The Disaster Artist: Film Review

The Disaster Artist: Film Review

Cast: James Franco, Dave Franco, Alison Brie, Seth Rogen
Director: James Franco

There will be a large portion of the audience who've never heard of Tommy Wiseau or his film The Room.

Released in 2003 to riotously bad reviews, and dubbed the Citizen Kane of Bad movies, The Room has since gone on to be a money-making affair that revels in its awfulness, terrible writing and appalling acting.

With an opening sequence that gives some A-list Hollywood names and talking heads the chance to voice their appreciation for the film, James Franco's film delves deeply into a bromance and a Carpe Diem attitude that evolved from Wiseau's friendship with collaborator Greg Sestero (Dave Franco).

Based on Sestero's 2013 book 'The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made', James Franco's affectionate re-telling of how it all came to pass is nothing short of affectionate and life-affirming.

Charting the friendship that grew from Wiseau and Sestero's initial meeting at an acting class in San Francisco in the late 90s, it's the classic tale of jealousy and success in the Hollywood realm.

When Sestero (Dave Franco, genuine, bubbly and full of hope) begins to get a degree of success and a girlfriend (Alison Brie, underused), Wiseau's fragile insecurities begin to bubble up and threatens to derail the duo.

But deciding to channel it into writing his own film, after a casting agent says he'll never be more than a villain, Wiseau was galvanised to self-fund, write and direct The Room.

The thing that works about The Disaster Artist, is quite simply, the reverence that it holds for its subject and its central protagonist.

James Franco is utterly mesmerising as Tommy Wiseau, disappearing completely into the role and channeling both Wiseau's idiosyncracies and quirks. But no character piece, what Franco does is make his Wiseau both human and fallible, never leading him to being an object of mockery (which could so easily have been done).

An intrinsic knowledge of The Room's sheer awfulness isn't necessary, as the infectious film-making on the display and peek inside the Hollywood machine is nothing short of contagious.

Complete with late 90s/ early 2000 period details, and a taut eye for the central duo of Sestero and Wiseau (others outside the orbit tend to get a little short shrift unfortunately), The Disaster Artist is nothing more than a chasing your dreams tale.

But under Franco's watch, and by refusing to exploit either the story or its general eccentricities weirdness, it becomes a film that shows why the power of Hollywood continues to live and why those who step outside the norm continue to thrive in its wake.

Kedi: DVD Review

Kedi: DVD Review

Cast: Cats, Istanbul vistas, People
Director: Ceyda Torun

It's perhaps no surprise that a documentary about cats is as fluffy as one of the feline's tails.

But it's also perhaps no surprise that this gentle doco is as amiable and as universal as they come.

Against the backdrop of Istanbul's streets, so beautifully captured and brought to life on the big screen, Kedi follows seven different cats with distinct personalities and a grip on the people who inhabit the streets and live their daily humdrum lives.

With Torun running a street level rig, the film follows the pussies as they weave their way in and out of people's lives, shopfronts and cajole them to feed them.
There's no ground-breaking reason for Kedi to exist; it's simply a case of documenting life on the streets.

However, what emerges from the cod-philosophising of the nameless faces that extol the virtues of the rampant animals running amok in a friendly way, is a sense of community and a sense of belonging that these critters engender.

Despite the odd hyperbole spun by some of the anthropomorphizing and projecting tendencies of the commenters (one woman draws a long bow between how the female cats stand strong and upright in their dignity, whereas women of their religion are cowed and oppressed and that she "doesn't see elegance in women like that anymore"), what starts to emerge is a city with a tremendous sense of heart above all else.

As is mentioned early on, the cats have been there for thousands of years, and have seen empires grow and fall; they are as timeless in the fabric of the city as those who look after them.
From the baker who has an open tab at the vets to help to the sailor who feels duty bound to hand rear a litter of kittens whose mother has disappeared, this is the milk of human kindness writ large on the screen. Along with furry feline interactions - whether it's cat looking like it's been caught on camera stealing fish or another staring photogenically down the lens, there's something for all animal lovers here, though the more hardened cinema-goer may find parts of their own fur bristling as time goes on.

Slow-mo close-ups will look radiant upon the big screen and the film-makers in their gentle touches do nothing more than desire to elicit a sympathetic "Aww" from those subjected to this endless parade of cute.

Unlike the viciousness of former fest outing White God's canine uprising, Kedi has a soothing tone and deceptively simple ambitions to fulfill which it hits with relative ease throughout; it aims to showcase a city awash in humanity, with a co-existence of cats and their masters, basking in the glow of simpler times.

Kedi may not be cinematic catnip to the likes of Gareth Morgan, but there's a strong case to say that any animal lover or family seeking a gentle outing will be entranced by the warmth of this microcosm of furry life. 

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom first trailer

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom first trailer

It's here - your first look at Jurassic World.

CAST & CREW

Director: J.A. Bayona (A Monster Calls)

Written By: Colin Trevorrow (Jurassic World), Derek Connolly (Jurassic World, Kong: Skull Island)

Cast: Chris Pratt (Jurassic World, Guardians of the Galaxy), Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World), Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park)

SYNOPSIS

It’s been four years since theme park and luxury resort Jurassic World was destroyed by dinosaurs out of containment.  

Isla Nublar now sits abandoned by humans while the surviving dinosaurs fend for themselves in the jungles. When the island’s dormant volcano begins roaring to life, Owen (Chris Pratt) and Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) mount a campaign to rescue the remaining dinosaurs from this extinction-level event.  

Owen is driven to find Blue, his lead raptor who’s still missing in the wild, and Claire has grown a respect for these creatures she now makes her mission. 

 Arriving on the unstable island as lava begins raining down, their expedition uncovers a conspiracy that could return our entire planet to a perilous order not seen since prehistoric times.

Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds: PS4 Review

Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds: PS4 Review

Platform: PS4
Developer: Guerrilla Games

There's no doubt that Horizon Zero Dawn has been one of the more successful new IPs of the year.

The post-apocalyptic romp that put you into the world of tribes fighting robot dinosaurs and creatures with a deeply engaging story for its protagonist Aloy was never anything but a joy.

With winter coming in the Northern hemisphere, it seems no surprise that a new DLC for the title would drop, covered in frosty snowy goodness - and so it is with The Frozen Wilds, a DLC which feels like a whole new world rather than a simple bolt-on to current existence.

Set in the snowy north, in a region known as The Cut, the game may hint at colder edges, but with a fiery protagonist known as the Scorcher, it seems unlikely that things are going to cool down.

While the game unlocks a third of the way through the main Horizon Zero Dawn playthrough, it's worth making sure that you have got Aloy past level 30 in terms of upgrades, because the DLC's fairly tough in its execution and takes no prisoners in its desire to get rid of you.

The challenge is worth it though, and along with some truly impressive frosty vistas, it reminds you why Horizon Zero Dawn proved to be such a boon .

This time around, everything's the same, but not as familiar as you'd expect.

There's a little more structure in terms of what's needed of Aloy - clearing out camps takes time to see down the Banuk tribes and result in a final boss fight; Tallnecks lay beneath snowy climes and need gifting a life before they can be used to your advantage and there's a fiendish new twist on corrupted zones as well that requires a bit more skill.

New weapons and a new outfit are on offer in quests meaning the need to find merchants is a little less necessary - there's plenty to remind you why Aloy's world is so enticing.

Worth investing in as a complete experience, The Frozen Wilds DLC has some stunning visuals, some deeply engaging gameplay and a great female protagonist - really, there's no better reason to dive in.

Borg vs McEnroe: Film Review

Borg vs McEnroe: Film Review

Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Sverrir Gunadson, Stellan Skarsgard
Director: Janus Metz

Tennis and its rivalries seem to be de rigeur in the back half of the cinematic year.

First there was Battle of the Sexes, and now fresh from opening TIFF this year, comes a rather arthouse look at the rivalry between Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe in the Wimbledon final of 1980.

Essentially more a psychological piece which favours a more rounded look at the Swedish legend Bjorg, Metz's film is a curious beast; one which is content to look at the sporting rivalry and suggest this pair have more in common than they do in conflict.

Gunadson's calm veneer gives a brief insight into Borg, but the film's writing favours him anyway, with more time spent exploring how he was as volatile in his early days as McEnroe, the tabloid-dubbed SuperBrat, was on court.

From seeing Skarsgard taking the young Borg on and mentoring him away from his explosive rage to a more pristine and precise form of gameplay, the film's interests lie in showing the pair have a common ground that's more unspoken than it is explained.

It doesn't stop Metz being quite basic with the delivery of this set up - he prefers to use quieter soundtracks for Borg's current state of mind and backstory, whereas McEnroe, who's served up only the briefest of an insight into his past, is given loud brash music to show the difference. It's not just that it's heavy-handed, it's a little jarring.

Thankfully, despite the relatively formulaic and stress-free delivery of the Wimbledon final, Metz's leads shine through to deliver great cinematic lobs.

LaBeouf is a simmering mess of a man as McEnroe; he's one who's riddled with doubt and anger at his brash, brazenportrayal in the media (seems almost biographical in retrospect).

And Gunadson's calm quiet delivery speaks volumes to both the fragility of Borg and his reputation as he chased the fifth consecutive Wimbledon win.

Ultimately, Borg vs McEnroe serves up a few lobs and volleys as well as some back and forth for a sports rivalry film. It's definitely got loftier arthouse ambitions and it almost meets them.

Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus: PS4 Review

Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus: PS4 Review

Published by Bethesda Studios
Developed by Machine Games
Platform: PS4

BJ returns in the game that 2017 potentially called for, given what a weird year it's been - and given how simple Wolfenstein 2's MO is - blasting the hell out of Nazis.

OTT action, combat and story-telling has always been the Wolfenstein way and it's no surprise to relay that the latest does all of that and more as BJ Blazkowicz heads up a rag-tag team of resistance fighters who want one thing only - to kick the Nazis out of America.

Beginning on air-ship where BJ is brought round after the events of Wolfenstein: The New Order, it's up to you to wheel yourself around in a wheelchair and shoot the hell out of those who get in your way. Once that's done, the story takes another turn and you're forced into a fight on the ground to pull together a team to stop the New Colossus' nemesis, Frau Engel, from winning the day.

In a weird way, Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus is all about empowerment.

From besides the obvious with taking down Nazis (and after 2017's Charlottesville riots and other such rises of the Far right, it feels incredibly timely), Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus's desire to give you the power from a wheelchair to face foes feels fraught with frank promise and vulnerability.

As you wheel yourself around with much of your own body failing, it's a sign that fighting back isn't wrong - and is the right thing to do. Coupled with the fact that BJ's attitude is driven by a desire to protect, it's a smart message to get going.

Hurtling through corridors, taking out commanders before reinforcements can be called and fighting enemies with laser fire weapons may make you recall Doom's recent outing in all its shooty-glory.

But Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus is smart enough to balance character and story with the OTT elements, giving it a kind of unexpected grounding that proves very worthy of your time.

It's not that it's easy either - even on the simplest setting (for which the game mocks you) some enemies can be hard to kill off leading to your death before you realise what you've done wrong again. All guns blazing may work sometimes, but it's not always the smartest way to execute the game.

Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus's cut scenes give the game a cinematic edge and an emotional resonance - it lends a feel of a recruitment video in some ways, which is no bad thing, but proved to be the surprising edge on the game that had been unexpected.

At the end of the day, Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus's MO is simple - to let you blast away through a series of levels and end your opponents with grisly deaths - thanks to its simplicity of execution, its ease of gameplay and controls, it achieves that and more.

In many ways, Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus is an unadulterated guilty pleasure of a blast.

Sonic Forces: PS4 Review

Sonic Forces: PS4 Review

Developed by SEGA
Platform: PS4

After the success of Sonic Mania, it was perhaps inevitable the blue spikey one would return again, cresting a wave as popular as the rings he pursues.

The latest Sonic installment sees the Blue one banished after being vanquished by Dr Eggman and a band of evil brothers, including the likes of Metal Sonic, Chaos, Shadow the Hedgehog. But this is where you come in - as the latest recruit to the team, it's up to you to try and save the day by subbing in for Sonic across a series of levels.

In a sort of resistance fighter movement, Sonic Forces puts you squarely into the action, but at times, holds you back from fully engaging.

The levels are woefully short, seeing you barely getting into your stride before it's even over - which is a real shame.

Because the mix of first person and then side-scrolling 3D mean the game's a little tricky to control at best, and downright impossible at worst. And yet, when it really hits its straps, Sonic Forces kicks off to a level that reminds you why Sonic the Hedgehog was just so damn iconic originally.

Perhaps it may have been best if there was a stronger more sharper focus in some of the levels and didn't leave you feeling like you were ping-ponging around the game, but while Sonic Forces' short story and short levels hint at much more, it's frustrating at best.

Ultimately, Sonic Forces feels like bite-size Sonic gameplay; a lot of it works, and a lot of it doesn't - but all up, the game's inconsistencies don't allow it to feel like the fluid cohesive game it could so easily have been.