Rev Stan's film blog

Review: Kill Your Darlings and the Daniel Radcliffe effect

Synopsis: How a murder brought the 1950s beat poets - Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs together.

Stan's thoughts:  Radcliffe puts in a good performance as the geeky Ginsberg who has his head turned by the charismatic Lucien Carr (play superbly by rising star Dane DeHaan). And it is a solid film and entertaining enough but Radcliffe's presence is a little bit of a distraction. It isn't entirely his fault.

He constantly chooses parts that are far removed from the Harry Potter franchise which is to be greatly admired and makes him an interesting actor to follow but it is a difficult character to shake off after a decade.

That there are gay love scenes involving Radcliffe in this film has been written about to death and I'm in the 'so what' camp but it's almost like the audience (ie slightly hysterical female Radcliffe fans) held their breath until the kissing and sex is out of the way.

He can't be blamed for that and Radcliffe is a solid enough actor but he doesn't quite push the performance in this to a level where you'd forget he was Harry Potter (the glasses didn't help). Kill Your Darlings is nicely paced and interesting enough character-led film. It's told from Ginsberg's perspective and it made me curious about the other view points.

The screening of Kill Your Darlings I saw was part of the London Film Festival and the film goes on general release in the UK on December 6.

Ratings

• Stan's: 62%
• IMDB: 69%
• Metascore: 64%
• Rotten Tomatoes: 72% 
• RT audience rating: Not yet rated

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Review: The cracking Captain Phillips

Synopsis: Based on the true story of a merchant marine who is kidnapped by Somali pirates

Stan's thoughts: Director Paul Greengrass proves again that he is the master of suspense. My nerves were well and truly jangled by the end of Captain Phillips but that's not what makes this such a great film. Greengrass doesn't present the Somali's as out and out baddies as it would have been easy to do but puts their actions into a wider context which gives the film more depth than merely a kidnap thriller.

And then there is Tom Hanks's performances as the Captain. He is brave without being a Hollywood hero. His ordinariness and therefore his vulnerability that adds a layer of tension, an extra sense of jeopardy and he deserves an Oscar nomination for the final scene alone.

Oh and the Navy Seals are hot too ;0)

Really, really enjoyed this film go and see Captain Phillips.

Ratings

• Stan's: 90%
• IMDB: 81%
• Metascore: 83%
• Rotten Tomatoes: 94% 
• RT audience rating: 93%

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Review: Benedict Cumberbatch channels Julian Assange in The Fifth Estate

Synopsis: Julian Assange from the portrayal in this film would want you to describe the story as the man behind WikiLeaks but it is told from the perspective of Daniel Berg, his sometime friend and co-conspirator on the site so it's really about the relationship between the two of them during the sites early days leading up to its first big scoop.

Stan's thoughts: I think the Social Network paved the way for films of this ilk - turning the story of computer geeks creating a website into something interesting and dynamic.

The story is really about the relationship between Assange and Berg and one disadvantage of having the source material from one side - Berg's book - is that it sometimes feels like it is only really scratching the surface of Assange. He is a strange man with a strange past, or at least this portrayal would have us believe.

That to one side, the central performances are superb, particularly Cumberbatch who once again proves what a versatile actor he is. Director Bill Condon manages to mix the drama and tension with some interesting surreal metaphors - the WikiLeaks site as Assange paints it vs the reality as Berg discovers. It reminded me a little of films like Being John Malkovich.

The Fifth Estate is part thrill of journalistic chase and part thriller as the authorities close in and I enjoyed it.

Ratings

• Stan's: 65%
• IMDB: 57%
• Metascore: 50%
• Rotten Tomatoes: 40% 
• RT audience rating: 47%

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Review: Sunshine On Leith or did Stan like a musical?

Synopsis: This is a juke box musical using songs by The Proclaimers - Two squaddies return home after a tour in Afghanistan and start to build their new life and find love on civvy street.

Stan's thoughts: Anyone who reads my theatre blog will know that I don't like musicals but I think it's important to test out my prejudice every now again and the cinema is cheaper than the theatre.

I decided to give this particular one a go after hearing an interview with director Dexter Fletcher on Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo's Radio 5 film show. Aside from the great cast (Jane Horrocks, Jason Flemyng, Peter Mullan etc) he talked about the finale which ended up as a flash mob.

And that's the only bit I actually liked. I'm not going to lie, I did nearly walk out but the prospect of the flash mob gave me something to cling to.

Review: Romeo & Juliet - sod the critics I enjoyed it

Synopsis: It's the Shakespeare story innit? Girl and boy meet and fall in love except they come from families that hate each other.

Stan's thoughts: It's not my favourite Shakespeare play but probably the one which I think works best adapted to screen. I really enjoyed Baz Luhrman's version even though in all the excitement the delivery of the lines got a little garbled.

Here the diction was much clearer which is part of the battle but then Julian Fellowes has tinkered with Shakespeare's words to make it more 'accessible' (see article about the row that has ensued). I didn't find what he'd done particularly offensive. He's pared the script right down and it works for screen keeping the story fast paced. (I love Shakespeare on stage but I don't think I've ever thought - ooh I wish they'd been another 15 minutes).

Instead it is the love story pure and simple and it is beautifully done in traditional costumes, in the plays Italian setting. I wasn't entirely convinced by the two leads. Hailee Steinfeld just looks a bit too young and child like to turn the head of Douglas Booth with his Burberry ad campaign looks.

I liked Baz Luhrman's take on the final suicide scene and I equally like what they have done here, just turning the tragedy button up another notch.

Overall I was moved to tears so it was doing something right or perhaps I was feeling particularly sentimental yesterday.

Ratings

• Stan's: 63%
• IMDB: 47%
• Metascore: 42%
• Rotten Tomatoes: 24% 
• RT audience rating: 61%

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Review: Jake Gyllenhaal and Hugh Jackman in Prisoners

Synopsis: When two young girls disappear after a family thanksgiving dinner their fathers, frustrated with the police's progress in finding them, decide to take matters into their own hands.

Stan's thoughts: On paper this could have been the usual cliched Hollywood fodder but succeeds in being a tense, dark and gritty film because of the two leads: Jake Gyllenhaal as policeman Loki and Hugh Jackman as Keller Dover one of the fathers.

Hugh Jackman's character is particularly important because you have to believe in his frustration and that he would do what he does. Dover has enough depth and enough flaws to make him believable and his actions understandable - even if you disagree with them.

Paul Dano is also superb as the prime suspect who has the IQ of a 10-year old.

Don't analyse the plot too much because you'll see the holes but otherwise a good, entertaining thriller.

Ratings

• Stan's: 65%
• IMDB: 82%
• Metascore: 74%
• Rotten Tomatoes: 81% 
• RT audience rating: 89%

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