicario: Day of the Soldado
Gary Ross, Ocean's 8
Peter Farrelly, Green Book
Steven Speilberg, Ready Player One
Bart Layton, American Animals
Bjorn Runge, The Wife
Bryan Singer, Bohemian Rhapsody
Alex Garland, Annihilation
Steven S. DeKnight, Pacific Rim Uprising
Julius Onah, The Cloverfield Paradox
Francis Lawrence, Red Sparrow
Shane Black, The Predator
David Yates, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
Duncan Jones, Mute
Felix Van Groeningen, Beautiful Boy
Clint Eastwood, The 15:17 to Paris
Dan Fogleman, Life Itself
Adam McKay, Vice