'Hugo' Review

Compared to his contemporaries Martin Scorsese's output has been one of consistent quality. Where his fellow movie brats wavered in their ability to bring true magic to the screen, Scorsese managed to stay fit. It's hard to tell where his inspiration lies.

Through the years he has shown to have a fascination for morally ambiguous characters often dumped in a gritty and violent milieu. This makes his latest film, 'Hugo', all the more peculiar. It might be the most atypical film Scorsese has ever directed.

Hugo Cabret is a twelve-year-old forced to maintain the clocks of the Parisian railway station Gare Montparnasse. Before being stuck at the station he lived with his widowed father, a master clockmaker and loving parent. Tragically, he dies in a fire leaving Hugo with nothing but a broken automaton; a mechanical man with the ability to write.

Fixing the contraption means everything to the poor orphan for he believes it contains a secret message from his late father. Getting the necessary parts and tools, however, proofs dangerous. He continuously steals from an old man's toy store. His name is Georges Méliès; a name which should (but probably doesn't) ring a bell with film fans everywhere. With help from Méliès' goddaughter Isabelle, Hugo discovers the connection between the bitter old man and the mysterious automaton. 

As some may know Georges Méliès was one of the pioneers of early cinema. The greatest joy of 'Hugo' is the way it mixes fiction and reality to create a dream of a story. In the end, we kind of wish was all true, even though we are perfectly aware that there never was a boy called Hugo Cabret. Scorsese takes on the role of your favourite history teacher. The one that didn't just dryly conjure up historical facts but who took the effort to draw you into his story. 

In the latter half 'Hugo' reveals itself to be a love letter to cinema; featuring a romanticized retelling of Méliès' return to his cinematic past. Sprinkled throughout are tiny surprises like a wind-up mouse brought to life with stop-motion. There's much more fun to be had as Scorsese beautifully shows us how Georges Méliès brought his dreamlike visions to life. It's the perfect illustration of how filmmakers are the natural descendants of the illusionists and magicians.

Then there's the incredible cast. Asa Butterfield does a remarkable job as the titular hero; he possesses a natural charm which makes Hugo a character worth watching. Chloë Grace Moretz provides an appropriate amount of innocence and wonder in contrast to Hugo's grim look on life. 

The main attraction, however, is Ben Kingsley who portrays Méliès with grace and a bitter yearning for the past. Filling out the cast are some familiar faces. Sacha Baron Cohen, for instance, as the funny but vulnerable station inspector. Another welcome surprise was the presence of Sir Christopher Lee; who, at 89, has become a living part of film history.

With 'Hugo' Martin Scorsese has shown a side of him which seems deeply personal. So, if you have any love for the medium of film, please, go see this movie. It might run a little long and could do without some of the padding but it's a charming piece of cinema. And if you do take my advice, do mind to see it in merciful 2D. It looks a lot better that way. 

Chronicle Review

When I saw the first trailer for 'Chronicle' I wasn't impressed. To me it looked like just another attempt to exploit the found-footage genre. Mixing it up with superheroes seemed like a pitiful combination of two tired genres. I mean, what's next? We've already got witches, ghosts, aliens, giant monsters, zombies and rave parties. It's getting old.

Fortunately 'Chronicle' delivers. It makes wise use of the nature of found-footage films. For instance, instead of sticking to one camera the filmmakers dare to cut to different viewpoints originating from many different devices. This way we get a good look at what's going on. Also, the logical problem of that one guy who keeps recording even though the world crumbles around him is avoided. We can thank writer Max Landis (son of the well-known filmmaker John Landis) and director Josh Trank for creating a smart and engaging supernatural thriller. 

As with many films about otherworldy happenings we need good characters to connect with. These come in the forms of Matt, Steve and Andrew; three high-schoolers in their senior year. All three of them fit within the familiar stereotypes so often found in flicks about the teenage years. Steve's the popular jock character, Andrew's the socially awkward nerd and Matt's the Regular Joe everyone can identify with. Don't let this put you off, though. The three leads are sufficiently fleshed-out to make you care. 

'Chronicle' starts out feeling like a docudrama about Andrew's troubled life. Through his old camera we meet his father, an abusive drunk, his deathly ill mother, his nephew Matt and the people who bully him at school. Later on he's asked by Steve to take his camera to record 'a strange thing in the woods'. They find a glowing orb which has burrowed it's way deep into the ground. After touching the thing they possess telekinetic powers; meaning they can move stuff around without using physical contact. 

From here on out the film provides a plausible account of how a couple of teenagers would use these powers. At first they screw around, playing pranks on people. But as their powers grow so do their exploits. Predictably, someone ends up getting hurt. Andrew, the tortured youngster, grabs the opportunity to change his life for the better. But when life throws him yet another curveball by revealing the fleeting nature of  social acceptance he's driven over the edge. 

What follows is a brilliantly executed tragedy. Trank and Landis suck us in with a well-told story about human nature. One that we've seen countless times before but when well done can still be powerful. Much of its succes is rooted in the chemistry between the three young actors. Michael B. Jordan and Alex Russell give sympathetic performances as Steve and Matt. But Dane DeHaan, in particular, shines as the disturbed Andrew. In some scenes he reminded me of a young Leonardo DiCaprio. All in all, 'Chronicle' is a succes that should resonate with today's young audiences.  

Want some more Piranhas with that?

Are you into campy horror nonsense? If so this trailer is exactly what you're looking for. 'Piranha 3DD' is the sequel to the remake from 2010. That film, as directed by Alexandre Aja, was a lot of fun and featured so many in-jokes it was a film fan's nightmare.

Unfortunately, this sequel has not been directed by Aja, instead John Gulager took the reins. Can he bring back that specific B-movie charm? I sure hope so, the trailer seems to suggest an even campier feel than the first one.

Here's one for the history buffs! The original trailer for the very first and very brilliant 'Piranha' movie. Produced by the legendary Roger Corman to cash in on the 'Jaws' craze back in the late seventies. The film was directed by genre hero Joe Dante, who went on to have a long and illustrious career. 

New Trailer for the 'Spider-Man' reboot

'The Amazing Spider-Man' is a peculiar project. After three films director Sam Raimi was gearing up for a fourth instalment with Tobey Maguire returning as titular hero. However after the dissapointment that was 'Spider-Man 3' Sony opted for a reboot instead. Raimi and Maguire then left the franchise to the mercy of the studio.

Meanwhile the appropriately named Marc Webb came off his directorial-debut '(500) Days of Summer'. Sony saw something in this newcomer and handed the reigns of the would-be blockbuster to Webb. Filling the way too tight spandex suit this time is Andrew Garfield from 'The Social Network', also an up-and-comer.

I'm not a superhero kind a guy, really. My interests don't reach much further than Batman so I won't be bugged by the liberties this film will take with the original comics. I genuinely like what I'm seeing in the trailers for 'The Amazing Spider-Man'. Garfield seems way more likeable than goody two-shoes Maguire and the tone of the film appears slightly less goofy than Raimi's films. But still I'm curious if audiences will take to a different version of the same story.

Yet another 'Iron Sky' trailer!

Here's a campaign that's really picking up steam. After releasing a trailer just a few weeks ago here's another one. It appears to be an extended version of the one we saw earlier. We get a clearer view of the overall plot and some of the characters including a Sarah Palin-like American president.

Ever since the teaser was released 'Iron Sky' has been quite a thing on the internet. The fact that it's part of the official selection of the Berlin Film Festival shows us that online projects like these are finally taken seriously. 

War Horse Review

Steven Spielberg makes films that are build to last. There are only a handful of filmmakers today who do so. 'War Horse' is a memorable and old fashioned piece of cinema; one about hope, even in humanity's darkest moments.

Like the novel by Michael Morpurgo and the stage play 'War Horse' tells the story of a remarkable friendship between a horse and a young man during the First World War. The film opens in Devon, Engeland where a drunken farmer (Peter Mullan) buys a thoroughbred horse to the ridicule of the town. The man quickly realizes the animal is unfit to work on a farm. But not before his son Albert has named and bonded with Joey.

This first section of the film is one of the slower parts of the story. Spielberg takes his time and allows us to immerse ourselves in the struggles of the Narracott family. Soon the real world comes barging in. War is coming and Albert's father sees no other way to settle his debts than to sell Joey to the army. From here on the horse switches from owner to owner, eventually ending up entangled in barbed wire in the middle of no man's land.

The choice to follow the horse's journey allows us to capture parts of other people's stories. Not all of them hit the mark. There's a nice bit about a British officer (Tom Hiddleston) who rides Joey into battle only to become the victim of machine gun fire. And a little tragedy about two German brothers (David Kross and Leonard Carow) trying to get out of the army and away from harm. Like I said, not all of these segments work as well as they should. For instance, there's an extended interlude about an old man (Niels Arestrup) and his sickly granddaughter (Celine Buckens). It might be essential to the overall story but unfortunately it drags on too long.

As Joey makes his way through war-torn Europe we find out that Albert has joined the army as well. He's still looking for his horse but what is mostly on his mind is survival. Along with thousands of others he finds himself in the trenches, fighting for nothing more than a few meters of no man's land. It is in this segment that we see some of the film's most indelible images. The scenes featuring trench warfare stand shoulder to shoulder with Spielberg's earlier 'Saving Private Ryan'. While the latter was far more graphic in its portrayal of the horror of battle, the intensity is the same.

The World War I element of the story is compelling. We see the way warfare enters the mechanical age; tanks and guns become more dominant on the battlefield than horses and swords. This change of times only serves to underscore the passing nature of the film's subject.

Even though his character is underwritten newcomer Jeremy Irvine convinces as young Albert Narracott. Unfortunately, he's isn't allowed to become much more than an innocent farmboy. The real star of the film is Joey, the horse, and he gives a stunning performance. Rarely have I seen an animal emote the way these animals did (they used a total of fourteen horses for Joey's role alone).

'War Horse' features all of the classic Spielbergian trademarks. There's many a wide eyed stares, daddy issues, beautiful music by John Williams and some delicious cinematography by Janusz Kaminski. The film wears its heart on its sleeve which might irk some viewers. Those who go into this film expecting a prequel to 'Saving Private Ryan' will be let down. 'War Horse' isn't about the worst in men (and animals) but about the best.

The Review With The Dragon Tattoo

'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo' is a solid thriller, that much is certain. The film leaves you exhausted and dazzled. I won't go into how faithful the movie is to its source material (mainly because I haven't read the novel), nor will I compare it to the Swedish adaptation from 2009. This film deserves to be regarded as a separate entity.

Stieg Larsson's posthumously released 'Millennium Trilogy' was an enormous succes upon it's release in 2005. In fact, it became a worldwide phenomenon as soon as it was published in other languages. Apparently, director David Fincher has a patent on trendy material since he was also the man behind the critically acclaimed Facebook movie 'The Social Network', which felt like a modern take on 'Citizen Kane'.

Much like that movie 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo' moves at an amazing speed. The story and the characters demand your attention. The plot revolves around Mikael Blomkvist, a disgraced journalist, and Lisbeth Salander, a twenty-three-year-old computer hacker who lives a tortured life.

Both become enveloped in the mystery of the Vanger family, a collection of wealthy eccentrics. Fourty years ago young Harriet Vanger dissapeared and was presumably killed by a family member. Blomkvist and Salander are called in to solve the case and trace this hater of women.

To me one of the biggest surprises was Daniel Craig's performance as Blomkvist. We know him best from his role as James Bond in 'Casino Royale' and 'Quantum of Solace'. Until now he didn't seem to stray too far from that cool and tough brand of characters. Here, he gets to show off his warmer nature; investing Blomkvist with humour and self-pity. He's a perfect match for Rooney Mara's Lisbeth Salander; the ultimate bad girl. Cold and distant but far from emotionless. She does things in this movie that would make grown men cry. Actually, she does.

Much of the joy in this film comes from seeing these two characters interact. But there's also the Vangers; Fincher assembled a great cast to support Craig and Mara. Leading them is the always reliable Christopher Plummer as Henrik; Blomkvist's employer. Then there's Stellan Skarsgård as Martin who has a major presence even though he has limited screentime. Finally, Yorick van Wageningen is suitably despicable as Bjurman; Salander's horny guardian.

The film has a sizeable running time; it clocks in at 2 hours and 38 minutes. The majority of which flies by. Especially the main story about Harriet's disappearance is interesting and engaging. Unfortunately, Fincher felt the need to include an extended epilogue in which Salander restores Blomkvist's reputation. This part of the film lacks the urgency and dread felt in everything that came before. Still, it is not without merit. All the extra time we can spend with Salander is a treat. Hers is a character that evolves and the more we know of her the more fascinating she becomes.