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.