Movie Review: Welcome to Collinwood

Director: Anthony & Joe Russo

Starring: Sam Rockwell, William H Macy, Jennifer Esposito, George Clooney

UK Release Date: 23 April 2003

Tardy Review Date: 25 February 2011

Format: DVD

This is a film I just didn't bother to watch when it first came out.  It sounded like the kind of thing I'd be interested in and I heard good things about it, but I guess I decided not to see it, or at least never got around to it.   Since then I've seen bits and pieces of it on TV and so I figured it was time to watch the whole thing properly.

It's a comedy but it's not really played for out and out laughs for the most part, having more of an indie feel, with off-beat and darker humour filtered into the downbeat surroundings.  It follows the story of a poorly organised heist, carried out by some hapless and down at heel, third rate criminals.  They're all down on their luck and poor, with no prospects or hope, so when the idea of a big money job comes along, they fall over themselves to be involved.

George Clooney was on all the posters when this came out, as I recall, but he actually plays a pretty small part, with the focus being much more on the ensemble cast.  Rockwell and Macy are predictably good but the whole cast hold together really well and play off each other to make the dialogue and plot flow nicely.

Quirky slang is thrown into the dialogue, so the perfect job is called a Bellini, while a Mullinski is someone who takes the fall for someone else.  That and the way the incompetent, disorganised gang set about the job reminded me a lot of 'Things to do in Denver when you're dead', and I guess this is like a lighter version of that film in a lot of ways.  Whilst the tone of this film may be on the darker side of comedy, it's not in the same pessimistic league as Denver, and the despair a lot of the characters express is balanced with the promise of better things down the line.

Apparently the film was a flop when it was released, which is a real shame as it's an enjoyable caper movie with strong performances all round.  Clooney's influence as a producer is tangible, with his hallmark focus on left of mainstream fair.  Maybe that's why it didn't do so well, but it's also why it works in my opinion.

Movie Review: Hot Tub Time Machine

Director: Steve Pink

Starring: John Cusack, Clark Duke, Craig Robinson, Rob Corddry

UK Release Date: 7 May 2010

Tardy Review Date: 16 February 2011

Format: Blu Ray

It's not big, it's not clever, but it's funny

This isn't the type of film I'd usually watch and I don't know what made me decide I wanted to see it.  I love comedies, but I usually prefer them to be a bit darker or more intelligent.  This is a film that tells you everything you need to know in the title and the trailer and it makes no pretence about being anything other than a silly, high concept film selling nostalgia and (hopefully) laughs.

I guess it was the obvious calls back to Back To The Future and the eighties nostalgia that tempted me, plus I'm a bit of a John Cusack fan so thought it would be worth a go.  I fully expected to watch a promising opening quickly deteriorate into dumb jokes and naff dialogue, with maybe a smirk or two but no big laughs.  What I got was a properly fun comedy that made me laugh out loud quite a few times and had a good mix of characters that kept the simple plot interesting.

The gist of it is, Cusack, Robinson and Corddry are three guys who were high-school friends in the eighties but have grown apart.  They're thrown back together when Corddry almost kills himself by leaving his car running in the garage whilst he's sat in it, drunk.  The other two are concerned it was a suicide attempt and take him to Kodiak Valley ski resort for the weekend to keep an eye on him and re-live old times, taking Cusack's nephew (Duke) with them.  Then, surprise-surprise, they travel back in time to the 80s whilst they're sat in the hot tub.

The influence from Back To The Future is strong and a the presence of Crispin Glover, who plays a bellhop destined to lose his right arm, keeps that movie in mind.  The film makers don't try to hide from the similarities, though, and elements like Robinson playing a yet-to-be-written song at a dance and Duke trying to ensure he is conceived before he disappears from existence are clear call-backs.

Corddry, as the hapless jerk Lou, is entertaining throughout and is key to keeping the laughs coming, as is the friction between him and Duke.  Both are losers from different eras and they take their inadequacies out on each other.  Cusack is the typical romantic figure who's chased status and success at the cost of his relationships, whilst Davidson is the flip-side as someone who's given up his dream in favour of settling down. In short, they all have regrets and this weekend in the past seems like the opportunity to take a second chance.

Even though many of the jokes, characters and plot are pretty obvious, I found myself enjoying this ridiculous adventure.  Some of the humour is clearly tongue in cheek and there are a few jokes that come out of left-field.  In fact I laughed more than I can remember laughing at a modern comedy for a while.  It might be silly, and it's certainly not a clever comedy, but it's not stupid either.  There are enough self-aware moments and winks at the audience to keep it fresh and even the plot isn't wholly predictable.  It might not be a total classic, or the best film I'll watch this year, but I enjoyed it and I'll happily watch it again when it pops up on TV.

Movie Review: Scum

Director: Alan Clarke
Starring: Ray Winstone, Mick Ford, Julian Firth, John Blundell
UK Release Date: 12 September 1979
Tardy Review Date: 12 February 2011
Format: DVD


A hard-hitting story of the 70s English borstal system

Scum is not the sort of film you want to watch for a little light relief.  I'd heard good things about it, and had been meaning to watch it for years, but when it arrived through the post it took me a while to put it in the player.  I knew it was going to be a dark, brutal film and that's not necessarily something you want to be watching when you're trying to relax after work.  When I did bite the bullet, though, I was glad I had.

The film is about a group of youths in the English borstal system in the late 70s.  Ray Winstone plays the main character, Carlin, a tough kid who's been moved from a different borstal for hitting one of the guards.  The story follows his rise to power in his new surroundings and, in doing so, paints a horrific picture of the way the institution is run by the authorities.

Life in the borstal is filled with violence and racism, which the guards and house master not allow to continue unpunished but positively encourage.  The guards often turn a blind eye to a beating, as this is the way control is maintained, and generally enforce their will through violence themselves.  The opening scene shows two guards questioning Carlin, threatening him, beating him up and then berating him for dropping his bedclothes as a result.  This kind of bullying is consistent throughout the film and it's clear the guards and the institution have no intention of reforming any of the boys but rather using it to give them a sense of power.  The house master positively encourages the hierarchy system, giving privileges to Carlin once he reaches the status of 'the daddy' and using him as a figurehead.

The governor makes occasional appearances as a supposedly moral figure, dishing out punishments and promoting Christianity.  His punishments, though, are based on the judgements of the guards, which we know to be spurious and suspect the governor knows this, too.  Also, his decisions about what's right or wrong seem as erratic and unfair as those of his staff.  Despite his proclamations about the importance of religion, he shows no forgiveness or signs of compassion and it seems pretty clear the borstal's violence is something he would deny, yet consciously allows to continue.

Those boys who can't cope with the tough regime and genuinely need help are ignored or, worse, punished severely by the guards.  This is where the cruelty of the regime is harshest, as they ask for help from the various staff and are coldly pushed aside or beaten up.  This leads to a few of the films toughest scenes, and yet still the men and women in charge show no signs of caring.

Winstone is obviously the key character here, and puts in a good performance, but much of the films strength comes from its ensemble cast.  I listed four of the key characters above, but I could easily have listed 20.  The young actors are particularly impressive and, without exception, give performances that are convincing and realistic.  One I have to pick out is Mick Ford who plays Archer, an intellectual inmate who tries to resist the violent system and ends up receiving more punishment than the bullies.  The adults, too, are completely believable in their roles, which makes the whole thing that much harder to bear.  The film is pervaded by a gritty realism that simply couldn't be sustained without such a strong cast.  It's easy to believe that this is how borstals operated when the film was made and, apparently, it was only allowed back on TV after the system had been reformed, which speaks volumes about the terrible truths portrayed here.

Book Review: Transition

Author: Iain Banks
First Published: September 2009
Tardy Review date: 5 February 2011


A patchwork novel that intrigues but never quite satisfies


I used to be a big Iain Banks fan and read all of his early books, at least the non-sci-fi ones.  I do like sci-fi but, for some reason, I just never got around to reading the books he wrote with an 'M' in his name.  More recently, I haven't tended to read his novels, either.  Actually, I thought I'd just check out which of his books I've read and one (Song Of Stone) I've got, but don't think I ever got past the first few pages.  Another (The Business), I can't actually remember if I've read at all - looking at summaries, it sounds familiar but I really couldn't tell you what happened in it.

So, why the change?   I think it's mainly Banks's approach, rather than the subjects or plots.  In his early novels his writing seemed to be almost dangerous in style - he wasn't afraid to cover any topic and his style was more edgy and immediate.  His later novels seem safe by comparison and, whilst they're still well written, they don't tend to have the same injection of adrenalin or passion.

Still, I saw Transition's red cover in the bookshop when I was looking for something to read and I couldn't resist giving him another go.  The cover description promised a story of parallel worlds and a mysterious organisation with extraordinary powers, and it made me think of his early novels Walking on Glass and The Bridge.  Both used a mixture of realities and viewpoints to excellent effect, making them both confusing and fascinating in a way that I loved.

Transition is, indeed, written in a similar style.  It discards the idea of both a linear plot and a single viewpoint, jumping around timelines, characters and realities several times in each chapter.  This patchwork style turns the book into something of a puzzle, leaving the reader to try and work out how those fractured elements fit together, which isn't without interest.  It certainly built up an intrigue around the central character and his place in the aforementioned organisation, known as The Concern.

The central concept is one of infinite parallel realities or, to be more specific, parallel Earths.  The people of one of these Earths have discovered a way to travel, or 'transition' between the different realities.  Our main character, generally referred to as the transitionary (although he adopts numerous names throughout the book), is employed to interfere in these other realities as instructed by The Concern.  The theory is that he's trying to improve each reality by helping the do-gooders and stopping the bad guys, but he seems to spend a lot of his time assassinating people.  Of course, the very fact that there is so much unrevealed both to him and to us, leads to inevitable suspicions about what The Concern is really up to.

As I say, I haven't read of the Iain 'M' Banks sci-fi books, but I imagine this is the closest of his mainstream novels to his sci-fi work.  I certainly like the concept of the book and found the style kept me moving forward.  I really wanted to know why The Concern existed, what they were trying to achieve and how our main character fitted into the whole thing.  Unfortunately, I don't think the book ever fully answered those things.  I don't expect to have everything spelled out to me, and I do think it's good to have some space around the plot and characters to form your own opinions, but this book seemed to raise so many questions that it never really answered, I found myself feeling a little frustrated at the end.

Moreover, the style of the book tended to work against it.  As I mentioned, I think the structure did create a sense of intrigue and mystery within the story and, ultimately, kept me in suspense.  But I think the whole approach of splitting every chapter up so much was overdone.  There simply wasn't enough time or human interest devoted to each character at any one point, so it became a struggle building up a relationship with them.  I was about 50 pages into the book before I even felt I was starting to 'get into' it, which I think is asking a lot from a reader.  Perhaps it shows the confidence of an author who's written over 20 books and knows he has a loyal audience, but I don't think it's something a lesser known writer would be able to get away with.  One of the other significant characters, probably the second most important in terms of pages devoted to him, has a story that really only has a limited relation to the main plot and doesn't really add much in its own right, so I wondered in the end why I'd spent so much time reading about him.

The inside back page of the book promises an iPhone app that allows the reader to download extra content about the book and characters.  Maybe this provides some much needed background to the characters and their situation that would satisfy my need to know more but, unfortunately, I have an android phone so I'll never know.

If you're interested in reading an Iain Banks novel, I'd recommend any of them up to, and including, Complicity.  I thought they were all fantastic when I read them (and re-read them in some cases).  After that I feel he's lost his touch a bit.  Maybe it's inevitable for an older, more successful author to write books that seem safer than his younger, less famous self.  Perhaps it's an age thing.  I hope not, though - I'd really love to see Banks return to his old form with a challenging, exciting novel at some point, and I really hope it happens.  This isn't that novel, though.

Movie Review: 127 Hours

Director: Danny Boyle
Starring: James Franco
UK Release Date: 7 January 2011
Tardy Review Date: 1 February 2011
Cinema


Powerful survival story in a stylish package

SPOILER ALERTS

OK, so I'm putting a spoiler alert on this one, but it's probably not necessary as most of the publicity around this film has been focused on the big ending.  Still, if you really don't  know what it's about, and don't want to spoil the surprise, don't read on.

The film is a true story about Aaron Ralston, a weekend adrenaline junkie out exploring a canyon in Utah for kicks.  He's such a hero, as he later admits, that not only does he take this adventure alone, he doesn't even tell anyone where he's going.  This proves to be a near fatal mistake when he becomes trapped in a chasm, pinned by his arm between a boulder and the rock-face.  After trying various methods over several days to escape, he ultimately has to cut off his own arm to break free.

The film certainly displays Danny Boyle's style, with it's visceral approach recalling elements of some of his earlier work, like Trainspotting and 28 Days Later.  With the main character spending the vast majority of the film trapped in a confined space, this could easily have been a very static and, lets face it, dull movie.  But Boyle manages to inject pacing, expansiveness and emotion into the whole piece.  This is achieved through various cutaway scenes in form of flashbacks and hallucinations experienced, as well as the odd special effect to bring some mundane events to life, such as the simple act of drinking water from a bottle.

Water is actually one of the key elements within the film.  Ralston's survival is utlimately marked by how much water remains in the bottle he took with him.  The very first scene in the film shows him leaving it under the tap to fill before he leaves home and, as he collects his things, the water overflows wastefully.  Before the accident, he meets up with a couple of women and they all swim in an underwater pool.  These moments where water is so overly abundant contrast sharply with the scenes in the chasm when he has only drops left, his lips dry.  One of his hallucinations involves a thunderstorm turning into a flood that sets him free - a scene particularly reminiscent of the toilet scene in Trainspotting, as is the moment after he breaks free when he drinks greedily from a dirty puddle.

The other key theme is technology. Ralston takes a range of technology with him, including a CD player, camcorder and camera.  When walking alone through the deserted landscape at the beginning, he shuts out the peace by listening to his music, like an umbilical cord linking him back to the real world.  He takes every opportunity to photo or film what's happening to him, and this extends to his experience whilst trapped.  His pieces to camcorder start out as frustration or amusement, but end up as emotional messages to his family, as well as apologies for not being the brother or son he could have been.  It almost seems that his technology forms as much a part of his survival as the water, echoed by a scene in which we see a battery icon draining in a digital representation of the water draining from his bottle.

The use of camcorder footage within the film also lends a changing style through the piece.  The early scenes seem to be filmed on a digital camcorder (albeit a high quality one), whereas other scenes are high-quality and look sumptuous and there is the DV footage from Ralston's camcorder.  This gives the film a range of textures that really suit the different aspects of wonder, freedom, fear and entrapment.  But almost more important than this is the really effective soundtrack.  There's a great mix of instrumental pieces that intensify some of the on-screen tension and panic, as well as songs that express or contrast with what's happening - particularly notable was 'Lovely Day' playing whilst Ralston struggles (and fails) to move the boulder with a makeshift pulley.

So, there's no avoiding it - what about the scene where he cuts his arm off?  Well, there's no denying it's difficult to watch.  The actual cutting itself is a bit gory, but by no means over the top, but there are two things that really seem horrendous.  Firstly, he has to break his arm twice, as he knows he won't be able to cut through the bone - that hurt!  Secondly, he has to break his nerves, which would make anyone wince.

It's the scenes before and after this that really make the impact, though, and they're what I felt most affected by as I walked out of the cinema.  Before cutting off his arm, when he realises he's run out of other options, he almost gives up and accepts death.  Then he has something of an epiphany (not the religious kind) when he feels that his whole life has been leading up this this moment with the rock.  He sees visions of his family, and his future son, and is inspired to do what has to be done.  This manages to avoid being at all corny and gives the dramatic impetus needed for him to amputate part of his own body but, apparently, it's also what happened to the real Ralston.

More emotional than this, though, is his escape and rescue.  The simple act of being able to walk out of the canyon and find some water, the dirty puddle I mentioned above, has a strong impact.  This is quickly surpassed, though, as he wanders out alone to try and walk to safety.  He spots a family through bleary eyes and barely has the energy to call out to them.  To see this self-proclaimed (albeit ironically) hero having to call out to others for help in order to survive is truly emotional and, when this call is answered by the family, and others, the film reaches a superb climax.

I'd definitely recommend this one, provided you think you can withstand 'that' scene.  It manages to convey the isolation and terror of Ralston's situation within a truly cinematic experience and it's truly dramatic even within its confinement.