Rating: MMMM

Director: Drew Barrymore
Starring: Ellen Page, Kristen Wiig, Marcia Gay Harden, Eve, Drew Barrymore, Juliette Lewis
Running time: 111 mins
Cert: 12A

Don’t be put off by the fuschia pink UK poster, covered in the faces of smiling women – this is not The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants or any of that saccharine-soaked ‘girl power’ drivel (that in fact evokes the very opposite of female empowerment). Whip It is a kick-ass, feisty and intelligent sports movie that neatly combines multiple genre elements (pop culture comedy, family drama, teen romance) to create and warm and entertaining film that is full of what Americans call ‘attitude’.

Whip It centres around 17 year old Bliss Cavendar (Ellen Page), a disillusioned misfit resident of dead-end town, Bodeen, Texas. Bliss lives her life as put-upon waitress of kitsch diner the Oinkery and dutiful daughter, reluctantly  entered into beauty pageants by her mother (Marcia Gay Harden), a straightlaced postwoman who runs the Cavendar household as a tight ship.

On a shopping trip with her mother and sister in nearby city Austin, Bliss sees a flyer advertising a roller derby match – tough, scantily clad girls on skates speeding around a track, tackling and shoving each other violently in order to score points. Accompanied by best friend Pash, Bliss goes to the match and is immediately struck by the sport and particularly the women playing it – players with tough-girl names such as ‘Smashley Simpson’ and ‘Eva Destruction’. After the match, Bliss approaches one of the ‘Hurl Scouts’, Maggie Mayhem (Kristen Wiig) who suggests that she should try out for the team as they are looking for new members. A tentative Bliss attends the trial, demonstrating a speed on skates that surprises even herself, consequently making the team and becoming a Hurl Scout by the name of ‘Babe Ruthless’.

Whip It combines sports movie, broad comedy, coming of age tale and teen flick to great effect – it is a highly engaging, entertaining and moving  film –  one of the final scenes involving Marcia Gay Harden’s mother character in particular will undoubtedly moisten a few eyes, as will a piercing moment of betrayal. Also, the early stages of Bliss’s relationship with love interest Oliver are equally charming, as are the tender swimming pool scenes, shot to great aplomb by debut director Drew Barrymore.

The script too is funny, witty, warm and clever. Barrymore’s directing is excellent, particularly the aforementioned underwater sequences, demonstrating she has considerable talent not just in the fields of acting and producing. She has a clear understanding of her characters and her scene: the rough and ready world of womens’ roller derby, the action of which is deftly handled in exciting, adrenaline fuelled scenes on the track, with Bliss and her team mates speeding around, giving and taking ‘hits’.

Whip It is great fun, despite the fact it not being exactly original. It is however, thoroughly enjoyable, with excellent little moments, and a great balance between sport and character relationships. In terms of acting, Barrymore’s cast does well. Ellen Page delivers a likeable, convincing performance as main character Bliss Cavendar, as does Kristen Wiig who is really impressive, proving she is capable not only of hilarious deadpan comedy (Knocked Up), but proving she is a credible dramatic actress. Juliette Lewis is deliciously malevolent in the villain role of ‘Iron Mavin’, and  Barrymore herself gives a hilarious cameo as knuckle-headed Hurl Scout, ‘Smashley Simpson’.  The film’s supporting characters are also played very well – feisty best friend Pash (Alia Shawkat) is great, as is Bliss’s father, Earl (Daniel Stern).

All in all, Whip It is a great slice of easy-going American fun. Barrymore has not only made a hugely enjoyable film, but she has made the world of women’s roller derby accessible and interesting to a whole new audience – the heady mix of intimidating toughness, strength and machismo balanced with a female sexiness and power is thoroughly mesmerizing. And perhaps more importantly, the film bucks the girly teen movie trend in its closing act (not to give away too much) and proves that women’s lives do not centre around the wants and desires of men – they can be their own hero and go after whatever it is they wish. And who’d have thought all this from the little girl from E.T.? Get your skates on and see Whip It (if you’ll forgive the excruciating pun). Expect sales of roller skates and eyeliner to skyrocket.

Rating: MMMM

New slick comedy-drama from the award-winning director of Juno, Jason Reitman.

Director: Jason Reitman
Starring: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick
Running time: 109 mins

In Jason Reitman’s new film Up In The Air, George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, self-confessed lover of the business and executive class lifestyle, spending more days ‘up in the air’ than days living life on the ground. His job is to fly to different cities across the USA to various company offices to fire employees because the people they work for haven’t the heart to do it themselves. The vacuous corporateness and emptiness that others find so repugnant is Ryan’s lifeblood. Until his life takes an unexpected and unwelcome turn in the form of bright new upstart Natalie (Anna Kendrick) whose ideas and plans would bring Ryan’s jet setting to a grinding halt.

In Up In The Air, Jason Reitman seems to have produced two very different films in one: the first two-thirds of the film explore the executive void of Ryan’s life and his contentedness with it, whilst it being under threat from a ’shift in company direction’ from Natalie’s cost-cutting and economising ideas. This is a slick corporate world, driven by money and a veneer of politeness with complimentary bath robes thrown in, a world which is well executed by Reitman. However, the problem comes when Ryan seemingly begins to question his values and moral behaviour and starts to view his life from a different perspective. From this point onwards the film changes tone entirely – almost like you left the cinema screen to get more popcorn and wandered into a different screen, except the characters are the same, just playing out a different story. And this is where the film inevitably falls down. Without giving too much away, the last third becomes more of a family centred tv movie than a glossy and hip George Clooney film. This tone change has a sadly negative impact on the film, as Reitman seems unable to follow through his initial ideas to the end with adequate conviction. On paper, the film works fine – on celluloid it fails somewhat.

However, all the ingredients of the film are essentially very good. George Clooney, while simply doing his charming, golden matinee idol smile that he seems to have patented, is very good and likeable as ever. Vera Farmiga as Clooney’s female opposite is also good, providing a convincing twist in the final act that comes as a genuine surprise. Anna Kendrick however delievers a standout turn as the young and naive Natalie, building on her solid work in Twilight as Jessica Stanley.

The script is well written and delivers some laughs, and there are some nice visual gags – most notably, the pilot’s ridiculous moustache which provided me with one of the biggest bellylaughs since The Hangover. In contrast too there are some genuine moments of shock, pathos and poignancy, with Natalie’s ill fated relationship and the fateful effects of some of the employees being let go from their jobs. The film is well directed, well acted and well scripted, just not really thought through, needing the courage to avoid the now hackneyed ‘man on a journey’ plot and stick to its guns of vapid corporateness and the emptiness so loved by the George Clooney character.

Engaging, witty, entertaining and funny, just not as good as expected.

Rating: MMM

Rating: MMMM

Review of Richard Linklater’s 1930s set period piece about the great Orson Welles’ theatrical triumph – his version of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.

Director: Richard Linklater
Starring: Zac Efron, Claire Danes, Christian McKay
Running time: 114 mins

Richard Linklater’s latest film sees Orson Welles (having already taken the airwaves by storm on radio) perched on the brink of conquering the stage, starting with his production of Shakespeare’s classic history play Julius Caesar, set to be performed at the Mercury Theatre on Broadway. The ‘me’ of the title is teenager Richard (Zac Efron), the audience’s window onto the theatrical world of Welles and his company.

The casting of Efron in this particular role (a serious part and one lacking the squeaky, shiny happiness of the High School Musical franchise from which Efron made his name) may surprise a few, but Efron delivers a solid and utterly convincing performance as Richard, the young man who falls under Welles’ beguiling charms and finds himself part of the cast, playing Lucius, Brutus’ (played by Welles himself) servant boy and resident ukulele player. Efron, as previously mentioned, demonstrates that he is clearly a young actor blessed with multiple talents, being able to perform like an old Hollywood star with skill in singing, dancing and acting – the former and latter of which are on display here. Efron’s credible performance will with any luck silence harsher critics often out for his blood.

Claire Danes is as good as ever, in a role that pleasingly sees her in a bitchier role than usual with a character more reminiscent of Sookie in Igby Goes Down than the pure Juliet (William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet). However, as good as Efron and Danes’ performances are, the film belongs to relative newcomer Christian McKay in a role he was seemingly born to play. It is no wonder by playing someone as egocentric, selfish and charismatic as Welles that he steals the show – he has a bewitching way of drawing the audience to him – but his performance is of such tremendous excellence, vivacity and believability that any scene without him is left wanting and rendered almost flat, lacking the energy his performance brings to the piece – something which becomes almost detrimental to the film as a whole. However, come awards season, McKay presents himself as a dead cert for acting nominations.

The story is an interesting one, avoiding the now saturated genre of biopics and concentrating on the character of Orson Welles in one specific time period. Linklater’s 1930s setting is convincing and well produced, with exquisite art direction that passes the Isle of Man for New York city. Linklater has produced an entertaining and enjoyable film in Me & Orson Welles, however a problem is posed by a rather languorous third act, an almost plodding final section which could perhaps have been avoided by better editing. The last few minutes really do slow down proceedings, a great shame in a film that is otherwise funny, intelligent, entertaining and engaging.

Rating: MMMM

Review of the latest fantasy feast for the eyes from ‘maverick’ director Terry Gilliam.

Director: Terry Gilliam
Starring: Heath Ledger, Christopher Plummer, Lily Cole, Verne Troyer, Tom Waits, Andrew Garfield
Running time: 122 mins

Terry Gilliam is not known in the film industry for having the best luck with his projects; as documentary Lost in La Mancha proves, he has been unfortunate enough to have film sets and equipment float away following mass flooding on location. But Gilliam and show business as a whole was struck the heaviest of blows with the tragic death of Heath Ledger, the star of Gilliam’s latest film. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a strange merging of worlds which sees a topsy-turvy olde worlde sideshow (the ‘imaginarium’) incongruously placed in contemporary London. Dr Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) is an aging monk, who with his daughter Valentina (Lily Cole) and other oddball characters, tries to scratch out a living by travelling around and ‘performing’ for the public. They are joined by Ledger’s Tony, who attempts to glamorise the show and generate more revenue for the group. From this point onwards, things spiral out of control (and comprehension), sending the characters into vivid and spectacular dimensions, requiring twice as many eyes to fully appreciate them.

It is sad to say that despite the legacy of wonderful performances that the late Heath Ledger leaves behind (Brokeback Mountain, The Dark Knight and even early work such as teen hit 10 Things I Hate About You), his final work on celluloid in Terry Gilliam’s latest film is not Ledger’s best. As Tony, the mysterious stranger who joins the oddball ‘family’ of a travelling sideshow, Ledger gives a bland and mediocre performance, a turn which lacks the spark he so clearly displayed in other roles. But Ledger can hardly be blamed for this, given that his character is so confusedly written, creating a role which (even in different circumstances) would be difficult for any actor to make sense of, even one with Ledger’s talent. Following his death, a trio of actors (and friends) Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell stepped in to play different aspects of Tony’s personality, a feature which works well and certainly adds to the character. This is surprising seeing as this element of the film is potentially problematic to say the least, but is instead one of the most successful parts of the film.

As for the rest of the cast, Christopher Plummer as the titular Parnassus is solid, as is newcomer Andrew Garfield as Anton. Music fans may be able to recognise Tom Waits in a bizarre turn as Mr Nick, the demonic foil to Parnassus. Verne Troyer of Austin Powers fame is similarly awkward, cracking wise with clichéd one-liners. However, plaudits must go to model-turned-actress Lily Cole who gives a surprisingly subtle and convincing performance as Parnassus’ daughter, the flame-haired Valentina, proving that she is much more than a doll-like face. But fundamentally, Gilliam’s fantasy opus is deeply flawed. Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson once said that the key to great storytelling (and good filmmaking) is to strategically ask and answer a series of questions in the audience’s mind, and Gilliam, for all his wonderful ideas and creative talent fails to do this, leaving the audience asking more questions (arguably the location of any kind of plot structure) than the film is capable of answering. Instead of being taken on an adventure through breathtaking fantasy worlds, the audience is left floundering. The messy structure and lack of narrative rhythm make The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus a thoroughly strange experience – a visual masterpiece with a story that is virtually impossible to understand.

Gilliam’s moments of true genius (and these are many) are overshadowed by a sense of bewildering confusion. There is a certain amount of cruel irony in Tony’s speech to Parnassus, how he must meet the public half way between what they want and what he wishes to show them – if only Gilliam could live by his own character’s words. Once Gilliam marries his vision and creativity with well structured plot and narrative, we will surely have a masterpiece on our hands. Until that day comes however, we are left with a film that is as confusing as it is visually arresting.

Rating: MM

On the sofa with the 2008 glossy adaptation of Noel Coward’s 1920s set comedy of errors, Easy Virtue.

Director: Stephan Elliot
Starring: Jessica Biel, Colin Firth, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ben Barnes
Running time: 92 mins

Based on Noel Coward’s original play, Easy Virtue is set in late 1920s England and sees young John Whittaker (Ben Barnes) bring his blonde bombshell new wife Larita (Jessica Biel) home to meet his family. The couple are greeted somewhat frostily however, as Mrs Whittaker senior (Kristin Scott Thomas) does not approve of her son’s choice of bride – what ensues is a tense battle between the two women with unexpected consequences.

The film’s narrative follows a neat three act structure, with some great sight gags, poignant scenes and as one might expect from a Coward-scripted drama, dialogue of the highest wit and calibre. The costumes are perfectly designed and created (Larita’s blouse and trouser combinations in particular), with the photography subtle and dramatic in turn. The production value is high throughout the film, with the exception however being the film’s music. Instead of a low-key score with traditional and realistic select tunes from the likes of Cole Porter (these are in attendance, although few in number), instead we are ‘treated’ to songs modern songs orchestrated in a 1920s style – Tom Jones’s ‘Sex Bomb’ for instance, which as soon as one recognises that familiar melody, becomes increasingly irritating. These numbers effectively ruin what would otherwise be a solid and credible musical score, with some tunes sung credibly well by members of the cast (Jessica Biel sings ‘Mad about the Boy’ to great aplomb).

In comparison with some dodgy choices with Easy Virtue’s music, Stephan Elliot must be praised for his casting, as both Kristin Scott Thomas and Jessica Biel are perfect in their respective roles as the stubborn battle-axe mother Mrs Whittaker and glamorous American Larita. Biel presents Larita as a complex and intriguing character with hidden depths and a spirited, passionate past, whereas Scott Thomas demonstrates again her fantastic range and ability to transform what might be two-dimensional roles into well developed characters. However, as Mr Whittaker, Colin Firth seems uncharacteristically lacking in presence, leaving Coward’s fabulously witty dialogue to fall flat at times – a real waste of such good excellent source material. Similarly Ben Barnes, while looking very much the part as the gorgeous young hero, lacks depth. His two younger sisters in comparison are played very well by Katherine Parkinson (Jen from the IT Crowd) and Kimberley Nixon, creating a wonderful chorus effect when coupled with Scott Thomas’s matriarch.

Easy Virtue is a beautifully shot and crafted film, with some good performances, a very well structured plot (undoubtedly due to Coward’s theatrical text) and enough laughs to keep audiences smiling after the credits roll – but is unlikely however to be as memorable as other period pieces of recent memory.

Rating: MMM

Review of Julie & Julia, the meeting of two true stories about love, cooking and the love of cooking.

Director: Nora Ephron
Starring: Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci, Chris Messina
Running time: 123 mins

Nora Ephron’s Julie & Julia tells the two true stories of American celebrity chef Julia Child coming to write her bestselling cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking in the mid to late 1950s and Julie Powell, a woman who in 2002 sets herself the challenge to cook the entire range of recipes from Child’s book in the space of one calendar year.

Julie Powell (Amy Adams) works for the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation in the turbulent aftermath of the September 11^th attacks. A self proclaimed ‘failed writer’, stressed in her job and disillusioned with her power-dressing career-driven friends, Julie seeks solace and comfort in doing something she really enjoys: cooking. Suffering from failed-potential syndrome, Julie’s self confidence takes a knock when she discovers that one vapid, gaudy member of her group of Manhattan girlfriends writes an online blog about her garish personal exploits, tales of scandal that are read by hundreds of fans. Knowing that she herself could write anything much better, Julie sets about writing about cooking and her love of all things gastronomic, turning to 1960s American cooking icon Julia Child for inspiration.

Soon Julie is living her life by the book that ‘taught America to cook’, garnering herself support, fans and personal problems in equal measure. As with many unwavering routines (Julie sticks to the recipe count religiously), committing one’s life to the cause eventually begins to be a burden – not only on Julie herself but those around her too.
Meanwhile in the second of the dual-strand narrative, Julia Child (Meryl Streep) and her devoted husband Paul move in to a house in 1950s Paris, falling in love with the city, its people and its food.

However, although Julia enjoys her life in Paris, she feels she wants ‘something to do’ and decides to pursue her penchant for food, enrolling in the Cordon Bleu school of culinary arts and defying the social rules of the time, being a female student in a male dominated environment. The end result is Julia’s ascendancy to famed television cook, one whose kitchen is made a replica of and displayed at the renowned Smithsonian Museum.

A lesser director than Ephron might be unable to marry the two strands together, yet what we have is a flowing, wonderful joy of a film with sympathetic and beautifully crafted characters whose lives complement each other across the years. Julie & Julia is the second time that Amy Adams and Meryl Streep have appeared alongside each other (see review of Doubt), but it is a real shame that the two never share any screen time as both actresses’ performances are excellent. Amy Adams confirms her reputation as a leading lady with presence as Julie Powell, portraying the real-life blogger with convincing and subtle quirks. Meanwhile Meryl Streep once again proves that she is without doubt one of the greatest actresses to appear on celluloid. Her Julia Child is a heart-warming, loveable and charming woman, a spirited bon-viveur drinking in all the world has to offer. Supporting her all the way is Stanley Tucci as Paul Child in a similarly winning performance.

With its mix of endearing and interesting plot, likeable characters and incredible spirit, Julie & Julia is a delicious treat for all.

Rating: MMMM

Rating: MMMM

Review of Michael Mann’s ‘biopic’ of the notorious American criminal, John Dillinger.

Director: Michael Mann
Starring: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard, David Wenham, Stephen Dorff
Running time: 140 mins

In the 1930s, America was swept by a crime wave, with the notorious criminal John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) at the centre. Michael Mann’s new film follows Dillinger, his associates and a special team of Federal Agents – led by Melvin Pervis (Christian Bale) – in their attempt to take down Dillinger and his gang.

As with Collateral and Miami Vice, 2009’s Public Enemies is photographed digitally, a technique which tends to add a slight blur to the frames. In Mann’s two previous films this worked well, adding an aesthetic quality (especially the slick urban environment of Miami Vice) that when coupled with the predominant use of steadicams, gave a documentary feel. Sadly, Mann’s penchant for shooting in this way does not work well here. Public Enemies being shot with steadicams and on digital detracts from the overall style. The period setting causes the inevitable blurring to seem very out of place – as the film cannot possibly be a documentary the action therefore seems contrived and false. Mann can also be faulted for his direction, in that his actors sometimes deliver lines of dialogue that are barely comprehensible through being spoken too quickly, quietly or lost under heavy accents. The action sequences in the film whilst being very well executed are at times too lengthy and poorly lit to be engaging – one scene has two of Dillinger’s gang members running through a dark forest, pursued by the feds, all of which is very difficult to distinguish in the dark (although this near-blackness does allow for the gunfire to illuminate the characters’ faces which is a nice touch). However, these are minor setbacks in an otherwise excellent film.

As ever, Johnny Depp excels in a charismatic role – the real life John Dillinger was reported to be an engaging and captivating personality, one that Depp masters and delivers very well. Certain scenes present Dillinger’s charisma shining through a tough-guy persona, including a moment where Dillinger offers a woman a warm winter coat when he and the gang have just taken her hostage. It is in the scenes with love-interest Billie Frechette (played to sultry, sassy perfection by La Vie en Rose’s Marion Cotillard) however, that Dillinger is at his most charming. One scene in particular has a coquettish Billie in the bath, leaning her leg in an overtly erotic way, to which Dillinger responds superbly. This playful rogue behaviour is also in abundance in what is arguably one of the film’s best scenes, where Dillinger takes a visit to the Police department building and blithely walks around the special ‘John Dillinger Unit’, a whole detail of police assigned to tracking and apprehending him. Surprisingly enough, Depp outshines his co-star, super-ego Christian Bale as the latter portrays Agent Purvis with a lack of intensity or depth. This said, Bale’s performance may seem underwhelming in contrast to Depp’s maximised screen time and much of the plot given over to the romance between Dillinger and Billie Frechette (which may anger some audiences, eager to see the number of tommy gun battles so promised in the film’s trailer).

Public Enemies is yet another sterling addition to the already stellar Michael Mann canon, providing an interesting narrative trajectory, good performances, wonderful period details and costumes and the best insight into crimefighting in 1930s America since The Untouchables.

Rating: MMMM

Review of Push first published in a March 2009 issue Spark*, the newspaper of Reading University Students’ Union.

Director: Paul McGuigan
Starring: Chris Evans, Camilla Belle, Dakota Fanning, Djimon Hounsou
Running Time: 111 mins

The title of Paul McGuigan’s sci-fi thriller Push refers to a super power, of ‘pushing’ thoughts into the minds of others, which ‘Pushers’ Djimon Hounsou and Camilla Belle achieve throughout the film with often devastating results – Kira (Belle) uses her ‘Pusher’ mind tricks to force one of her captors into believing that his partner murdered his brother, when he in fact had no brother. ‘Watchers’ (Dakota Fanning being the prime example) can predict the future, ‘Sniffers’ (you guessed it) have a highly developed sense of smell. All of these super abilities are very well dealt with in the film, with the ‘Bleeders’ being the most visually arresting – the chase through Hong Kong market streets with tank after tank exploding with the pressure of the fish inside bleeding to death is an excellent touch. However, although the end result of the Bleeders’ abilities is effortlessly cool, the fact that the powers emanate from mad-eyed screaming men is embarrassingly contrived and laughable.

Chris Evans as Nick is as well-toned and handsome as ever, as is Djimon Hounsou (in a departure from the high-brow fare such as Blood Diamond and Gladiator). However, for arguably talented actors (Hounsou especially) both aren’t really given enough to do. The character of Nick lacks the depth and sympathy needed from a leading role, while Housou’s villain is only just saved from being two-dimensional. Camilla Belle is surprisingly good, perhaps atoning for the drivel that was 10,000 BC, presenting Kira as a strong woman dangerously caught up in a tangled mess of her own making (to say anymore would give away a plot twist at film’s climax). As Cassie the 13-year-old Watcher and unlikely sidekick to Nick, Dakota Fanning gets more and more irritating as the film goes on, apparently possessing the ability to cry whilst maintaining the same bored facial expression but never to look at all pained or sad.

Visually, the film excels, cutting between slick and grainy camerawork, making for an interesting and original visual style that seems more reminiscent of a gritty British drama than a Hollywood superhero movie. The effects are equally good, making clever and cool use of standard computer generated trickery (the two handguns that Nick manipulates into floating mid-air and following him is excellent) and more traditional effects such as different powders exploding in bursts of colour. McGuigan’s use of music is also very slick, using both contemporary and retro tunes to great effect. However, as is the worrying trend among many recent silver-screen outings (and in this case is more disappointing seeing as the premise and other aspects of the film are so promising), Push is let down by a poor and dull script and a rather messy third act that leaves the audience in little else than confusion. This aside, Push makes solid ground on which to hopefully build a better sequel (the end of the film suggests that a sequel must be on the cards, although in a deliciously ambiguous way).

Rating: MMM