Review: The Martian

With Director Ridley Scott not exactly hitting the mark with this films in the last few years, I was not sure how excited I should be for this venture back into space.

After the seeing the trailer, I was excited but not expecting something astonishing from the same man that has made masterpieces in the form of Gladiator, Blade Runner and Alien.

The movie definitely does not waste time in getting started and quickly sets up the main plot. From the very alert opening scene, we are now set in for a enjoyable, captivating and fairly straightforward survival story.
With all that in mind, it had very few moments of threat. But thankfully those times where it did provide it was unpredictable and kept you gripped to the story.

One thing that I definitely was not expecting was the high amounts of humor throughout and the disco soundtrack that managed to work. Thankfully, that is apparently quite faithful to the novel. It was nice to hear author Andy Weir take part in the screenplay as well as Drew Goddard (Cloverfield, The Cabin In The Woods).
What I also liked about it was the heavy detail in the Science of the story. It's accuracy and approval by Nasa is enough to tell how detailed it is within the writing.
The film may not be as detailed as the novel, but it definitely tells enough of it to tempt you into reading the book. The screenplay definitely ended up one being one of its strongest points. They manage to balance the peril of the situation and upbeat nature of the characters.

One guy that definitely knows how to portray humor in any situation is Matt Damon. Gone are the days of his Team America grilling. We have a highly successful and very popular actor. Damon's performance and the sharpness of the script really went hand-in-hand and it made never with the overall tone of survival.
Damon remains a hugely watchable actor and deserves anything that is coming to him.

For the supporting cast, everyone seemed pretty solid. Jeff Daniels portrayed a strong Nasa director that at times would feel like the villain. I always like anything Jessica Chastain does. I have become a huge fan of hers and her character as mission leader is great bit of casting. Sean Bean wonderfully bounced off every character and became a nice relief throughout. Chiwitel Ejiofor did a solid job and it was interesting to see Kristin Wiig be involved in by far one of her most serious roles.
One supporting actor that looks to have a bright future was Donald Glover. He definitely had a pleasant screen presence which was a nice surprise.

All in all, I would say this film was pretty good. Compared to other recent sci-fi's, it may not have the technical ambition of Gravity or the emotion of Interstellar. But this definitely is a good watch with a surprising amount of laughs.
The cinematography by Darius Wolski is gorgeous. Ridley Scott is well known for his practical effects and real set locations. He gave Wolski a lot of great landscapes and he definitely made the most of it.
The score by Harry Gregson-Williams is subtle but definitely has a tingly feeling to it. Gregson-Williams is not a composer that I have really taken notice of. When I look at the notable films that he has scored (Chicken Run, Shrek, Shrek 2, X-Men Origins: Wolverine), they were never any that I would go back and listen too apart from maybe one or two. But this latest score will definitely interest me.
It is clear to see that it is a mix of Apollo 13 and Cast Away. Like with all Ridley Scott features, the visuals are the biggest positive. The script and character development makes this a film worth watching multiple times. The pacing was fairly solid throughout. However, the duration felt a bit too long for me.
Nevertheless, this is still captivating viewing that is well written, has a great lead in Damon, never had me bored and is Scott's best film since probably American Gangster in 2007.

Rating: 8/10

Review: Everest

There have been a solid amount of films dedicated to the highest mountain on Earth.
However, they have mainly been documentaries. So this is first major feature film to be about the most dangerous place on Earth.

Based on the true events of an expedition in 1996, director Baltasar Kormakur really shows us how brutal that place can be.
Not only that, but I think he has made a wonderful thrill ride that deserves to be on the big screen. After a wonderfully visual opening scene, we get some interesting character development all coming to a dramatic second half of the film.

The start gives you an interesting brief on the history of mountaineering on Everest on who could or could not climb the summit. After seeing it, that felt to be a really important part as you get to really understand how crazy that period was at the mountain's base camp.

I was amazed as to how much I got engaged with it. The mountain is definitely the star of the film.
You can tell that the characters had to do a lot of physical work to make this look as believable as possible. There is very few CGI moments and you can tell that they filmed it in tough locations.

The performances are lead by Jason Clarke who leads the expedition. His calmness really makes you feel safe when he is around. By the time the second half of the film comes around, you really want him to get down the mountain safely.
Josh Brolin is probably the supporting actor you will end up caring the most. Not many of the minor characters give enough develop to care for. So Brolin is probably the one you will root for the most. It was great to see Jake Gyllenhaal play a care-free role as the leader of the rival expedition group. Other notable performances go to John Hawkes and Emily Watson. One appearance that was a nice surprise was Naoko Mori who I loved in Torchwood.

Like I said, I think it did lack in character development. But I think I am willing to let that go as the action really develops the film enough for us to really care for the characters.

Where Everest succeeds, it is astonishing. It really felt like I was part of the expedition. It is well paced, the build-up really gets you ready for the thrilling second half. One positive that I hope many others notice was how they showed each stage of the climb. It really helped you know exactly where everyone was and what part of the mountain each character was on. That part felt really educational and makes me want to see documentaries on why people do this.
I always look out for a good soundtrack. Dario Marinelli's score does not appear throughout. But when it is there, it really fits in to the situation, especially in the awesome opening scene.

Everest is such a tense and tragic watch that shows a great tale of man vs. nature. From the very beginning, I was intrigued. By the end of it, I was just amazed at what I saw.

This was also my first IMAD 3D experience. The film really makes good use of the technology when needed.

Rating: 8/10

Review: Legend

The story of the Kray twins has always a tempting one to be put on the big screen.

Set in 1960's London featuring two of the most famous gangsters in Britain will involve a lot of strong violence and deceit. This is content that usually interests many film studios, especially when Tom Hardy will be the star attraction.

Hardy has quickly become the most wanted physical actor in the filming industry. From his breakthrough in Bronson, to big action blockbusters like Inception and The Dark Knight Rises. Hardy will be playing both Kray's, which I think is a great idea by the casting team as we get to see more of Tom, which I think many will agree is a good thing.

A lot of people rightly had their suspicions of Hardy playing both roles would end up being quite gimmicky and be a big distraction. I did have a slight uncertainty, but I was highly confident Tom would knock it out of the park.

Thankfully, by far the best part of this film is Tom Hardy's two performances as Ronnie and Reggie Kray. The clever use of editing makes the dual performance possible, and within minutes of the film starting, you do forget that Hardy is playing both twins. His performance of Ronnie especially makes you see Hardy disappear into the character. His unnerving showing as the psychotic Ronnie with a nice amount of humor really deserves praise, as well as portraying an understated, slick and suave portrayal of Reggie. If it is not for these performance, then Hardy will get nominated for an Oscar and possibly win one in no time. He just gets better and better every time.

Emily Browning was a solid contributor as the leading female and gave us an interesting side to the people who loved the Krays. But not David Thewlis or even the short appearance of the amazing Paul Bettaney could contend with Hardy.

The use of violence and swearing can make this an unpleasant watch at times. But at times, they do give it a comedic twist to it which was good to see. It also shows the reality of the Krays crimes, which makes the events all the more frightening.

From a technical side, it is well directed by Brian Helgeland who has experience with gangster flicks such as 'L.A. Confidential'. Also the set designs looked wonderful. It really felt like I had instantly travelled back and was dropped into the cobbled streets of the East End. The cinematography by Oscar nominee Dick Pope is slick and at times very film-noir, and the use of music from that period was wisely used.

Despite an intriguing opening act, it does gradually slow down to make it not as exhilarating. When you break it down, the plot does take a long time to get going. It also seems to tell a part of their story that not many would be expecting.

With that in mind, Legend is still a good watch and I was never bored. It definitely gives you a sense of the world the Krays were part of. But the climax I don't think never really came to anything. It was more like the director and his crew showed a slice of their life during the time when they were all conquering across the East End of London.

While the potential is there for a great story, there is an unfortunate structure to the choice of story despite the amazing performances, surprising amount of humor and well presented violence. There are definitely better gangster films out there, but this is still worth seeing.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Me And Earl And The Dying Girl

After making quite an impression at the Sundance Film Festival where it won the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize in the drama category, we have the latest hit from independent cinema.

It is always easy to dismiss something that looks quirky, which if you see the trailer, it definitely shows signs of that.

I feel that making a film too quirky could put you off, make the film only target a specific audience and feel quite pretentious. However, a subtle amount of it can really give a film that nice mixture and make it quite charming.

That along with a good blend of comedy, emotional drama and you get Me And Earl And The Dying Girl.

When looking at this on paper, many would initially think "who wants to see another high school quirky drama about a girl suffering with a serious illness". But with its smart wit, almost Wes Anderson-esque style, and wonderful performances from unknown actors, this is a film that will really shake up your emotions. I was pretty much sold in the first 10 or 15 minutes, especially with the high amount of references to classic foreign language cinema.

The performances are definitely the biggest attraction. Thomas Mann and Olivia Cooke and a supporting role by RJ Cyler all show a fine range of dramatic and comedic moments that really enhance the viewing experience so wonderfully. There was also enough minor support from well seasoned actors and a surprisingly funny voice cameo by a Hollywood star.

The cinematography makes the film stand-out on its own. From the very first scene, it has some crazy angled shots that fits in well to the tone of the film.
It was also really nice to see the screenplay be done by the author of the novel Jesse Andrews. It is carefully re-constructed to make it viable to the big screen.

The negatives are probably my fault as I do not usually go nuts for films like this. The style of film-making I appreciated rather than place in a category that I always go and see whatever the story is.

That being said, I felt it to be an very heart-warming enjoyable watch and glad that something going its own way is getting a big chance in the multiplexes. I enjoyed the subtle mix of various moods during the film that is elevated by three wonderful performances by Mann, Cyler and Cooke. The screenplay has great wit and charm that really draws you in. You can definitely see the delicate treatment that Andrews has done when transitioning from his novel to the film. It is definitely hard to find comedy out of a serious topic. But they manage to do it, when I really appreciate them pulling it off so nicely.
The film really mixes your emotions throughout, the cinematography will suck you into this world and I love the constant references to some of the greatest classic foreign language films. It can be a great guessing game for hardcore films fans.

Rating: 8/10