The Shape of Water: Film Review

The Shape of Water: Film Review

Cast: Sally Hawkins, Doug Jones, Richard Jenkins, Michael Shannon, Octavia Spencer
Director: Guillermo del Toro

How you feel about whimsy will largely dictate your feelings on the beautifully sumptuous but occasionally wanting Golden Globe nominated The Shape of Water.

In Guillermo del Toro's Cold War fairytale, Hawkins plays mute janitor Elisa, who lives with a struggling artist (Jenkin, in a warm and empathetic performance) above a cinema.

One day at work, Elisa encounters a strange event, when an apparent iron lung is shifted into the research facility where she works, complete with mysterious G-man (played with vitriol by Michael Shannon).

Despite being ordered not to do so, Elisa discovers a common bond with the Merman type creature in the tank (played by creature wizard Doug Jones). However, with the Russians trying to get their hands on it, and the Americans threatening to vivisect, Elisa decides to take matters into her own hands.

The Shape Of Water has some truly astounding visuals and is awash in a Jeunet-esque green glow that bathes everything in marine. Many sly references are made to green being the colour of the future, and the opening sequence, with its startling aqua-world is covered in green, and reflective of both the film's mystery and its 30s monster movie machinations.

Yet, even for a fantasy, there are moments in the Cold War showdown that don't hold together - lapses of logic and behaviour mar parts of the film and slightly take you out from the fantasy within.

Thankfully, even though the film's drowning in fantasy, it's grounded by some very human presences.

Jenkins is the everyman with heart, whose desire to fit in and return is rendered all the more tragic because of societal attitudes to his open lifestyle; Jones is as impressive as ever as a creature, with plenty of years in Hellboy to know that the simplest move of his Creature from the Black Lagoon can mean so much and Shannon's driven Government agent is as necessary a villain as you'd need in a film like this.

But it's Hawkins whose mute turn speaks the loudest in del Toro's movie about the love of movies. Her empathetic Elisa gives the fantasy its heart, and in her silent turn, Hawkins pays tribute to Del Toro's aim to salute the golden era of Hollywood's finest. But there's depth to Hawkins, even if the connection initially with the creature feels a little forced; this is a film that follows the conventions of Hollywood's monster movie era where a kindred is born.

Ultimately, The Shape of Water may go on a little too long, but if you're content to rest in its fantasy world and revel in Del Toro's unique vision, it's the perfect luxuriating piece of cinema.

All The Money In The World: Film Review

All The Money In The World: Film Review

Cast: Michelle Williams, Christopher Plummer, Mark Wahlberg, Romain Duris
Director: Ridley Scott

It's hard not to view All The Money In The World without the fog of controversy that's clouded its admittedly quiet release ahead of the awards season in 2018.

The tale of the kidnapping of Paul Getty inspired by true events and through the lens of Sir Ridley Scott has been blighted since it was unleashed.

Wrapped in a furore after Kevin Spacey's JP Getty had to be digitally removed and was recast as Christopher Plummer following sexual misconduct accusations against Spacey, the film was further hit by a row over pay parity when Wahlberg netted 1500 times more for his co-star Williams in subsequent reshoots.

Interestingly, what plays out on screen in the adaptation of John Pearson's 1995 book Painfully Rich: The Outrageous Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Heirs of J. Paul Getty is actually both sickly compelling and stultefyingly overlong.

For those unaware of the 1973 kidnapping of the 16-year-old Paul, grandson of oil tycoon JP Getty (Plummer, in a commanding and cruel presence from the moment he shows on screen) the story follows the back and forth between the kidnappers, Paul's mum (Williams, all grace and clipped diction) and the investigator Fletcher Chase (Wahlberg, solid and dependable) hired by Getty to return the kid at the lowest cost.

Playing like an episode of Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, the film's strength comes from its performance of both Williams and Plummer - and a compassionate turn by French actor Romain Duris - rather than for the strength and depth of its story-telling.

A few flashbacks give some heft to the emotional backstory within, but Getty's particular cruelty feels surface-deep, even if Plummer's nuanced veneer bristles with intolerable cruelty and distinct inhumanity.

But the film's strongest is Williams, a non-showy turn that has both poise and vulnerability as the mother caught in the middle of a tycoon determined to stand his ground and a situation threatening to reek of tragedy. A few lip trembles here and there amid a distinctly controlled performance from Williams grants the film the emotional edge that it so sorely needs and shows once again, that she's an actress of fine form and prestige in whatever projects she chooses.

Ultimately, Scott's chopping back and forth in the story robs it of some its initial tension, though the suspense does build up at the expense of any true character depth - Wahlberg's CIA agent and subsequent change of mind is the worst served by the script and story choices.

In the final wash and when viewed away from what's clouded it, All The Money In The World could have used a slight cull and some tighter editing to ensure it keeps its vice-like grip tighter wound. It's a compelling, fascinating story, but bereft of some of its richer emotional edges, it teeters dangerously - and unfortunately - close to indifference.

Happy Death Day: DVD Review

Happy Death Day: DVD Review

Mixing Mean Girls, Groundhog Day, Scream and Scooby Doo, Happy Death Day's sorority set horror is more comedy and dumb jock humour than anything else.

La La Land's Jessica Rothe plays Tre, a botch of a sorority sister who wakes up one morning to a walk of shame in the dorm room of Broussard's Carter. Sidling back to her house and elite clique of bitches, Tre's day is spent avoiding her birthday. But at the end of the day, she winds up being killed by a tracksuited killer in a chubby baby face mask.

Only she wakes up the next morning to find she has to endure it all again...

Happy Death Day plays fast and loose with its Goundhog Day premise, and even riffs on the fact most of its target audience would never have seen the film before in its final moments.

But while the first 40 minutes or so feel fresh and relatively carefree in their execution - thanks in large part to Rothe's affable sorority sister whose arc of redemption is obvious from the start - the film can't quite decide on a tone, moving from drama to comedy and between bloodless horror.

The end result, complete with its unmasking of the killer, feels like an episode of Scooby Doo, where the bad guy would have gotten away with it, if it weren't for the oh-so-obvious arc of the protagonist.

It'll probably hit with its target audience of teens and the bat-em out low, box office them high Blumhouse effect is likely to strike again (though possibly with limited effect), but given how bloodless and derivative the film is of its tropes and genre, it loses its breeziness midway through proceedings.

Its live, die, repeat ethos and wannabe Buffy lead (even down to a tooling up montage toward the end) make it all feel oddly familiar. Coupled with Happy Death Day's desire to defy its own internal logic and ramp up the increasingly daft situations and reaction, the film loses any execution of its own admittedly original premise and consequently appeal. 

Perfect Strangers: DVD Review

Perfect Strangers: DVD Review

Released by Madman Home Entertainment

It’s no surprise that a drama’s finally hit on this concept.

And to be fair, the continuing woes over the middle classes in suburbia aren’t exactly original fodder either.

In Perfetti Sconosciuti by Paolo Genovese, there’s an eclipse coming and to celebrate a group of 7 friends are having dinner together. Wisely acknowledging that all phones disrupt any kind of social engagement, one of the hosts suggests everyone places their phone on the table and if they ring or texts / emails come through, it all gets shared with the party.

Goaded under the mantra that nobody has anything to hide, the group agrees – albeit reluctantly in some cases. However, unsurprisingly, secrets abound at this table as this social Russian roulette begins – with domestic dark clouds looming….

Genovese’s drama may be an unoriginal concept, but its execution and delicious premise are nothing short of slick and confident.

The cast of Italian favourites (mostly unknown on these shores) make each of their characters feel eminently likeable in the run up to the dinner party, and each of them has their own foibles waiting to be hoist upon the table. There’s a newly married couple barely to stop touching each other, a permanent bachelor friend who finally has a date, a couple who appears strained – these are all people who have something to lose (why they even agree to this madness is wisely never fully discussed).

As the inevitable twists begin to play out and the truth creeps closer to the surface in many relationships, Genovese’s adroitness with the camera and handling of the revelations is masterful and manipulative in equal measure.

Shocks and deep sudden intakes from the audience are inevitable – and at least one reveal surprises in its casualness, but there’s a lot of discomfort and wriggling around in seats to be elicited from this execution. While it’s to the ensemble’s strength that nobody feels on more morally higher ground than the other, equally none of them feel eminently dislikeable as events progress during the night (though one does feel it’s a little first world problems of the middle class at some points).

Unfortunately in the final run, it risks a reveal too far but it’s a testament to how engaging the cast are and perhaps how close this social experiment may cut to the bone with many that Perfetti  Sconosciuti is such a middle-class crowd-pleasing / what would you do resounding success. 

The Commuter: Film Review

The Commuter: Film Review

Cast: Liam Neeson, Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Sam Neill
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra

Re-teaming with his Unknown director after their 2011 outing, Liam Neeson's supposed retirement from action thrillers sees him taking part in an action thriller.

Neeson is Michael McCauley, a straight and down-the-line insurance seller, whose life is a daily routine.

From the morning commute to the office to the routine of trying to sort money for his son to go to college, McCauley is a straight arrow.

But it all changes one day, when with retirement closing in, McCauley is made redundant.

As he takes the train home, he's approached by a woman (Vera Farmiga) who sits opposite him and offers him a Faustian deal - someone on his train doesn't belong there. Find out who they are before the commuter train terminates its run and net a cool $100K.

Given only a short time to decide, McCauley finds his hand forced as a race against time begins.

The Commuter has a clever premise, one that's ripped from the pages of a pulpy page-turner.

But on screen, Collet-Serra seems unable to bring it to life with a series of coincidences and incredulities crippling parts of what unfurls.

(Let's not even start with the insane concept that perhaps people actually talk to each other on a US train).

Neeson is solid but unspectacular as he rolls out yet another take on a man with a special set of skills.
(Fortunately, his character is an ex-cop this time around). It's easy to see why Neeson would take the gig as it plays on the everyman-forced-to-do-extraordinary schtick that's become his thing.

However, with dialogue that lays everything bare, and a shaky cam ethos, Collet-Serra at times feels like he's beating you across the face with the film, rather than letting the piece breathe naturally and its subsequent rhythms grip and thrill you.

As the script grows ever more ludicrous, with red herrings and a bizarre take down of Goldman Sachs that's supposed to be middle America responding, Collet-Serra orchestrates the whole film into a train-set CGI spectacle that's unfortunately more laughable than laudible.

Muddled and frankly average at best in its stolid lumpiness and old school "charm", The Commuter is an action film and script, ripped straight from 1980.

Unfortunately, it's 2018 - and this kind of thing is possibly best shown either on TV or on a flight on a plane where coherence isn't fully embraced.

For Neeson, it's about time this action train was stopped - and he was allowed the dignity of getting off.

Lady Macbeth: DVD Review

Lady Macbeth: DVD Review

"Do you have any idea the damage you can bring upon this family?"

A star is born in the devilishly sizzling William Oldroyd helmed Lady Macbeth, a reinvention of the Russian novella Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District.

Florence Pugh burns up the screen as Katherine, a young bride trapped in the shackles of marriage and in a home of pure hell. With an extremely strict and brutal father-in-law and a husband who has no interest in her other than barking orders, this repressed bride finds life dull and boring.

Coming across a new stablehand Sebastian (Cosmo Jarvis), Katherine falls into lust - and the inevitable happens. However, plotting to escape the confines of a positively Victorian ethos could lead to dark resolutions.

Make no mistake, Florence Pugh positively owns the screen and burns it up in this chilling tale of desire as her character goes from victim to villainess.

From Katherine's desire for Sebastian to her desire to do whatever is necessary to escape and to live a life that's her own, Pugh uses the simplest of facials and the subtlest of moves to convey this. Whether it's the sheer joy of walking outside on the moors (which she's forbidden to do) as the mist hangs low or leaving buttons undone on her pristine outfit, Pugh brings a level of physicality to the role that's compelling to watch from beginning to end. She finds happiness in the growing moral turpitude and it's unsettling and conflicting to have you root for her every small victory.

Equally, Oldroyd's helming brings a degree of clinical chilliness to proceedings.

With a stripped back soundtrack and simple eye of precision behind the camera, Oldroyd concentrates on the moments which will bring maximum shock to the screen - be warned, there are moments that will stun you as this tale of barbed feminism plays out.

Atmospherically built and viscerally sparse, Lady Macbeth is a truly seminal experience; a peek into feminist politics and a mesmerising lead make it an unmissable and gut-wrenching piece of cinema.

The Shape of Water leads BAFTA nominations

The Shape of Water leads BAFTA nominations

The main list of nominees are as follows:

Best Film:
Dunkirk
Darkest Hour 
Call Me By Your Name 
The Shape of Water 
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Outstanding British Film:
Darkest Hour
The Death of Stalin 
Lady Macbeth 
Paddington 2 
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
God's Own Country 

Best Leading Actor:
Gary Oldman – Darkest Hour
Daniel Day-Lewis – Phantom Thread 
Timothee Chalamet – Call Me by Your Name
Daniel Kaluuya - Get Out 
Jamie Bell - Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool 

Best Leading Actress:
Sally Hawkins – The Shape of Water 
Frances McDormand – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri 
Saoirse Ronan - Lady Bird 
Margot Robbie - I, Tonya
Annette Bening - Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool 

Best Supporting Actor:
Sam Rockwell - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Willem Dafoe - The Florida Project
Christopher Plummer - All the Money in the World 
Hugh Grant - Paddington 2 
Woody Harrelson - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Supporting Actress:
Laurie Metcalf - Lady Bird
Allison Janney - I, Tonya
Kristin Scott Thomas - Darkest Hour 
Lesley Manville - Phantom Thread 
Octavia Spencer - The Shape of Water

EE Rising Star Award:
Daniel Kaluuya 
Timothee Chalamet 
Josh O'Connor 
Florence Pugh 
Tessa Thompson

Best Director:
Christopher Nolan - Dunkirk
Guillermo del Toro - The Shape of Water
Martin McDonagh - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Luca Guadagnino - Call Me By Your Name
Denis Villeneuve - Blade Runner 2049

Best Original Screenplay:
Jordan Peele - Get Out
Martin McDonagh - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri 
Greta Gerwig - Lady Bird
Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor - The Shape of Water
Steven Rogers - I, Tonya

Best Adapted Screenplay:
Armando Iannucci, David Schneider, Ian Martin, Peter Fellows - The Death of Stalin
Aaron Sorkin - Molly’s Game
James Ivory - Call Me By Your Name
Matt Greenhalgh - Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool 
Paul King, Simon Farnaby - Paddington 2