star wars the force awakens 2016
Star Wars (laterally called Episode IV A New Hope) was my movie. I bought into it. Let me be more precise, my parents bought into it on my behalf based on my adoration of the movie. Figures, sticker books, annuals, Lego - anything with that unique Star Wars font attracted my attention and Christmas and birthdays could have been sponsored by Lucasfilm. Episode V The Empire Strikes Back then came out and upped the stakes. It went dark and gloomy, exploring characters and giving them depth. I continued the love affair. Episode VI Return of the Jedi followed and although not quite as good as A New Hope or Empire, it still had the same feel and continued to feed my hunger for Luke, Han and Leia. If a childhood makes the adult, I became the geek that I am now due to George Lucas and his space saga.
Fast forward 16 years when Lucas started to release Episode I-III. I peeped these and was disappointed. They were weaker and concentrated on one part of the original trilogy that didn't deserve so much attention. How dare George Lucas take his story, own characters and own canon and develop a new direction without consulting me first!
So when it came to Star Wars Episode VII The Force Awakens I had a bad feeling about this (sorry). Incredibly, all the signs were good. It had the great JJ Abrams at the helm, Lucasfilm was now part of Disney so didn't have Uncle George's influence and teaser trailers showed promise. So here it is, the canon awakens...
The Force Awakens is a revelation in Star Wars lore. It has all the ingredients that people have been craving for years while remaining true to its roots. The old cast return in Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher but this film comes with an added quality - new interesting characters to drive the saga forward. While the old cast are welcomed and fit into the "nice to see" category, the new cast are the real stars. Oscar Isaac has swagger and charisma, John Boyega has intensity and angst and Daisy Ridley fills the screen with raw energy and enthusiasm. All three are excellent and light up the screen each time they are on camera.
The action set pieces are new but somehow familiar. They provide the fans with the references that was sadly lacking in the prequels. The film is scored beautifully by John Williams which expertly compliments the action, providing more energy akin to the "punching above its weight" original film. The movie builds pace and starts with a small circle and spirals from there. The humour is well gauged and never forgets that this is a kids story that adults will watch. In jokes are a plenty but still remain funny to the untrained eye.
It's not all great stuff unfortunately as there are a few less than pristine moments in the 2 hour 15 minutes running time. The pacing dips slightly in the second act due to having to stop and build the story. This doesn't detract from the movie but it is noticeable. The returning cast have dialled in their performances and I could have done with slightly less Han Solo (never thought I would write that) but can understand why he is a central performer.
This is a movie that hands over the baton from previous to present cast and to do this The Force Awakens needs to reference then build over and over again for it to have proper foundations for another trilogy. It is a must see film although be prepared to forgive the slightly less that 100% moments. Episode VII has returned me to my inner child and while the prequels left a slightly bitter taste in my mouth, this film has cleansed my palette in time for the next parts of the new Star Wars saga.
Rating 9.0/10 - 0.5 off for a slightly saggy mid section, 0.5 off for an overexposed Han.
Fast forward 16 years when Lucas started to release Episode I-III. I peeped these and was disappointed. They were weaker and concentrated on one part of the original trilogy that didn't deserve so much attention. How dare George Lucas take his story, own characters and own canon and develop a new direction without consulting me first!
So when it came to Star Wars Episode VII The Force Awakens I had a bad feeling about this (sorry). Incredibly, all the signs were good. It had the great JJ Abrams at the helm, Lucasfilm was now part of Disney so didn't have Uncle George's influence and teaser trailers showed promise. So here it is, the canon awakens...
The Force Awakens is a revelation in Star Wars lore. It has all the ingredients that people have been craving for years while remaining true to its roots. The old cast return in Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher but this film comes with an added quality - new interesting characters to drive the saga forward. While the old cast are welcomed and fit into the "nice to see" category, the new cast are the real stars. Oscar Isaac has swagger and charisma, John Boyega has intensity and angst and Daisy Ridley fills the screen with raw energy and enthusiasm. All three are excellent and light up the screen each time they are on camera.
The action set pieces are new but somehow familiar. They provide the fans with the references that was sadly lacking in the prequels. The film is scored beautifully by John Williams which expertly compliments the action, providing more energy akin to the "punching above its weight" original film. The movie builds pace and starts with a small circle and spirals from there. The humour is well gauged and never forgets that this is a kids story that adults will watch. In jokes are a plenty but still remain funny to the untrained eye.
It's not all great stuff unfortunately as there are a few less than pristine moments in the 2 hour 15 minutes running time. The pacing dips slightly in the second act due to having to stop and build the story. This doesn't detract from the movie but it is noticeable. The returning cast have dialled in their performances and I could have done with slightly less Han Solo (never thought I would write that) but can understand why he is a central performer.
This is a movie that hands over the baton from previous to present cast and to do this The Force Awakens needs to reference then build over and over again for it to have proper foundations for another trilogy. It is a must see film although be prepared to forgive the slightly less that 100% moments. Episode VII has returned me to my inner child and while the prequels left a slightly bitter taste in my mouth, this film has cleansed my palette in time for the next parts of the new Star Wars saga.
Rating 9.0/10 - 0.5 off for a slightly saggy mid section, 0.5 off for an overexposed Han.
Miracle on 34th street 1994
Now that the presents have been opened, the turkey has been served and the indigestion has subsided, it's time to sit and write. As promised here is my review of the remake of Miracle on 34th Street starring Richard Attenborough, Dylan McDermott and Elizabeth Perkins which I had peeped just before Christmas with the Claypole brood and Rosie_Rowan.
Miracle on 34th Street is all about plucking your heartstrings, pizzicato style. It cares little of plot, realism or the mountains of cheese that it spreads. So for this reason it's how much you can stomach. I can digest quite a lot (as Christmas dinner proved) so I was of the "bring it on" mind set when I first saw the high gloss spectacle.
Miracle on 34th Street has its qualities. One of which is that Richard Attenborough as Santa Claus.He jumps into the role and closing your eyes, after viewing, will make you think of Dicky Attenborough as Kris Kringle personified. The stars keep on coming with the brilliant and sorely missed Robert Prosky and J.T Walsh. If ever there was an award for underappreciated actors in their lifetime, it would have to go to Walsh and Prosky. They exude realism and screen presence. They could have played their characters as a panto villains and got away with it with this type of movie. Instead they play everymen with jobs to do while hinting at corruption. Sheer brilliance for an overabundant movie.
The budget is cleverly used on set design, spilling rich colours and highly polished shine into your face. Everything on view feels like Christmas. There are greens, reds and golds aplenty. This is not viewing for migraine sufferers as it can be a bit extreme. In the bleaker parts of the movie, the vibrant colours disappear and we are left with grey and black. Very clever stuff from production designer Doug Kraner.
Onto the so-so bits and pieces of the flick. The usually delightful Mara Wilson pulls out the same role she played in Mrs Doubtfire. I liked Wilson in Mrs Doubtfire as she put across how the story affected a child her age. Wilson in Miracle on 34th Street is just too saccharine on top of an already candy cane tale. Sugar atop sugar is never healthy. Elizabeth Perkins plays herself but does it rather well but there is no stretch to her performance. Dylan McDermott is likeable but ultimately bland.
Director Les Mayfield does his best but it felt under directed. He allows actors to follow their own path which is great if you have the likes of Prosky, Walsh and Attenborough but not good if you have actors who thrive on direction such as Wilson, Perkins and McDermott. All very good in other films but just a bit too flat in this likeable tale. The great John Hughes (Breakfast Club, Home Alone) gets a screenwriter credit and Miracle on 34th Street would have perhaps been better left in his more than capable hands.
Did Miracle on 34th Street go down well with the brood? Of sorts but it just didn't hold our attention as well as last year's Christmas movie, Elf. It is very fitting at this time of year to overindulge in the sweet things and we may have hit a bit of a sugar rush in this film. Enjoyable while consuming but left with a flat, empty feeling afterwards.
Rating 7.0/10 - 1.0 off for under directing, 0.5 each of for Wilson, Perkins and McDermott and 0.5 for sugar coating a sugar coated tale.
Miracle on 34th Street is all about plucking your heartstrings, pizzicato style. It cares little of plot, realism or the mountains of cheese that it spreads. So for this reason it's how much you can stomach. I can digest quite a lot (as Christmas dinner proved) so I was of the "bring it on" mind set when I first saw the high gloss spectacle.
Miracle on 34th Street has its qualities. One of which is that Richard Attenborough as Santa Claus.He jumps into the role and closing your eyes, after viewing, will make you think of Dicky Attenborough as Kris Kringle personified. The stars keep on coming with the brilliant and sorely missed Robert Prosky and J.T Walsh. If ever there was an award for underappreciated actors in their lifetime, it would have to go to Walsh and Prosky. They exude realism and screen presence. They could have played their characters as a panto villains and got away with it with this type of movie. Instead they play everymen with jobs to do while hinting at corruption. Sheer brilliance for an overabundant movie.
The budget is cleverly used on set design, spilling rich colours and highly polished shine into your face. Everything on view feels like Christmas. There are greens, reds and golds aplenty. This is not viewing for migraine sufferers as it can be a bit extreme. In the bleaker parts of the movie, the vibrant colours disappear and we are left with grey and black. Very clever stuff from production designer Doug Kraner.
Onto the so-so bits and pieces of the flick. The usually delightful Mara Wilson pulls out the same role she played in Mrs Doubtfire. I liked Wilson in Mrs Doubtfire as she put across how the story affected a child her age. Wilson in Miracle on 34th Street is just too saccharine on top of an already candy cane tale. Sugar atop sugar is never healthy. Elizabeth Perkins plays herself but does it rather well but there is no stretch to her performance. Dylan McDermott is likeable but ultimately bland.
Director Les Mayfield does his best but it felt under directed. He allows actors to follow their own path which is great if you have the likes of Prosky, Walsh and Attenborough but not good if you have actors who thrive on direction such as Wilson, Perkins and McDermott. All very good in other films but just a bit too flat in this likeable tale. The great John Hughes (Breakfast Club, Home Alone) gets a screenwriter credit and Miracle on 34th Street would have perhaps been better left in his more than capable hands.
Did Miracle on 34th Street go down well with the brood? Of sorts but it just didn't hold our attention as well as last year's Christmas movie, Elf. It is very fitting at this time of year to overindulge in the sweet things and we may have hit a bit of a sugar rush in this film. Enjoyable while consuming but left with a flat, empty feeling afterwards.
Rating 7.0/10 - 1.0 off for under directing, 0.5 each of for Wilson, Perkins and McDermott and 0.5 for sugar coating a sugar coated tale.
It's a wonderful life 1946
Every year the delightful Rosie_Rowan comes over to the Claypole abode to view a Christmas movie. Deciding on which proves difficult as everyone has their favourite and a generous amount of negotiation has to be done. You can go the alternative route with Batman Returns, Gremlins or Die Hard but what we are talking about here are the real honest to goodness Christmas flicks and not just ones that happen to be set over the holidays. So the favourites come up, Elf, Miracle on 34th Street and Home Alone. Elf was last year's outing so that was out, Mrs C detests the wonderful Home Alone so out it goes, so we elected Miracle on 34th Street as Christmas Movie 2015 (next week's review, folks..spoilers). Why didn't we go for It's a Wonderful Life? Because this movie, like a puppy, is not just for Christmas.. it's for life.
It's a Wonderful Life (IAWL)is perhaps director Frank Capra's finest cinema moment and has become hugely influential in the pop culture world we live in. Don't believe me? How about these for starters..the town from Gremlins (Bedford Falls) was named after the town in IAWL. Not geeky enough? Ok, how about Bert and Ernie, the two puppets from Sesame Street, were named after the policeman and the cab driver from this film. There are more pop culture references in IAWL that have shaped our world so segments of this film may seem clichéd. Considering this came out in 1946, its likely this was the trend setter and not the trend follower.
The flick stars James Stewart as George Bailey, a man who looks and acts like he was born 40. It follows his "wonderful" life, his relationships and his ups and his downs. James Stewart is perfect for this role. He carries the gravitas as an honourable man who puts everyone else first. A characteristic that Stewart exudes having played George Bailey fresh from being awarded distinguished medals in World War 2. He is ably supported by Lionel Barrymore and Donna Reed. Barrymore hams up the screen wonderfully as the cruel and twisted villain, Potter and serves well as old, evil and putting himself first at every opportunity. The complete opposite of Bailey. Reed is stunning as Bailey's love interest, Mary, and unlike most female actors around this time she is not just there to top up the glamour. She adds to the story with a deep, character driven performance.
IAWL is not a cheery tale, in fact, it can be quite depressing for the most. If you are looking for a pick me up, be prepared to go the distance. Just as watching the whole movie can act as a feel good injection, I am sure watching this then stopping part way through would send you on a complete downer. It asks the question of how important is one person to the world and soul searches through the eyes of Bailey. What if he wasn't there? Would the world be a different place? The story builds and builds for the ultimate third act crescendo that answers the question and plops it on your lap like the biggest, best Christmas pressie you have ever had.
Its dated, but not in a cheesy way. There are Charleston scenes, antiquated phrasing and outdated fashions. There is even the odd special effect that I am sure any under 10 with a laptop could reproduce these days. This does not deter from the story that transpires as these elements are on the periphery. Capra clearly understands the human soul as he brings out honest performances, great dialogue and beautiful touches of emotion that hit the soft spot.
IAWL works not just as a Christmas movie but has become one of my favourite movies of all time. On watching this recently, I loved it the same as I did the first time. The first two acts can be rough viewing and you do need to watch right to the "pay off" ending. This film has heart and it plucks the emotions so well that it would make the most hardened cynic cry into their mulled wine and come back for more.
Rating - 10/10, Please don't view the dreadful coloured version. Go old school.
It's a Wonderful Life (IAWL)is perhaps director Frank Capra's finest cinema moment and has become hugely influential in the pop culture world we live in. Don't believe me? How about these for starters..the town from Gremlins (Bedford Falls) was named after the town in IAWL. Not geeky enough? Ok, how about Bert and Ernie, the two puppets from Sesame Street, were named after the policeman and the cab driver from this film. There are more pop culture references in IAWL that have shaped our world so segments of this film may seem clichéd. Considering this came out in 1946, its likely this was the trend setter and not the trend follower.
The flick stars James Stewart as George Bailey, a man who looks and acts like he was born 40. It follows his "wonderful" life, his relationships and his ups and his downs. James Stewart is perfect for this role. He carries the gravitas as an honourable man who puts everyone else first. A characteristic that Stewart exudes having played George Bailey fresh from being awarded distinguished medals in World War 2. He is ably supported by Lionel Barrymore and Donna Reed. Barrymore hams up the screen wonderfully as the cruel and twisted villain, Potter and serves well as old, evil and putting himself first at every opportunity. The complete opposite of Bailey. Reed is stunning as Bailey's love interest, Mary, and unlike most female actors around this time she is not just there to top up the glamour. She adds to the story with a deep, character driven performance.
IAWL is not a cheery tale, in fact, it can be quite depressing for the most. If you are looking for a pick me up, be prepared to go the distance. Just as watching the whole movie can act as a feel good injection, I am sure watching this then stopping part way through would send you on a complete downer. It asks the question of how important is one person to the world and soul searches through the eyes of Bailey. What if he wasn't there? Would the world be a different place? The story builds and builds for the ultimate third act crescendo that answers the question and plops it on your lap like the biggest, best Christmas pressie you have ever had.
Its dated, but not in a cheesy way. There are Charleston scenes, antiquated phrasing and outdated fashions. There is even the odd special effect that I am sure any under 10 with a laptop could reproduce these days. This does not deter from the story that transpires as these elements are on the periphery. Capra clearly understands the human soul as he brings out honest performances, great dialogue and beautiful touches of emotion that hit the soft spot.
IAWL works not just as a Christmas movie but has become one of my favourite movies of all time. On watching this recently, I loved it the same as I did the first time. The first two acts can be rough viewing and you do need to watch right to the "pay off" ending. This film has heart and it plucks the emotions so well that it would make the most hardened cynic cry into their mulled wine and come back for more.
Rating - 10/10, Please don't view the dreadful coloured version. Go old school.
On a Clear Day 2005
There is a famous line in Danny Boyle's Trainspotting indicating (delicately) how it is to be Scottish. If you don't know the line, popping "trainspotting renton scottish" into an internet search will give you the quote. I am not sure I agree with Renton on this occasion. Yeah sure, we are a small nation, we have a dubious export record when it comes to entertainment (Taggart, Rab C Nesbitt, Stanley Baxter, really?) but we also have a rich and varied movie back catalogue. If we take the Braves out (Braveheart and Brave, largely produced by our American cousins) and focus on the Gregory's Girl, Comfort & Joy (June review), Shallow Grave, Restless Natives of this world, we have something to be proud of. Which is where On a Clear Day (OACD) comes into it. You see, I was flicking through the terrestrial channels one evening and heard the dulcet Scottish twangs and was gripped.
OACD stars Peter Mullen as Frank and follows his contrition and a heavy dose of soul searching on his journey to swim the English Channel. Frank has been in control all of his life but he has his world shaken, forcing him to take stock and driving him to make the 21 mile swim.
Peter Mullen is a tour de force actor who produces intensity and deep rooted scorn and emotion that can be very rarely equalled. Mullen is reliable and will always bring a performance that stands out and is memorable, long after watching one of his flicks. In the supporting cast we have Billy Boyd, Sean McGinley, Ron Cook and Benedict Wong helping him along the way. The quartet give perfect performances and have their own story arc to work on while supporting Mullen. The cast list goes on with Brenda Blethyn and Jamie Sives adding yet more quality and driving the family side of the story. The entire cast all play important parts and cannot be faulted. They add humour, pathos and reality to an extraordinary tale about ordinary people.
OACD manages to fit an incredible amount of emotionally charged story and character development into 95 minutes. The film demands you care about every character arc without it being too saccharine. It is filled with witty and hard Scottish humour, largely due to Billy Boyd's Danny who has incredible comic timing and delivery. Some of the arcs work better than others, I grant you, but they act as jewels atop a diamond encrusted central story which will have you hooked.
Director Gaby Dellal's balance is spot on, screen time is tight with no faltering moments, no one overacts and the actors remain anchored to the fabulous story. First time writer (Alex Rose) fills the screen with layer upon layer of emotion. Rose has written this in such a way that you feel every laugh and hurt with every rebuke. What they feel, you feel.
My one and only critique of this film is it's poor publicity and distribution. Why would a double BAFTA winning film (for screenplay and film) such as OACD not reach more people? It made me think if this was an American flick, would this be an Oscar contender?
OACD is a beautiful, well crafted film which gets added to the rich lexicon of film produced in Scotland that tell multicultural, human stories. Scotland may be the setting but don't fall into the trap of kilts and shortbread, this is a working class, morality tale that more people should be aware of. Occasionally, good things happen to good people and if you follow my advice let something good happen to you, watch On a Clear Day. Maybe it's not so bad being Scottish after all, Rents?
Rating - 9.0/10, 1.0 off for distribution and publication.