Flick of The Day: V for Vendetta

English writer Alan Moore, famed for his work in graphic novels, has seen many of his best works adapted for the screen with disastrous results. It reads like a who's who of awful cinema with From Hell, The League of Extraodinary Gentlemen and Constantine being the worst examples. He has since requested that his name be removed from any such projects and it is a shame that one of the disavowed films include this excellent adaptation and today's flick of the day, V for Vendetta.

V for Vendetta

Set in a dystopian vision of Britain, in which a fascist like government controls all aspects of society in a manner none to dissimilar to Orwell's 1984. This all seeing totalitarian state abuses its power and crushes all opposition through violence and propaganda led by the evil Chancellor Sutler played by John Hurt. The always reliable Natalie Portman is Evey, a quiet young woman who while trying to evade the secret police stumbles into V, a masked crusader played by Hugo Weaving who in remembrance of the gunpowder plot of Guy Fawkes is determined to bring an end to the reign of terror. Taking Evey under his wing, they plot revenge.

It is always important to remember the context in which a particular work is produced. Alan Moore wrote this tale of authoritarianism in the 1980's when Margaret Thatcher was at the height of her power and the idea of some kind of neo-conservative society was very much a possibility with the average working class British citizen being forced to the margins. Then again, the film itself was produced at a time after 9/11 when the world had become a very dangerous place indeed with the evil cradling of Guantanamo Bay just being spawned in the minds of the public. This context is important because the fear of totalitarianism expressed in the book and the film is so very relevant to today. Director and screenwriter James McTeigue makes numerous references to the real world today. The black bags which undesirables are subjected to is surely a reference to the kind seen in Abu Ghraib and there are also references to a war which brought America to its knees. Whether these references are valid is something for yourself to decide but it was undoubtedly an influence.

These themes aside, it is a very entertaining film just taken at face value. Stephen Rea is excellent as the conflicted detective on the trail of Evey and V while Portman manages the role of Evey with aplomb. The cast are excellent all round and there are some enjoyable action set pieces which build the tension as V seeks to push the nation toward revolution and a grand finale on Guy Fawkes Night.

"So I read that the former United States is so desperate for medical supplies that they have allegedly sent several containers filled with wheat and tobacco. A gesture, they said, of good will. You wanna know what I think? Well, you're listening to my show, so I will assume you do... I think it's high time we let the colonies know what we really think of them. I think its payback time for a little tea party they threw for us a few hundred years ago. I say we go down to those docks tonight and dump that crap where everything from the Ulcered Sphincter of Arse-erica belongs! Who's with me? Who's bloody with me?"

This could so easily have become some po-faced preachy piece about morality and fear in the post 9/11 world but it manages to be both entertaining and thought provoking. The story of how Britain gradually slipped into the grips of the fascistic Norsefire party which is told in flashback  is chillingly possible and will make you think about this possibility if nothing else. A fine story, which is subtly directed and acted by a fine cast. Well worth a look.

Flick of The Day: Drive

Canadian actor Ryan Gosling has carved out a niche for himself over the past few years as the American Indie scene's go-to guy for quirky leading roles, with star making turns in Half Nelson, Lars & The Real Girl and Blue Valentine. His performance as an inner-city teacher struggling with drug addiction in Half Nelson earned him an Oscar nomination. I was then very much looking forward to his latest film, Drive which is today's flick of the day.

Drive

The story such as it is revolves around the unnamed Gosling as a Hollywood stunt driver and mechanic who moonlights as getaway driver for hire. He is the quite taciturn type that might have been played by Steve McQueen back in the 1970's. Before you let your mind wander off there to McQueen's classic car chase filled Bullit and wonder about similarities, let me disabuse you of any such notions immediately. This is not that kind of film. Gosling's Driver works for shifty looking Shannon, a crippled businessman with a heart of gold and an eye for it too, played by the seemingly ubiquitous Bryan Cranston. All is going well and profitably until Driver meets and falls for his new neighbour Irene and her son. Irene is a woman with a husband about to get out of jail, ably played by Carey Mulligan. Of course her husband soon returns and all is not well. For reasons known only to himself and the screenwriter, Driver decides to help out this down on his luck husband by acting as his getaway driver. Inevitably things go awry, and Driver falls awry of local hoods Nino and Bernie played by the always reliable Ron Perlman and Albert Brooks. Along the way is a blink and you won't miss her departure cameo by the lovely Christina Hendricks of Mad Men fame.

This is where the film begins to go badly awry. It starts well with a great opening sequence, some classic synth tunes and 80's style credits and you could be forgiven for thinking you are in for a treat. It is when Driver begins to get himself in trouble that the film falters. Out of nowhere, the up to this point peaceable Driver becomes mindlessly violent and the director, Nicholas Winding Refn seems to revel in showing it to us in all the gory detail. A head is kicked to a bloody pulp, another explodes in a shotgun blast. Driver is not the only violent man, Bernie played against type by Brooks gets in on the act, with wrists and throats slashed and arterial spray the normal result of almost any confrontation. It is this revelling in the gore which is so misplaced. The director is so focused on showing us the physical effects of the violence that it never shows us any emotion. Think of cinema violence back in the days of the Hays Code when it couldn't be shown directly, yet we still saw its effects and the anguish on a characters face. I have no problem with screen violence for it  represents the world we live in yet I see no point in it being the sole focus of a film to the detriment of the story. Early works from Tarantino such as Reservoir Dogs were violent but it always felt necessary and human. If the slow agonising death of Tim Roth's Mr Orange thought us anything it is that sometimes death is slow and painful but it was never done gratuitously.

Apart from this, its pretty standard B-Movie stuff. The kind of thing you might have caught on a lazy Saturday afternoon back in the day. It is a strikingly shot film with some gorgeous shots of a night time Los Angeles and there is an excellent score to carry the piece through. At times, it was the only thing keeping me interested.

Driver: If I drive for you, you give me a time and a place. I give you a five-minute window, anything happens in that five minutes and I'm yours no matter what. I don't sit in while you're running it down; I don't carry a gun... I drive.

Gosling carries his role well but he isn't given a whole lot to work with, dialogue wise he says very little over the course of the film and it is to his credit that he manages to convey emotion and mood silently. His relationship with Irene's son is compelling. Overall the cast are excellent, its just not as good  a film as it thinks it is and that's a shame.

My only other criticism would be that for a film which promises so much in terms of its title and smashing trailer, it delivers precious little in terms of car chases or action driving. Oh sure, Driver drives about the city looking stern but we never really see him take on all these getaway jobs.

All in all, this is a slick film with a lot of style from the opening credits to the final shot and Refn is a director with an eye for framing a shot, but there is no real heart here. I left the cinema disappointed but there you go, such is life. Draw your own conclusions.

Flick of The Day: Some Kind of Monster

Music documentaries can be a bland affair. So many of the recent offerings feel more like extended promotions for the artist involved with very few getting to the heart of the creative process or of the artists career. This is largely due to the fact that modern artists are smart enough or indeed their management are smart enough to ensure that they are not see in their true guise,  no matter how childishly egotistic it may be. Gone are the days of watching Mick Jagger standing very still as the violence erupts around him at Altamount in the Maysles brothers Gimme Shelter or the gradual unravelling of Bob Dylan: Folk Hero in D.A Pennebaker's Don't Look Back. It is a delight then to announce that American metal band Metallica are just about gormless enough to allow the camera's access to their inner workings during a particularly difficult period. For comedy value alone, today's flick of the day is Some Kind of Monster.

Some Kind of Monster

In 2001, American rock band Metallica who have sold 90 million records in their 30 year career found themselves at a crossroads. Their long time bass player had quit the group just as they were to start recording their first new album in 3 years and the camera crew follow them for the next two years as they struggle to get along with each other and record an album. Their management bring in therapist to help them deal with each other at a cost of $40,000 a month, with ridiculous consequences. The lead singer, James Hetfield checks himself into a rehab clinic and his bandmates do not see him for the best part of a year. The drummer, Lars Ulrich leads an ill judged campaign against internet file sharing. All the while they bicker like children and reveal themselves to be extremely self centred and controlling. Oh, yes and eventually they record a so-so album sans guitar solos and recruit a new bass player. 

The most compelling aspect of the film is how unintentionally revealing the band are of themselves. Ulrich comes across as deeply self absorbed and somebody who enjoys the wealth his music gives him as much as anything else despite his attempts to position himself otherwise. There is one scene in particular where he plays the new album for his father who rubbishes it and their relationship is particularly revealing. He struggles to get along with his lead singer at one point launching into a rant about how controlling he is before getting nose to nose and screaming "Fuck!". Hetfield is sombre throughout yet deeply controlling. Upon his return from rehab, the group switch to a noon to 4pm work schedule to allow him time with his children however Hetfield decrees that nobody else may review his vocal recordings after he leaves. All the while, the guitarist, Kirk Hammett remains quiet and only once does he burst forth to complain that the other two do not listen to him.

This aside, the band often come across as completely ridiculous. Some scenes would be fit for This Is Spinal Tap. There is one scene in which they decide that nobody is allowed  to comment on what anybody else is working on and their round table lyrics writing sessions would leave you with the impression that the creative process is not what it once was, with some laughably bad writing. My personal favourite is the scene where they are required to record a promo for a national radio competition by their management which they feel is beneath them, asking would Bono and The Edge do it before proceeding to take the piss out of it.

                                            [Metallica is asked to record a radio promo] 

                          Lars Ulrich: Hey it's Lars from Metallica. I'm about to stick 50 grand up your ass... 

                                            James Hetfield: ...One dollar at a time.

If the band do not cover themselves in glory then their therapist, Phil makes himself look very foolish indeed. Sporting a bizarre choice in knitwear, he spouts inane babble and seems determined to keep them in therapy despite their requests to cease. Whether they actually learn anything about themselves is a moot point.

All in all, a compelling way to spend a couple of spare hours, whether you are a fan of Metallica and their music or not. It is great psychological drama and would be compelling if they were learning impaired garbage collectors rather then wealthy musicians. 

Flick of The Day: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

John Le Carre has long been the master of the kind of realistic portrayal of espionage that so lends itself to modern cinema. Le Carre's spies are far removed from the world of Fleming's James Bond. There is no glamour at the top of his portrayal of British Intelligence, no gadgets less girls. More liver spots, stomach ailments and a dark and oppressing guilt. Perhaps his best creation is George Smiley, the weary career spy with a thirst for the truth. Alec Guinness made this role his own in the excellent 1979 BBC television mini-series and it is a delight then to report that  the big screen version is a triumph. Today's flick of the day is Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

The head of MI6, an aged John Hurt, codename Control sees threats everywhere but he also believes there is a mole at the top of the service, known as the Circus. He launches an operation to find the mole which ends in disaster and he is drummed out of the Circus along with his trusted Lieutenant, George Smiley, played by a mesmeric Gary Oldman. After a period in the wilderness, George is brought out of retirement by the government to investigate the mole after a rogue agent comes forward with information. There are 5 suspects named by Control according to a children's rhyme including Smiley himself as Beggarman. Tinker, Percy Alleline, a scheming Toby Jones. Tailor, Bill Haydon, a suave and charming Colin Firth. Soldier, Roy Bland, a brooding Ciaran Hinds and finally Poorman, the quiet emigre played by David Dencik. Smiley must tease through the facts to find the shocking truth about the mole with the help of reserved foot soldier Peter Guillam, played by a very strong Benedict Cumberbatch.

Directed by Swede Tomas Alfredson, who hit the big time with his 2008 film Let The Right One In, the film has the kind of depressed air so reminiscent of one of those Swedish detective novels with a grey sheen on every surface. It is the perfect portrayal of Britain in the 1970's, a time that is perhaps the darkest for the country in the modern era when unemployment soared and the country was bailed out by the IMF. This depressed air pervades the film and the Circus it portrays. Each of the leads seems to be carrying a great weight on their shoulders, none more so then the quiet and thoughtful Smiley. Oldman has largely created his own Smiley though there are times when it feels very similar to the great Alec Guinness performance. He is of course joined by a fantastic cast, perhaps the best male cast assembled since Glengarry Glen Ross.

Perhaps the best performance comes from Mark Strong, a fine actor most recently seen in The Guard. Here he portrays the betrayed and abused Jim Prideaux, a spy who gets left behind the iron curtain. A small enough role in terms of screen time, he creates a memorable character of the damaged Jim that will stay with you as the credits roll.

All in all, an enjoyable film that is if anything too short in its just over two hour running time. It doesn't leave enough time to develop characters in the same manner as the classic BBC series. That said, it's production values are so much higher then that series and it looks stunning at times. A very fine ending set to the tune of Julio Inglesias closes all the loops. A very fine effort indeed.

Flick of The Day: Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang

The life of the screenwriter is often lamented as being the bottom rung on the Hollywood ladder, with numerous anecdotes down through the years of how they have had their work destroyed by the studios and incompetent executives. This is perhaps overplayed though and as the industry has developed they have become as much a part of the system as anything else. Perhaps the career of Shane Black is an example of this, writing his first script in six weeks aged 23, his agent would sell Lethal Weapon in 3 days for $250,000. Black would go on to write some of the biggest action pictures of the era such as The Last Boy Scout and The Long Kiss Goodnight for ever increasing sums. Then he seemed to disappear off the radar for a few years before returning with today's flick of the day which he wrote and directed, the wonderful post modern noir Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang.

Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang

Robert Downey Jr is Harry Lockhart a down on his luck thief in New York City who while attempting to escape from the police, happens upon an open audition for a Hollywood film. Impressing the producer with his, "old school method" acting he is soon whisked out to Los Angeles for a screen test. Acting as an inconsistent and at time satirical narrator of his own story, Downey Jr is excellent as Harry. The film opens as Harry arrives at a party in the Hollywood hills, we are soon introduced to an old flame from his youth and aspiring actress Harmony, played by the beautiful Michelle Monaghan and Private Eye Gay Perry who is to give Harry detective lessons. Val Kilmer thoroughly enjoys his role as the tough homosexual Perry. Together they stumble across a plot to murder an heiress and frame Harry for it. 

The real strength of Black's directorial début is the concentration on characterisation with strong turns from Downey Jr and a great ensemble cast. This is combined with a strong mystery story that steals from some of the greats of the genre like Chandler and Hammet. The plotting never feels too dense and is compelling until the final scene. It helps of course that the script is at times quite funny and self referential. Downey's Harry is a narrator who is forever mocking the different conventions of the genre while finding fun in the least obvious places. At one point, Harry says

                  "Don't worry, I saw Lord of the Rings. I'm not going to end this 17 times"

There are some great quotable lines, many of which are for Val Kilmer as the flamboyant Gay Perry who combines his role as the (non) straight guy with a dry wit.

While it is slick and very aware of its place as a genre film, it is still and entertaining piece of action comedy. So much of the current releases are so terribly po faced and this is a refreshing change.

Perry: You don't get it, do you? This isn't "good cop, bad cop." This is fag and New Yorker. You're in a lot of trouble.

While Robert Downey Jr has since gone on to be as big a star as he ever was, it is worth remembering that this was one of the first tentative steps back on to the big screen after his much publicised addictions. It showed how good an actor he could be, which should never have been in doubt.

All in all, a fine film which makes the best of the talents at its disposal. Downey Jr would go on to be one of the biggest stars in the world at the moment and Kilmer would enjoy a revival as a character actor. While Shane Black has largely directed music videos since this, he has recently been signed on to direct the third instalment of the Iron Man franchise, starring of course Robert Downey Jr. Well worth your time.

Flick of The Day: The Skin I Live In / La Piel Que Habito

Spanish director Pedro Almodovar has long been one of the most avant garde and visually stunning film-makers out there. His work has always challenged the viewers perceptions and played with reality with films like Talk to Her, Bad Education and the brilliant Volver. His latest film and today's flick of the day, The Skin I Live in, is perhaps his most bizarre creation, an adaptation of a very dark tale by Thierry Jonquet. 

Tarantula: the Skin I Live in

Set in the year 2012 in the city of Toledo, the story focuses on the revolutionary work of skin specialist Robert Ledgard, played by a one time Almodovar regular cast member Antonio Banderas. Robert has developed a revolutionary new form of skin, that cannot burn claiming to have tested only on mice. Meanwhile at his country estate which also serves as his testing ground, he is keeping a beautiful young woman played by Elena Anaya in captivity having tested on her. In a roundabout fashion, it becomes apparent that Robert's motivation is losing his wife in a fiery wreck. In flashbacks, we learn of how he saved her after the accident despite her horrific burns however she ultimately commits suicide. Meanwhile their young daughter Norma, having witnessed this becomes mentally unstable and has to be committed. Years later and a teenage Norma having regained a little of herself is at a large family party on Robert's estate when she is taken advantage of and raped by a local boy. A vengeful Robert tracks down the rapist and abducts him to exact a terrible revenge. To say any more would be to give the game away.

It has to be said, this is a truly odd film. At times, it feels like the kind of run of the mill mad scientist torture porn that has polluted the multiplex for the last few years. Yet as Almodovar has noted, this is a horror film "without screams or frights". He is right in that sense but it is no less scary because of it, for this is as shocking and ending as one could imagine.

Banderas is excellent as the chillingly driven Robert, reminding us of how good an actor he can be given a meaty role, something not seen for many years. Like all of Almodovar's work, the film is predictably pretty with Robert seeming to live an almost idyllic life.

While this would be a departure from his usual work genre wise, it explore many of the same themes that have long been a feature of his work. Questions of identity and of what it means to be human, of sexual identity, of loneliness, betrayal and ultimately death. If there is a problem it is that this sits unevenly on the mad scientist plot. There is an almost laughable level of seriousness  to some of the scenes and when the twist in the tale is revealed, I for one could not stifle a giggle. It's just an Oh Christ moment.

That said, there is enough film making ability on show to make this worth your while. Almodovar is one of the greats of European cinema of the last twenty years and even something as out there as this is worth a look.

All in all, while nowhere near his best work, it includes a fine performance from Banderas and if nothing else will leave you with food for thought.

Flick of The Day: Jerry Maguire

Tom Cruise has had a storied career both on and off the screen, playing roles as diverse as a disabled Vietnam vet in Born on the 4th of July, an Irish peasant in Far and Away, lawyers, racing drivers, fighter pilots and secret agents. Up until recently he was untouchable at the box office, delivering consistent profits for everyone. However perhaps his best roles have been those very few where he has pushed himself as an actor such as today's flick of the day, Jerry Maguire, a potent mixture of comedy, romance and the vacuous nature of the corporate world.

Jerry Maguire

Written and directed by Cameron Crowe, a flick of the day favourite with Singles, Say Anything and the great  Almost Famous, this is a tale of a self centred sports agent, Jerry Maguire played by Tom Cruise, who having sold his soul decides to grow a heart with terrible consequences for his career. After writing a preaching memo about the future of his agency in the dead of night, he soon finds himself out of work, single and with a solitary client. This is the egotistical big mouth football star Rod Tidwell played by a career best Cuba Gooding Jr. In an oft parodied scene, he requests Jerry to show him the money. Jerry's only other support is an idealistic single mother Dorothy Boyd played by Renee Zellweger who follows Jerry out of the agency because she believes in him. Jerry has to try and put his life back together while doing the best for Rod and becoming romantically entangled with Dorothy. Along the way he learns how to be a better man then he ever was when on top of the world.

The real selling point for this movie is its heart. Jerry falls hard, his wife leaves him and his friends abandon him and it is only through this callous betrayal that he learns something about himself. It is an unusually nuanced performance from Cruise, giving Maguire a soulful edge. All round the cast is excellent though. Cuba Gooding Jr is as good as he has ever been as the always over the top Tidwell, the kind of irritating whiny professional sportsman we have becomes used to seeing. Zellweger makes the most of her girl next door role as the single mother who goes against her practical nature to help a man she believes in and harbours secret feelings for.

Jerry Maguire: I'm finished, I'm fucked. Twenty-four hours ago, man, I was hot! Now... I'm a cautionary tale. You see this jacket I'm wearing, you like it? Because I don't really need it. Because I'm cloaked in failure! I lost the number one draft picked the night before the draft! Why? Let's recap: Because a hockey player's kid made me feel like a superficial jerk. I ate two slices of bad pizza, went to bed and grew a conscience! 

 Rod Tidwell: Well, boo-fucking-hoo

Crowe's script perfectly juggles the different aspects of its story from the romance between Jerry and Dorothy to the drama of the ups and downs of professional football.

Special mention has to go to young Jonathan Lipnicki as Dorothy's son Ray. He steals almost all of the scenes he is in and there is a real spark to the conversations he has with a lonely Jerry. 

Jerry Maguire: The fuckin zoo is closed, Ray. 

Ray: You said fuck. 

Jerry Maguire: Uh... yeah... I... 

Ray: Don't worry. I won't tell.

As the film moves toward a feel good and heartfelt resolution, we are left with the believe that Jerry has learned to be a better person. After all, his only real crime was to tell the truth and look where it gets him. It's a telling example of how vicious the modern world is for the individual who steps out of the corporate line.

Ultimately, the film was a massive success for all involved giving Cuba Gooding Jr his only Oscar win and yet another nomination for Cruise. A fine film, it takes a different look at the world of professional sports and the lives of the people involved.  The ending is neither trite nor overly sentimental and it makes the best of its constituent parts. I define anyone not to find the final climax compelling viewing.