Behind the Candelabra

Back in June the big production houses passed up on a gem of a film due to it's subject matter. However, HBO got their hands on it and boy did it pay off! With the overall look of a Hollywood production (minus the funding), Behind the Candelabra is a gloriously glitzy narrative through and through. Once again, director Steven Soderbergh who brought us the likes of the iconic Oceans Eleven and the more recently Side Effects, provides us with a fabulously executed film. 

Liberace - a man who was hiding the obvious truth that he was gay; hiding behind the candelabra and certainly his piano. Not to mention the outlandish and eccentric wardrobe the man created for himself. Before I even mention the two leading actors, costume designer Ellen Mirojnick and her team did as much for this film as the director did. Every outfit is fantastically sparkly and true to how the man wanted to be perceived by audiences around the world.  Here we are in Las Vegas, Palm Springs. Lavish mansions, the endless flow of champagne and a man who is extremely unsure of himself. Chasing after younger men seems to be the only way to constantly reassure himself that he is still attractive to those around him (despite the colorful facade!). Scott Thorson, an aspiring veterinarian happens to find himself falling for this outrageous ensemble and ends up becoming Liberace's lover. At first it is all new suits, new cars and swanky restaurants - only later to be more than Scott  bargained for.

This intimate and interesting biopic was the perfect chance for audiences to see two top Hollywood actors really showing us what they're capable of. The talent here is endless. Not for a nano second do we doubt the intensity of their relationship as it translates on screen, both Damon (Thorson) and Douglas (Liberace) giving shockingly superb performances. The journey that Damon's character takes, from being a standard teenage boy to a man pampered and practically a play thing for Liberace to mold, is just extraordinary. Jealously over takes their fairy-tale friendship, until the spark is non existent. Having Scott Thorson himself working with the writers, really shows on screen. You feel the good times and most importantly the pain that both men went through to hide their sexuality. With great music, ideal locations and performances that exceed expectations (including the supporting cast) Behind the Candelabra is a must see. Behind the Candelabra is now available on Blu ray and DVD - grab a copy and enjoy the wonders of Liberace.

Directed by Steven Soderbergh
118 mins (2013) 15 

Prisoners

Gritty, violent, ruthless - Prisoners. Leading man Hugh Jackman (X-Men, The Prestige) stars in this crime thriller that will have you biting your nails from the first ten minutes.

When two young girls go missing during Thanksgiving dessert, something that has been hiding in plain sight comes to the surface. Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal: Zodiac, Donnie Darko) with his immaculate track record is assigned to the case, fighting day and night to unravel what appears to be much more than just kidnapped children. As the plot thickens, fueling a deeper investigation, Keller Dover (Jackman) shows us exactly how far he would go to save his child. Taking matters into his own hands, much to the disgust of neighbor Franklin Birch (Terrence Howard) things get a bit out of hand - so powerful that we start to question our own morality. How far would you go to save someone you loved?

French director Denis Villeneuve brings a fresh and inventive feel to Prisoners. Considering this guy has only done a handful of feature length films, he really illustrates what he can do and I for one, hope to see his name on screen in the future. The direction is simple but beautifully effective. Undoubtedly, credit is due to Jackman and Gyllenhaal, who both bring outstanding depth and personality to their characters. After witnessing Les Miserables earlier this year, audiences around the world were in awe of the action man, Wolverine's performance and yet again, here he brings that same emotive, soul-touching performance. Interestingly, Gyllenhaal was awarded with Best Supporting Actor at the Hollywood Film Festival, but the calibre of this film is sure to sway festivals in the near future. 

After such popular dramas as CSI, Dexter and the latter day The Killing, we have become accustomed to such dark and sinister detective work and Prisoners doesn't hold back. It really hits home. Being a lengthy 2 hrs 33 minutes, it's a tricky task for anyone to keep an audience enthralled throughout but this lives up to expectations. The only problem was that it felt like they were dwelling too much on certain plot-lines and not devoting enough time to aspects that were truly fascinating, leaving you wanting more (perhaps a positive quality?). By the by, writer Aaron Guzikowski (Contraband) doesn't just hash out the standard, cliché revelation, forcing you to think and interpret everything that was left un-answered - but it would have been nice to have been given a bit more of an insight to the deeper story. With that aside, this has to be one of the best films of 2013. The entire cast hold their own with Paul Dano (Little Miss Sunshine, Looper) deserving a mention, playing the corrupted Alex Jones with pure talent. Prisoners will be floating through your thoughts days after you have witnessed it. With intense scenes that are shocking and difficult to watch, dealing with a heavy subject matter we feel a sigh of relief as we are taken to see something as fascinating as this. I look forward to seeing what Villeneuve comes up with in his next feature - Enemy, released early next year, also starring Jake Gyllenhall. One to keep and eye out for - what a gem.

Directed by Denis Villeneuve
153mins, 15 (2013)     

Savages

Classic drug heist gone wrong...yeah, I know what your thinking. You have seen and heard it all before - but Savages brings something truly original to our screens. Director Oliver Stone, despite having an amazing track record: Platoon, Any given Sunday, Natural born killers...not to mention a few, bring us Savages. A narrative just as exhilarating as his previous successes. This drug induced trip will shock, surprise and even anger you, but is well worth sticking with. 

We are in the orange county of California and cue the quirky, serine, pot crazy Ophelia, 'O' (Blake Lively: Gossip Girl, The Town) who has not one, but two lovers - Ben, the rational one (Aaron Taylor-Johnson: Kickass, Nowhere Boy) and the complete antitheses, Chon a former Navy Seal (Taylor Kitsch: The Covenant, John Carter). They have a pretty good set up here, in this strange three way relationship - or perhaps the sheer amount of weed the three smoke is clouding their judgement? Anyway, their ideal, spaced out life gets turned upside down when they cut a deal with the wrong guys in town (Mexican drug cartels) resulting in O getting kidnapped. This becomes a brutal fight between the boys trying to get the woman they love back in one piece and a woman who will stop at nothing, Elena. Who better than to play the domineering boss than Salma Hayek (Once upon a time in Mexico, Frida), who gives at utterly convincing performance as the hard bitch who always gets what she wants. 

Mr.Stone, along with the editors and writers all deserve credit for feature. Each and every scene appears to be fantastically shot, with cuts and effects that really compliment the clever script. Having said that, these guys had a little help from Don Winslow who penned the original novel - albeit upon hearing the idea Stone immediately started plans for a feature film adaptation. And boy his choices paid off. With supporting actors such as Jon Travolta, Benicio Del Toro and Emile Hirsch all equally capable of the performances they give, contributing comedic, even slapstick value to this otherwise thick and tense plot. Quite a lengthy one, but one that deserves the time.   

Directed by Oliver Stone

132mins, 18 (2012) 

Side Effects

'Ablixa', one pill can change your life - just be prepared to deal with the consequences! Side Effects I have to say is one of the top films of this year. With a fairly Hollywood type cast, Jude Law, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Channing Tatum and Ronnie Mara, my first impressions were that this is just going to be a bit of a standard film with the names of actors carrying it. However Soderbergh proved me wrong. This is a gem with a strange Indie type feel that keeps your eyes transfixed to the screen, because if you look away even for a second you will run the risk of missing something integral.

So...the narrative revolves around depression. Deep, dark places you can't get out of, but fear not because 'Ablixa' is here to save the day supplied by Dr. Victoria Siebert (Zeta-Jones). A new drug in it's first few throws of trials but nevertheless apparently it is fit for consumption after Emily Taylor (Ronney Mara) has a tumbling breakdown and takes it to see if it would help. Well it does to a certain extent - before she starts sleep walking (or sleep cooking should I say) and oh yeah ends up committing murder. Oh spoilers alert, I am sorry! And I really don't want to give anything away as I would be spoiling it. Put it this way as the plot thickens and you become lost in the chaotic minds of the depressed, the twists and turns that part away from the initial plot will creep up on you quickly. The camera work compliments this branch away from reality making you fully aware that there is a camera and it did take a crew to make this film happen. I think we have Soderbergh to thank for that providing us with that utterly independent quality that so much cinema lacks today. Browsing through Soderbergh's work, it is evident to see how the film unfolds, with throw backs to previous work such as Ocean's Eleven (2001) and the hospitalized scenes from the more recent Contagion (2011), but by no means does this man borrow anything from his earlier constructions. Side Effects show us what he can really do. Enough about the director - Rooney Mara steals the show for me and gives her a chance to act without hiding behind all the piercings and tattoos she had in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) and equally Jude Law delivers a solid performance that he is more than capable of.

A cinematic experience that will linger - 5 out 5 in my book. 

Directed By Steven Soderbergh
106mins, 15 (2013)  

American Horror Story - Season 1

American Horror Story first came to our screens in 2011, with a story-line following a selection of characters who are directly involved in the cryptic, odd and creepy happenings in an old, haunted house.  After Vivian and Ben Harman are trying to recover from an infidelity incident they move away to try and start over - well they certainly moved to the wrong location to try and solve their problems! Don't get me wrong the house they have found is stunning but after they find out that the house has certain history that they were not warned about things start to get a little bit weird.

So where to start? We have a gay couple who were the previous owners, who were murdered in the house. The original owners were con-artists who lured young woman into the house so a practising doctor could experiment on them and then a few more families who also came to an end under the roof of this house. And not to mention the fact that everyone's ghosts are just lingering (and linger they do) around acting like they are still the owners of the house. With all of this going on, it's no wonder that after all the tormenting from these spirits that the main characters go slightly loopy. And with this only being a ten parter series, the characters go pretty crazy, pretty quickly. Despite being a psychiatrist, Ben Harman tries desperately to fabricate an excuse for all these odd things that have been happening to his family but ultimately he starts to see that there is something very wrong about what's going on. We have a house keeper who is in fact dead but still doing the cleaning, who appears to certain men as a desirable, saucily clad young woman when she is in fact an old hag and not to mention that a few of his patients he is treating who aren't actually there! If you are a horror fan, then this is definitely one to watch, it is utterly clever and original with story lines that will shock and haunt you. With brilliant performances from the entire cast - catch this one along with the second series which is arguably on par if not more impressive that the first before the third season hits our screens.

Directed by Various People
60mins, 18 (2011)

        

Cloud Atlas

'Our lives are not our own, we are bound to others past and present, and by each crime and every kindness, we birth our future' (Sonmi-451). 'Cloud Atlas' takes you on a meaningful, mesmerizing voyage through love, death, laughter and most importantly through time and space. Based on the 2004 novel by David Mitchell the film follows suit by telling the stories of six time lines; seamlessly. Yes, you heard me - six! I know what you're thinking and it is certainly a lot to take in on first watch but well worth the confusion and disappointment you feel upon trying to interpret what you see before you. 

Many have perceived the film as being far too ambitious and to some extend I can see why. I do agree that the Wachowski's (The Matrix Trilogy) took a risk by taking on such a narrative, albeit they pulled through without fail. The cast is full of sheer talent (which always helps) with the likes of Halle Berry to Jim Broadbent, not to mention Hugh Grant, Jim Sturgess, Tom Hanks and Ben Whishaw, who took on the task of this journey. Amongst all the costume and fantastic make-up and prosthetic's, everyone on screen took on each of their different roles making them their own and most of all we didn't get bored with seeing the same set of actors appear on screen. Over the course of the film we visit different years from the 70's to the distance future and are whisked to various locations around the globe (don't worry, I think we are supposed to feel left behind!), from the vastness of the South Pacific Ocean to a cannibalistic, post-apocalyptic Island; where would you believe the entire set of time-lines all fall into place. This is a complete play on the theories of past lives, the afterlife and most importantly Karma. As journalist Luisa Ray (Halle Berry) states; 'Ever think the universe is against you?' and I'm sure that most of us have felt like that at one time or another. The crux is that everything happens for a reason. With every step, every action and every word uttered they will ultimately affect the other lives that we are bound to - very interesting theory, thumbs up Mitchell (oh, not  the writers, sorry guys!). 

When I heard there were six time lines, I honestly thought it was going to be a complete disaster. Throughout the first hour I was tempted to walk out due to certain plot lines becoming tedious and almost felt as if I was being thrown around and deliberately confused while watching - and no one wants that. Then Alexander Berner the films editor saved the day providing us with perfectly timed cuts and parallel edits between different plot lines that really compliment and link each story. 'Cloud Atlas' is ruthless, comical and intelligent with an outstanding score that will linger. With some slapstick, laugh out loud moments, especially from Jim Broadbent, some teary eyed scenes and a not so Hollywood ending (without giving too much away) for half the cast I thoroughly enjoyed this, even if I was puzzled by some plot lines. Definitely one I will watch again, purely to catch everything I missed the first time round due to the sheer brilliance of such an idea  - certainly one to catch on DVD. 

Directed by the Wachowski's & Tom Tyker
172mins, 15 (2012)

Shame

I know I'm watching this one after all the hype and I was genuinely excited to finally be sitting down watching it - but what a waste of time! It really was shameful! I hear that was the message of this feature, however it's the only word that springs to mind when thinking back to what I saw on screen and trying to make sense of it. 

Tell me how long can you watch a guy battling with a sex addiction for? There was no story line, at least there was no depth to the fair and far between sub-plots that I deemed worthy of having more time devoted to them. There is only one reason (that I can see) why critics were raving about how good this was and that was down to the wise decision to cast Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan in the leading roles. The performances that were given (dare I say it) out of this world - certainly Fassbender when he wasn't getting lost in a prostitute and speaking actual words. But truly magnificent effort on both parts. This film is certainly not a light-hearted - lets put it on and save it for a rainy day type of film, this has some pretty heavy emotive content, so I guess the script gets points for that. Despite the fact I said the performances are riveting there is hardly any dialogue. Independent films such as Drive (2011) and earlier on Malick's Badlands (1973) which were equally perceived well by critics and audiences alike had minimal dialogue and also set in a complicated but romantic plot line. Films like these kind of set a trend but sadly I think Shame could have done with a bit more speech and less time under sheets. Don't get me wrong the sex scenes you see on screen were fabulously shoot. The cinematography was astounding and certainly credit goes to the editor Joe Walker for creating some very serene and slightly on the crude side but tastefully done love making. There was just something that didn't ignite that cinematic or indeed independent spark inside me - glad I watched it but won't suffer it again.

Directed by Steve McQueen
101 mins, 18 (2011)