Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014)

Starring Chris Pine and Kenneth Branagh; co-starring Keira Knightley and Kevin Costner
Directed by Kenneth Branagh

A particular favourite read of my teenage years was the Jack Ryan series of novels by the late, great Tom Clancy.  Beginning with the supremely taut "The Hunt for Red October" and making their way through the preposterous-but-page-turner of a prequel "Patriot Games" and continuing with the excellent "Cardinal of the Kremlin" and "Clear and Present Danger", by way of another prequel "Red Rabbit", and a fleeting cameo in "Without Remorse" (itself about covert operative John Clark),  the books eventually saw the History Doctor turned CIA Analyst turned Politician become - somewhat fancifully, but by that stage who was arguing? - President of the USA.  The series was a mainstay of airport bookshops and propped-open doors for over 20 years, entering the popular language and earning a name-check from the Fun Lovin' Criminals en route.  Key to their success was the aura of credibility - particularly in the military / technical sphere - with which Clancy imbued his increasingly fantastic plots (Clancy also penned several factual books on various aspects of the military world).  Their length, around a good 700 pages each allowed for dense plots and intricate characterization (because we had to know exactly which High School that US Army General had attended), and lent them a certain gravitas.  They could not be dismissed as mere "airport fiction"; a Reaganite wet-dream, perhaps, but not that.

Clearly here was a goldmine to be exploited on the big screen.  Adaptations of such lengthy tomes might have been better suited to a television mini-series perhaps - or even an ongoing series - but the grand scope of the novels demanded a Hollywood-sized budget.  The cinematic life of Ryan got off to an impressive start in 1990 with "The Hunt for Red October".  Directed by John McTiernan (of "Die Hard" and "Predator" fame), the film saw Alec Baldwin take on the role of the young Dr Ryan, drawn into the CIA due to his theories on whether a Soviet submarine captain (Sean Connery - in full "all nations' accents are Scottish accents" mode) plans to defect to the US in his shiny new state of the art boat or not.  The movie did an admirable job of boiling down Clancy's novel to a manageable couple of hours, with only a few significant deviations from the book's plot; the climax, I believe, was actually better handled on-screen.

The story goes that the role of Ryan was originally offered to the era's golden boy, Kevin Costner, sizzlingly  hot off the back of "No Way Out", "Bull Durham", and "Field of Dreams".  Apparently he turned it down in order to make "Dances With Wolves", one of the dwindling number of genuine modern epics, for which Costner netted a Best Director and Best Film Academy Award in 1991; so he can't have been too upset.  But more of him later.  The role of Ryan passed to the significantly older Harrison Ford for the sequel (which really should have been a prequel) "Patriot Games", which sucked the out most exciting parts of the ridiculous novel and left us with a fairly routine revenge story, shackled with a hopelessly muddled take on The Troubles in Northern Ireland (there are "good" IRA guys, and "bad" IRA guys, don't you know?).  Ford was frankly wrong for the role, and although inverting the chronology of the novels disappointed this fan in particular, I still felt the film, on other counts, was pretty lacklustre in its own right.  Much more impressive was the post-Escobar war-on-drugs follow up, "Clear and Present Danger", a few years later.  Although I still had problems with Ford as Ryan, it was much more engaging and complex than its immediate predecessor, and still holds up pretty well these days, despite those archaic mid 1990s VDUs on show.  There's a certain synergy to the whole Jack Ryan becomes POTUS arc of the novels in light of Ford's appearance in the brainless actioner "Air Force One", as the President, no less, kicking terrorist Gary Oldman off his personal aircraft.  

With seven or so years passing before the production of the next in the series, terrorist nuclear attack thriller "The Sum of All Fears", starring Ben Affleck as Ryan, Ford rightly chose to step aside.  The film's release was understandably delayed due to the 9/11 atrocities, featuring as it does, a major terrorist attack on US soil.  Whereas the Ford films had retained some of the same actors in the roles of supporting characters, such as James Earl Jones as Ryan's mentor Admiral James Greer, this time round it was a whole new ballgame.  At the time it was a little edgy, and obviously during those years perceptions and opinions significantly changed.  I don't believe it was that well received, hence the lack of an immediate follow-up.  But it's actually not that bad a film.  There's a certain clunkiness creeping into the series perhaps, with the nuclear show down with Russia forming the climax; in the words of John Conner in "Terminator 2", "Aren't they our friends now?".  But it was well enough done, and I'd love to have seen what Liev Schrieber could have made of the role of Clark if they'd chosen to adapt one of those novels too.  I also liked Affleck as young Ryan, and never really felt the opprobrium afforded him during the wilderness years prior to the "Argo" triumph was valid.  Nevertheless, it seemed Ryan was done.  On the page he was the man in charge of the land of the Free.  On screen, well, he'd gone up in smoke with that nuke in Baltimore.

So we come to 2014, and a second attempted re-boot with "Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit".  Clearly the character still has legs and cultural currency, so is worth resurrecting once more.  This time round we have Kenneth Branagh in the director's chair, as well as taking on acting duties as principal antagonist Victor Cherevin.  Chris Pine plays Ryan, young once more, and being recruited into the CIA again, with Kevin Costner becoming Ryan's mentor Commander Thomas Harper, replacing James Earl-Jones' unforgettable Admiral James Greer.  Keira Knightley does a surprisingly great job, and American accent, as Ryan's fiancée Cathy.  Plot-wise, we're in unfamiliar territory, as the script isn't based directly on a Clancy novel (although contrarians might argue it's not the first time).  But we are in a pseudo-familiar and deeply unsettling no-man's-land of one foot in the past cold war Clancyism, combined with new Hollywood war on terror age must make this work.  The Russians, still, are the Baddies - at time of watching, it seemed archaic and irrelevant, but in light of recent events, maybe not so much.  Frighteningly so, maybe. 

In this instance, Ryan is cherry-picked to join the CIA as a Finance Anaylst, because in the post-Lehman Brothers and (what do they call it?) "GFC" world, the biggest threat in the world is economic collapse.  "The second Great Depression", as Ryan refers to it.  His military record is preserved from the books, but his near-debilitating injury in a helicopter crash is transposed to the war in Afghanistan (Jeffrey Deaver similarly re-imagined James Bond's military career in that conflict in his novel "Carte Blanche").  Before you know it, Wall Street hotshot Ryan uncovers a plot by sneaky Russians to prop up T-Bonds but then stage an attack in America and dump them all just before the inevitable crash occurs, thus reaping a huge profit whilst crippling the US market.  So far so old-school, but yet so very new.  A trip to Moscow (which we all know and love now due to "Mission Impossible 4" and "A (not so) Good Day to Die Hard") unfolds with a combination of spy-movie staples (sneaking into the villain's office) with modern day action scenes of the highest calibre - a  brutal fight in Ryan's hotel room and a thrilling car chase being the highlights.  The inevitable race to stop the bomb back in New York feels a little familiar, but is injected with enough vigour by director Branagh that it's still pretty nerve-jangling.  At the heart of the story are two big issues.  One is Ryan being forced to do something which he never anticipated, that is going out into the field and being more than an analyst, and actually having to kill people.  The second is the necessity for secrecy which keeps him from being totally honest with the woman he wants to marry.  Both are played out convincingly.

Pine is a capable, indeed credible action hero.  Any worries about doubling up in the iconic role arena are quickly dispelled; if Henry Cavill can do Kal-El and Napoleon Solo, Ben Affleck can be Daredevil (hmm) and Batman, and indeed Harrison Ford can do Han Solo, Indiana Jones and Jack Ryan, why shouldn't Chris Pine play Captain Kirk and Jack Ryan too?  This feels like more of an ensemble cast than at most times before in this series, which serves to underline Ryan's greenness.   It is a fine cast - "fine" as in great, in some cases, "fine" as in "perfectly fine" in others. It's a nice touch that the Russian characters, when conversing with each other, do so in Russian.  Although having said that, Branagh's Russian-accented dialogue in English does seem a little pantomimey from time to time.  But the "beautiful beautiful "(*tm Dr. Gareth Higgins) Elena Velinkanova makes up for that in her brief role!

On the one hand this is a deeply old-fashioned film.  At one point Ryan meets a fellow covert operative in a cinema screening of an old film to exchange vital documents, a moment dripping with Cold War Cloak and Dagger trappings.   Yet on the other it feels almost desperately trying  to proclaim its relevance to the present day environment, with all its talk of crashing financial markets, tracking down the villains using Twitter and Facebook and every other social media outlet one would care to name, and a 9/11-evoking "catch the bomber in New York" climax.  Maybe when it was written it might have seen odd to cast the Russians as villains, but in the wake of the sickening events in the Ukraine and the shooting down of the Malaysian Airlines plane, it seems chillingly appropriate.  I really wanted to like it but have to admit to being a tiny bit underwhelmed.  That's not to say it a bad film by any means, it was an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours.  If they made a sequel I'd definitely go to see it, but I'm not convinced the box office numbers have been quite good enough to greenlight any such script.  It sounds mean-spirited to say that it feels like the sort of thing one would happily watch on a plane and be entertained, but not necessarily one you'd go out of your way to see.  A solid 7, I feel.  Better luck next time Jack, if it comes.

Crimson Tide

Crimson Tide (1995)

Starring Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman
Directed by Tony Scott

In the wake (pardon the pun) of the critical and box office success of "The Hunt for Red October", it seemed that submarine films might be making a comeback. So we come to "Crimson Tide", a big-budget, star-powered, "event movie" extravaganza.  Denzel Washington and the Great Gene Hackman - what could possibly go wrong?  Well, sadly, a heck of a lot.  The plot, for what of it there is, kicks off with a new Executive Officer (XO - Washington) joining the Nuclear Submarine USS Alabama under Captain Ramsey (Hackman) as they attempt to protect the Free World from the threat of Russian (Soviet?) militant Radichenko, who has seized a few nuclear missile bases and a few submarines to boot.  Who in Hollywood doesn't love a Russian militant? 

Alabama, obviously, sails to intercept, when the situation in Russia escalates (how, you ask? Madman with control of nukes - fine, Madman threatening to use them, that's a bit of a problem.)  There follows a completely unconvincing, not to mention uninvolving scenario, in which a crucial drill occurs at the exact moment that three crewmembers are killed in a fire below decks.  XO and Captain clash in private about the appropriate action of holding a drill when the fire was breaking out.  Then, an order is received, seemingly ordering the Alabama to launch on the rebel Russian's base - but the message is incomplete, as the antenna is busted.  There is some pointless infighting amongst the crewmembers - allegedly script-doctored by a certain Q. Tarantino (an idea borne out by jarring comic-book and Star Trek references) - and all hell apparently breaks loose on the finest boat in the fleet.

After a tedious standoff between Hackman and Washington's characters.  One is arrested and confined to quarters, then half of the crew have a change of mind, and the other is.  The launch order, it seems, is incomplete, so the two men responsible for a launch cannot agree.  There is only one way this is going to turn out.  To ratchet up the melodrama a notch, the heroes' sub is in danger of being attacked by one of the hi-jacked "enemy" subs too... just what you don't need when you're having a barney with your most trusted subordinate.  Phew, though!  It was all a false alarm!  The baddies boat is easily dispatched, the antenna is repaired, and it turns out that the order to initiate Armageddon has been withdrawn.

Tony Scott, RIP, was an odd character.  At once capable of turning out excellent, off-beat comic thrillers ("True Romance", "Enemy of the State"), down-the-line, ball busting actioners ("Unstoppable", "Spy Game") utter bilge ("Beverley Hills Cop 2", "Domino") and those films that simply defied belief or classification ("Top Gun", "Deja Vu" - the latter of which I really like, despite its time-travel inconsistencies!)  Although I don't think he made anything earth-shattering or revolutionary, I certainly enjoyed a number of his movies (even "Man on Fire").  His "G.I. Jane" is a guilty pleasure... oh, hang on, that was Ridley, doing a Tony impersonation.  Certainly he waved a flag for a certain style of easy-on-the-eye, glossy, Hollywood thriller, which paved the way for a host of Bruckheimer yes men such as Simon West and - alas for the future of cinema - Michael Bay.  He may have employed a near-criminal use of lens filters.  Nevertheless I can honestly say he'll be missed.

On a recent episode of the excellent The Film Talk podcast (of which no words can speak highly enough), co-host Gareth Higgins, a critic for whom I have a lot of time, commented that when it comes to opinions on film, something along the lines of "tell me what you don't like, and I'll respect what you do like".  I understand completely what he's saying,  So far for this blog I've chosen only films for which I have an affection.  But it could be time to heed the Doctor's advice, and talk about a film which I think is really terrible.  "Crimson Tide" is really terrible; and, given the pedigree of those employed, and the dream set-up, it's bitterly disappointing.  The main problem is that we are clearly supposed to root for the idealistic Hunter (Washington) rather than the dyed-in-the-wool Ramsey (Hackman).  In the film, Ramsey has a clear order, and is tasked, and determined, to carry it out.  This seems honourable - ours is not to reason why, etc.  Hunter has a random hunch, and generates chaos to see his will done.  Don't get me wrong, Denzel is THE MAN, a fantastic actor and mesmeric screen presence, but in this film he didn't win my sympathy at all.  I thought Ramsey was right all along and that orders should have been followed.  If I can't sympathise with the character I'm supposed to, I can't get into the movie as much as I should...  It's possibly worth a look if it comes on television late one night, but really not worth actively seeking out.

See instead (borrowed feature!): "The Hunt for Red October", "K19: The Widowmaker", "Phantom")

SB

Talk Radio

Talk Radio (1988)

Starring Eric Bogosian and Alec Baldwin

(Written and) directed by Oliver Stone

Based on lead actor Eric Bogosian's Pulitzer-nominated play, the film is a small, low budget affair, made in a short period of down-time in between Stone's blustering behemoths "Wall Street" and "Born on the Fourth of July".  It's taut and claustrophobic, taking place largely within one location, a radio studio; a dark dark environment, with pools of light dotted around, much like the central character.  Bogosian plays the aggressive, abrasive late night talk radio host Barry Champlain, a ranting, opinionated broadcaster (one might nowadays call him a "shock-jock").  To a quiet but utterly haunting score by Stewart Copeland (ex of The Police) the camera glides around the studio, as Champlain debates the state of the nation, AIDS, and race, with a procession of red-necked hicks, showing us studio execs Dan (Alec Baldwin), Deitz (John Pankow), engineer Stew (the great John C Reilly, go to man for supporting actors such as this!), and producer Laura (Leslie Hope), who is in a romantic relationship with Champlain.

In an ad-break, a bombshell is dropped; the show is being picked up by Metrowave Broadcasting, and will be syndicated nationally, from the following week. Champlain is angry at having been kept in the dark about the whole deal.  He sees it as "his" show, and clear seethes at the corporate machinations going on behind the scenes, and his not having been even consulted. It's not just the listeners and callers who bear the brunt of his annoyance, but also the station employees, several of whom are his close personal friends.  We take a break from the studio over the weekend, where it's illustrated what a divisive personality he has, when he and Laura attend a basketball game where he is to be the "star guest" but is cheered and booed by the crowd in equal measure.  He is clearly shocked, but tries to smile through it, without much conviction.  Underlying the stream of adoring callers, he has been getting death threats from Neo-Nazi groups, with many of whom he argues on air, more often than not ending with him delivering a dismissive put-down before cutting the caller off.

Barry's ex-wife flies to Dallas from Chicago, whee she now lives having remarried; she wants to be present for his big national debut.  In flashback we're shown the germination of their relationship and how Barry got his big break in radio.  Also, sadly, how the seeds of their separation and divorce were sown.  Needless to say it's Barry's responsibility.  The second half ot the film is different in, if not tone, then texture.  It feels very circular (one wonders if, in the theatre it was produced in the round!). the increasingly agitated Barry paces around his studio console in circles again and again.  In one fantastic shot the camera follows him around, spinning, with each circuit he makes.  The suggestion is that he's mixed up, and in a state of unease, with everything going round and around in his mind.  It has a dizzying effect on the viewer too, as we lose any point of reference other than Barry's words.  The photography, by (justifiably Oscar decorated) Stone regular Robert Richardson, is nothing short of spectacular.  The use of reflection; screen characters are seen seen bouncing their reflected light (and personalities) against the cold glass environment of the studio; often as Barry is addressing a caller, the viewer's attention will be drawn to the unheard characters seen only in the distance or via their light off the studio's reflective surface. The studio vies with the darkness of night outside and throws up a myriad of views of each character and situation.  Given that this originated from a stage play, this is a hugely effective way of opening up the stage.

                          

Things come to an explosive head when a call come in from a young, crazy stoner named Kent, who had called previously, claiming that his girlfriend had over-dosed on heroin.  Barry, despite the vigourous protestations of Dan, invites the kid into the studio, where he proves to be out to be a lunatic.  The more Champlain abuses him of being a moronic, depressing pointer to the future of the USA, the more manically laughs.  He seems to think it's all a joke.  He's a mulleted blond, denim-clad, Axl Rose wannabe Grade A moron. It's a fascinating experience for the viewer - we've got to know something of Champlain's personality.  Where is his balance between deliberate provocation and rudeness, and where does his belief truly lie?  The film asks that question as it's not even clear that he knows himself. These later scenes are shot in such a way so as that they move towards him close and closer physically and into the character and several shots are just extreme close ups of Barry's face close to the microphone as he talks.  There's an extraordinary, explosively emotional climax which I won't spoil for you - just SEE THIS FILM.

This is easily one of Stone's best films.  He's a director I admire with consummate sincerity.  I know some films have worked better than others, but I geuinely think this is one of his utmost best - not just within his portfolio but in cinema in general. Everything works.  Bogosian is a powerhouse.  The "Barry Speeches" are mesmerising, and he has created a character who is at once cocksure and dismissive of almost everyone but at the same time with his eyes, frequent laughter, and body language conveys a man infected by the deep insecurity we all feel.  At one pivotal point a hand is held out to him and he's told "You don't know how to love", but he smacks it away and chooses to be angry, because that's what he has to do.  To support such a whirlwind performance much be hugely difficultly so enormous credit has to go the supporting cast.  Baldwin, in particular, is fantastic.  There's a scene coming to mind where's behind glass outside the studio trying to convey his authority to Barry but can't be heard, despite his obvious frustration, which is clearly illustrated. Pankow is quiet, calm, and doesn't have a lot to do besides look non-judgmental but he carries it admirably,  All in all this is a tight, arguably disturbingly straight-forward, but inarguably thought provoking, well-performed, well scripted and directed, deeply atmospheric film, and is well worth checking if you want to think about some of the major isues of the day, as now as in the late 1980s.

SB

A Matter of Life and Death

A Matter of Life and Death (1946)

Starring David Niven and Kim Hunter (although Roger Livesey is given higher billing) 

Directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressubrger

In that quaint old way you used to see / hear, this film begins with a voiceover, but it's an unusual one.  A written message also scrolls across the screen: "This is the story of two worlds and another which exists only in the mind of a young airman whose life and imagination have been violently shaped by war."  Any correspondence to any world, real or imagined, is purely coincidental..." Starting with a shot of planets and stars, the voice intones: "This is the universe.  Big, isn't it?".We get a short astronomy lesson before the film itself begins. The central idea of he film, as hinted here, is that life, death and the afterlife are way beyond our current comprehension, and played out as part of a grander scheme of things.  As a 7 year old, seeing this for the first time, how could I not be arrested by this notion?  A historical film, set firmly in the real world, but with a supernatural - dare I say it metaphysical (not that I'd have known that word at 7!) - bent.  It's one of the films which made me fall in love with cinema.  

The story is that of a British airman, Squadron Leader Peter Carter, whose Lancaster bomber is crippled and shot down a few days shy of the end of the Second World War.  Believing he must surely die, he nevertheless makes radio contact with Britain, and talks briefly with an American radio operator named June.  His plane crashes, but miraculously, he seems to remain alive. Making his way back to his base and unit, he eventually meets up with June, and they soon fall in love.  This is the point at which Fate (with a capital F) intervenes, and the meaning of the mysterious Cosmic prologue becomes clear.  Peter is visited by an ethereal visitor, "Conductor 71" (Marius Goring), a corporeal spirit whose role is to guide (conduct) souls to the afterlife.  The thing is, Peter should have died when his plane was shot down, but due to an "administrative error" he remained alive.  Now, the Conductor, and Heaven, want to balance their books.  But Peter and June are in love now, and this occurred after Heaven's error.  So they argue that Peter should be left to live.  Thus begins something of a battle of the fates, between human and post-human life.  An unearthly trial occurs in "Heaven" to determine Peter's future, whilst Doctors back on Earth fight to save his life.  The outcome is truly in the balance in a markedly tense sequence of scenes.

The Prosecutor is an American Revolutionary, Farlan (Raymond Massey), who despises England and Britain arguing that Peter must stay in the afterlife.  Peter is allowed to call a counsel for his defence, and chooses his friend Dr. Reeves (Roger Livesey).  Truly, the trial becomes a matter of life and death - if Peter loses, he will have to remain in "heaven"; if he wins he can return to earth to be with June.  The plot itself is emotional and engrossing, compelling, I would say.  But what really makes the film work is the direction and cinematography.  Pressburger and Powell were the most formidable pair of directors of their age.  "Life and Death" is easily up there with "The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp", "The Red Shoes", "Black Narcissus" and "Peeping Tom".  The photography, by the unmatched Jack Cardiff (check out the biography "Magic Hour", seriously) is superb, and lives long in the mind.  The scenes on Earth are in glorious Technicolour, but the scenes set in Heaven are, somewhat counter-intuitively, depicted in Black and White.  One would imagine it would be the other way round, but it's striking and extremely effective.  Thematically, it says that things in Heaven are simply black or white, right or wrong.  On Earth things things exist in bold technicolour, and are debatable. It sticks long in the memory. The two realms are linked by a giant, dramatic "stairway to Heaven".

Niven is predictably superb, as he always was, the stoic Brit, fighting his feelings and fighting for his feelings.  Newcomer Kim Hunter - later to play Dr. Zira in "Planet of the Apes" and its sequels, is remarkably sympathetic as June.  Roger Livesey offers up sterling support as June's friend, and Peter's Doctor, Reeves.  Particularly humourous and memorable is Marius Goring as the Conductor, a French Revolutionary in a former life.  There's even a cameo from a young (Sir) Richard Attenborough as a befuddled, deceased airman arriving in Heaven and being sent to "registry".  Aside from the already mentioned look of the film, and great performances, what deeply draws a viewer in is the emotion and unpredictability of the story.  The denouement is not only highly unpredictable but also sincerely emotional.  It's unique, and I can't think of a film to which it can be compared.  I try to shy away from the cliche of the word "masterpiece" but this truly is one.  It sparked my love of cinema (OK maybe "Star Wars" or "ET" did that, but this just cemented it.  See it if you get any chance to do so.

SB

Mission: Impossible III

Mission: Impossible III (2006)

Starring Tom Cruise and Philip Seymour Hoffman

Directed by J.J. Abrams

Straight away it's worth saying that this is popcorn multiplex cinema at its purest.  Although it bears no resemblance to the TV series episodes, which week in and out consisted of complex con schemes, in which the team would use their array of disguises and tricks to sidetrack and confound their nemeses, the films have been primarily focused on action.  Of which, this episode delivers in spades. With J.J. Abrams being the talk of the town at present, having directed two "Star Trek" films, and with "Star Wars: Episode 7" on its way, I think it's worth re-visiting his directorial debut, another franchise-reviving effort.  Following the overly convoluted first installment (inexcusable that - Spoiler alert - they made Jim Phelps a villain) , and the overblown "M:I 2" this episode pumps a shot of adrenaline into the series.

Chiefly, "M:I 3" is superbly entertaining.  I liked Cruise at the start of his career; around the "Jerry McGuire" era, I started to find him extremely annoying, but around about the time of "Minority Report" (2002) he went on a really good run of films, and I gradually came to like him again.  He's certainly immensely charismatic in this movie.  Recently married (to Michelle Monaghan's character) Hunt genuinely has something to fight for, and to lose, and this gives the film an added punch. Michelle is great as the wife who slowly comes to realise that there is more to her husband than she first thought, and comes into genuine danger towards the film's climax (incidentally kicking some serious ass along the way - go girl!).  As one would expect from a film in this series, the globe is well and truly crossed, from Washington to Rome, eventually to a beautifully shot Shanghai (predating "Skyfall" but looking no less wonderful.).  I believe that this was the first Western production to be allowed to film in China.

 

Perhaps unlike previous installments, the rest of Hunt's "Impossible Missions Force" team are suitably likeable too.  Ving Rhames returns as Luther, Ethan's right-hand man, and a stalwart of the series.  The gorgeous Maggie Q ("Live Free or Die Hard") joins in the fun, and the team is rounded out by Jonathan Rhys-Myers (aka Henry VIII) as the team's helicopter pilot.  There's even a small role for Simon Pegg as Benji, an IT alayst at the IMF (not the International Monetary Fund!)  The antagonist, Owen Davian, is magnificently played by the late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman.  He brings a chilling nastiness to the character, posing both a physical and mental threat to our hero, and is easily one of the best cinema villains of recent times.  Support is offered by Billy Crudup, Musgrave, and as the team's overall boss, Brassel, a snarling Laurence Fishburne.  The great Eddie Marsan also crops up as one of Davian's henchmen.  The plot revolves around Davian's attempts to obtain something called the"Rabbit's Foot".  This a Macguffin of the highest order, as it is never explained as to what it is; presumably it's some sort of virus or chemical weapon.  Along the way we get TV's "Felicity", kidnappings, daring rescue attempts, message-containing microdots, the obligatory self-destructing message, a  Lamborghini being blown up, Hunt using a mask to impersonate Davian, a traitor in the agency, our hero becoming a fugitive and, for good measure, a fair bit of fighting and explosive action.

It's all pretty standard stuff for a film like this in a genre like this, nothing new, in other words. It feels like something we've seen a hundred times before, but not quite. It's almost as if the set-pieces have been given a slight tweak, so they feel a little more original. For example, a helicopter chase takes place not just over, but also through a giant wind-farm, leading the audience to fear and / or expect one of the helicopters to be hit by a huge rotating propeller. A missile attack at one point takes place on what seems to be the longest bridge / causeway in the world - I presume it's the Florida Keys. Narratively we see from the very first scene Hunt, captured by Davian, tied to a chair and his wife with a gun to her head, so the film is essentially 85% flashback. We know where he ends up, but it's enjoyable finding out how he got there. Hunt seems more interesting this time round, probably due to his emotional involvement - in addition to his romantic situation, early in the film a character he's close to and trained up, is killed off, so he's trying to keep a lid on the grief from that.

Abrams' direction is impressive.  For sure there is a measure of "Shaky-cam", and quick cutting, but the action is always coherent.  Although he was an experienced operator in the TV world at the time, as a feature debut, charged with reviging a high-profile franchise, no less, this is strong work.  It's by a long chalk the best of the M:I films.  It's not a guilty pleasure, there's nothing about which to be guilty.  It's a well put together piece of fluffy entertainment, but does exactly what it sets out to do.  Mission: Accomplished.

The Informant!



The Informant! (2009)

Starring Matt Damon and Scott Bakula

Directed by Steven Soderbergh

So it's another collaboration between Matt Damon and Steven Soderbergh.  With a script by Soderbergh regular Scott Z Burns, based on the book by Kurt Eichenwald "The Informant! A True Story", it's the omission of that second part which very much colours the audience's expectation coming into this film.  I haven't read the book or searched for news articles yet so I have no idea how closely it sticks to the "True Story" but after seeing the film I will definitely do so.  I've read elsewhere that the real-life protagonist has said that the film is "very accurate".  Certainly it's a story which takes so many twists and turns, going in so many directions all at once, that if you didn't know it was based on events which actually transpired, you'd think the writer was just crazy. 

Another Soderbergh regular, Matt Damon, plays Mark Whitacre, a high level executive at ADM, a chemical company based in Decator, Illinois.  ADM produces lysine, a corn-based additive, which as he explains at the start of the film, turns up in almost everything we eat.  ADM is encountering production problems and suffering financially as a result.  Whitacre tells his superiors that the plant is being sabotaged by a contact he met briefly in Japan, and claims he has been called with a $10,000,000 blackmail demand.  The FBI, in the shape of Agents Brian Shepard (Scott Bakula) and Bob Herndon (Joel McHale) are called in to tap Mark's phone, so as to capture any future calls.  But Mark subsequently retracts his initial claim and says the whole thing is part of a price-fixing conspiracy among competing international lysine producers and that the phone was tapped by ADM itself.  Thus begins a jet-setting adventure in which Mark, having agreed to become an informant, travels the world attempting to record or otherwise gain evidence of the conspiracy, which seemingly involves American, French, and Asian firms amongst others.  Along the line he changes his story once more, saying that the meetings are about controlling volume levels rather than price fixing.  There are further twists and turns to Whitacre's version of the story along the way, a period of more than two years, which is increasingly frustrating for the agents.  Each time they have to confront Mark and ask if he's told them everything, and pleading with him to keep his mouth shut, you can see their doubts grow. As the case progresses, and Whitacre leaks the fact of an impending raid on ADM, it comes to light that he's been taking kickbacks to the tune of millions...

The film is essentially touted as a whacky, knockabout comedy.  There are certainly many incidences of off-kilter humour, most notably in the "jet set" scenes, in which Mark seems to think of himself as a James Bond type figure; "Mark Whitacre, secret agent 0014"  "Why 0014??"  "Cause I'm twice as smart as 007"!  Also, the voiceovers are priceless.  In the opening scenes, he explains - somewhat manically - about the links between corn, corn syrup, lysine, and the food we eat every day.  This is all good, because it's relevant to the main thrust of the movie.  But as it goes on, they get more and more random.  "I like my hands" he muses.  "That metric system never panned out".  "There should be a TV show about a guy who calls homeone day, and he's there, he answers, he's talking to himself, only he's someone else." !!!  Some of them are just so left-field that they're hysterical.  Over all, there's a dry, wry sense of humour threaded throughout the film.  I can understand why broader audiences wouldn't "get it", but if you can plug into the tone, it's fantastic.  But things are essentially much, much darker.

Amongst the main themes of the film are Corporate / White Collar crime, lying and deception, fraud,  betrayal, self-delusion, illegal surveillance, and ultimately, mental illness.  It's to his immense credit, and evidence of his masterful skills of direction, that Soderbergh manages to balance such grim elements with light comedy.  The film's score is notably up-beat and jaunty, as if purposefully to counteract the brooding subject matter.  It's almost fit for a cartoon.  But I never found it jarring.  It certainly does a huge amount to affect the film's tone and mood.  Underlying the whole of the proceedings is sense of the utterly absurd.  The conspiracy, whether it be price fixing, volume fixing, something else, or even if there's a conspiracy anywhere other than Whitacre's mind is absurd.  Mark's erratic behaviour and skittish mindset are almost past the threshold of credibility.  Yet it happened.

This is a supremely unusual, but deeply memorable film.  Distinct in tone and content, I found it successful on almost every level.  But I can see how another viewer might find it impenetrable, abstract, or just too odd.  The balance of humour and drama is incredibly delicate, and whilst I think Soderbergh pulls it off with aplomb, others might feel one fatally outweighs the other.  Damon is predictably strong in the central role, capturing the instability - and mania - of the increasingly deluded protagonist.  Scott Bakula too is sterling in support as the sadly resigned G-man, who comes to realise that the prize he thought he had won isn't there.  There's a wide-ranging supporting cast, containing many unfamiliar faces, but a few familiar ones, such as "30 Rock"'s Scott Adsit, Melanie Lynsky ("Heavenly Creatures"), Clancy Brown, Patton Oswalt, and Biff Tannen himself, Tom Wilson.  One really has to think, however, that the film belongs to the real-life Mark Whitacre.  A poignant coda shows him 10 years down the line, balding, physically degraded but still deluded.  It's a fitting conclusion to a unique and notable story.

SB

Rush

Rush (2013)

Starring Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl

Directed by Ron Howard

Ron Howard is an odd film-maker. On the one hand he can put out films which are breath-takingly good, of which I count this one, "Apollo 13" another, and so on. Yet he can also churn out stuff that is groaningly bad, say the "DaVinci Code" and its sequel, or "The Dilemma". This film falls squarely into the former category, his direction being solid, unflashy and unobtrusive.  He tells the extraordinary true story of the 1976 Formula 1 racing season, one of the closest in history; in particular it focuses on the relationship between the two best drivers of the time, Austrian Niki Lauda, and Britain's James Hunt.  Both men were risk-takers who raced hard, but that's just about where  the similarity ends.  Lauda is shown to be serious and stern off the track, working brilliantly with his teams' engineers to heighten the speed and performance of the cars.  Hunt, on the other hand was a total playboy, partying it up as hard as he raced, living it up to a lifestyle of booze and birds.

Don't be put off if you're not a fan of, or know nothing about Formula 1, because like the recent documentary "Senna", this is a story of humans and emotions.  Written by Peter Morgan (who seems to specialize in two-handed human drama, having "The Queen", "Frost / Nixon" etc under his belt) the writing is solid and evokes the passion, even if sometimes a little "Basil Exposition", for the uninitiated. The racing sequences are superb nonetheless - brilliantly shot by Anthony dod Mantle ("Slumdog Millionaire") and edited by Bafta winning Dan Hanley and Mike Hill (Howard regulars). They're nail-bitingly exciting, well choreographed and staged, in one instance absolutely terrifying, truly a reminder of how dangerous racing was back then.  In one scene Lauda matter-of-factly accepts this, saying "Yes, I know, I could die every time I get in my car".  He undergoes a terrible trauma during the season, interestingly after a pre-race drivers meeting in which the drivers debate whether the weather conditions make it safe to race.  Hunt goads him into letting the race go ahead, and the worst happens.  Lauda shows his physical and mental strength to fight his way back into the car - some of this is painful to watch, certainly not for the squeamish.  But it sets up a remarkably tense and tight finish to the season (I won't spoil it for you)

In their roles as, respectively Hunt and Lauda, Chris Hemsworth (he of "Thor" fame) and Daniel Bruhl ("Inglorious Basterds") are both superb.  It's a shame that there have been so many impressive performances this year as I'm sure at any other time they both would have been certainties for awards.  Their physical resemblances to the real life man is a bonus, but it's just good casting.  It's down to the actors themselves to deliver, and here they certainly do.  Also notable in smaller roles are Olivia Wilde as Hunt's wife Suzy Miller and Alexandra Maria Lara as Marlene Lauda.  And it was amusing to see Stephen Mangan crop up in a cameo as a nechanic.  Furthermore there's one other character worth mentioning: the sound.  In the racing scenes the sound of the powerful engines pumping and speeding away, rolling through the gears brings the film to life in a quite remarkable manner.

So this is powerful stuff, exciting, emotional, technically flawless and expertly played.  Arguably a period piece, the sense of time and place are well and truly evoked.  I really enjoyed it and found it to be one of the best films of the year.  I saw it on a double-bill with "Gravity".  What a strange experience that was!

SB

Ice Cold in Alex

Ice Cold in Alex (1958)

Starring John Mills, Anthony Quayle, Sylvia Simms and Harry Andrews

Directed by J. Lee Thompson

Set in 1943 in North Africa at the height of the Second World War, and based on the novel by Christopher Landon, the film follows the crew of an Ambulance, nick-named Katy, heading from Tobruk towards the hospital in Alexandria, carrying a pair of nurses.  Led by Captain Anson, played with typically dependable stoicism by the great John Mills, the crew faces a variety of tribulations on their journey.  Anson is a recovering alcoholic, and clearly under huge pressure.  Mills' performance is  a triumph, as he struggles to keep a lid on his internal turmoil.  The title refers to a cold beer he has promised himself when they eventually reach Alexandria.  The crew is rounded out by Sylvia Simms as nurse Sister Diana Murdoch, Anthony Quayle as South African officer Captain van der Poel, and the ever-reliable Harry Andrews as M.S.M Tom Pugh.  This is a very tight and striking four hander; it's a cast to die for, and the performances are uniformly strong.  It's the first time I've included more than two stars at the header for this piece, because it really is impossible to separate the four of them.  One of the best ensemble casts - albeit a small one - ever.  

 

The plot is by its very nature episodic, but it's engaging and exciting.  It's stirring stuff.  Incidents along the way include frequent mechanical problems with the old ambulance, a perilous trip through a soft-sanded region, a desperate attempt to make it up a steep slope of a sandy hill, attacks by Stuka dive-bombers, a nerve-jangling minefield crossing, and encounters with German troops in the region - van der Poel is a German speaker and twice manages to secure the crew's freedom to press onwards.  He's very macho, somewhat aloof, but big and strong, and proves to save the team on several occasions.  But midway through the film, the rest of the crew begin to have suspicions that something is amiss, and that he's not entirely what he claims to be.  But they need to stick together to stay alive, even though the seeds of discord have been sown.  It means that they need to place their faith in him despite their doubts.  It adds to the power that makes this film more than just an adventure story, but a brilliant human drama.  There's a hint of romance between Simms and Mills, but it's never over-played.  There's one moment, and only one, where Mills explodes with rage and frustration.  It's brilliantly played, utterly believable, and only serves to highlight the control and leadership he otherwise shows.

Technically, the film is second to none, particularly given when it was produced, and the type of pictures which proliferated at the time.  Shot in stark black and white, the cinematography is outstanding, crisp and clear.  The directing choices are memorable too.  In particular, Thompson deploys a technique whereby he contrasts the stark desert landscapes in wide, wide shots, the ambulance appearing as a tiny creature in the wilderness, with tight, claustrophobic moments in the back of the ambulance, featuring an abundance of close-ups.  Pace-wise, the film is not typical of the average WW2 drama / adventure.  Whilst the plot constantly feels like it's moving forward, some scenes are incredibly drawn out for reasons of tension - in particular the minefield cross, and the sandy hill climb.  This makes the film stand out from many others in the same genre.  The score is full of bombastic Military march style music very reminiscent of the period, but another thing to make the film memorable is that for long periods it is soundless, perhaps in reference to the desolate nature of the surroundings.  Characters will simply interact without speaking, or, for instance, a dying character will whisper so softly that we can't hear anything, and the soundtrack doesn't offer up sweeping emotional music.

At the climax, for which I don't feel obliged to say this a spoiler, the crew arrive in Alexandria and head to the bar to partake in the aforementioned ice cold beer.  Anson orders the barman to line them up, and there follows a fantastic moment of silent reflection, as he stares at the glass, with an almost sexual lustre.  After everything they've been through, they made it, and this is his prize.  He contemplates the glass, and traces his finger down its condensated side.  It's one of the many moments that make this film iconic, in the truest sense of the word.  I believe it was even used as a beer advert in the 1980s!  There's a brilliant, tense moment in this scene involving van der Poel's dog-tags, but I'll let you see the movie for yourself and enjoy the moment - not exactly a "twist", but close to one.

It's fair to say that this is a bona fide classic in just about every sense of the word.  It's one of the best Second World War films ever made, it's one of the best adventure / "guys on a mission" films ever made, it's one of the most hauntingly beautiful films ever made, and one of the best character pieces ever done.  Little details stand out... such as the beads of sweat on Sylvia Simms' cheeks in one scene, or indeed a moment when she will just look at another character and offer up a wistful smile.  Whether you're interested in the adventure or the characters, "Ice Cold in Alex" will prove to be one of the most rewarding and memorable filmic experiences you have.  Expertly directed by J. Lee Thompson, who did the original "Cape Fear" with Robert Mitchum, and a couple of "Planet of the Apes" movies, the film is remarkably solid and enjoyable.  Cannot rate highly enough.

SB

Her

Her (2013)

Starring Joaquin Pheonix and (the voice of) Scarlett Johansson

Directed  by Spike Jonze

This is such an unusual film, but I suppose you couldn't expect anything else from Spike Jonze, perpetrator of the insanely bonkers "Being John Malkovich" ("Loved you in that jewel thief movie" !)

Joaquin Pheonix stars as Theodore Twombly, an impending divorcee who specialises in working for a website for which he writes letters for people who can't channel their feelings adequately.  In a sense, he's a filter for other peoples' emotions and as such at the start of the film, he's rather blank, despite going through an intense emotional experience with his divorce. Purchasing a new Operating System for his computer and phone, a talking Artificial Intelligence named Samantha, Theodore's perception of feeling and love is gradually turned upside down. Rarely has an actor or actress so thoroughly carried a film on their own.  Pheonix appears in virtually every scene (maybe every one), and gives a frankly brilliant performance.  There are multiple versions of the poster internationally.  Most consist of an extreme close up of Joaquin's face, sporting a manly moustache, however the one included above, possibly does more to convey Theodore's sense isolation as depicted in the movie.  Crucially, Theodore develops as a character, going from rather an emotional cypher, to a person who has learned something about himself, love, relationships and the world.  To use the cliché, he's been on "a journey", something essential to all drama. 

 Essentially this is a two-hander, although there are others in the supporting cast notably Amy Adams in another good showing after "American Hustle", so it's vital that the actress giving voice to Samantha is up to the task, and Scarlett Johansson certainly is that.  It's a performance which blends equal measures of curious, sensual, and robotic flatness.  It must be difficult to present an articulate performance without being able to employ physicality; think, for instance, about how much actors such as Al Pacino rely on their body language to portray their characters.  Spare a thought, though, for Samantha Morton - herself a fantastic actress - who voiced the character during filming, but was subsequently replaced.



This is by far one of Jonze's two best films (Malkovich being the other and not including music videos for the likes of R.E.M, The Chemical Brothers, and  The Beastie Boys); it's certainly streets ahead of uneven fare such as "Where the Wild Things Are" - which was interesting but inconsistent.  In addition to the strong performances from the actors, the Production Design is wondrous and the Cinematography, by Swiss D-P Hoyte van Hoytema (how's that for a name?!), who also shot "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy", "The Fighter" and "Let the Right One In", is stylish and graceful, as one would expect given the look of the aforementioned films.  There's an almost permanent air of twilight (not "Twilight"!) and deep haunting.  The script, written by Jonze, is smart and subtle.  Many themes abound; primarily love, lonliness and the need for companionship, emotional intelligence, artificial intelligence, and more.  Without wishing to drop a spoiler (Sweetie!), there's a revelation towards the climax which evokes matter-of-fact coldness from one of the protagonists and crushing devastation for the other.

Furthermore, Jonze's Direction is measured; the movie is much more level-headed than some of his previous work, perfectly paced and utterly absorbing throughout.  And I had no idea exactly where it was going, so it was a pleasant surprise to find out.  The premise could arguably deemed "Science Fitction"; certainly the concept of AI raises that spectre.  Ultimately though, it's just an off-beat, intriguing, brilliantly made, highly original movie.  I love cinema, and am generally well-disposed towards a picture and keen to enjoy it.  That doesn't always happen, of course, but in this instance, I think "Her" is a truly great film, and I'm sure that when I come back to it in future I'll find deeper and deeper levels.  It's been a great year for Cinema, with the likes of "Rush", "Gravity", "The Wolf of Wall Street", "American Hustle", "Walter Mitty", so on and so forth, I can heartily endorse "Her" as being right up there with the best of them.

SB