South African Cinephile

Having survived and overcome all the obstacles in “Avengers Assemble” (Whedon J.,2012) Tony Stark (Robert  Downey Jr.) finds himself struggling to come to terms with post-traumatic stress syndrome. 

So we are introduced to a weakened Iron Man, who throws himself into his work on his mechanical suits. In an attempt to escape the horror and overpowering anxiety, from his memories of previous exploits as the armoured adventurer.

To make matters worse there is a particularly, unfocussed villain (Guy Pierce) with an overlay complex plan to get Stark to assist him with a formula to enhance cellular regrowth in human beings. Currently the formula grants an incredible healing factor, with some heating issues and the occasional case of explosive spontaneous combustion.  

Drew Pierce co-wrote the screenplay with Shane Black. I don’t really know any of Mr. Pierce’s work and it is always difficult to gage a writers creative input but this screenplay shouldn’t do his career too much good.

Shane Black who is also the director, on the other hand, wrote on a number of remarkably enjoyable films to date, including “Lethal Weapon” (Donner R.1987) “Lethal Weapon 2”( Donner R.,1989),  ”The Last Boy Scout” (Scott T.,1991)  and more recently “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” (Black S.,2005) which he also directed. That film being one of my favourites.

Robert Downey Jr. delivers Stark perfectly, with the strong familiar supporting cast of Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Jon Favreau and Paul Bettany as the voice of Jarvis. So the stage is well set. The film also has two formidable actors on the villainous side, with Guy Pierce and Sir Ben Kingsley both supplying strong performances.

Kingsley’s performance in particular stand out, changing with ease between the cold blooded terrorist of this films Mandarin to a drug addicted humourlessly harmless, out of work actor. 

The special effects are well done and there was certainly no lack of financing for this film.  

Black makes use of a montage technique with the Mandarin’s terror broadcasts, which is stunningly effective. They should be seen as a sign of predictive cinematic technique. Coupled with Kingsley’s performance those clips, in my not so humble opinion, seem to be the logical amalgamation of Tony Scott’s incredible stylistic title sequence of “Man on Fire” (Scott T.,) and Niel Blomkamp’s news footage, mocumentary style, narrative used in District 9 (Blomkamp N., 2009). 

So what went wrong, they seemed to have ticket all the boxes. From a script writing perspective, I am fairly certain if you look, you will find every faze of the Hero’s journey there. You will even see signs of the inner journey taking place.

That is the problem though, simply ticking off all the boxes, is not good enough.

The 3D is a joke at best, it is barely visible and darkens the entire film. There is one scene in particular where Iron Man is trapped in the ocean under the rubble of his former home, where all you can make out is that he is in trouble. We are relieved to see him lift up a metal bar which had him pinned, for a second, before contemplating the fact that we can’t make out any of the action. 

The story is an insult to fans of the source material, who have been patiently waiting for this particular villain to make his appearance. 

The film itself can not stand on its own, since a core source of Starks dilemma plays of in a previous film. The flashbacks of previous action from Avengers Assemble (Whedon J.,2012) do serve to unite the franchise but do little for this film. In that sense they dropped the ball as not a single reference to S.H.I.E.L.D. is made, particularly odd, considering that the villain, in the beginning of the film, is clearly outlined as a threat to national security and more of a terrorist than previous characters. 

Then there is the curious case of the “Watchmen” ( Snyder Z., 2009) reference. In a romantic scene Pepper Pot’s (Gwyneth Paltrow) comes home to discover an enormous stuffed bunny rabbit outside. She walks in to find a romantic dinner and Tony in the Iron Man suit. He lets her sit down and messages her shoulders and when she tries to kiss him it becomes clear that he is actually controlling the suit remotely. For some unknown reason he is to busy doing pull-ups in his lab instead. 

Compared to the source referenced, where Dr. Manhattan (Billy Cradop) is making love to the Silk Spectre 2(Malin Akerman) and she discovers that there is more than one of him pleasuring her, while he is actually working with Ozymandias (Matthew Goode) in his lab. The scene is tame and pointless. You can’t go from Cunnilingus to dinner and a movie.

The peculiar blend of cheesy clichéd romance and one liners between Pot’s and Stark is still present. It feels like they ended up taking the worst aspects of the previous films into the third.

The film has large sections with Tony Stark running around playing Macgyver and Culombo, without his suit. Also a bit of a “First Blood” (Kotcheff T.,1982) reference there, once again referencing from a stronger original version to something… less.

For some reason Stark seems to have forgotten about the incredible resources available to him, right up until the last act. Then he goes through suits as if they are disposable diapers. To be fair Aldrich Killian(Guy Pierce), cuts through them as if they are made of confetti.  

Which brings us to the climax, where Tony Stark’s girlfriend defeats the villain and every single as pect of the story, is quickly wrapped up in a neat Dous Ex Machina style resolution.

The thing that really irritates me is the fact that there is absolutely no reason for the villain to do anything. He is already in charge of a government funded think tank. The president which he tries to replace is already endorsing his technology. If he really wanted a solution to his formula, although according to me it is working very well. He could have simply tried to trick Tony Stark into believing that the application is for the disabled. He stands to gains absolutely nothing through his actions.

So in closing, try to get your hands on those news clips of the Mandarin and give the film a skip until it is broadcast on public television.

I am currently stretched thin on Ideologie. I stepped up as the Director and Producer, due to some film school politics and now I am under a lot of strain to get every thing done. 

I am busy trying to get a cast together, while trying to wrap my head around some of the more VFX intense shots, we are going to need. Looking at, at least three green screen shots, that I have to get right.(and I hate using green screen) One of which is reliant on getting CGI to reproduce a fire burning in the house, while my hero shoots at the silhouette of the Tokoloshe inside.

Next week, classes resume and I will at least be able to meet with my team, there are only five of us, so its not like calling in the cavalry, but at least I will be able to hand over some of this stuff.

Until I can get my DOP to take over on a motion capture/stop motion shot I don’t think I will be making much progress. (Also don’t want to distract my DOP from the beauty shots he needs to get really great location the Boland) I also contacted one of the former graduates to hopefully get him to take that role, but the guy works and we can’t pay.

We have a defensive planning to present on the 31st, so in a bit more than a week, I need to be able to tell the lecturers every detail of how we intend to pull this off.

On Friday I intend to make a turn by the farm and speak to the location owner to get a lock on it and take some pictures/measurements for the motion shot. Really need a VFX supervisor and a kick ass monster making SFX team, but as is always the case in Independent film making we will have to make due. (‘n Boer maak ‘n plan) While I am dreaming a steady cam rig would really mean a lot.  I considered starting a kickstarter project, but figure screw it. I will do that once I have something to show off with and when I have less resources and need the money more.

Well that is it for my moaning and groaning for tonight, will get some sleep. Have to go to the airport early tomorrow to pick up my brother visiting from the UK.

The film has a great deal of appeal.

Based on the successful Sci-Fi novels by Suzanne Collins and directed by Gary Ross who previously gave us “Seabiscuit”(2003) and the even more noteworthy “Pleasantville”(1998).

With a large budget and a great cast, showcasing some of the best up and coming acting talents, including the breath taking Jennifer Lawrence, who previously blew audiences away with her Oscar nominated performance in “Winter’s Bone” (2010). It also has some of Hollywood’s great seasoned heavy hitting actors, Stanley Tucci, Woody Harrelson  and Donald Southerland to name a few.  

The story plays off in a dystopian future society, where a country (presumably America) is broken down into twelve poverty stricken states. Controlled by a highly advanced wealthy capitol. As homage and in memory of their failed coup attempts, each of these states has to produce, via a lottery system a boy and a girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in a battle to the death called “The Hunger Games”. Each year a draw is done amongst all the applicable teenagers and the “tributes” are selected. The winner of these 24 youths, not only gets to live but has celebrity status and brings honer to her or his states. This elaborate system, amazingly functions as a control method over the masses, with a mix of fear, entertainment and the promise of hope.

Katniss Everdeen depicted by Jennifer Lawrence, is the eldest of two girls, their presumably absentee father and a mother who seems to succumb to depression, left the burden of their survival on her shoulders. A poacher by necessity, when her younger sisters is draw as tribute for the games, she volunteers in her stead and so enters The Hunger Games as a strong candidate to win from sector twelve. 

The Hunger Games offers a quality experience, blending action drama and suspense with a relevant contemporary question, regarding the advent of reality television, entertainment and the effect of the media as a control system.

There is a scene where Katniss is interviewed by Ceasar Flickerman, depicted by Stanley Tucci, in the build up to the games, which hints at an interesting theme of the necessity for deceit within modern society. Later the thread is picked up again in the game when Katniss kisses Peeta her fellow candidate from her district, depicted by Josh Hutcherson, in order to play to the crowd to get medicine for his leg.

A surprisingly good performance is also given by Lenny Kravitz, showing his acting talent as the sensitive Cinna who attempts to make Katniss as desirable a candidate as possible.

The concept is not a new one, in fact it has been done most notably in Kinji Fukasaku’s “Batoru Rowaiaru” (Battle Royale(2000)) and to a lessor degree Paul Michael Glaser’s “The Running Man” (1987). It would also not be a stretch to say that Michael Radford’s 1984 (1984) served as a core reference to this film.

However this does not take away from the film, it serves as a vision of a terrible state controlled future, with a believable and easily sympathised protagonist. Even though there is a brilliant Pulp Fiction reference joke of being Battle Royale with cheese, the film does offer us a respite from the soul gagging soppy redundant teenage angst of the Twilight series and a quicker more earnest suspense than the Harry Potter films.

One of the few cinematographic complaints I do have about the film, is the occasional use of the popular fast motion handheld fight scenes, Popularised by Franka Potenta’s “The Bourne Supremacy” (2004). Where no one knows what they are looking at, much less who is winning. This is specifically apparent during a struggle between Marvel depicted by Jack Quaid and Peeta.   

Then why, as an avid Sci-Fi fan boy, am I not ranting and raving about it and giving it the highest accolades I can. After all, here we have a strong female protagonist in a Sci-Fi world making her way through a last man (or woman) standing death game. To spite the character names, I should be shouting its title from the rooftops. 

Well as a stand alone product, the film suffers from one incurable disease, it is incomplete. The Hunger Games left me feeling peckish.

There is no growth in terms of the main character or none worth mentioning, nor does the world she inhibit change. So after all that, she just dodges a bullet. The system stays in place and she comes out, maybe a bit wiser in surviving it, but not stronger or motivated to change it. As an audience we spent 142 minutes watching something almost happen. It says nothing and does nothing emotionally because of that.

There is a scene after all the other competitors have died where Katniss and Peeta threaten suicide, with poisonous berries, rather than fight to the death. Caesar tells them that they are off the hook and they can both be the winner of that year. If they had eaten the berries and this resulted in a revolt against the oppressive Capitol, the film would have been complete and a critical success. As it stands it is more a case of epididymal hypertension.

Admittedly it is an adaptation and the first part of a three part series. However I paid for a film, not an introduction to two others that are still to be made. Compared to Peter Jackson’s “The Lord Of The Rings:The Fellowship Of The Rings”(2001) arguably one of the most difficult adaptations of a novel trilogy. Or Niels Arden Oplev’s “Män som hatar kvinno” (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo(2003)).  The Hunger Games is stunted and leaves us feeling empty.

I am not going to rate this film as a stand alone feature, as I believe this would be a disservice to an otherwise well crafted product. Until I have seen all three films I will withhold my rating. It is worth watching, but know that this is but the first in a set of three.

Rampart it seems some people, just will not change.

First of, I have to say Woody Harrelson is unbelievable in this film, he delivers the performance of a life time. There aren’t words to describe, how well he did here. I honestly can’t think of any actor, recently delivering a character so clearly. It was like peering into a soul and feeling guilty about the view. It must have taken a great deal of guts, to signup for this project. Which to my mind, is a depiction of a character study, more so than an average story. 

Having said that, Joe average be wary of this film, it is probably not your doughnut flavour. It is difficult to sit through and witness, as life erodes away an unyielding object, whether that person is toxic and despicable at times, or not. It still hurts to see it.

Rampart is a story about a renegade police officer “David Douglas Brown” in 1999 L.A., who tries to survive and hold on to the way things were, wile the world changes around him.

Oren Moverman is an auteur in a true sense of the word, his first outing in the directors chair “The Messenger”(2009) also showed his prowess over documentary style film making, which is ever present and showcased even more strongly in “Rampart”. With six noteworthy credits springing from his pen. Including the fascinating critically acclaimed depiction of the life to date, of Bob Dylan “I’m not there.” (2007). Moverman has aligned himself to add a different flavour, to the generally bland, less than appetising, Hollywood products. With hesitation and more than a little trepidation, it might even be worth speculating regarding a comparison between him and a young Michael Haneke. Only time and a larger body of work will tell, if we will be so lucky.

The film has a huge strong cast, with some surprise appearances being put in by some of the greats including Sigourney Weaver and Steve Buscemi.                             Ben Foster specifically shined as “General Terry” a crippled Vietnam vet. Harrelson and Foster’s previous experience, under Moverman, paying off in the few scenes they shared.

The sound in this film was incredible and served to re-enforce the reality presented by the general documentary feel. There is a scene where Brown wakes up, to a headache and the subversive use of sound and cinematography immediately pushes the audience into the hotel room with him. Similarly during a later montage, Brown goes is in a club, we as the audience, are treated to an almost expressionistic scene of his debaucher. Jay Rabinowitz’s work is as always deserving of praise.

This brings us to the actual structure of the film, it is seldom that we are treated to a story where the refusal of the call, remains throughout. This serves to even further our belief in the reality of this world. The film feels like a random slice of life because of this. Do not expect any resolution or neat Hollywood tying of loose ends.  

As illustrated in the confrontation scene, leading from Brown’s partially rightful paranoia, with his old retired policeman alley, depicted by Ned Beatty. We are shown more by the absence or distance of the camera, then by its presence. The audience is left to connect their own dots regarding the story and backdrop, only Harrelson’s Brown is a constant.

The message is clear Dinosaurs, end up going extinct, because the world changes and they can not.

I would give this film a seven simply because, even for me as a film student, it was too painful to sit through to give it an 8.

ProjectX an experimental mainstream mockumentary.

I haven’t laughed as much in a film, at least where the intention from the film-maker was humour, in ages. The real beauty of this film is in its simplicity… sit back relax and enjoy. Don’t analyse, don’t try to find meaning and above all don’t think. Just watch it to have fun, pure spectacle in a semi-realistic key.Think about your favourite email viral, something like that baby panda sneezing, or some idiot on a board trying a trick that looks do-able and failing in epic fashion. No one knows why they can’t look away when driving past a car crash, but it doesn’t matter as long as your eyes are on it.

If however, you want a film with strong character arcs, growth, meaning, something you can take away, if you just want a film where you can remember some of the main characters names… avoid this one. It isn’t for you. In fact, unless you specifically want to laugh at sheer chaos, give this one a skip.

The story is a fairly simple one, a seventeen year old boys’ parents leave town for their anniversary, on his birthday. Thus setting things up, for the greatest house party never experienced.

Pretty much what you would expect from an out of control teenage party, stuff gets broken, people do stupid things and an innumerable amount of breasts and ass shots. Ironically this formula works, sure the set-ups seem predictable in retrospect, but you get so caught up in the party, they feel fresh and unexpected when they do come around.

The cast performance was good, but it doesn’t matter, you barely keep track of who’s who. Apart from to say the guy who did that, or that dude who went crazy there. Just like a party. The montages, coupled with the POV footage effect, see to it that you are there waiting for the next thing to happen. As a testament to how infectious this film is, spot how quickly my language degraded. Within a few sentences of describing it, I am talking about an epic party, where hot ho’s and crazy bro’s reside. Oh and while we are on the topic, park any respect for woman or hope that a female character, is anything more than a meat-bag for the grinder, at the door. Sure there is a good girl who has always been a friend since childhood and all that, but the beat goes on and drums keep pounding the rhythm to your brain.

So this brings us to the really interesting bit about this film, Nima Nourizadeh, has gone and taken the, “found footage” concept or at least motivated camera presence and brought it, shouting at the top of its lungs, into the mainstream formulaic Hollywood system. What “The Blair Witch Project” started, Mat Reeves’ shaky “Cloverfield” failed at, Neil Blomkamp’s “District 9” reinvigorated, Balagueró and Plaza’s “Rec” re-enforced and Josh Trank’s “Chronicle” reinvented, Nourizadeh bottled and sold. He has successfully bridged the gap between such greats as Rob Reiner’s “This is Spinal Tap” and Christopher Guest ‘s “Waiting for Gufman” to the broader less cult, arguably more moronic, comedy audience, to consume en mass. This is no small achievement, I look foreword to see where this former music video director, intends to go with the clout this will have earn him.

All in all, I would say this film is a 6 1/2 close to a seven. It won’t stand up to a great deal of scrutiny but it can entertain your socks off. As the camera operator says close to the end, he had a great time. The message is clear party till you drop or at least enjoy your trip, cause everything was once a first for us all.

I just got back from a journey into a wonderful, slightly mournful world, where everyone has found their purpose in life.

Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo”.

Asa Butterfield believably depicts Hugo, an orphaned boy who lives in the 1930’s Paris Train station, hiding from Sacha Baron Cohen’s crippled station inspector. Hugo keeps the clocks wound in the station, while attempting to repair an old derelict automaton, his only remaining connection to his departed father.

This film is a wonder, a balancing act of childlike bedazzlement and an intimate understanding of loss, without compromise on splendour or heart. It is a film for children, those young of age, as well as young of heart. It is difficult to fault something so pure and honest. The use of 3D, artfully shows us how this advent in technology, is meant to be used. Tastefully and creatively. Adding to the experience, as opposed to falling in to the trap, that so many films in 3D have made to date. That of drawing our attention to the effect.  

The actors performances, as we have come to expect from the hand of a master, such as Scorsese, were spot on. A note worthy surprise from Sacha Baron Cohen, showing that he is more than capable of creating a believable character, tastefully avoiding delivering an over the top performance. Ben Kingsley spoils us again, with an heart wrenching performance, as the aged and embittered forgotten master film-maker Georges Méliès.

And then there is Chloë Grace Moretz. She plays a smaller role of Isabelle, Hugo’s new found friend, who helps him along his journey. This young actress seems to shine in every role she is placed in. You will recall her, as the foul mouthed child super hero “Hit-girl”. From Matthew Vaughn’s, off beat impressively entertaining super hero film, “Kick-ass”. Moretz with her acting ability, looks to be set be able to bridge the gap from child star, to Hollywood starlet. More importantly, she has the potential to become part of a larger ever increasing list of actresses, capable of delivering believable female protagonists to a world starving for them.

Scorsese is renowned for his passion of Cinema, in fact we all owe a debt of gratitude to him, for the work he has done in that regard. He truly loves film and it shows in “Hugo”. With the exception of one or two indulgent referential shots, (A shot of footsteps from below when Isabelle is almost trampled in the station and where the inspector climbs a wall with his arms.) the brutal honesty of his passion enriches this film to the point, where we as audience can simply sit back and enjoy the splendour of seeing someone do what they were meant to do. 

If I had to commit to a rating on a scale of one to ten, I would give this film 8 and a half. If you have a child and you don’t take them to watch “Hugo” in 3D, you are doing them a disservice. 

I am a film student, living near Cape Town.

A bit of a late bloomer, I used to work in the sms aggregation business, for a few years before deciding to risk it all and follow my true passion.

I intend to post reviews regarding films and dvd’s in our area, as well as the occasional biographical commentary on our industry and my own work as I become more ingrained within that world.

Ek sal beslis op okkasie in Afrikaans ook skryf, aan gesien dit my moeder taal is en ek glo, dat dit ons verantwoordelikheid is, om die taal te bevorder deur gebruik.