Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter: DVD Review

Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter: DVD Review

Rating: PG
Released by Madman Home Ent


Kumiko The Treasure Hunter finds itself obsessed with Fargo and never lets up.

It's the apparently urban legend of Kumiko (Rinko Kikuchi), a young Japanese girl who works soullessly for a company that sees her daily strength and will to live being sapped. But keeping her alive is a daily viewing of a video tape of Fargo, the Coen Brothers classic which she pores over and tries to ascertain where the buried treasure may be kept.

Finally reaching snapping point within her work life and the over-bearing phonecalls from her mother enquiring about promotions or personal life, Kumiko makes off with the company credit card and heads to America to find the treasure buried by Steve Buscemi's character in the snow of Dakota.

Once the put upon Kumiko is free to roam, she finds that the Americans of Dakota are as oddball as the inhabitants of the film; from the people who meet her at the airport and try to get her into religion, to the bus driver with carpal tunnel syndrome who's unable to change a tyre, they're all here on display.

But in among the oddness and goofy moments, there's a small vein of sadness running through this piece, which has pathos and hints of tragedy. Kumiko is a sad figure, and while there's no attempts at using this for comic effect, the overall feeling is one of sympathetic frustration as the story plays out. There's a humour here, but it's a bittersweet one and it's one that makes you question whether Kumiko's on the verge of a breakdown rather than a genuine acceptance of her limitations.

Kikuchi plays Kumiko with an earnestness and a bowed head that sees you on her side from the moment the journey begins. As eccentric and as bedraggled as she becomes, you never lose faith in the quest in among the beautifully cinematography which makes the most of the conditions around Kumiko - from vast shots of ice to blasts of cold ice wind blowing across the roads, it's almost like the chill jumps off the screen.

Quiet and quirky, Kumiko The Treasure Hunter is a hidden treasure 

Win a double pass to see The Program

Win a double pass to see The Program

From Academy Award® nominated director Stephen Frears (The Queen, Philomena) and producers Working Title (The Theory Of Everything, Everest, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), comes the true story of the meteoric rise and fall of one of the most celebrated and controversial men in recent history, Lance Armstrong.

Based on the award winning book “Seven Deadly Sins” by David Walsh, and featuring a stellar cast including Ben Foster, Chris O’Dowd and Jesse Plemons (Breaking Bad), this tense and suspenseful thriller looks at how one of the greatest deceptions in the modern era was exposed while Armstrong convinced the world he was a hero, winning the Tour de France seven times.

The Program is in cinemas from November 26th.  

To enter simply email to this address: darrensworldofentertainment@gmail.com  and in the subject line put THE PROGRAM. Please include your name and address and good luck!

NB Competition closes November 26th.

When Marnie Was There: Blu Ray Review

When Marnie Was There: Blu Ray Review

Rating: PG
Released by Madman Home Ent

"It's such a sad story" are among some of the words spoken in the final run of Studio Ghibli's latest, When Marnie Was There, based on Brit writer Joan G Robinson.

It's the story of Anna, a shy girl, an outsider who moves to the country to be with her aunt and uncle to help her get better from her asthma. However, while she settles into life there, she fails to garner any new friends in the area due to her inability to socialise and overcome her outsider depression.

But that changes when she becomes enchanted with a mansion on the banks of the shores near where she's staying. There she meets the mysterious blonde girl Marnie, and the two form a secret friendship...but Anna's convinced she's been there before - what is the mystery of Marnie?

When Marnie Was There is a pretty standard Studio Ghibli fare - which is to say it's the usual mix of gorgeous animation, beautiful water-coloured painted backgrounds and amusing moments. And so, nothing to be sniffed at or dismissed.

But there's a vein of sadness that runs pretty heavy in this piece, which mixes child depression, alienation, neglect and abuse into the pot as Anna tries to work out the mystery that haunts her. And unfortunately, it doesn't quite work as well with the central intrigue feeling like it's drawn out a little too long in places, and the piece is book-ended by some seriously garbled quick exposition that tries to join the dots, fill in the blanks and conclude it nicely.

It's not that there's anything inherently wrong with When Marnie Was There in the slightest; it's more that it appears to lack the emotional heft of prior outings. Certainly, the dubbed version has some bright vocal work from the likes of Hailee Steinfeld and John C Reilly. And while the visuals are as gorgeous as ever, the flow seems to be a little disjointed with viewers spending as much time confused as Anna does throughout, keeping the connection a little at bay.

While the themes of friendship and being an outsider are fully embraced and expanded upon, the issues that Anna faces are going to feel very real to some and for that universality, Ghibli is to be commended.

There's no doubt that the ultimate reveal of what's actually going on is heart-breaking to say the least, and the tragedy of it all is wonderfully conveyed thanks to a subtlety of story, but When Marnie Was There didn't quite hit the rich resonant highs I'd been expecting for Studio Ghibli's latest.

Game of Thrones finale is here

Game of Thrones finale is here

'Game of Thrones®: A Telltale Games Series' Season Finale Arrives Tuesday, November 17th; Also Available at Retail     New Screenshots for Season Finale of the Six-Part Episodic Game Series Based on the Emmy Award®-Winning Television Series

Based on the award-winning HBO television drama series, Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series tells the story of House Forrester. Caught up in the events of The War of the Five Kings, they are placed in a precarious position where members of the household must do everything they can to prevent the house from meeting its doom.   The final of six episodes in the season, 'The Ice Dragon' will be available starting Tuesday, November 17th on PC/Mac from the Telltale Online Store, Steam, and other digital distribution services, the PlayStation®Network for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 in North America (SCEA) and Europe (SCEE), the Xbox Games Store for Xbox One® and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and on compatible iOS and Android-based devices. This marks the first time in Telltale's release history that a finale will be available to download simultaneously across all console, PC/Mac and mobile platforms, day and date, worldwide.  The season will also debut on disc at retailers in North America beginning November 17th on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, and Xbox 360 for the suggested retail price of $29.99 USD or equivalent; and beginning November 20th in Europe on these consoles as well as for PC.     Your story is about to come to an epic conclusion. With House Whitehill tightening its grip on Ironrath at the behest of Ramsay Bolton, the remaining Forresters must give their all to save the family, whether through diplomacy, subterfuge, or violent force. In the frozen wilds beyond The Wall, Gared learns the secrets of the mysterious North Grove, and Mira discovers that political games in a King's Landing controlled by Cersei Lannister often involve the highest stakes of all. What is the fate of House Forrester? When you play the Game of Thrones, you win or you die. Your choices, your story: you decide.     The game series is based on the world, characters and events seen in HBO's TV show, which in turn is based on George R. R. Martin's books (A Song of Ice and Fire). The events in the game series begin towards the end of Season Three of the series, and end right before the beginning of Season Five. Players will visit familiar locations such as King's Landing and The Wall, as well as unfamiliar locations such as Ironrath, the home of House Forrester.      The game is played from five different points of view. Each is a member of House Forrester; either a direct family member, or a person in service to the House. Scattered across Westeros and Essos, each will play their part in seeking to save House Forrester from destruction.    Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series - Episode 6: 'The Ice Dragon' is rated 'M' (Mature) for Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, and Strong Language by the ESRB.

Love and Mercy: Blu Ray Review

Love and Mercy: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Home Ent

"What if I lose it and never get it back?"

The latest musician to get the big screen treatment is Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, but Bill Pohlad's film is anything but conventional for the most part as it juggles two timelines in Wilson's life.

Starting with the whirlwind ascent of the Beach Boys in the 1960s as they surfed the wave of critical success and popular acclaim, Little Miss Sunshine star Paul Dano is Wilson. As the film begins, Wilson suffers from a panic attack on a plane and convinces the rest of the band he's better suited to staying in the studio concocting their next album to fend off the Beatles' challenge.

Flash forward to the 1980s, and Wilson's in a car dealership where he meets Melinda Ledbetter, a saleswoman who has no idea who he is but is intrigued by his presence, his distance and his passion. The two strike up a friendship, but that bond is threatened by Dr Eugene Landy (Paul Giamatti complete with wig) who appears to have the best of intentions for Brian, but whose unconventional methods seem dangerous to Ledbetter.

Juxtaposing two timelines at two ends of Wilson's life is Pohlad's masterstroke in this flick that at times threatens to feel like a normal biopic as we witness his control under Landy and one woman's quest to free him from this abusive tyranny.

Banks is nothing short of incredible as Ledbetter, a soothing and tender presence that radiates warmth as she tries to negotiate the perils of the controlling Landy, even if there are moments when all she does is look aghast at what's going on. Her scenes with the older Wilson (portrayed by a distant and fearful John Cusack) have a compassionate heart that anchors the film and the pair work well together.

But it's Dano's sections as the younger and more experimental producer Wilson which impress as his troubled genius comes to the fore and the likes of Pet Sounds, Good Vibrations and God Only Knows come to life.

Scenes of working in the studio with the Wrecking Crew musicians are electric, evocative, and give an insight into the confusion he begins to feel as voices eat away at him, as well as recollections of his lack of self-worth due to his father's abuse. It's the sound which plays the greatest part here as Pohlad loops dissonant voices, music building to a crescendo and white noise to give us an insight into Wilson's state of mind and also the creative process. Studio sequences pursuing the perfect note to the horror of fellow Beach Boys take a poignancy as Wilson tries to give some form to the swirling sounds in his head.

Sensitive Dano brings a frailty to Wilson that gives you a feeling that he's likely to crumble at any moment, especially in scenes where he tries desperately to impress his bullying father with just a piano and God Only Knows. It's here that Dano conveys a level of pain and anguish that's heartbreaking and stands in stark contrast to Cusack's older portrayal of a man fearful of his guardian and broken after years of torment.

It's in these parts that the movie is the most successful as there are a few sections where it feels like more could have been made of it.

While the timelines intersect well, there's no introduction of how Landy came into contact with Wilson other than allusions to the Beach Boy's apparent 3 years in bed and treatment; equally, the rest of the Beach Boys are relatively blank canvasses (meaning the conflict with Wilson in the studio feels forced) as is Wilson's first wife, Marilyn. But these are minor niggles in a movie that really does its subject justice and re-states the case for the Beach Boys' musical legacy.

Love & Mercy is a surprising film, and believe it or not, thanks to Dano and Banks, it'll give you good vibrations.


Rating:

Rise Of The Tomb Raider: XBox One Review

Rise Of The Tomb Raider: XBox One Review

Platform: XBox One
Developed by Crystal Dynamics

The re-invention of Lara Croft on the PlayStation was one of the big thrills of 2013.

Matured and stripped of the sexualisation which had blighted her and given the voice of Camilla Luddington, the origin story was thrilling and rounded.

So it is fair to say that given an XBoxOne exclusive and a degree of hype, there is a lot riding on Rise Of The Tomb Raider.

And frankly it doesn't disappoint.

With added tombs and challenges, this latest is simply one of the best of the year - and with its hidden treasures, it continues to grow the next gen legacy in more ways than one.

This time, it's about Lara trying to survive the machinations of a secretive group known as Trinity as their quest intersects in Lara's past with her father and the present with her rise to Tomb Raider.

Globe-trotting adventure is of course a given but with inter-woven narratives and time jumps, this portrait of Croft is more rounded and more of an insight into her life then and now.

Luddington's voice work and mo cap deserves some praise for that handling a script which crackles and making it something plausible, as well as emotionally deep.

From the opening sequences atop mountains which could put Everest to shame, there is much graphically to admire in Croft. Snow glistens and ice seems contoured but the world never fully grasps the ascent to superb levels at times; though that said there are some moments which took my breath away. For an XBoxOne exclusive, it does occasionally feel like the frame rate isn't quite the highest - but it has to be said, the game's playability makes these very minor quibbles fall into relative insignificance.

It's the rollicking adventure which propels Lara and the player along, as they tandem the story and scale the action heights. Weapons are once again of the bow, with Lara's trusty hunting skills once again coming to the fore over simply shooting stuff. As with the reboot, it's about crafting better fire power and utilising what's around. Crafting can be done on the quick and healing can be done mid-fight (if you have resources) giving the game a more fluid feel. Scraps here and there can be salvaged to help and using wood from trees, feathers from nests show the foraging benefits.

As the story progresses the tombs return (if anything this game is all about fathers and tombs) but there's more skill required this time and more rewards as a result. Efforts have been made to give these a depth and a reason to go off the beaten track, but they are more worthy of your investment this time.

Rise Of The Tomb Raider builds on Lara's legacy and while it's (a very close) second to the reboot, it still succeeds in creating an utterly memorable experience. It may be a busy time for games, but it'd be a crime to overlook this game - simply put, it's the best of many genres and it deserves to eat into your summer hours.

Rating:

Star Wars: Battlefront Live Action Trailer

Star Wars: Battlefront Live Action Trailer

Star Wars^TM Battlefront^TM. will release on November 19, 2015 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and on Origin for PC.

Players who pre-order Star Wars^TM Battlefront^TMcan fight the battle one week early on December 1, 2015. All other players will get access to this free content on December 8th, 2015.