Rev Stan's film blog

Review: Steve Carrell is scary in track suit bottoms - Foxcatcher

Synopsis: Based on true events, multi-millionaire John du Pont (Steve Carrell) sets up a training camp for wrestlers looking to compete in the Seoul Olympics. Among those training are the Schultz brothers Mark (Channing Tatum) and David (Mark Ruffalo) who are already Olympic champions.

Stan's thoughts: The synopsis and trailer don't really give you a proper insight into what this film is about. It's a psychological thriller that makes for an uncomfortable two and bit hours in the cinema - but that certainlyisn't a criticism.

Carrell's performance is quite incredible and key to why this film works. John du Pont is a complex character whose motives and intentions are never fully clear. He has a difficult relationship with his mother (a brilliant Vanessa Redgrave), has had a very privileged but potentially lonely upbringing, comes across as interested and passionate about his hobbies but likes to get his own way.

He makes those around him just a little uncomfortable. The way he holds his head slightly back looking over the bridge of his nose and meets peoples gaze for just a bit too long after the conversation has finished is part of it.

Then there are the track suit bottoms. There is something just a little bit odd and creepy about someone who wears tracksuit bottoms most of the time or maybe that is just me.

This is a film about the relationship between three people who happen to share a passion for wrestling. It's not a sport I know anything about or have any real interest and while it is peripheral to the story, I walked away with a better appreciation for the skill involved.

A lot of people are talking about Channing Tatum's performance in this and it is certainly his best by a long shot even if his 80s haircut is a little bit scary.

I know some have found this a little too uncomfortable to watch and some might find it a little plodding but for me it's careful and considered pace is what helps give it its taut atmosphere.

This is a film of great quality, a film of great subtlety that makes you want to go and spend time watching something fluffy and colourful afterwards.  Steve Carrell's John du Pont still haunts me a week on.

Ratings

• Stan’s 83%
• IMDB 74%
• Metascore 81%
• Rotten Tomatoes 87%
• RT Audience Rating* 74%

* Number of people rating 3.5/5 or higher

 

#LFF Review: Jack O'Connell runs for his life in the tense thriller '71

Synopsis: A soldier on his first tour (Jack O'Connell) in Northern Ireland gets accidentally left behind when a riot breaks out in dangerous part of Belfast.

Stan's thoughts: Been eager to see this since I saw Jack O'Connell play a violent young offender in Starred up earlier this year. The trailer for '71 held a lot of promise and the film didn't let me down, in fact it was even better.

This is more than just the cat and mouse game of Gary, the lost soldier, trying to get back to safety, never knowing if the people he meets are going to be friends or want to kill him. It is also about what he observes and experiences for good and bad on both sides of the conflict along the way.

The troubles remain a sensitive topic but in having Gary as a passive observer no sides are drawn. He makes no judgement, any action is survival extinct and last resort. In fact his fear is mirrored by many he meets on his journey.

What you get is a film in which there is layer after layer of gritty, grimy tension. O'Connell doesn't have much by way of words to communicate but the stress, fear and anxiety of his situation is palpable. He reminded me a little of Leonardo diCaprio's performance in Scorcese's The Departed, a film of such high tension and nerves it leaves you feeling a bit jittery afterwards. And '71 is the same but it does it in 98 minutes rather than two and a half hours.

This isn't a relaxing watch, it is one of those films that haunts you long after you've left the cinema and for that I loved it.

Ratings

• Stan’s 88%
• IMDB 78%
• Metascore 81%
• Rotten Tomatoes 97%
• RT Audience Rating* 92%

Recently seen

Maze Runner

Gone Girl

Before I Go To Sleep

The Hundred Foot Journey

Dracula Untold

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Night Moves

Obvious Child

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Welcome to New York

* Based on number of people who rated the film 3.5/5 and higher

Review: Why I wasn't quite gushing about Gone Girl

Synopsis: A man's wife disappears in suspicious circumstances and he becomes the prime suspect.

Stan's thoughts: I really enjoyed Gone Girl up to a point but I can't quite gush about it like a lot of people (I have found one other so far who shares my opinion). In order to explain why I can't gush I am going to have to give plot spoilers so don't read on if you don't want to know.

I haven't read the book is probably the first thing I should say so I went into the film without any inkling where it was going and was initially gripped by the story. Then there was a loose thread in an otherwise tightly woven plot but once I'd started to pull at it, it made an unsatisfactory hole.

The point was when Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike) was in hospital and being questioned by the FBI. Suddenly the fact that the crime scene at her home had been proven to be staged was quickly forgotten. Neither did the FBI question how she could slash her attackers throat while tied up.

It then got me thinking about the initial investigation and questioning: why weren't her previous boyfriends investigated - firstly when they were looking for potential kidnappers and then if they had they might have noticed a bit of a pattern?

When the police were suspicious about Nick her husband (Ben Affleck) not knowing much about Amy why weren't the equally suspicious about her and what she might be up to - a bored housewife? If she wrote her diary over a much shorter period of time, surely there are forensic tests that would have shown that? OK that last one might be a bit extreme but surely they'd want to explore every avenue.

Then they did something really silly, something that was ridiculous even for Hollywood: Amy left hospital still covered in blood and in her hospital gown. I'm sorry, she just wouldn't be allowed to leave hospital in that state, her friends and family wouldn't let her leave hospital in that state.

If a story is gripping enough you might not notice the plot holes and flaws, if a story is gripping enough, sometimes it doesn't matter if you spot them but in this instance I couldn't detach myself from them once I had. So no I can't gush about Gone Girl. It started with so much promise and felt skillful but its final act just falls over and the more I think about it the more irritated I get by it.

Ratings

• Stan’s 59%
• IMDB 86%
• Metascore 79%
• Rotten Tomatoes 87%
• RT Audience Rating* 91%

Recently seen

Before I Go To Sleep

The Hundred Foot Journey

Dracula Untold

A Most Wanted Man

Pride

The Riot Club

Night Moves

Obvious Child

Two Days One Night

Welcome to New York

What If

* Based on number of people who rated the film 3.5/5 and higher

 

Quick review: Before I Go To Sleep

Synopsis: Christine (Nicole Kidman) wakes every day having forgotten everything that's happened since she was in her 20s as the result of a head trauma but one day something happens that leads her to question the motives of all those around her.

Stan's thoughts: This seems to have had very mixed reviews but I really enjoyed it. I haven't read the book so I knew little about the story which may have helped.

It's a great psychological thriller which makes you question everyone and much of it is down to superb performances by the three leads. Colin Firth plays Christine's loving and patient husband and Mark Strong plays her gently sinister psychologist. Great also to see Anne-Marie Duff on the big screen as Christine's old friend.

The story isn't laboured and is therefore a tight and tense 90 minutes and it certainly had me on the edge of my seat. If your nerves can stand it, it would be a great double bill with A Most Wanted Man.

Ratings

• Stan’s 70%
• IMDB 65%
• Metascore 41%
• Rotten Tomatoes 58%
• RT Audience Rating* 55%

Recently seen

The Hundred Foot Journey

Dracula Untold

A Most Wanted Man

Pride

The Riot Club

Night Moves

Obvious Child

Two Days One Night

Welcome to New York

What If

* Based on number of people who rated the film 3.5/5 and higher

Review: The tense and intelligent A Most Wanted Man

Synopsis: An illegal immigrant, a Muslim who is half Chechen, half Russian, arrives in Hamburg seeking access to his late father ill-gotten fortune. Who is he and is he a threat? It's a race between different secret services to get to him first and also expose a financier who they suspect is funding terrorist organisations.

Stan's thoughts: A superb spy thriller this is just as much about the rivalry within the German agencies and the American's as it is about catching potential baddies.

It avoids cliche and doesn't patronise its audience with black and white characters and scenarios. Neither does it spoon feed plot or outstay its welcome. Instead it is a film that is intelligent, tense and gripping.

Sad to see what was one of Philip Seymour Hoffman's last films but it is a great one to leave us with. Great performance too from Grigoriy Dobrygin who plays the immigrant Issa. He doesn't say much but is a brilliantly beautiful and intriguing linchpin to the central story. Robin Wright also stands out in what is a relatively small part.

A great, solidly enjoyable film.

Ratings

• Stan’s 80%
• IMDB 73%
• Metascore 73%
• Rotten Tomatoes 91%
• RT Audience Rating* 71%

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Pride

The Riot Club

Night Moves

Obvious Child

Two Days One Night

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Lucy

The Rover

Guardians of the Gallaxy

* Based on number of people who rated the film 3.5/5 and higher

Review: Did Gravity live up to the hype?

Synopsis: Two astronauts fight for survival after being left stranded in space after an accident.

Stan's thoughts: The trailer for this one blew me away and the hype built in the run up to its release date. So, expectations were high and I think ultimately the film was a victim of that.

Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy Gravity for many reasons. It is refreshing to see a film that is solely about two characters, something of a rarity and usually the preserve of theatre.  Director Alfonso Cuaron has also done an amazing job giving a real sense of what it must feel like both to be in space but also be stranded in the vastness. 

Gravity certainly oozes atmosphere but after you've seen the clip of Sandra Bullock spinning through space saying "Ahh! Ahh! Ahh! Ahh!" with each rotation her character, dare I say it, gets a little bit irritating. You'd think she'd get used to it after a while or was it a case that with little dialogue and a space helmet obscuring the face for chunks of the film its the best she could do acting-wise.

I don't think the character arcs were quiet enough to sustain the human plot thread or rather they were drowned out by the a to b to c survival story and the amazing visual effects. Yes I was on the edge of my seat at times and I did feel invested in the characters and their survival to a point but I did find my mind wandering to how particular bits were shot. *plot spoiler* And, I didn't get any great sense of "phew" at the end.

I'm nit-picking a little and I think that's entirely due to the fact that I had such high expectations. Gravity was really good but I didn't walk out thinking 'wow' as I had done when I saw the trailer.

Ratings

• Stan's: 75%
• IMDB: 85%
• Metascore: 96%
• Rotten Tomatoes: 97% 
• RT audience rating: 86%

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Thor: The Dark World

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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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Lovelace 

 

Review: The not quite what I expected Now You See Me

Synopsis: A group of magicians/illusionists is brought together to carry out the most spectacular tricks, like robbing banks.

Stan's thoughts: Was very excited about this film as soon as I saw the trailer and while I enjoyed it enough at the time it didn't quite blow me away as I was expecting and I wasn't sure why.

Have since listened to some other views (Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo's film programme on Radio 5) and I think I've put my finger on it. What I loved about the trailer was the magic and those were the bits I enjoyed most about the film but it becomes more of a thriller with car chase sequences and running across roof top chase sequences. It dilutes the cleverness of the tricks which is what I was attracted to.

There is a mystery running throughout about who is mastermind behind it all but I'm not sure I was really bothered when I found out. And there was a totally unnecessary love story.

It's one of those films that I liked well enough at the time but it has shrunk in my estimation as time has passed. Shame really because I was really excited about this one and I love Jesse Eisenberg and Mark Ruffalo.

Ratings

• Stan's: 50%
• IMDB: 75%
• Metascore: 50%
• Rotten Tomatoes: 47%

Recently seen

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Behind the Candelabra

 

Review: The Iceman

Synopsis: Based on the true story of Richard Kuklinski, played here by Michael Shannon, who was a prolific hitman while maintaining a normal family life with wife and two daughters.

Stan's thoughts: The Iceman is an appropriate nick name as Kuklinski in the film is a man of few words and few emotions, that is except when he is with his family where, while still quiet is a devoted and loving husband and father.

What I liked about this film is the tension and danger that floats at the edges of Kuklinski and his day job for a gang boss and the slow break down of the cool as events start to spiral out of his control. It is a subtle thriller, solidly performed and made.

Ratings

• Stan's: 60%
• IMDB: 71%
• Metascore: 60%
• Rotten Tomatoes: 68%

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Ratings

• Stan's: 80%
• IMDB: 71%
• Metascore: None recorded
• Rotten Tomatoes: 93% (but not enough reviews to be judged a consensus)

Recently seen

Byzantium

The Great Gatsby

Mud

Star Trek Into Darkness

I'm So Excited

Bernie

- See more at: http://film.revstan.com/#sthash.WxQfyPE6.dpuf

Ratings

• Stan's: 80%
• IMDB: 71%
• Metascore: None recorded
• Rotten Tomatoes: 93% (but not enough reviews to be judged a consensus)

Recently seen

Byzantium

The Great Gatsby

Mud

Star Trek Into Darkness

I'm So Excited

Bernie

- See more at: http://film.revstan.com/#sthash.WxQfyPE6.dpuf

Disappointing double bill: Savages and Killing Them Softly

A rainy sunday and two highly anticipated films in prospect sadly neither quite lived up to expectation:

Savages

Oliver Stone directs a tale of pacifist weed grower Ben (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and his slightly less pacifist business partner ex-Marine Chon (Taylor Kitsch). Their USP is a quality product lovingly grown and developed - think M&S foodhall as opposed to Asda economy aisle.

When a Mexican drugs baron decides to introduce a quality line of product, Ben and Chon's quality product in fact things get more complicated. Ben and Chon's girlfriend O (Blake Lively) is kidnapped to persuade them to comply.

The main problem I had with it, is that I just didn't buy Ben's journey from pacifist to someone who could do what he does. He also seems to become very cool in life threatening situations rather too easily. I suppose I was expecting a slightly cleverer way of resolving the situation.

You could argue that it is musing on the notion of savagery and how savage behaviour begets savage behaviour. When is such violence justified etc? Certainly there is little honour amongst thieves or in this case drug dealers.

And if you are going to take this stance then what does it say about Ben and his choices? I'm not sure it is quite enough to satisfy. That said, I love Aaron Taylor-Johnson and this coupled with Anna Karenina just show was a magnetic and charismatic screen presence he is.

Savages isn't a bad film but it just felt a little unsatisfying like the parts didn't quite make up the whole. And if someone can explain how that film got away with a 15 certificate I'd like to know. If you show a female nipple it's an 18 certificate but show someone being burned to death and that is a 15. Something is just wrong somewhere.

I'm giving it 59%. On IMDb it's got 67% with a Metascore of 59% while on Rotten Tomatoes it has 49% with 56% of audiences giving it three and a half stars or higher.

Killing Them Softly

I was really, really looking forward to this but I think the trailer had the most interesting bits. Brad Pitt and director Andrew Dominik have said in interviews that they wanted to work together again and I'm afraid it feels too much like a vehicle for that rather than anything substantial.

Pitt plays a hit man and when two amateurs knock off a gang controlled illegal card game and then make a hash of covering their tracks he's brought in to take them out *plot spoiler* something that doesn't seem to take much effort or cause too much tribulation. And that is about it in terms of plot. There is one particularly violent scene which felt gratuitous and a fairly obviously psychedelic drug taking scene.

The plot felt a bit under-developed. The characters felt a bit under-developed, I'm afraid I got a bit bored but I think I'm in the minority.

It's getting 42% from me while on IMDb it has 77% with a Metacritic of 74%. On Rotten Tomatoes there is a disparity between critics and audiences with the latter giving it 95% and only 61% of audiences rating it three and a half stars or higher.