Oldboy Review. 8.3

(As seen on DENT. magazine)

Locked in a room for 15 years... What would you do?
If you combine dramatic scenes of pain and desperation, heart wrenching emotion, gritty realism and top it all off with unspeakable violence, you get the South Korean thriller Oldboy. The spectacle, originally based on Japanese manga comics entitled the same, pulls together a range of different genres and imagery allowing it to be a full-blown intensifying experience.

The chilling plot unravels itself when an average man, Oh Dae-Su, is kidnapped and imprisoned in a solitary room for 15 years, without reason. Having no contact with the outside world, he is left to rot, questioning why he deserves such a cruel and twisted fate. After a gruelling time spent in confinement, a confused, enraged and rather sexually frustrated Oh Dae-Su is thrown back into the real world, soon discovering he has as little as 5 days to uncover the truth for his incarceration.

Throughout the film Oh Dae-Su faces true torment as he attempts to uncover the answers surrounding his imprisonment. He marches on a viscous revenge path, hammer in hand, he attempts to find the monster that deemed it acceptable to destroy everything in his life. Along the way there are some squeamish scenes not for the faint hearted as well as some iconic camera work which witnesses a fight scene like no other.

This stunning piece of filmmaking is brilliantly written as the harrowing story of one man’s life crumbling beneath him, unfolds in an outstanding fashion. Every inch of the film should be credited, from symbolic imagery and iconography, to imaginative camera work  all of which is structured within an emotional format that sends audiences spinning out of their seats. Scenes have been grafted so intently that there is a remembrance about each shot. This beautiful piece of filmmaking truly deserves the positive accolades it upholds and sets an example for how precise cinema should be.

Recently a remake of the 2003 phenomenon was announced with Spike Lee named as the leading director. His previous successful works have included the likes of Malcolm X (1992) and 25^th Hour (2002) but if he desires to remake something even remotely in the same class to Oldboy then he will have his work cut out for him. Critics may suggest that the production may be best left untouched; however, it may make an interesting watch to see how it compares to highly rated original.  

Jackie Brown (1998) Review. 7.2

(As seen on Dent. magazine)

There’s no messing around with Jackie Brown, even if you are Samuel L. Jackson.  

Quentin Tarantino’s third film, Jackie Brown, had a lot to live up to thanks to previous master pieces Reservoir Dogs (1992) and Pulp Fiction (1994). Tarantino’s previous productions often saw scenes of hyper-violence as well as mesmerising characters and dialogue, that all-in-all were gripping to watch. However, could an altercation between and arms dealer and an air hostess prove to be a hat-trick in golden filmmaking for Tarantino?

The tense narrative follows single, middle-aged, air hostess Jackie Brown (Pam Grier) and her struggle for a decent life which seems to have been and gone. The story spirals into play when Jackie is caught smuggling money for Ordell (Samuel L. Jackson), a notorious arms dealer. As Jackie’s situation becomes gradually worse, seduction, deceit and action all come into play.

Pam Grier’s performance as Jackie Brown is not only outstanding, but also is one that has true depth.  She generates a range of different characteristics, being dominate yet delicate, allowing a phenomenal all-rounded character to be shaped. Joining Grier are some of film’s most respectable stars with the likes of Robert De Nero, Michael Keaton and the previously mentioned Samuel L. Jackson, who ensure that the film has strong performances throughout. The only visual downfall has to be Samuel L. Jackson’s questionable haircut.

What is noticeable is the use of storytelling through character. In the penultimate scenes audiences are allowed to see each character’s unique involvement to the storyline, teasing the audience with information piece by piece. This clever use of directing helps the film hold a unique feeling, striving away from typical narrative conventions. However, Jackie Brown may be questioned as not having the same pace and drama as previous Tarantino films but this doesn't mean that there is little to enjoy. By implementing an intelligent plot with twists and turns, Tarantino keeps the audience guessing, an inclination into how much thought has been injected into the narrative.

As a whole, the spectacle won’t be found in the same league as Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction or Tarantino’s later work Kill Bill yet, it still manages to be entertaining. The key elements of crime, violence and manipulation all make an intriguing show which is cushioned with stellar performances all round. Jackie Brown certainly deserves time to appreciate, even if it isn’t deemed a ‘classic’ within the filmic world.  

I am Sam (2001) Review. 8

(As seen on DENT. magazine).

Who says a man with development disabilities can’t be the greatest father of all time?

Looking for a film that will break your heart into a thousand pieces to then stitch them back together in an extraordinary fashion? Then I am Sam is the film for you.  The inspirational picture is simply one of the most provoking stories within film where a constant whirlwind of emotions are propelled upon you.

The emotional battering begins when Sam Dawson (Sean Penn), an individual with development disabilities, becomes a father.  Once released from the hospital the mother of Sam’s child decides she doesn’t want anything to do with the pair and abandons them both to lead her own life. Sam then has the daunting task of raising his child, Lucy (Dakota Fanning), alone. Problems inevitably arise as his development disabilities restrict him to having the mental capability of a seven year old.

The film uses quirky elements in both the soundtrack and references that orientate around The Beatles. The entire Grammy nominated soundtrack consists of songs by the Beatles which have been covered by various artists including Eddie Vedder and Stereophonics. These varied renditions of the classic songs help add to the overall unique feel of the film. Additionally, names of characters such as Lucy and Rita come from the titles of Beatles songs which Sam’s character is obsessed about, showing how little aspects of the film have been given the up-most consideration.

Sean Penn’s performance as Sam Dawson is wonderfully executed and pulls of one of the best method acting displays there is.  It’s no surprise that he was nominated for an Academy Award for best actor. Sean Penn is also joined by the notorious Michelle Pfeiffer (Scarface, 1983) as well as Dakota Fanning who is arguably one of the best young actors there is.

I am Sam is brilliantly executed, exploring the true struggles for individuals with disabilities. Director Jessie Nelson and the team should stand at applaud for designing the tormenting picture in the manner that they do; incorporating a yo-yoed style of emotion that brings laughter at one moment to sorrow in another. The questioning of personal values as well as an exploration to how society treats people with disabilities are key aspect to this film, which is portrayed in a realistic and highly watch-able manner. 

Road to Perdition (2002) Review: - 9.5

Road to Perdition - 9.5

High class drama film, Road to Perdition, pulls out the best in performance, imagery, direction and emotion. Sam Mendes is the brains behind the production and after such success with American Beauty (1999) Road to Perdition had great expectations. Mendes is not the only big name with Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Daniel Craig and Jude Law all playing key roles in the storyline. Themes of the film revolve around crime and "the hitman", with a strong backbone of family values supporting the structure.
Set in the 1930's, the story follows Michael Sullivan (Hanks) who is a loyal hitman for Mr. John Rooney (Newman). Events then spiral into play when Sullivan's son, Michael Junior, witnesses what his father does for a living, causing a domino effect of trust around Michael's family and boss. Straight from the start an intense and gritty narrative unfolds as Michael looks to keep his family out of danger and do what is best for them.

Sam Mendes's work in American Beauty was captivating for audiences and his use of image in relation to emotion is a distinguishable style that defines him as a director. Road to Perdition similarly embeds ideas of the emotional response and captures it with great finesse. Due to the minimal script, the film builds it foundation on performance to help captivate a response. The idea that actions speak louder than words is clearly the case in this all round thrilling drama. Sullivan (Hanks) often displays a lack of emotion due to his characters unattached style that his job requires him to have. Due to this the film explodes into raw emotion and is often present when least expected, making it all the more poignant.  Sullivan's emotion, when displayed, propels the storyline in to a pacey drama and Mendes's has captured the ideas of emotion to drive both narrative and characters into a high speed action.

An element within the film that really caught the attention and has the power to move audiences is the use of music and sound. Music can play with thoughts and feelings and create a certain mood for how someone is supposed to be feeling. The Road to Perdition runs with this idea in its hand, helping expand the story with emotion. The delicacy of the music helps with imagery and offers connotations of a variation of themes. Sounds and melodies combined with outstanding camera work, constructing a moving experience that is worthy of being associated with artistic qualities. Sam Mendes has perfected this style and makes the most out of uniting various elements of  films mise en scene to create an outstanding spectacle.

Road to Perdition incorporates everything you would want in a film, allowing it to be nothing short of magnificent  It boasts a brilliant director, with outstanding, technical film capabilities; heart-retching emotion sided by fearsome action. Not to mention a vast array of stars whose performances are amongst their finest  This 1930’s style gangster film is a must see. The time period is visually charming, the narrative is addictive as well as the characters memorable. There is something for everyone with this film. Whether it be shooting to impress with its action or hitting you hard with emotion, or maybe even just being as simple as seeing Daniel Craig in the bath, Road to Perdition can offer all of this and much, much more. 

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. (2012) Review. - 8.2

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Adventure. 

The Hobbit, an adored children's book written as late back as 1937, has now hit the big screens of the blockbuster world. The film has caused much anticipation and demand from the public who are eager to experience the film adaptation of J. R.R. Tolkien's classic novel. The film before its release had already held high expectations as director Peter Jackson oversaw the productions of additional Tolkien publications that some Hobbit fanatics might be aware of... The highly successful production of the Lord of the Rings trilogy that Jackson created is the "what happened next" to the adventures that lie within The Hobbit.

For those who are unfamiliar to The Hobbit and indeed to that of Tolkien, the story dives into a fantasy world that is full of a plethora of mystical creatures, magical mayhem and  unimaginable fiction where anything becomes possible. The story follows that of the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins (a member of a race of imaginary creatures related to and resembling humans, living in underground holes and characterized by their good nature, diminutive size, and hairy feet) and his adventure across a fantasy world filled with danger, fantasy and exploration. Bilbo's adventure begins when he is greeted by wise wizard Gandalf who has decided that Bilbo is to go on an adventure of a life-time, that he is yet to know about, or indeed reluctant to participate in. Soon after Gandalf greets Bilbo with his unwanted presence, thirteen dwarfs intrude into Bilbo's solitary, quiet lifestyle turning it into a whirlwind of chaos and pandemonium, far from his comfortable armchair in front of the fireplace.

Echoing the events of the book, the film adaptation works closely to that of the novel, capturing the memorable moments and adventure that Tolkien sets out for Bilbo to experience and the reader to enjoy. In numerous cases the saying "not as good as the book" has been thrown around left, right and centre and to capture the events of the book accurately is somewhat of a challenge for directors and writers to achieve. However, this is not the case with The Hobbit as Peter Jackson has managed to bring the story to life allowing the once imagined characters and settings to become a reality.

Much of the enjoyment throughout the film can be gained from the characters who are well grafted and captured brilliantly. The thirteen dwarfs all have definable characteristics that make them stand out from one another as well as bringing an individual experience to the storyline. The focus on small individual aspects to characters (especially the dwarves) really deserve appreciation as these little aspects really make a huge difference. The mixture of humour, anger and a great love for food are all formed into one, allowing depth and notability toward the dwarf characters, rather than them appearing as a generic short, bearded man wielding a battle axe.

Furthering the enjoyment of characterisation is the performance of Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins. Hitchhiker's Guide (2005) and Sherlock (2010). Bilbo Baggins is a very sheepish individual who is content with the quiet lifestyle in his hobbit home. Freeman draws upon the Bilbo's unique characteristics to closely represent the true style of Bilbo Baggins that readers had to previously imagine. Freeman is highly in-tune with his character and his performance is faultless in representing a well structured character with all of his quirky mannerisms. A few may have questioned the decision for Freeman to play such a big role but they will not be disappointed.

In terms of the story being captured as a whole, or at least a third of it, Peter Jackson had to work with the idea of the film being based on a children's story. As audiences will know the fans of The Hobbit does span wider than just children as individuals of all ages will be familiar with the story and are eager to take enjoyment from the film. With this in mind Jackson has the task of portraying Bilbo's adventure in a way that will satisfy all ages. For some this may prove to be a difficult task especially as the Lord of the Rings franchise was not a child based novel, allowing the tones to be dark and violent. Jackson takes a lighter approach from his earlier productions but in a way that is not displeasing. He injects a fair amount of humour into scenes which helps capture character but also appeals to the family theme of children and adults appreciating simple humour. These elements of humour also help to break up the scenes and drama to add light heartedness to the narrative, in a way that does not distract or drag out the story. Fight scenes are replicated in the epic style in which one would expect but the violent visual style of bloody violence are toned down and replaced with the effective use of sound. More focus follows the impact of weapons crashing onto armour and the collision of swords than decapitating limbs, but as mentioned the audience is aware of the novel style and can sympathise and agree in saying that Peter Jackson does well in appealing to all ages of the audience when it may be difficult to do so.

Finally, Viewers also might be interested in knowing that Jackson also injects the effective elements from Lord of the Rings such as the use of visually pleasing aesthetics and boastful sounds effects and music. Capturing the natural beauty of New Zealand helps the feeling of the fantasy world become alive and the stunning greenery and towering mountains  not to mention some of the best CGI, making The Hobbit also visually stunning to watch. This is all topped off by the bolstering backing of sound, helping to add elements of danger, fantasy and combat that propels you into the adventure itself. With this compiled with loveable characters, tense battle scenes, playful humour and a full flowing narrative its not hard to see why The Hobbit is becoming an adventure of a lifetime.

A Perfect Getaway (2009) Review - 7

A Perfect Getaway 7/10

A slasher drama that offers itself to a large amount of film enthusiasts maybe hard to come by but A Perfect Getaway seems to think otherwise. The film has something for everyone... well maybe not the kids, but in retrospect compared to predictable slasher films A Perfect Getaway stands out quite nicely. The boasting of a naturally stunning setting, a few heart throb cast members and queasy gory action are all topped off by an intriguing storyline that urges audiences to keep on guessing.

Written and Directed by David Twohy film critics may be a bit sceptical about this 2009 production due to Twohy's lack of directing experience. Notably his previous works have included Pitch Black (2000) and Chronicles of Riddick (2004). With Chronicles being his last directing production five years ago, A Perfect Getaway is a chance for Twohy to really make a name for himself. He starts by casting some well known faces as well as some promising talent for the future. Recognised talent of Milla Jovovich (5th Element and Resident Evil) and Timothy Olyphant (Hitman and Die Hard) are joined by Steve Zahn, Kiele Sanchez and Chris Hemsworth who would later star in hit film The Avengers.

The slasher drama cuts itself open when Honeymooners Cydney (Milla) and Cliff (Steve Zahn) vacation in Hawaii to explore the natural beauty and experience the 'perfect getaway'. Not long after they arrive on the beautiful island, unsettling news comes their way of a psychopathic couple who have been murdering tourists. The couples dream vacation soon turns to discomfort as suspicion and danger surround there every step. Events transpire which result in the newly-weds teaming up another questionable couple out of desperation rather than sensibility. As they travel deeper and deeper into their Hawaiian exploration, their relationship with the untrustworthy couple becomes strained and tension rises between them.

Milla Jovovich

The cast all work well to make characters their own and drive themselves away from the traditional or favourable roles in which they have been better comforted. Milla Jovovich steps away from her better suited hard hitting action role to play a more sensitive and playful individual, showing how versatile she actually can be. She as an individual helps create realism in both mood and character, which overall allows the continuity to be maintained throughout the film.
Another character worth mentioning is Timothy Olyphant. His quirky mannerisms bring about a mixture of style allowing depth to his character. The character that he brings to the film is almost schizophrenic as his questionable background and approach to life seems somewhat exaggerated.  Everything from his delivery of lines to his facial expressions help represent an interesting character perfect for the mystery thriller genre. Overall, the acting is respectable and actors can be pleased with their performances. No it won't be there best performance or best production but they certainly have nothing to feel ashamed about bringing the most out of the storyline.

Timothy Olyphant

What is clever about the film is how Twohy allows the audience to keep on guessing until he is ready to reveal his grand finale. His playful use of mixed lighting integrated with low pitch music allow presumptions to from surrounding certainly characters, constantly shifting in connotation and meaning throughout. The script is well written and with the help of the acting the characters are strong and well thought out. Where in cases films maybe flawed for their plot holes or lack of creativity A Perfect Getaway presents a playful and faultless storyline that has a freshness about it.

David Twohy should be pleased with his efforts to make a film that stands out from others in its genre as it does just that. Not only is the script well written but the stylistics of camera work and technical aspects should be appreciated. Shots incorporate a mixture of meaning as well a visual attraction which is hard to come by. As an example the use of a Point of view shot shows the danger of a scenario but at the same time captures beautiful vibrant colours that allow crispness to scenes.

As a whole, the film delivers a refreshing taste of the thriller genre and differs from what has been replicated time and time again. Its clever shifting narrative make audiences edgily watch on and eager to stick with it till the end. The film might not be a classic but it certainly surpasses expectations surrounding its success. A perfect Getaway is different from what people have been used to and that is why it deserves its credit. Its structure is solid, it boasts consideration and thought behind shots and scenes and is the ideal watch if you're looking for something fresh. It may not be a perfect film but it certainly is a getaway from the everyday thriller. 

The Shining (1980) Review - 9.5

The Shining 9/10

To picture a film scenario involving a man with the creepiest of smiles, in a hotel with no residents, presumptions are going to form that the film is amongst that of the horror genre. Well when director Stanley Kubrick adapts the Stephen King novel 'The Shining' into a cinematic experience, then that assumption is by all means correct.
The 1980 psychological horror sets itself up when Jack Torrance- (Jack Nicholson) a struggling writer, is offered the caretaker position of the Overlook hotel for the winter period. As the hotel is inhabitable for the wintery months, Jack sees this as a good opportunity to rekindle some of his writing form and escape the temptations of alcohol. The only company he shares is that of his wife Wendy (Shelly Duvall) and son Danny. With months of entrapment inside the hotel and warnings of previous caretakers, there is the immediate tension from the beginning.

The Shining differs from typical and traditional horror films as it attempts to scare people out of their minds rather than out of their skin. The film is highly inventive, especially in terms of how it proceeds to scare, or rather impact, its audience. This can be drawn back to director Stanley Kubrick whose seemingly eccentric and flawless style has captivated a horror story like few others. His use of technical concepts allow a constant 'on edge' feeling to maintain itself throughout the narrative and at times uncertainty about reality and normality are questioned by the audience, ensuring the film has an added unsettling mood fitting to its genre. The use of music notably is highly haunting and well incorporated as its lengthy involvement in scenes truly pulls apart the nerves of its spectator, making sure the fright and horror stays with you long after the film is finished.

Use of the steadicam following Danny

Atmosphere is certainly a crucial component in the horror genre and the ill-boding, edgy atmosphere that surrounds The Shining is more than enough to have people hiding behind their pillows. The personal involvement in which spectators are consumed into scenes, deliver an inescapable presence into the narrative. Camera shots, including the landmark use of the steadicam, position audience behind characters, which make spectators go where characters go. By force not by choice. This undeniably launches them straight into the situations which ensure that they are projected away from their comfort zones and straight in to the horror that is The Shining.

Occupying intense moods, strong characters and outstanding technical capabilities, The Shining truly is a masterpiece which the horror genre should be proud of and will always be regarded as one of the greatest films of all time. Uncountable credibility can be unearthed from previously boasted director Stanley Kubrick whose work on the horror film is unquestionably stunning as he combines majestic beauty with terrifying chills. Additional brilliance can also be found in terms of acting from Jack Nicholson whose performance can only be described as one of cinemas most unparalleled performances. Jack's character brings a medley of moods that are twisted and deranged which are all topped off by a devilishness smile allowing the twisted psychological narrative to really become screwed up. The film really pulls out all the stops in ensuring that audiences are uncontrollably driven with fear and makes them think twice whether having a hotel to yourself is a luxury or rather a nightmare.

Jack Nicholson.