BRONSON (2009) - 3 1/2 STARS

"I want the jury at my trial to come and see how I'm living. But I'm not living, I'm existing"
 

Since 1974, Britain's prisons have had to put up with one of their most notorious criminals during those 36 years; his real name is Mickey Peterson, his alter-ego is Charlie Bronson (hence the film's title). The film is a true-life account of the journey into aggression that Bronson (Tom Hardy) goes through from when he was first put away in prison in the 70s for robbing a post office to the many brutal fights he incurred with prison guards and inmates and although he was briefly released back into society, he would make a swift return inside. Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn delivers a gritty and arty film focusing on the events that made Bronson become feared across the country by its own government and the justice system but the brutalization of prison life adds to the harshness of what he has to go through (a plot that familiarises with Stanley Kubrick's A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971)). Nevertheless what Bronson's motives are throughout the film are taken into question as to why he did what he did e.g. damaging his chances of escaping prison. We learn about his younger years being brought up by doting parents only to get involved with the wrong people before having his own family led to what he had to do in order to survive the tough times during 1970's Britain. Chaos though was his main objective during that time which saw him transferred to many prisons across the country but not being swayed by the toughness of the places even stating they are 'worth a visit'.

British actor Tom Hardy, who is slowly developing himself as a strong actor who can conquer both sides of the Atlantic, is brilliantly cast as the disturbed sociopath who takes great pride in complicating his reputation and trying to stamp that reputation amongst those around him. He is a complicated and psychotic character, as shown from the start where his first of many naked fights with prison guards shows that he believes he can take on the world, this further told through his dream sequences of expressing his enjoyment of prison life to an audience, as if he is the entertainer. The physical energy displayed by Hardy shows how hard the character must have been to play but he manages to keep the audience on edge with his lengthy stares and his calm but threatening attitude towards certain characters especially the guards. The many confrontations with prison guards would eventually lead him to be placed in a mental asylum that looks as harsh as the environment Jack Nicholson finds himself in during ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (1975), and clearly being labelled as mad which was something Bronson didn't want to be known as. He would do anything to avoid suffering with people clearly more disturbed then he was which became a pinnacle in one scene where he attempts to kill a fellow inmate in order to be back in prison. However there is a softer more child-like innocence to Bronson when he is released from prison halfway in the film and attempts to redeem himself by getting romantic with Alison (Juliet Oldfield) only to go to desperate measures in order to win her and ending up back in the place he has called 'home' for over 30 years. Being as it may, Bronson never killed anyone but yet was still fierce in his brutality towards those he did attack but would normally present a more poignant reason for it e.g. the film's climax which involves him taking an art teacher (James Lance) hostage but using him as part of an art project to display his taste in art, beautifully orchestrated by the use of classical music.

As discussed before, director Refn clearly makes the film as a homage to A Clockwork Orange through many devices; Bronson's taste for ultra violence and classical music which is similar to Alex in Kubrick's classic, the inclusion of dark colours in a gritty environment and the law abiding steps Bronson has to take when back in society. The music especially adds to the beauty of the film's hallucinating atmosphere especially in the mental asylum sequences but also modern music including Pet Shop Boys. Technically the film is well shot to add the grim effect of life not just in prison but outside of it as well, the use of shadows to hide Bronson during the stand-up scenes and when bloodied resembles Colonel Kurtz's first scene from APOCALYPSE NOW (1979) to add to the mystery that surrounds his body language and it also gives a claustrophobic feel to how he could cope in such closed down spaces for over three decades. Negatively the film does suffer through simple holes in the story that are not proper focused on such as not focusing on whether Bronson had bothered to see whether his child had actually grown up over the years, the more actual reasons for his re-arrest halfway in the film that was because he wanted to show a more personal reason for being back in society and the unknown support cast which struggles to better Hardy's phenomenal performance that completely overshadows them. However as a storming biopic, it is an impressive first major film for Refn in mainstream terms, technically well made and further boosted by the impulsive role delivered by Tom Hardy that has been rewarded with upcoming Hollywood films including INCEPTION (2010) and MAD MAX (2010). For Bronson himself, Britain's most violent criminal, he himself can be pleased with how the film focused on his harsh environment but presenting himself as the celebrity he wanted to become, but not the one most people would associate with!

TOY STORY 3 (2010) - 5 STARS

The Toys are back in town!"

In most circumstances with a film franchise, there are many who believe that a 'third' film in a franchise simply doesn't work e.g. THE GODFATHER PART III (1990), SHREK THE THIRD (2007), SPIDERMAN 3 (2007) but then there are the rare few 'third' films that have worked in cinema in the greatest retrospective including INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE (1989), RETURN OF THE KING (2003) and yes even SCARY MOVIE 3 (2003) who have all succeeded with gaining popularity with critics and audiences. However when Pixar announced plans to make a third Toy Story film, there were some who doubted that they could pull it off. This came from the same uncertain people who thought that TOY STORY 2 (1999) wouldn't work either after the first one was such a colossal hit yet they were proved wrong by its charming story and its more poignant themes e.g. Jessie's story. However Pixar's gigantic movie-developing empire just doesn't seem like it will be stopping anytime soon after Toy Story 3's release last week and having dragged myself out of bed on Sunday morning to watch it with the family, it certainly was a riveting experience that alongside my viewings of the LORD OF THE RINGS films and THE DARK KNIGHT (2008) will never be forgotten. Toy Story 3 is a marvelous, emotionally-charged, hilarious and solid installment of film mastery by Pixar that once again excites audiences young and old to enjoy another epic adventure with Woody, Buzz and the rest of the gang! When you first see the familiar Pixar logo of the live-action lampshade bouncing up and down on top of the letter 'I', the gentle warmth is acknowledged by us knowing that we are heading into familiar territory and that is demonstrated even further by the cracking opening action scene of the film where Woody (Tom Hanks) and Jessie (Joan Cusack) are trying to stop Mr and Mrs Potato Head (Don Rickles and Estelle Harris) from crashing a train into a quarry below and with the help of Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), they attempt to thwart the Potato couple leading to an epic showdown involving a giant Rex (Wallace Shawn), Slinky (Blake Clark) as an electric grid, Hamm (John Ratzenburger) as the dastardly pig in the sky and thousands of red stick monkeys. 

 Of course, the reality is that the toy's young owner Andy (John Morris) is playing with them with the usual toy battles that have been set up dramatically by Andy in his younger years. Then as expected, the upbeat Randy Newman music appears in yet another classic montage (another successful technique used in Pixar films) with several images showing the familiar faces being played with by Andy as the song "You've Got A Friend With Me" is used once again until it eventually drowns out abruptly just after the lyric "A friendship will never die", showing that times are about to change for the toys. Their owner Andy is now seventeen and is preparing to go to college, and finds himself in a predicament that so many young people heading towards their adult years have to go through when it comes to taking sacrifices with childhood memories and possessions. The storyline for all three Toy Story films does share similar plot lines in fearing the possibility of being discarded and unwanted when one turns old, or to obsess with the thought of being forgotten and unappreciated, and sometimes always comes with a distance to conquer. Over the years since the end of Toy Story 2, it is clear that many toys have had to be given up or being thrown away, including Wheezy, Sketch, The Green Army soldiers and quite surprisingly Bo Peep. However this had potentially been the difficult decision as well for the producers and writers of the film in order to introduce new characters that could become popular with young audiences hence the changes. Of course, the usual suspects have survived as well as the three-eyed alien triplets, Bullseye and Barbie (Jodi Benson who voiced Ariel in The Little Mermaid) and they all believe their time has come to be thrown out as garbage. Woody thinks otherwise though he is be taken to college with Andy leaving the other toys to be left in the attic. Andy's own sister Molly has even outgrown the toys while their pet dog Buster is too old and overweight to run anymore. However a mix-up involving Andy's mother sees the rest of the toys accidentally placed in the trash and although they get out they decide enough is enough and choose to be taken to the Sunnyside Daycare Centre where they hear that the young children there will play for them for a long time. Woody too hitches a ride with them to the centre where they are unveiled to the current ones situated in the place as "new toys"! 

They are greeted by the new toys who are led by the chief toy of the place Lotso (Ned Beatty) but Sunnyside Daycare Centre proves harder then expected for Buzz and the rest of the gang when the kids who roam the place are young but wild as they throw the toys around and leave them shaken. Things then become more sinister when it emerges that Lotso and the other chief toys are controlling of the place, turning Buzz against the others through fiddling with his batteries and having the other toys locked in baskets (representing prison cells). This is when the film turns into a cross between THE GREAT ESCAPE (1963) and THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION (1994), but nonetheless becomes an instant thrill-ride with Woody attempting to break the gang out of the place and attempt to reunite with Andy before he is due to leave, however there are obstacles on the way that become highly charged and effectively an emotional roller-coaster ride.

The final fifteen minutes prove that theory right and Pixar has always succeeded with beautifully emotional moments that can make a grown man cry such as Jessie's story in Toy Story 2, Wall-E's playback of the Hello Dolly romantic music in WALL-E (2008) and obviously the opening montage in UP (2009). However when the lives of those group of characters in the Toy Story films are placed in startling danger (no major spoilers here), we are placed on the edge of our seats by the possible consequences that are about to happen and whether they can survive, with a superb moment of friendship and togetherness being displayed through that particular moment. The final scene too, is emotionally tough especially for those who can't bring themselves to part with things they have cherished from their younger years but that adds to the realistic theme that Pixar has orchestrated since their first short back in the 1980's. To analyze the film in perspective, the story is truly entertaining and I really hope that many audiences young and old have enjoyed it. Normally reviewing voice acting isn't a major thing with more bigger film critics but again the use of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen as well as the other voice actors again add emotion and strength about each other that they have clearly displayed over the past fifteen years. Ned Beatty as Lotso is a breath of fresh air with his gentlemanly manners but dark background while Timothy Dalton and Pixar favorite Bonnie Hunt also play their roles to perfection and even John Morris who played Andy in the other two films gives more compassion to him as a young adult who struggles to give up the possessions that have been part of his life. Michael Keaton however deserves a lot of credit for the way he settles into his character Ken, who despite his good looks is clearly presented as metro sexual and you can tell he enjoys playing him in an exaggerated and feminine way. Many funny moments dominate the film as well such as the clapping monkey, Mr Potato Head becoming a tortilla (reminding me of Peter Griffin having a stroke in Family Guy), the ending credits and of course, Spanish Buzz Lightyear! Plus the Big Baby doll is just too cute even if a little creepy!

If there is something wrong with the film, then it is only minor. The Lotso character though given a reasoning behind his sinister side and produces a couple of moments of pure evil but is almost too similar to Skinky Pete from Toy Story 2 with wanting independence of being a leader and even gets a familiar exit while there is a cool cameo from another Toy Story villain with Sid but in my opinion could have been made better e.g. him seeing the toys alive again. And there is the 3D side which really doesn't add much too the film's visual splendor and is spectacular to watch even as a 2D film on your I-POD (though something I haven't always agreed with). Aside those minuses however, the story-arc is mesmerizing and action-driven and the climax is a perfect way to end the Toy Story trilogy which has entertained us with memorable moments and delightful characters which will carry on for many generations to come. A magnificent trilogy which has been a journey to infinite and beyond!

My Favourite Film Of All Time - #1 - THE DARK KNIGHT (2008) *****

"Welcome to a world without rules"

Having officially opened my film criticism blog with Christopher Nolan's heist epic INCEPTION (2010), I decided to begin a Best Of My Favourite Films series with perhaps Nolan's best film, THE DARK KNIGHT. High expectations were made back in 2007 when production began on the film following the critical success of Nolan's first edition of the Batman franchise, BATMAN BEGINS (2005). It had helped revive the series eight years after Joel Schumacher's BATMAN AND ROBIN (1997) had flopped. What Begins did right was take away the comical and colourful outlook of the previous films and instead opting for a more gritty tone as well as being backed up by a consistent script by Nolan's younger brother Jonathan. The new-look cast including Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman had also attracted mass crowds with not many people expecting to see these established actors in a superhero film. But its status as the best Batman film wasn't to last long....

In this installment of the franchise, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) continues to tackle the thugs of Gotham City from committing crimes as his alter-ego Batman which leads to the mobsters backing down. Gotham's protection is made more assured by the recent appointment of district attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) who joins forces with Batman and Lt. Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) to keep Gotham at peace. Unfortunately as the last scene in Batman Begins teased, a new villain is in town. This individual is of course, The Joker (played in maniacal and riveting form by the late Heath Ledger) who pulls no punches but does produce many tricks that associate with his representation. Watch his pencil trick moment and you can't help but applaud the sheer genius of Ledger's portayal of the character. The Joker's aim is to cause mayhem in the city e.g. going through many of the major cops and attempting to assassinate the major of Gotham in the parade sequence. He is a crazed man which he wouldn't admit in the film but is clearly disturbed with Ledger having based his role as the Joker on Alex DeLarge in Stanley Kubrick's A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971). The haunting performance by Ledger, months after his tragic death from a drug overdose earlier that year made him become acclaimed as well as even emulating Jack Nicholson's superb OTT role as the same character in Tim Burton's version of BATMAN (1988). This was further added by how loved he was particularly in Hollywood which saw him storm through the awards seasons before comfortably winning the Best Supporting Actor Oscar, picked up by his family and being the perfect end to Ledger's career, so tragically lost at a young age who was able to be remembered for his talent.

Nonetheless in the film, The Joker's significant aim is to confront Batman and attempt to defuse him with repetitive sayings and wanting to make him break rules such as finally revealing his true identity. As Michael Caine's character Alfred says to Bruce Wayne later in the film, some men just want to watch the world burn, a case in which Joker does not want it all for wealth but to see society tear itself apart. Bruce's conscience about finishing his role as Batman is further pushed by his love for his childhood friend Rachel (Maggie Gyllenhaal) who is dating Harvey Dent. She persists in Bruce giving up the Batman duty but following a tragic twist in the film, he then realises that he has to go very far to try and avenge the situation and stop the Joker from creating more tyranny. However complications are made when Dent who has helped Batman throughout the film is brainwashed by the Joker to take vengeance on those responsible for this same incident which has now seen him scarred and earning the nickname 'Two-Face', this forcing him to confront cops including Gordon in the build-up to the film's climax. And after the film's bittersweet ending with Batman having to go on the run from the police only adds to the internal struggle and sacrifices that he has to take in order to avoid having one character's reputation being damaged, as Gordon tells his son in the epilogue about him being a dark knight.

What Christopher Nolan gets right with this sequel is that from when the trailer of the film was first released to the Oscar success for Ledger, the hype surrounding this film became uncontrollable and thus made it become of the great sequels of recent times just like EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and GODFATHER PART II. Firstly the acting side is beneficial and having spent a large paragraph in awe of Ledger's performance, kudos must also go to Aaran Eckhart who is almost as good with his role as a major figure in Gotham threatened by The Joker before he too is corrupted by the depths of society through his transformation to Two-Face. Gary Oldman also adds warmth to his reprisal as Jim Gordon whose role in trying to protect Gotham is also in endangered when Two-Face takes his family hostage. Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman are not given much to do in the film other than lend advice to Bruce Wayne with his attempts to save Gotham but their acting experience is key to the film's appeal to great actors being in the franchise. If there is slight criticism towards the film for me was Bale's gruff attempt to make Batman sound intimidating but as I pointed out with the Batman Begins part, it doesn't deter the secrecy of Wayne's character, while Maggie Gyllenhaal, while a talented and underrated actress doesn't really add much to what Katie Holmes did in the first film, hence my belief that Emily Blunt or Rachel McAdams would have been better casted in the role.

From the very first shot of this film, Wally Pfster's glorious camera set-up (perfection to watch in the IMAX) shows us a shining building in Gotham City which within a few seconds, lets off a small explosion that introduces us to the henchmen of the film's villain who most people (including my fellow long-suffering uni film buffs) wouldn't miss a mile off. The first several minutes puts the audience through an exhilarating focus on these henchmen attempting to pull off the perfect heist in a major bank but despite their success in getting things done in order, they end up bumping each other off before the introduction of The Joker himself. That becomes the pinnacle for what we are about to watch for the next two hours and fifteen minutes. The film is gloriously shot in dark visual beauty to highlight the grittiness of the film's setting and does well not to use much CGI to make it more action-packed. Many scenes steal the film such as the exhilarating freeway sequence with the truck spinning in the air, the crucial set-up from the Joker to put pressure on Batman involving two ships with innocent people on one ship and dangerous criminals on the other (which one to save and which one to destroy) and the prison cell encounter where both minds go head to head in stirring dialogue and physical confrontation. It is also cleverly edited to add to the fast-flowing tension of the film's dynamic story which adds to the quality in which it is made, while Hans Zimmer's musical score shared with James Newton Howard gives a stirring advantage of also highlighting the tension of the film e.g. the Joker gatecrashing Bruce Wayne's party.

 Overall The Dark Knight truly is a modern masterpiece that excites and wows those who watch it, from beginning to end, it makes us appreciate the superhero genre even more and gives a dark feel to how we can enjoy an action film without the CGI spectacle but having to be in awe of the characters, the acting, the technicality of it and the set-pieces. I watched it twice in the cinema, the first time at the IMAX with my dad on the opening day and we, as well as the rest of the young audience were captivated by its sheer splendor, it is one of the most quotable films possible and if a third film is eventually made then it will hopefully show that the dawn is coming with how masterful it will be. It will certainly put smiles on a lot of people's faces!

INCEPTION (2010) - 4 STARS

"Never recreate from your memory. Always imagine new places"

'The dream is real' was the tag line accompanying the title of Christopher Nolan's mind-boggling and surreal masterpiece which enables those who watch it to realize how the mind can become involved in a crossroads through what we can imagine in our dreams. From the very start, Nolan's plot (written by himself as well) opens up the film through introducing us to the methods of which, our dreams can be formed together and extracted as Leonardo Di-Caprio's character Cobb finds himself with in his profession. The world itself is futuristic and it allows technology to enter the human mind through the mind being invaded. Cobb is a highly skilled thief who enters people's dreams and extracts them in order to create semi-consensus and to allow these dreams to become reality. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible-Inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists have to pull off the reverse: their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one. If they succeed, it could be the perfect crime.

Cobb forms his team of specialists to help him with a task considered impossible, assisted in the film's beginning by naive Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and defiant but suspicious Saito (Ken Watanabe). However Cobb himself holds the key to succeeding with this mission but he is a complicated character who from the opening scene, can be seen as having a dark past and is eager to get the job done but ends up recollecting with guilt about the mysterious death of his wife Mal (Marion Cotillard) who was also a dream thief. This guilt stops Cobb from trying to forget the circumstances surrounding her death and instead affects his job of trying to complete this task so he can be reunited with his two children. As the film progresses Cobb is also able to hire student Ariadne (Ellen Page), who becomes a key catalyst with discovering more about Cobb's past, Eames (Tom Hardy of BRONSON fame) and businessman Robert Fishcher (Cillian Murphy) who holds the key with trying to take part in the dream-within-a-dream-within a dream method that holds the story together. The group come across several paradox situations which threaten to complicate the mission through the visual and surreal spectacle of the film including an imaginary freight train which barges through traffic in one of the alternative dreams in Cobb's mind, the gravity inducing fight between Arthur and a group of projective agents and the best visual part of the film, the three way dreams coming to an end in such visual amazement.

As stated earlier, there is a great sense of familiarity about Di-Caprio's character and his personal predicament that is recognizable with another one of his films released earlier this year; Martin Scorsese's psychological drama SHUTTER ISLAND, where his role as Teddy Daniels shows him as another complicated man with an even darker past that also involves other family members. That was one particular feeling I thought which denied this film the perfect five stars being that the central character's background is almost too similar to Scorsese's film. This being further complicated by the lack of major sympathy towards Cobb and Mal's relationship while nothing is really drawn out more about Cobb's children. However Di-Caprio's star persona continues to get better and this being his first major action film since TITANIC (1997) has enabled him to gain more various roles whether it be action or drama. Ellen Page also adds naivety to her role which despite the bizarre name is still able to add her maturity to the character and show that she too, can move away from teenage girls films. The secrecy around Cotillard's character doesn't detract the beauty of the French Oscar-winning actress who adds trauma and complacency to her character. Gordon-Levitt is also another actor able to vary his roles and is continuing to become one of Hollywood's rising stars where his commitment to helping Cobb's team is proven. Small roles for Michael Caine, Pete Postlewaithe and a first major film role in years for Platoon's Tom Berenger also add experience to the film's terrific cast accompanied by the productive writing of Christopher Nolan. 

Once again Nolan has come up trumps with his surreal phenomenon adding to the successes of his crime drama MEMENTO (2001) which also messes with the mind and of course the two recent Batman films which if assisted by a third film may feature a couple of actors from this film that will continue Nolan's strategy of casting well known and talented people to his films. Hans Zimmer's music also deserves praise for its brass but thumping score that sets up the tone for digging deep into the mind. Come the ending of Inception, there is a more satisfying feeling about the ending though like Shutter Island, has a climax which leaves the audience to decide whether it's real or not. The choice as to whether we can remember our dreams will surely become a factor for us upon watching this and if we can even think of what was going on in the dreams we had last night, it would be hard for us to think where to start......

Welcome to the Movie Blog!

After years of hard work at school and at university, the time has come for me to start a blog for film in order to try and vary my options when it comes to being a film critic in the near future, I intend to write reviews of films I've watched as well as lists of the films I've seen and the categories that I'll place them in soon as possible.

I shall try to advertise my film blog on other sites including FACEBOOK to try and gain followers.

May the force be with you!