The Blind Side (2009)

The love and care that a family has to give should never be questioned and more than that, never be used against you.

The Blind Side follows the true story of Michael "Big Mike" Oher (Quinton Aaron), a traumatised african-american teenager with the height and strength to rival professional bodybuilders. Whilst looking for a warm place to stay for the night, Michael is spotted by the Tuohy family (Tim McGraw, Jae Head, Lily Collins), lead by the ever-determined yet loving Leigh Anne (Sandra Bullock) who insists Michael stay with them. By the motherly orders of Leigh Anne, Michael is then brought into the family, bought clothes and given a real bed and finally, he feels loved. The Tuohys even become Michael's legal family, forcing Leigh Anne to confront Michael's real mother, who faces constant problems with addiction. Through Michael we also see the damage thrown on young men like himself simply by living in "the wrong part of town". The key story element here however is American Football, in which Michael trains as an "Offensive Tackle" and finds connections to protecting his family, a purpose for his life and an opportunity to escape the void of drugs and violence he was raised in. However, out of this success comes the interest of an NCAA investigator (Sharon Conley) who believes Michael's adoption is a tactical move by the Tuohy family to further the success of their favourite university's football team. 

The Blind Side displays, above all, honest emotion. It puts on display the ingrained care that a mother will have for a defenceless child, even if it is not her own. Even without the added twist of the NCAA investigator, the story of Leigh Anne taking in Michael and treating him like a son is one that still deserved telling. Scenes like the conversation Leigh Anne has with her "friends" over salad about defending Michael as a person and stripping down all the assumptions, stereotypes and racial remarks that are being made by the people around her, a particularly shocking assumption made about the fact that both Michael and Leigh Anne's daughter Collins (Lily Collins) are teenagers and that he may be tempted to "try something" puts on display the hollow way that a larger than decent percentage of the world currently thinks about african americans, young males, those coming from a dangerous upbringing and even simply men or boys who are larger than average, thus immediately becoming a threat in the eyes of the highly judgemental.

It will come of no surprise to any of you that have seen The Blind Side to know that Sandra Bullock won the Oscar for her performance and I can't see a single reason why she wouldn't. She carries the film forward with her brilliant portrayal of Leigh Anne who's complete confidence and solidarity within herself means that she is both the unstoppable force and the immovable object, easily rivalling actresses like Helen Mirren and Meryl Streep in her ability to instil fear in the hearts of anyone but it is the balance she achieves, the incredible juggling act of having that fear but blending it with the love and care of a mother who devotes anything and everything to her children. The switch between these two halves of the character come in nano seconds and for the most happen, they are present at the same time.

As well as this comes the exposure of lots of side characters that all influenced Michael's trajectory as a person, people like his high school teachers who took the time to teach him one-on-one as it was easier for him, the coach (Ray McKinnon) who saw that Michael had the physical excellence for american football but still needed the mental and psychological training involved and probably most importantly, the rest of the Tuohy family and Miss Sue (Kathy Bates) who individually helped Michael out of his defensive shell, express his passions and properly develop as a person instead of a damaged product of his rough neighbourhood upbringing.

The Blind Side utilises something overlooked in a lot of dramatic cinema, especially of that involving family; that family comes from the care of each other and not from blood relation, it is the appreciation we show and receive that proves who our family really is, no matter where they come from or what they look like.

4/5 - Family comes first, then football.

Molly's Game (2017)

You don't notice your breath until you hold it for too long, this can be caused by feeling tension in something you're watching. This story will have you suffocating with immersion.

Molly's Game follows the true story of Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain), a once olympic level skier who ran some of the most famous underground poker games in the world but fell into trouble with the Russian Mafia and in turn, the FBI.

In all honesty, Aaron Sorkin is one of my favourite writers and overall creators to have existed. His mastery of dialogue, pacing and control of information is always astounding. I found Molly's Game to be another perfect example of this as it approaches the subject of determination, unwavering pride and potential in the form of Molly Bloom and how it can build great athletes and people in general but there is always sacrifice, be it in a financial capacity, physical damage or in emotional distance from family and friends, all of which happen to Molly but truthfully, this a specially crafted work of fiction made to force the audience to think, it was true to they begin to think about it naturally, what making that sacrifice means and how to weigh it against our own personal goals and successes. Molly Bloom reaches out of this film, takes the audience by the scruff of the neck and interrogates them, demanding their excuse as to why they're not doing their hardest and sacrificing all for the goals they complain about every day. In this current climate of broken economies, markets, politics combined with the newer generations attempting to make a career out of their hobbies and more creative sides, the missions and success of Molly Bloom become all the more relevant and real as you can achieve all those things and it's going to be incredibly hard but the reality is, nobody cares about your complaining and doing it isn't going to get you any further.

The performance of Jessica Chastain is brilliant, her confidence and slightly terrifying sense of calm in the background of all the poker scenes and scenes of competition really drive the force of the character of Molly, I could only compare it to Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada; the power she exudes by simply knowing she's more powerful and never wavering in this knowledge. Just as strong is Kevin Costner and his callous portrayal of Larry Bloom, Molly's father who is depicted as more of a coach than a father at most times and because of this he becomes somewhat of an antagonistic force that pushes Molly to succeed beyond his realm of achievement and the standards set by her two brothers, this all comes to an incredible emotional climax as Larry meets his daughter after an FBI meeting, he then proceeds to unleash his professional psychology skills on her in order to force a realisation that everything she's achieved out of anger after her accident trying to enter the olympics was because she tripped over a stick, something so insignificant that the punishment she's been throwing on herself and others became way more than a coping mechanism, it became an addiction. Idris Elba is another brilliant addition as Molly's lawyer, Charlie Jaffey. Admittedly, I believed it to be an unusual casting decision given Sorkin's style and Elba's filmography but he took it on fantastically, executing the high speed back and forth conversations with ease and unleashing a brilliant monologue praising Molly to two FBI agents that easily became my favourite moment in the film.

This film, in the same vein as the rest of Aaron Sorkin's work, demands focus, attention and the capacity to take in information at elevated speeds. Aaron Sorkin knows he may not bring in as much money as a fantasy franchise and he may not have a following of superhero cosplays in the millions but the one thing he does know is that his dialogue is music for the intelligent, a rhythm is established of learning and informative exposition that, if followed by someone with an eidetic memory, would form them into a genius simply by watching his collected works. What I'm trying to say is if you dare to watch this film with your phone on, go and watch The Emoji Movie or some other garbage that only requires two brain cells because you don't deserve to even attempt to understand this symphony of information.

4.5/5 - Ace's high.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of GrindelWald (2018)

There are moments in a film where you must sacrifice time for exposition and set-up but I've never seen an entire film just given up for it.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald once again follows Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) as he is employed by Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) to thwart the plans of a magical fanatic known as Grindelwald (Johnny Depp). However, Newt is also crossing seas to rescue his friend Tina (Katherine Waterston) who has mysteriously disappeared.

With the announcement that Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was going to formed into a 5 film franchise, everyone knew of the danger that The Hobbit brought; stretching one film over multiple films isn't a good idea as pacing, key evdnts and character arcs will be damaged due to this decision. The end result of this is having an entire film as set-up for another 3 films that are all now in danger of never existing due to this one falling so flat.

A character like Tina, who was the moving force of progression for the first film is now reduced to an objective marker for Newt and Jacob (Dan Fogler) in a nonsense sub-plot based on a potential romance that isn't resolved an only used to get Newt to a location closer to Grindelwald. An equally disappointing situation occurs with Newt's brother, Theseus (Callum Turner), who is brought in to provide an opposite side of the Scamander family, the literal fear of Newt revealed to us during the film as Theseus works for the Ministry of Magic; a bureaucratic organisation that has opposed Newt's missions at every opportunity. The character is once again wasted on the franchise's need to stretch the plot. Theseus is introduced right at the start of the film as the reverse side of Newt's coin and looks to be a potentially interesting new character, then BOOM! Side-lined to the role of a Ministry grunt for the rest of the film as the majority of the original cast trudge through a plot that is barely held together by brand new, constantly repeated exposition that's focused on either Credence (Ezra Miller) and his constantly changing origins, Leta Lestrange's (Zoë Kravitz) shoe-horned involvement in that backstory or the apparent "prophecy" that is never actually said in full or without a thick French accent so good luck getting any clarity from that.

One main selling point of the first Fantastic Beasts film was that it wasn't just about wizards, it was a zoological adventure nearing Steve Irwin levels of fun as Newt recklessly endangers his life in hilarious ways as he tries to rescue and protect the creatures he loves so much. This combination of comedy with the scary tones of the Credence/Mr Graves (Colin Farrell) storyline made the first film so successful as it formed the same basis of "magic" that made the first few Harry Potter films so captivating but now these beautiful and charming creatures are reduced to being tools for Newt to throw out on a whim when he needs them, like some sort of warped Pokémon style strategy. We get glimpses of a bunch of new creatures and habitats in Newt's home near the beginning of the film and then the only one actually integrated into the story from that point is the Zouwu, a giant cat-like creature that Newt frees from a travelling circus and tames, only then use as a repeat scapegoat for the rest of the film as he opens his suitcase to unleash it in a manner that would suit him screaming "LOOK AT ME! I HAVE A CAT-DRAGON!".

In summary, I really wanted the Fantastic Beasts franchise to continue as 5 powerful films that explore more and more aspects of the magical world; more creatures, more places, more magic, maybe even more wizarding schools but instead we have magical Steve Irwin VS magical Hitler, all brought about because a bearded teacher with a funny glove said so.

1.5/5 - Magic just lost it's magic.

Carol (2015)

A tender romance that waits patiently for you to fall in love, and a coming of age story that subtly waves from across the street.

Director Todd Haynes went into this film with one word in mind: understatement. Every detail from the dialogue to the acting, from the cinematography to the soundtrack, everything thrives in it's lack of ostentatiousness. It's a love story, one so familiar yet so welcoming. Meet Therese (Rooney Mara), a young disenfranchised retail worker trying to make it through the Christmas season of 1952 (if that isn't heartbreaking enough, just hold your horses). Other than a cantankerous supervisor at work, Therese seems surrounded by friends who respect her, and men who want to be with her.

Now let's just pause a moment to examine something important here. Men.

Or to be more precise, the opening moments of the film go to great lengths to demonstrate something: everywhere Therese looks, she sees men. Whether she's looking at a couple walking through the department store, or even all the various toys ready to be sold to a horde of holiday shoppers, there's always a man.

And Therese couldn't care less.

With a handful of simple camera close-ups that could have been missed in the blink of an eye, the director shows us a crucial detail about Therese: she is utterly and totally uninterested in men. Being able to pull that off without a word said, in the space of about 10 seconds, well I was impressed anyway. But though it may have been made abundantly clear to the audience that Therese was more than a typical heterosexual heroin, the truly sad thing was that the character didn't seem to know it herself. When I realised that, I instantly felt the need to pop into the the TV with a hot chocolate and a hug and have a long chat with Therese. Immediately I started to think 'ah, this will be a film, not about the romance, but about forbidden love in the 50's.' It is to my lasting joy that I couldn't have been more wrong. Carol avoids falling into the pit of writing a gay romance as nothing more than a taboo love story, but insteads writes a story that is...really just about love. So far, Therese is winning some brownie points. And not only is she an unsatisfied retail worker, but a struggling artist too, a photographer no less! Longing for a way to share her art with the world but lacking the passion and drive to create something she can truly be proud of, oh my what a familiar tune! Which of us doesn't long for a grateful audience, a throng of followers to validate every move we make just to let us know that we aren't alone or stupid? For a moment I had worried she was nothing more than a shy, lonely twenty-something, but thankfully the director was on hand to leave a few careful hand-written notes to remind me that she was so much more.

Enter: Carol (Cate Blanchett), everything that Therese isn't. Where Therese is quiet, Carol is confident. Where Therese is shy, Carol is a temptress. The moment she sweeps into the room with her fashionable fur and a look that could floor a tempestuous rhino, Carol instantly begs the camera to stare at her (and of course, Therese too). To Blanchett's credit (as if there could ever be any doubt), she brings desirability into every movement she makes, every glance, every uttered word. You can't help but become obssessed, and neither can Therese.

Again I was almost worried that here we were with yet another love story about one shy person and one confident person, yin and yang, night and day. Perfectly on cue, the director popped up again just to nudge me in the right direction. Carol is not just the counter to her muted screen partner, but a deeply troubled and vexed mother in the midst of a brutal conflict of her own. Suddenly, it became clear what the film was about, being vunerable at times of great change, as you grow from one person into another. Though I must admit, less was done with this theme than I expected. I was waiting for more vocalisation from Therese on how the events of the story were impacting her, how she felt as a young person finally discovering who she was. Sadly I was left waiting, though in fairness that was quite characteristic of her. I also wish I had seen more of the difficulties that Carol faced as a mother. The film did an incredible job of setting up Carol's personal woes and binding you to her as she tried to maintain her sophisticated mask for her adorable daughter. But unfortunately this was left to the side for a large central portion of the story before being revisited for the final act. Though again, in a way the very absence of these imbellishments only added to the slowly growing feeling throughout the film that these two lonely people couldn't think about anything else other than each other.

And my oh my they take their time falling in love. But it works. It just works. Casting off the shackles of 'fiery passion that strikes the moment they set eyes on each other,' instead the director creates an ode to life by making them wait, making them think, making them sweat, until they can't control themselves any longer.

Carol is a beautiful film that transcends a simple love story, yet sits comfortably within the confines of a romantic drama. I cannot criticise what it contains, but perhaps what it missed out, I long to know if there were any more stories to be told. Carol tells us a familiar story, you just won't recognise how it's told.

4.5/5 - When love is this honest, who needs reality?

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)

An answer to the question: "What would happen if David Attenborough attended Hogwarts?".

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them centres around Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) and his journey to America, along with his suitcase filled with a menagerie of impossible creatures. Due to an unfortunate accident, some of them escape and Newt must hunt them down before they hurt themselves or anyone else. Accompanied by the bewildered No-Maj/Muggle, Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler), the unfortunate ministry official, Tina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston) and her always enchanting sister, Queenie (Alison Sudol), Newt must not only rescue his animal friends but also face a greater threat in the form of one Mr Graves (Colin Farrell) who is determined to find a dark power hiding in the city of New York.

At first glance, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them would seem like stretch from the comfortable Harry Potter franchise we all know but in truth, it actually pushes the boundaries of the cinematic wizarding world that we didn't know we there. My first realisation is that, because the main protagonist of the Harry Potter franchise was a student and the main setting was a school, there were a lot of limitations and laws preventing any extreme uses of magic or magical creatures as well as how magic had been incorporated properly into the outside world and internationally as well. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them seeks out this opportunity for exploration and does so brilliantly. We get to see an entirely new version of the magic world hiding from the non-magic one, we are introduced to a huge array of creatures that most of us couldn't even begin to imagine and we are brought into the great evil before Voldemort was even born; Grindlewald.

Regarding performance, Eddie Redmayne does a brilliant job in displaying the shy, awkward nature of Newt when he is around humans but as soon as he's handling his magical creatures, he is confident, brave and completely assured of himself. Simply discredited as Redmayne "always being awkward", which I have heard many times since the film's release, I think this character trait was beyond accurate. Newt is someone who was rejected by nearly everyone at Hogwarts because of his fascination with magical creatures, this has obviously developed into a mistrust of the human race and he has placed all of his emotional investment into animals as they, like him, are misunderstood.
However, I believe the under-appreciated frontman of this entire film is Jacob Kowalski, a simple aspiring baker who gets caught up in Newt's Antics and after immediately falling in love with magic, he helps Newt on his search and forms a strong bond of friendship with him, the first human friendship Newt has had for a while. Now, while Jacob is hilarious and quite obviously the window for the audience to see into the fresh, american version of the magical world, I believe the way he is utilised doesn't just make him a blank canvas that the audience uses as a stepping stone to get to the same level of understanding as the wizards, he goes further than that, Jacob has his own dreams and aspirations and makes his own decisions regarding the events of the film, making him just as enjoyable and influential on the story as Newt.

The story of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them perfectly balances itself alongside the earlier additions to the Harry Potter series, as it combines whimsey and adventure with dark forces and characters seeking to corrupt the peace. For a lot of of the audience, the wizarding world is somewhere amazing where you ride dragons, conjure fireworks from your fingertips, turn into animals or even turn your friends into ferrets. The Harry Potter series sought to place it's main antagonist in the realm of seeking power and dominion over his enemies, where Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them takes an approach that is much more political, much more cunning and strangely human, having it's main antagonist, once revealed, be a feared force against the magical government as he is a radical, a "fanatic" bent on changing the laws, which means he has a lot of people by his side. The events in the film don't really exploit this side of Grindlewald and more focus on his basic evil image but there is indeed a lot of potential for more adult themes in the area of politics, propaganda and reference to real events.

To sum up, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them took a huge step in taking magic overseas and through fantastic use of character and story, it has truly paved a path for many more interesting adventures to come.

4.5/5 - Now we all want a Niffler.

The Butler (2013)

To "serve" has never meant weakness. To serve someone or something is to understand their needs and their desires and hopefully, out of respect, you shall also be served the same.

Lee Daniel's The Butler follows the life of Cecil Gaines (Forest Whittaker) as he escapes the cotton fields he was born into and rises to become butler to numerous Presidents of The United States.

The main and most obvious theme of The Butler is the conflict created between what Cecil Gaines and his son Louis (David Oyelowo) represent; Patience and compliance against determination and rebellion. Both of these strategies complete what their characters want; Cecil wants a decent job where he can support himself and stay safe in a harsh world and Louis wants to make change as quickly and prominently as possible for all african-americans. Whilst they're both successful both have drawbacks that are acknowledged by the characters themselves as occupational hazards, necessary risks or just a part of the life they have chosen but by seeing them surviving their personal struggles and the hardships that are the most difficult for them, we show the journeys of two men who dedicate their lives to serving their country.

The Butler also accomplishes a the incredible feat of juggling 4 protagonists at once, all of whom could have been the centre-point of this film as they each have an incredible journey within themselves and one of them isn't even human.
First, of course, is Cecil Gaines, whose childhood in the cotton fields and loss of his father sparks the familiar story of the escaped slave but, instead of vengeance or retribution, Cecil searches for peace after being saved by another african-american who gives him his first service job. We are witness to the never-ending patience and restraint that Cecil shows in the presence of his white employers and through this he gains immense respect from his friends, the staff and from the presidents themselves.
Second is Louis Gaines, Cecil's eldest son and almost complete opposite to Cecil whilst still searching for the same thing; survival amongst these harsh times. Louis sees his father's job as weak and subservient almost immediately and through Civil Rights meeting, the Black Panther party and even leading groups during the "Free Mandela" movement, Louis shows determination and strength but in a much more dangerous manner than his father. Louis represents the new generation that are always there, demanding change for themselves whilst some forget the origins that are so hard for the older generations to escape.
Third is Cecil's wife, Gloria (Oprah Winfrey). Gloria may appear to be just the supporting housewife for our main characters but her journey is so much more. She overcomes a debilitating drinking problem, mends her marriage after having an affair, raises two sons basically by herself and all of this whilst competing for her husband with his job that has supported herself and her family for so long. Gloria becomes the part of the story we often miss when the main character is so dedicated to their job, people forget that the family suffers and must overcome problems of their own.
Finally comes The White house itself, along with all the presidents that reside in it during Cecil's time there. Within the story, The White House becomes a force of change, shown by the numerous civil rights decisions that are made in front of Cecil's eyes, the ever-changing opinions of the presidents as they move through The White House and the effect that Cecil has personal on the building and it's staff, as well as the effect it has on Cecil's life. Surprisingly, when looking back on the techniques of this film, I find it strangely reminiscent of the storytelling of Shin Godzilla (2016); The Butler takes the re-occurring story of an african-american seeking peace and victory but it lays it out using a more political and accurate approach to how things were executed, as opposed to just being propaganda for rebellion, it's actually more realistic in it's more factual and calmer nature.

The Butler, displays a mastery of holding together multiple leaders within one family, a plethora of historical events and the massively different ways in which change can be brought about.

4.5/5 - There are many ways to serve your country.

Terminal (2018)

Madness and mayhem are above all, creative. Wrap those up in a coffin made of neon, dirt, blood and lies and you've got the recipe for a thriller that'll keep you guessing while you think you're so clever.

Terminal follows a collection of characters as their stories unravel around a mysterious train station. Shrouded in neon and shadows, two money-hungry assassins, a dying english teacher, a cryptic, crippled janitor, a criminal mastermind and a naughty blonde bombshell all become intertwined in the same spider's web, but who is the spider and who is the fly?

Throughout Terminal, the most obvious element is the incredible attention to mise-en-scène; the lighting, the sets, the choreography, the framing, all of these individual parts have been meticulously crafted in order to combine the grimy nature of an old train station whilst having the clean, crisp use of metallic environments reflecting bright neon colour combinations. Constantly, whilst paying attention to the delightfully mad characters, you're lost in the vibrancy of the lights bouncing off their skin, creating an almost otherworldly feeling, especially for the character of Annie (Margot Robbie) whose constant references to Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and uneasy familiarity with death turns a beautiful blonde woman into the picture of sadism, just by smirking in the right light.

The performances in Terminal are mostly well done. There are a lot of simple characters that fill a purpose and may have more depth than when first encountered but upon coming to the end of their story, have ticked the box they were there for. Characters like Vince (Dexter Fletcher) and Alfred (Max Irons) whose sole purpose is to present images of slapstick characters whose morality of murder is less than desirable, this creating a conflict in the audience's mind of humour against "decent human beings". This kind of character conflict is brought up once again with Bill (Simon Pegg) who throughout the story, we feel pity for and are confused as to how this very realistic character is surviving amongst all the ridiculousness and sadistic humanity that surrounds him, that is until his dark past is revealed and to our disgust, it makes us more comfortable. 

The only aspect about the performances in Terminal that, considering nearly everyone in the film is British, I'm not fond of Margot Robbie's accent. Her native Australian consistently slips through, combining with her less than satisfactory English accent to form some sort of Dick Van Dyke meets New Zealand conglomeration. I feel that if Robbie had performed the part in her much more successful American accent, the part still would've fit. This becomes more than apparent when compared to Mike Myer's performance in the film, utilising both his Cockney and more Middle-class accents to brilliant endings. Of course this could be down to a number of reasons; director's insistence, lack of time, lack of experience with the accent, etc.

The most intriguing part of Terminal was that, as someone who consistently tries to predict what's going to happen as I watch, I found some elements were easily discovered whilst others came completely out of the blue but still had grounding within the story. Pieces like the reveal of Mike Myers secondary character, which was almost immediately seen by myself and quite a few of the others I watched it with. It tricks into believing that "Oh this twist is so simple, I'm bored now" but before it can even hint of ending there, another, far more well-hidden one is revealed and you start to question yourself, try to pick apart what you've been examining once again. The audience is consistently flicking between knowing exactly what is happening and being completely lost, never quite balancing on the point of perfect cinematic mystery but I feel this method makes it all the more terrifying; knowing you were right all along but there's so much more you didn't even see.

Altogether, Terminal provides a fantastic example of mise-en-scène, character secrecy and how to warp mystery and fear into one. Truly a very fun watch for anyone with a little sadism hidden inside.

4/5 - Curiouser and curiouser.

Cloud Atlas (2012)

Take six fantastically written short films, lace them all into each other intricately and fit it all into 3 hours and you have the biggest "look what I can do!" movie of all time.

Cloud Atlas follows six individual stories, spanning six time periods (past, present and future) with six different protagonists whose stories influence the next persons in the minuscule yet important ways.

The intricacies of which all the stories of Cloud Atlas are interwoven are near unfathomable, "blink and you'll miss them" moments that effect the characters, the story, the setting, the audience, sometimes multiple or even all of these elements are affected. Some write books for the future protagonists, some have their lives turned into biographical films and one even ascends to become the religious figure from which future generations draw all hope. We have films in modern times that appeal to those with the attention span of a fruit-fly, to those incapable of understanding that more than one character can have a story and so the industry caters to it, leaving everyone but the protagonist under-developed, amassing an army of side characters that are just shadows against a wall. Cloud Atlas takes the audience by the collar and states "witness the beauty of time, of humanity, feel these stories resonate in your soul and don't leave a single one of them forgotten or else you don't deserve to know the rest".

Cloud Atlas is also the perfect canvas and opportunity for the cast as each of the main ensemble inhabit multiple roles, each with their own particular patterns and behaviour. From Sci-fi to period drama, comedy to thriller, an immense range of potential is presented to them and each of them fits their turn as the protagonist perfectly. Tom Hanks speaks the broken yet evolved language of the Valleymen with such ease and familiarity that it could be his first language, Ben Wishaw portrays a love and passion for his partner and the medium of music that is seldom seen in any modern dramas, Jim Broadbent brings classic comedy up to the level of the Sci-fi epics as it competes hilariously for the audience's admiration, Hugo Weaving brings his masterful presence to multiple villains of the film, once again proving his expertise in the categories of intimidation and fear. These and so many more members of the cast prove their true range and the ability to have a single actor tell a dozen stories. 

With a film like Cloud Atlas having to juggle so many scenarios at once, there easily could've been short-comings or sacrifices during production but the environments, the props, the costumes the make-up, all of these elements were incredibly done to a level where you would think the six stories were six full budget films, all competing against each other for the Oscars, thus pushing their creative efforts above and beyond what they could've been left at. The make-up especially, changing men to women, white to asian, young to old, hair and beards of all sizes and colours, whilst maybe controversial amongst some audiences, it is purely a showcase of the abilities of these great artists.

Cloud Atlas is a behemoth of a film to try and analyse in completion but I'll leave it at this; in order to learn about working with the medium of film and the method of telling a story, watch this film, follow every story, notice every character, for within this film lies the examples for all others.

4.5/5 - The energy of the universe contained in a single speck. 

 

Only The Brave (2017)

Truly a tale of brothers, fathers, husbands, firefighters but above all, heroes.

Only The Brave follows the rise and fall of the original "Granite Mountain Hotshots"; a forest fire-fighting crew who heroically saved the county of Yarnell, Arizona in 2013 but in turn, lost their lives in the blaze. All apart from young recruit, Brendan McDonough (Miles Teller), who survived to tell the tale of some of the bravest men in America.

One of the key story elements that really connects the audience to the Granite Mountain Hotshots is the camaraderie between them, the deep friendship that is performed so fantastically and is so easily believed from start to finish, so much so that I wouldn't be surprised if the cast spent some extra months prior to filming just to become friends. I really think this film did the memory of those men a lot of justice in showing how the ties of friendship can transcend anything and sometimes save someone as much as fighting the fire around them. A perfect example is the story of Brendan McDonough, who drug-fuelled adolescence was turned around when Eric Marsh (Josh Brolin) and the hotshots took a chance on him.

Josh Brolin provides an incredible lead for this film as the veteran firefighter, Eric Marsh, whose experience and knowledge honed his crew into a legendary team. He portrays this leader brilliantly whilst also displaying the troubles Marsh was facing at the time with respect and a true feeling of pain as he suffered through a troubled marriage, a fierce anger problem and the constant stress of the job he sacrificed everything for.

Another notable factor is the cinematography and camera work. The sweeping landscape shots over the vast green valleys give such a feeling of complete freedom, this then completely reversed in similar shots of engulfing flame and blackened hills, they really make you feel the devastation of the forests, like surveying a huge scar across the land. This switch is actually addressed within the film as Eric Marsh speaks to his crew and all the new members, stating that they should appreciate the landscape while they can because as soon as you're in the hotshot life "There's only one thing you're gonna be able to see and that's fuel". The wider shots aren't the only impressive ones though, the close-ups of the crew, perfectly crafted and framed, display a wealth of emotions throughout the film; painful moments, moments of joy, moments of unending fear. All of these feelings pushed against you so deeply that you feel as if you're on their shoulder, feeling it right there with them.

Something commendable that has gone unseen is the brilliant way Only The Braves weaves exposition into it's story. Not only is it subtle, completely validated and intricately placed, all the information the audience is given about how forest fire fighting works is necessary but sometimes not fully explained and that isn't a bad thing. The best example of this is the repeated mention of "working structure", the details of which are never explained but's implied that "working structure" is a different form of fire fighting that is much safer and less demanding than being a hotshot, so now we know that whenever it is mentioned, it completely natural for the characters to treat it as taboo or as a betrayal, mainly as that's where the Granite Mountain Hotshots kept losing members of their crew before being certified. This method of expositional writing is superb as it keeps all unnecessary information out and keeps obvious informing of the audience to a minimum, resulting in them learning as much as they need to about the job of a hotshot without feeling like they're being treated like an idiot.

In Summary, Only The Brave is a film that, above all, represents respect; for the job, for your friends, for the audience and for the memories of the Granite Mountain Hotshots.

5/5 - Fighting fire with fire.

Loving Vincent (2017)

It isn't often you can stop during a film and still keep appreciating what you're seeing.

Loving Vincent follows Armand Roulin (Douglas Booth), a young man who is tasked with delivering the last letter of Vincent van Gogh (Robert Gulaczyk), but upon arriving in Auvers-sur-Oise, Armand discovers a mystery surrounding Vincent's last days and decides to investigate how he really died.

The intention's of this film are to obviously showcase and pay homage to the abilities and life of Vincent van Gogh, but whilst perfectly achieving those goals, it goes above and beyond to create a fantastic piece of mystery drama that is enhanced by the medium. All the motion, the characters, the landscapes are all enhanced by Van Gogh's specific style, all the camera work that has been replicated is brilliantly reconstructed by the artists whilst also encapsulating the unmistakable feeling of movement that was captured in a lot of Van Gogh's work.

The stunning thing about Loving Vincent is that there aren't specific areas of the film that use this "gimmick", it's the entire way through, no expense spared and it's proven completely by pausing it. Any other film, you'd see an interesting frame or set piece, pause it and more than likely see motion-blur, a drop in quality or it suddenly become less enticing by ridding it of it's movement, it's life. Leaving the only option of enjoying it any further is to look behind the scenes and lose all immersion. You stop Loving Vincent, at any point, any given second and you're presented with a beautiful piece of art, lovingly created by someone who understood Van Gogh, who appreciated his work above all others and has spent hours, days, maybe even weeks crafting a single frame to pay homage to him and honour his memory.

As I mentioned before, this isn't just a basic story used to display the artwork, this really is a compelling film, an intriguing mystery that hasn't come to light in cinema before and compels the viewer to investigate into the life of Vincent van Gogh, if not simply inspired by the artwork. It delves deeper into the supposed "madness" that he's constantly tied to, it portrays it as a sickness, a pain that came from nowhere and was forever a hindrance for Van Gogh, thus painting a portrait of modern views on mental health and the struggle of anyone who experiences the many veins and avenues a broken mind can take.

All in all the key thing about Loving Vincent is depth; the depth of the craft, the depth of the themes and the depth of love and adoration that everyone involved in making it had for Van Gogh himself.

5/5 - Beautiful, in so many senses.

Sully: Miracle on the Hudson (2016)

The real heroes aren't robots, aliens or made in a lab, they're the ones who know exactly what to do to save everyone they can.

Directed by the legendary Clint Eastwood, Sully: Miracle on the Hudson tells the true story of Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger; an American airline pilot who landed flight 1549, full of 155 passengers, on the Hudson River after a devastating bird strike at 2,800ft and the legal investigation he faced following the event.

The story of Sully: Miracle on the Hudson touches on the familiar arc of "Hero VS The Law"; Yes, Sully saved all those people but was the landing necessary? And if not, did he endanger everyone's lives?
The strong moral angle on the side of Captain Sullenberger automatically puts the audience in support of him but rather than leave it at that basic conflict, Eastwood decides to show the inner turmoil of our hero, the early stages of Sully's PTSD and his constant questioning of himself as everyone seems to be against him, even computer simulations say he could've landed safely at two different airports. We're shown this crippling mental and emotional ordeal through visual representations of what Sully thinks would've happened if he'd turned back for the airports, all of which ended in fiery climaxes in the centre of New York City.
Having the audience know this, as well as his calm behaviour when being questioned, completely brings into reality how experienced Sully was at that point and that he doesn't see himself as a hero, just as a pilot following standard protocol, he just carried out his part in saving those people in a way he'd always practiced for, just never under such extreme circumstances.

Hanks delivers another astounding performance in the lead role, carrying such a heavily emotional performance under the subtlety and control of someone like Captain Sullenberger. By far the strongest scene in the entire movie is the so-called "Can we get serious now?" scene, in which Captain Sullenberger confronts the officials about the simulations being inhuman, unrealistic and incorrect, the calm tone Hanks keeps when performing this scene has more resonance that someone screaming in defiance about suspected wrong-doings, his stern confidence and intelligence destroys his opposition with well-worded questions and belief that no-one outside that plane could possibly comprehend what happened. The abilities of an actor like Tom Hanks have always impressed and considering he's still going strong into 2019, I'm looking forward to what he brings to the table next.

Of course with Sully being the base for the entire film, there aren't really any pivotal characters outside of him but there are a few key moments in which the supporting cast really shine. Moments like the midnight walk between Captain Sullenberger and his co-pilot Jeff Skiles (Aaron Eckhart) in which they talk about how surreal their situation seems to be, how ridiculous "counselling" sounds and the fact that they're going to be interviewed by David Letterman. That scene once agian grounds these characters in reality, they're reacting to a situation not like heroes or movie-stars, they're real people.

With Heroic stories being swallowed up by the media everyday, buried underneath tabloid nonsense about celebrity diets, royal babies and the hottest new make-up trends, I can only hope that more awareness comes out in films like Sully: Miracle on the Hudson, so that we can celebrate the world's true inspirations instead of the tedious and undeserving ones.

5/5 - No cape and costume necessary.