LONDON BOULEVARD (2010) - 3 STARS

"Not every criminal wants to be one"

Having been involved with the critically acclaimed Oscar winning film THE DEPARTED (2006), writer turned director William Monahan has gone with trying to recreate a film of that grittiness and taking it to England with LONDON BOULEVARD, the final result being a decent but modest crime thriller. Essentially it is just another film involving crime in London but this time featuring a strong cast including Colin Farrell, Ray Winstone and the always consistent Keira Knightley alongside a foul mouthed script and a brutal narrative.   

Recently released convict Mitchell (Colin Farrell) is brought back to his familiar territory in the violent streets of London and straight away is back in business with partner Billy (Ben Chaplin). It is clear that Mitchell wants to steer away from crime and instead be more helpful towards others which comes when he chases a couple of thugs away from a young woman. She ends up meeting him at a party and recommends that he should work for her friend, reclusive film actress Charlotte (Keira Knightley) who has kept herself away from the paparazzi by staying indoors all the time. Mitchell gets the job of protecting her and is supported by another helper Jordan (David Thewlis) in trying to ensure that she isn't intimidated by the press. However away from Charlotte, Mitchell tries to find out who was responsible for the death of his friend, a dosser, and gets Billy to ask round. But when the leading figure in the London underworld, Mr Gant (Ray Winstone) comes looking to place Mitchell high up in his crime organization, he must find a way to refuse the advances of such a dangerous man, while also protecting those closest to him while at the same time growing closer to Charlotte as she seeks a way out.

When this film went into production, it seemed like it would be a British version of SUNSET BLVD (1950), but clearly I was proved wrong by the way it was made more like THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY (1980). It does prove to be a promising first effort for Monahan, and while the film contains flaws, which you expect from a first-time director plying his trade, it is also an engaging gangster drama which is also smartly written. The writing is clever on occasions including the dialogue between Mitchell and Gant though also shocking on occasions e.g. Jordan's comparison of Charlotte with Monica Belucci. Monahan also manages to get the cast to all deliver in their own manner though they are either effective or wasted. For the first couple of scenes, Colin Farrell's middle-class cockney accent comes across as forced, but once he settles into the role, his performance takes limelight as a cynical criminal with some heart. His brash use of violence, and utter respect and protection of friends and family, provides a conflict within Mitchell that he constantly battles throughout the film. Knightley makes her big screen comeback as Charlotte and does a good job despite only being in several big scenes. Her story with regards to the paparazzi is very ironic for her real life personna of being stalked by them in recent years and that seems to make her involvement in the film more of a biopic reflection. Ray Winstone never puts a foot wrong, but his role becomes predictable and uninteresting, especially since every other word out of his cockney mouth is mostly volatile. Monahan really missed a trick, by failing to provide Winstone's character with any further depth having worked with him in The Departed. David Thewlis and Ben Chaplin give great performances as the hippy, wannabe actor and scared, low-level gangster respectively though Chaplin's character got annoying towards the film's climax while the lovely Anne Friel's role as thieving and childish sister of Mitchell is clinical but not the most sympathetic female character.

 

With the film's flaws it has to be said that the film and its story feels rushed. The sub-plot of Mitchell's old friend Joe and Mitchell's subsequent attempts to find out who is responsible is an adequate story that is supposed to accompany the main narrative but neither Monahan's direction nor his screenplay seem to follow it to any decisive conclusion. It seems that sub-plot is simply included to allow the irony of the ending and provide a twist which the film itself certainly does not need. He also seems to be tipping his hat towards Guy Ritchie in style of the visuals, soundtrack and occasional attempts at humour. It's a rarity when a film could be said to be too short, but one way London Boulevard could have been improved is an extra 45 minutes or so to pay attention to its many details.The minor characters including Eddie Marsan, Stephen Graham and The Kumar's Sangeev Bhasker aren't given nearly enough time to do anything and was a wasted opportunity for them to do something. However for Monahan, while this doesn't live up to the hype of The Departed, it does deliver in its own ways and seems to be harshly reviewed by others though it should get more support from audiences who love their crime films. The Brits mostly do them best!

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART ONE (2010) - 5 STARS

"Part 1 Of The Epic Finale"

The final Harry Potter film has finally arrived....well half of it anyway. But never fear, for this is the best one of them all (pending on how Part Two holds up) as the wizardry franchise nears its end. I was treated to the film during a late night showing and was left mesmerized by how dark and adventurous this edition was, as we are slowly but surely bidding farewell to one of cinema's most successful and imaginative franchises. The franchise, like Harry Potter himself, has grown and matured as the years (and films) progress. Part I of the Deathly Hallows is ultimately a strong build- up to what will be a triumphant, bittersweet finale for everybody. In fact when you do think back to HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE (2001), you forget how different the young actors were and how innocent the story was, but as the films have gone one, the dark element has proved why these later films have earned a lot more credibility than at the start of the franchise.

 

Following on from the previous film involving the death of Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gamdon), 

Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and his friends Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) know that their only hope is to find and destroy the Horcruxes before their enemy Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) restores his full powers by killing Harry.Voldemort's task is to track down Dumbledore's wand and use it to gain control of the wizardry world and starts this by sending Death-Eaters and Snatchers into the Muggle world, killing the mudbloods with the assistance of witch sidekick Bellatrix (Helena Bonham Carter). After gaining help from the Order of the Phoenix which includes Mad-Eye Moody (Brendan Gleeson) and Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) in a thrilling ariel chase sequence, Harry knows his mission is to find the Horcruxes and gets the help from Ron and Herminone. They head on an epic quest across the country in which they find themselves in London's busy streets, trying to claim one of the Horcruxes from former nemesis Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) at the Ministry of Magic, trekking through many fields and forests and then  learning about the Deathly Hallows (explaining what the title of the book/film meant) which are crucial to Harry's quest to overcome Voldemort. However many dangers threaten the objective not only from Voldemort but from each other as the pressure of the task takes its toll, but the long-term association between the trio must hold its own in order to save the wizardry world from evil.

Right from the very start, when the Warner Bros logo appears, this film feels different. The colours are gray, the sound is low and even the famous theme from John Williams seems to have given way to a much darker tone. It doesn't even feel like a Harry Potter film anymore. It makes the first two films from Chris Colombus feel like they are from a whole different universe. You get the impression this is THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK of the franchise, setting itself up for the storming finale in July 2011. David Yates' direction is he captures the actors and actually makes them seem mature and realistic without coming off as forced. Screenwriter Steve Kloves doesn't forget to add the mood and gloom to the story as it slowly unfolds, but like other Potter films he adds some light humor to the film when it needs it. This proves a key with making this not only a visual spectacle, but also a character-driven ensemble as proven by its stunning British cast (try getting John Hurt, Alan Rickman, Ralph Fiennes, Brendan Gleeson, David Thewlis, Michael Gambon, Helena Bonham Carter, Imelda Staunton, Jason Isaacs and Bill Nighy in the same film again). Alexandre Desplat's score also makes a difference, as it literally puts you into the world with its beautiful, harmonious, and emotional tones. Thanks to the decision to split the final book into two films, Yates doesn't hurry through these scenes. Instead, he allows the audience to experience the frustration, jealousy and uncertainty of his characters, and allows for Radcliffe, Watson and Grint to display some fine acting with the lack of distraction from any visual effects.

Radcliffe makes every scene his own, and makes us laugh and gasp and cry if he wants to. His transmission of emotion when a certain character dies is breathtaking. Watson shows growth in her acting and seems confident than ever while Grint shows some growth in his acting too by the emotional scenes given. Fiennes conducts the foul-faced Voldemort with such terror and theatrical charisma; he's assured to earn a seat in the category of cinema's greatest villains with Carter also menacing as Bellatrix. Both Bill Nighy and Rhys Ifans make their debuts in the franchise but only make brief roles (the latter's more significant) while the likes of Rickman, Staunton, Isaacs and Hurt also contribute in their own way. In many parts it is thrilling, as there are quite a number of intense action sequences which are done with well-made visual effects. However, the action sequences are perfectly blended in with the gripping, dramatic moments. They don't feel heavy handed and it's beautiful to look at.  The additional time for the film also turns out to be a blessing for fans and audiences, allowing them the opportunity to see their favourite supporting characters back on screen- most importantly of course Dobby the Elf who returns to give the movie a touching finale. The inclusion of the animated sequence about the origins of the Deathly Hallows is an absolute masterclass and very beautiful to both watch and listen, a very good bonus to those who never read the book but get given the specific details here.

There is a sense of isolation and loss which plays out in the middle stretch in the film which may be tedious for some impatient viewers particularly young children who expect to see magical action scenes. The darkness of the film may put parents off taking their children especially the scenes of Voldemort's pet snake which attacks Harry is an edge of your seat moment. Of course, the main factor for the film's problem is again, the decision to cut certain scenes or take away the emotional impact of certain key moments (the death of a couple of key characters early in the film are only briefly mentioned and forgotten straight away). This is a shame considering the decision to half the book into two films but still you get your entertainment's worth from what's in this film and the addition of new scenes including Harry and Hermione dancing are beautifully done. As we conclude, Harry Potter is a phenomenon, not even Twilight will overcome it. But, like all things, it most come to an end eventually. This is the beginning of the end, and fans wouldn't have it any other way.

ANOTHER YEAR (2010) - 4 STARS

In the past twenty years, no British director has made such gritty and compelling films about the downturns of British society as Mike Leigh has. Since his majestic adaptation of ABIGAIL'S PARTY to the small screen almost forty years ago, he has made some strong powerful films that reflect the struggles that his characters go through with their everyday lives and the situations they get into. But perhaps his biggest accomplishment has been getting the best out of his main female performers who each play different types of roles whether they be happy, depressed or just a typical person. Once again he has pulled it off with another marvelous piece of film-making that combines grimness with subtle humor through ANOTHER YEAR (2010), which plays over four different time periods in a year focusing on the same family and their friends who go through many trials and tribulations. All this done in typical British fashion with the kitchen-sink element evident here again in a film close to Leigh's heart.

Set during the four seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter), the film introduces us to devoted middle-aged couple Tom (Jim Broadbent) and Gerri (Ruth Sheen) who have been happily married for many years and both have decent jobs as well as a thirty year old son named Joe (Oliver Maltman) who works away. In the first segment we are introduced to the careers of the three family members with Gerri having the tough job of giving councilor advice to depressed people. However one person who is depressed but isn't looked at is her colleague Mary (Lesley Manville), who is also middle-aged but unlike Gerri, she is mostly lonely with no husband or children, lives in a small flat and is an alcoholic. She yearns the attention of Tom and Gerri which is evident from her first visit to their house and is secretly bitter about how their lives have played out. In the Summer segment, Tom's childhood friend Ken (Peter Wight) visits the family for a barbecue but like Mary he too is an alcoholic but his reasons are more obvious as he feels alienated from the current generation and misses the good old days in which most of his friends are now dead. Mary again though is clingy to the family and also has feelings for Joe despite being seen as more like an auntie. That factor is more distressing for her in the Autumn period where Joe finally gains a girlfriend in kooky but happy Katie (Karina Fernandez) who is welcomed by the family but Mary is left bitter about the romance. Concluding the year through the winter story sees the family attend the funeral of Tom's sister-in-law who was married to his brother Ronnie (David Bradley) but the day is overshadowed by Ronnie's son Carl (Martin Savage) not caring about the tragedy. But the point of the overall film suggests that Tom and Gerri can keep supporting their despairing friends, yet knowing at the same time that their married happiness can only serve to mock their friends' lonely lives further.

The film is a story of growing old with the small events that can make life either comforting or unbearable but also allow companionship from others. The four different seasons of the film point towards a growing anxiety that it may in fact be too late for these lost characters e.g. Mary, Ken while the circular nature of the structure suggests that there is no real hope for those left unloved and lonely at the film's conclusion. All of life is there too from birth (Gerri's colleague having a baby) to a funeral (Ronnie's wife) and marriage associated with long-term e.g. Tom and Jerri and future bliss (Joe and Katie). Typically Leigh always seems to get the best out of his actors, with the women standing out better as they truly own the film. Ruth Sheen portrays Gerri as comforting with those feeling depressed around her but is also secretly irritated with her friend Mary's miserable personality and that type of role seems to suit Sheen. The main acclaim deserves to go to regular collaborator Lesley Manville who is perhaps the complete all round female character that Leigh wanted. There is a mixture of Cynthia (SECRETS AND LIES), Vera (VERA DRAKE) and Poppy (HAPPY-GO-LUCKY) about Mary who tries to make herself feel happy and is attractive for her age but is clearly suffering the wasted opportunity that she couldn't take when she was younger unlike Gerri. Her facial expressions tell it all too from her disappointment of seeing a random man at a bar who she plans to chat-up embracing his younger girlfriend to her reaction of being seen as an auntie figure to Joe who she clearly admires. Award recognition deserves to go to her no question having starred in other Leigh roles. Nevertheless the men always contribute in their own compassionate way adding to how great the cast in Leigh's films are. Jim Broadbent's Tom is charming and confident in his own happiness yet feels aggrieved at the failure of his friend Ken who struggles to come to terms with growing old. Ken is played by Wight with such devastation and fear of aging that pays dividend when he tearfully recalls seeing something which reminded him of his late friend. David Bradley also contributes another effective role as the silent individual who struggles to see sense following his wife's death. In Mike Leigh's world some characters never get happy endings and this is thanks to Leigh's cracking script as well as a haunting musical score which will probably be overshadowed by the brutality of the film.

But like most British films, you can tell when it tends to drag on. It requires a lot of patience to watch something which requires slow, quiet scenes with many silences and awkward moments which stretched a bit too far such as Mary's conversation with Ronnie which seemed to slow the process of it down. I also felt that Leigh's treatment of Mary by Tom and Gerri as little more than a baby was very degrading. She is never allowed to help with anything, though this does not excuse her, at times, appalling behaviour which is clearly rude on occasions but the irritated expression on the couple's face when she invites herself round for tea (near the end) is a little selfish on her behalf. And having watched Leigh's multi-Oscar nominated SECRETS AND LIES (1996) recently, I was hoping from some of the hype that this film would be more raw and tragic which in some ways it was, but I felt more sadness watching Jack Duckworth's death on Coronation Street the other night then I did with this. But many people particularly older than 30 will sympathise with the story and understand that like the characters they too can find themselves in circumstances that leave them fearing ageism. A gloomy story by Mike Leigh and fabulous performances from Broadbent, Sheen and of course Manville proves another year, another great British film!

THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT (2010) - 3 STARS

"Nic and Jules had the perfect family, until they met the man who made it all possible"

Ever since the acclaimed success of Ang Lee's BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (2005), Hollywood seems to have now accepted homosexuality as a theme amongst its many films with many actors trying to play those type of roles in order to improve their method acting. But the transition of having a committed lesbian couple involved with a happy family set-up which is threatened by the presence of an alpha-male, is something that hasn't been touched upon in film but does come about with Lisa Cholodenko's quirky dramedy THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT. A film that consists of two lesbians and their two teenage kids plus their sperm donor doesn't sound like your typical family film but considering the 'indie' factor, anything is possible and provides satisfactory results.

Lesbian couple Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Julianne Moore) are happily married and have a cosy family set-up with their two teenage children; recently turned 18 year old Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and 15 year old Laser (Josh Hutcherson). Despite the bizarreness of having two mothers, the kids cope well without any attention from a father figure having been born through the use of a sperm donor. All that is about to change though, when Laser contemplates gaining contact with the donor, who turns out to be an organic food farmer/restaurant owner named Paul (Mark Ruffalo) who also has a reputation of sleeping around with other women. However both he and Joni meet up with their biological father and end up being pleased with the meeting despite its awkwardness. Ultimately they end up letting Nic and Jules know about it, and though disappointed about the kids gaining contact with Paul, the pair themselves meet him too through a dinner at their house. Their perceptions of Paul are different with Nic believing that he is full of himself and sleazy whereas Jules struggles to hide a potential attraction towards him which starts to crave something new and different in her life. The impact of Paul's involvement causes anxiety through the family as his somewhat selfish and free lifestyle influences the kids with Joni beginning to assert her independence whereas Laser starts to see himself as an individual. But it is his chemistry with Jules that only adds to the complication of whether the family unit can stay close when he's in their lives........

  

What begins as a hilarious comedy becomes increasingly dramatic as conflicts flare and distrust looms. The way the film deconstructs the average American family and presents us with what is actually a unique family that over time is becoming quite dysfunctional and threatened by a new figure. Without resorting to stereotypes, the film succeeds in making this family seem quite ordinary with the kids constantly embarrassed by their mother's emotional need for order. The confusion and awkwardness of adolescence and what the two teenage characters are going through is also shown here and they handle it as best they can in a believable and understandable way. In the acting stakes you have Annette Bening and Julianne Moore in outstanding roles. Both take lead at different points in the film, which is part of what makes Cholodenko's film so effective. Nic and Jules' screen time is balanced and both generate equal sympathy for their characters, so when conflict arises between the two, both sides are clear, and the audience sees where both characters come from. Benning's character though will have her supporters and critics with Nic being strong and likable yet definitely flawed, though the biggest difference is in the subtlety of her flaws and need to feel in charge of her kids and family. Ruffalo offers a pitch-perfect portrayal of Paul, with his roguish magnetism and charm generating audience support for an ultimately unlikable character. Wasikowska shows how much range she has right off of her turn as Alice in Tim Burton's ALICE IN WONDERLAND (2010), and it's quite a drastic shift from that film where she was overwhelmed by special effects and creatures and is given a little more to do dramatically. Hutcherson plays someone who does not want to take responsibility for his acts but he ends up displaying the expected transformation into someone who finally understands his mistakes very well.

There are problems with the film that take away the importance of what Cholodenko is supposed to be displaying. Though the film does well to portray the love and affection in a homosexual relationship, what starts out being about a modern gay family, suddenly becomes a heterosexual film through some graphic sex scenes involving Jules and Paul which makes this feel like a Hollywood film as the same-sex value is tarnished for the sake of having a straight man and a gay woman have sex. The ending also comes across as harsh towards Paul's character especially when he is the one person made to suffer as well while it also seems to rush too quickly. The plot sometimes dangles for a little while and then stops short, perhaps, because Cholodenko prefers to stick with her adults than the kids e.g. Laser's complicated friendship with his selfish mate ends suddenly in the middle of the film. Of course this film does belongs in independent cinema. It isn't a spectacle because the story isn't. There isn't a wasted line and the issues and story are dealt with maturity yet at the same time tenderness; it's never smug nor incredibly harsh. It has great respect for its characters and story because the characters are presented truthfully and honestly; we see that these characters have flaws, but they still are able to grow and mature. If THE SOCIAL NETWORK had the best adapted screenplay of the year, than Kids Are All Right certainly has the best original screenplay of the year (so far). The film's greatest strength is its screenplay which despite a dissatisfactory ending proves it is certainly 'alright'.