Martha Marcy May Marlene // A Masterpiece or A Misfire?

Plot Synopsis:

Haunted by painful memories and increasing paranoia, a damaged woman (Elizabeth Olsen) struggles to re-assimilate with her family (Sarah Paulson & Hugh Dancy) after fleeing from an abusive cult. Also starring John Hawkes.

Official Trailer:

Full Review:

Before I begin, I should point out something which some friends of mine have really seemed to understand. I’M NOT A HIPSTER. There, I said it! People have called me the H-word several times throughout the years, mainly due to my fascination with indie films and alternative music as well as my admiration for photography and art. So let me get something straight, because I don’t conform to most mainstream media, I’m suddenly a hipster?! Society is a weird thing…

Anyway, Martha Marcy May Marlene is an indie film (hence why I had to mention the above point) and it’s a pretty good one at that. If you don’t mind slow paced movies, that is. This is a chilling tale and an excellent directorial debut from Sean Durkin. But blimey, this has the pace of a tortoise!

Let’s be fair to the film and discuss what’s good about it. Like I said earlier, this is a stupendous debut from Sean Durkin whom I’m really looking forward to seeing more of in the future. Channeling Stanley Kubrick in many ways, Durkin has shots that linger for much longer than we’ve come to expect which really drives home the uncomfortable nature of the movie. The unconventional style of editing is also a huge plus, as many conversations stay focused on just a single character as opposed to switching back and forth between each actor partaking in the conversation.

And the conversations feel genuine too. Thanks to a solid screenplay, you understand the nature of each character and so every word they speak doesn’t feel out of place and cliché. In fact, there’s not a single cliché in sight! And boy is that refreshing to see?! With the dialogue aside, the script does a good job of developing each character as well as the relationships that bind them together, particularly the relationship between Elizabeth Olsen and John Hawkes.

Speaking of which, Elizabeth Olsen stars in her first feature length film role (going on to star in Silent House, Spike Lee’s Oldboy and this year’s Godzilla). And just like all of the other reviewers are saying, Olsen is marvellous in this role bringing a cold yet electrifying performance to the table as Martha, who is a character that needed some serious acting chops to pull off in order for the audience to feel sympathetic for her and at the same time wonder about her history, which is vital for this film. Thankfully, Olsen does that to an excellent degree.

John Hawkes (The Sessions, Winter’s Bone) is my main highlight giving an incredibly creepy and haunting performance as the abusive cult leader Patrick, and also gives us an fantastic little acoustic song as well! I immediately checked it out on YouTube after viewing the film, and I urge you to do the same! Search ‘Marcy’s Song by John Hawkes’ after you’ve read this article… you’re welcome. Sarah Paulson, who has starred in Mud (check out my review here!) gives a performance which unfortunately doesn’t really stretch past anything I’ve already seen her do, but that doesn’t detract from the movie at all.

And even though I said the fact that this film doesn’t have any clichés is refreshing, I will say that Martha Marcy May Marlene is DEFINITELY NOT a refreshing watch! At the end, because of the content, you will feel as if you need to immediately hop in the shower to cleanse yourself. It is rather uncomfortable at times and you can’t help but question yourself “Why did I watch this expecting a jolly good time?!” Because trust me, like other films such as Schindler’s List, this isn’t something to watch on a Saturday night with your mates (unless they’re fans of art house films!)

And as mentioned previously, this film is incredibly slow in pace. It really takes its time to get up and running properly and even from that point on, it is a slow journey that demands the audience’s attention and focus. When I first watched the film, I realised it was a slow film but I didn’t mind it since I can sit through a slow sifting movie when I’m in the mood. But on my second viewing, I was getting kind of bored! This may have been because there was no allure and intrigue throughout the film during my second time watching it, which is a huge pivotal point of the story. So the ratio between repeatability and enjoyment may slowly deteriorate viewing after viewing.

I’m also not confident what most people will think of this film when they watch for themselves, making me question whether or not this is a film worth sharing. The reason why I bring this up is because as I was watching the film, my loud mouth brother barges into the room (not giving a damn if I’m trying to enjoy a movie in silence) and then, with a confused yet disgusted look on his face, he rather abruptly shouts “WTF is this?! That sh!t is weird!!”. Yes, that’s how he speaks. No joke. But despite the inconsiderable manner of my brother, he has made me wonder how the average audience member would react to the film. Although this won’t greatly affect my mark, I thought it was worth bringing up so I could tell you guys how much of a prat my brother is!

To finish off, I will say that Martha Marcy May Marlene is a disturbing, goosebump-inducing journey that, although stretches out the runtime as much as it can, is a film worthy of your attention if you’re willing to slowly sift through tense scenes that are guaranteed to cause personal discomfort and gradual nail biting.

Fergie’s Final Fifteen:

A dramatic roller-coaster that is hauntingly exhilarating, but prepare to feel dirty and incredibly uncomfortable.

Rating:

A-

At the end of the day, I really liked this movie for what it was trying to achieve and I most definitely do not regret seeing it. However, because the pacing has the same resemblance as a garden snail, I simply cannot love it the way I want to. But if you’re a huge fan of films like 2001: A Space Oddessy and you live by the motto ‘Patience is a Virtue’, this might just be your kind of film. But other than that, Martha Marcy May Marlene is certainly a film worth watching at least once.

 

My Valentine’s Day Pick // MUD Film Review

Plot Synopsis:

Two young boys (Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland) encounter a man (Matthew McConaughey) living alone on an island and form a pact to help reunite him with the love of his life Juniper (Reese Witherspoon). Also starring Sam Shepard, Sarah Paulson and Ray McKinnon.

Official Trailer:

Full Review:

Considering it was ‘Make Single People Feel Bad About Themselves’ Day (AKA Valentine’s Day) on Friday, I thought I would review a film that suits the occasion. Although this is an unconventional choice for most, I highly recommend viewing Jeff Nichols’s cinematic triumph Mud with your loved one next Valentine’s Day since it is a far better alternative to McCounaughey’s other romance movies! But seriously, whether it is Valentine’s or not, you need to watch Mud no matter what as it is a brilliant study of the emotionally damaging effects of love and affection.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way first. Matthew McConaughey (The Lincoln Lawyer, Killer Joe) gives yet another charismatic performance as the title (but not lead) character Mud. His acting in this role is very down to earth and somewhat minimalistic, which makes sympathising with his character so much easier. And ladies, despite showing off his abs during one scene, he doesn’t particularly have the nicest teeth in this role. Oh well. You win some, you lose some!

You might’ve noticed how I had to point out how McConaughey is not the lead character. The reason for this is because, from my perspective, he really isn’t the main character. Sure, he is the storyline’s most pivotal point and McConaughey has the star power, but I believe Tye Sheridan’s character Ellis is the film’s main focus since he is given the most screen time and has to face more dilemma than anyone else.

With that being said, Sheridan (Tree Of Life) is absolutely spectacular in this role, giving the best child actor performance I’ve seen since Christian Bale’s outstanding performance in Empire Of The Sun. If that’s not high praise, then I don’t know what is!. He is able to express feelings of happiness, sadness, despair, anger and heartbreak throughout the film to a sublime level, perfectly complimenting the talent of McConaughey. This kid is going places!.

Jacob Lufland also gives a great performance as Ellis’s best friend Neckbone who also gives us some comic relief to allow the audience to breath between the more electrifying and dramatic sequences. Despite having very little to work with, Reese Witherspoon contributes another good performance to the movie’s top notch acting portfolio as McConaughey’s on-screen sweetheart Juniper. Michael Shannon (who has worked with Jeff Nichols previously) also makes an appearance, but unfortunately his talents aren’t fully capitalised upon since he plays such a minor role, which is a real shame but because he is still able to give a decent performance, it ultimately doesn’t hurt the film that much.

On another note, the cinematography is as gorgeous as the orange glow from an early morning sunrise. At no point does this film appear ugly or unattractive as every frame is aesthetically wonderful and glorious. Perfectly capturing the atmosphere of sunny Americana, the soundtrack consists of very well chosen country and folk music you can’t’ help but tap your foot along to. Watching (as well as listening to) Mud takes you on a luxurious miniature holiday, immersing you further into the film more than you could imagine. Plus, Jeff Nichols’s direction really adds to the visual beauty by providing many shots showcasing the natural environments surrounding our characters in all of their glory.

Speaking of Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter, Shotgun Stories), who directed and wrote this film, the writing is phenomenal! Rich with raw emotion and superb dialogue for one to sink his/her teeth into, the story is a fantastic analysis of the false representations of love and how reality is a harsh truth that always advocates the destruction of the delusion of a perfect relationship that we can ALL relate to. Thanks to this, Mud ends up being an extremely heartwarming and occasionally heartbreaking tale of true love which makes us question the lengths one will go to in order to keep their other half safe. In turn, this will pull you and your other half closer together more so than ever before, and hopefully make you cherish the love of your life for as long as you’re together.

And that’s why I’m recommending this as a movie to watch with your boyfriend/girlfriend. Mud does something that every single RomCom cannot do even if they tried; it makes you feel something. You and your companion will not finish the film with the thoughts “Why can’t our relationship be like that?!” but instead your relationship will benefit from knowing the love between the two of you will never die. Granted, I can’t tell you that with experience since the only companion I have at the minute is my cat! We’re actually going through some troubles at this moment of time, but hopefully all the fighting and arguing will end very soon … She won’t even talk to me!!

Fergie’s Final Fifteen:

A riveting drama that tugs on the heart strings like no other. A romantic triumph.

Rating:

A

Gone are the days where you’re left with no choice but to watch the latest ‘chick flick’ with your partner when instead you can watch this stupendous piece of cinema and not feel utterly compelled to kill yourself!

 

Trailer Review (and Rant) // The Purge: Anarchy

Plot Synopsis:

A young couple works to survive on the streets after their car breaks down right as the annual purge commences.

Trailer:

Full Review:

For crying out loud! We’ve got yet another unnecessary sequel coming our way. This time round, it is the follow up to last year’s critically panned, but highly successful, home invasion flick The Purge. Before I give my verdict on the trailer for the sequel, I will briefly give my opinion on the previous installment. I thought it was horrible. Simple as that! The concept of all crime being made legal is a cool idea, but the film unfortunately wasted any shred of potential it once had by making it a home invasion movie. Yes, that’s right; a fairly original idea was somehow made incredibly cliché and predictable. Needless to say, I wasn’t impressed with the direction the film took!

With this in mind, I definitely didn’t think to myself “I would like to see a sequel of this pile of sh*t” after sifting through ninety minutes of visual feces. But hey, in the land of countless Paranormal Activity sequels, it was kind of expected that The Purge would be granted a sequel. Especially when the film cost a mere $3 million to make and earned over $80 million at the worldwide box office during the summer season of 2013.

So this new trailer, which was just released earlier today, shows us exactly what we should expect from the film. What should we expect? Nothing. Nothing at all. Based on what’s shown, this seems like another classic example of Hollywood studios rehashing a idea and hoping to make the same amount of money they did the first time round. You’d think most of us would have learnt by now, but no. People are still handing over their hard earned cash to see films they’ve already seen but underneath a different title. I believe that Hollywood has developed a motto over the past couple of years, along the lines of “If it makes money, do it more often!”

And to be honest, I’m getting sick of it! I mean, REALLY sick of it! I’m at the point where whenever a film has a number at the end of it’s title, my attitude towards it immediately worsens. I very rarely see a genuinely unique film gracing international cinema screens nowadays which is a huge shame because Hollywood shouldn’t need to look towards other forms of media (books, tv shows, and graphic novels) and already existing films in order to move forward as an art form. If anything, making sequels no one wants and reboots/remakes we didn’t ask for is damaging cinema.

In my eyes, cinema is a medium for people to express and share their stories through the means of visual images. Unfortunately, Hollywood couldn’t give a toss about the quality of a story; all they care about is MONEY. In the eyes of studio executives, filmmaking is a business. A very poorly managed business, to be precise. As a student of Business Studies, I can confidently tell you that the primary objective of any business should be to identify and satisfy customer needs. And herein lies the problem. Hollywood. Doesn’t. Care. About. You. I only have one thing to say to those stuck up snobs joyously swimming in tidal waves of hundred dollar bills:

STOP IT HOLLYWOOD! YOU’RE GIVING ME CHEST PAINS!!

Sorry. I needed to get that out in the open. How about we actually talk about what’s in the trailer, eh? Well, even with the rant aside, the film doesn’t look remotely good to begin with. As I previously said, Anarchy doesn’t appear to offer anything new that we haven’t seen already, which sparked my momentary rage towards Tinsel Town as seen earlier.

Granted, the film seems to be approaching the storyline via a much larger scope where our lead characters have the entire city to explore and hopefully not get killed by the hooded hooligans. The expansion from the small household to the entire suburbia is a nice addition, but I’m not excited about this change since it still revolves around the same storyline as the previous film. Speaking of the hooded hooligans, one of them can be seen in the trailer during an absurdly noisy shot.

Seriously, look at the ugliness! This is a shot that made it’s way into a Hollywood film! Would you like to see image quality which is about as beautiful as a mole rat’s rectum on a large cinema screen? I certainly wouldn’t!!

Where was I? Oh yes!! The city setting! Although this can be seen as upping the ante, this has left a gaping hole in the storyline. In the first film, Ethan Hawke and his family were housing a fleeing stranger and tried to fend off a group of murderers which wanted the man dead. So it made sense why the killers were trying to kill Ethan Hawke as well. But here, it doesn’t look like there’s any justification why the hoodlums are trying to kill the main couple. This loses any dilemma for the characters to deal with and the masked thugs aren’t as threatening and intimidating because of this.

I think it’s quite obvious that I will not be checking this movie out when it’s released but I may stream it so I can review it to tell you guys how sh*t it was! To be fair, I’m judging and criticising this film way too early, for I haven’t even seen the movie yet, but then again isn’t that why trailers exist in the first place?!

Fergie’s Final Fifteen:

As pointless as a blunt pencil and completely unnecessary. Stop giving these people your money!

Rating:

E-

The only reason I haven’t rated it a flat out F is because they’re trying to expand the scope of the film, but it still gets an incredibly low grade for the aforementioned reasons. Trust me guys, I will drop the F-Bomb very soon on a film I absolutely loathe!

What did you guys think of the trailer? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

 

Sunshine // Shining Spectacle or Dim Lit Disappointment?

Plot Synopsis:

50 years into the future, the Sun begins to die, and Earth is dying as a result. A team of astronauts are sent to revive the Sun – but the mission fails. Seven years later, a new team are sent to finish the mission as they are Earth’s last hope. Starring Cillian Murphy, Rose Bryne, and Chris Evans.

Official Trailer:

Full Review:

Following last week’s review of The Dark Knight, which I considered to be a perfect film (find out why here), I thought I would review Sunshine. Why? Because Sunshine should’ve been perfect but ultimately it wasn’t. So how can a film from living legend Danny Boyle, director of Trainspotting and 28 Days Later, be anything less than expected? The answer to that question rests in this article.

Don’t get me wrong, this is a GREAT film. And I mean a REALLY great film. I’ve seen a lot of Sci-Fi films over the years and this is one of the most thrilling and nail biting films I’ve seen in this genre. So what’s the problem? Well first, let’s start with the positives because there is plenty of good points to talk about!

With Danny Boyle behind the camera, of course this is going to be a good looking movie. In fact, the film looks fantastic! The direction is very crisp and concise and every scene has such a strong sense of emotion. It is an incredibly intense experience too, so make sure you don’t have any Red Bull before you watch this film! Sunshine oozes with incredibly powerful scenes that will stick with you long after the end credits have stopped rolling.

I also feel that this is a film worth analysing and studying. There are many films out there which are replayed over and over again in many film schools such as Citizen Kane and Casablanca, with students picking apart every detail trying to decipher what the significant purpose of a character’s actions are. This is one of those films. I’ve seen many online film lovers debate over the philosophical meanings of certain scenes in Sunshine, and that’s for a good reason. Because there’s a lot of unanswered questions which delve into the psychology of each character, particularly Cillian Murphy’s character, as well as larger than life questions about the mysteries of the universe and the human race. I will leave you guys to make up your own mind about the film’s hidden meanings when you see it!

Speaking of Cillian Murphy, he gives a really good performance as Robert Capa. Not the famous war photographer but instead the spacecraft’s go-to physicist. He gives a really enigmatic, cold to the core style of performance, unflinching about the possibility of dying in an attempt to save mankind. How nice of him, eh?! Chris Evans’s Mace is the hot headed leader of the crew who is played with vigorous amounts of energy and his emotional instability is a perfect contrast to Cillian Murphy’s cool-as-a-cucumber character.

And the special effects are, if you excuse the very obvious pun, out of this world! Achieved with a budget of £20 million (roughly $35 million), the visuals are simply stunning and put many Hollywood films to shame. Just look at the trailer if you don’t believe me! And yes, the trailer has the absurdly overused music from Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem For A Dream playing in the background but don’t let that influence your opinion of the score heard in the movie. John Murphy’s score is filled with such raw emotion from beginning to end and this film wouldn’t be as intense and dramatic as it is without this glorious soundtrack. I immediately bought it on iTunes after I first saw this!

Now for the big question, what’s the problem? For what sounds like one of the best sci-fi films to be released in the past decade, I must be mad to say otherwise. But to my dismay, there is one major flaw that stops me from wholeheartedly loving this film and I believe some of those who have seen this film may already know what I’m eluding to. And that is a certain plot point involving a certain someone at a certain point in the film. Since I don’t want to spoil this film for anyone, I won’t say too much because it is a major revelation which I want you guys to experience for the first time.

But I will say that it is a pointless revelation. I personally felt it wasn’t necessary in the slightest; only put in to elevate the already sky high intensity near the end of the film. There was no need for this element of the storyline to be introduced as the film was already doing fantastic without it. And to be honest, it kind of annoyed me when I first saw the film since up until the revelation was made, Sunshine shot its way into my favourite films of all time. But unfortunately, it was at that point it fell from grace. And I absolutely hated the fact that it did. It left a third degree burn to my movie loving heart, which has since been treated by recent Sci-Fi epics such as Inception and Gravity. Damn you Mr. Boyle!

Overall, this is a thrilling, spectacular Science Fiction film illuminated by nerve shredding intensity and truly tear jerking scenes. But alas, the nonessential side story has scorched my final verdict and that really p*sses me off!

Fergie’s Final Fifteen:

A mesmerising Sci-Fi of intergalactic proportions. But went one step too far. Still highly recommended.

Rating:

B+

This could’ve been a straight up A+ but I was so irritated by the “you know what”, it has subsequently brought down my mark. I still urge you to see this, but you have been warned!

 

R.I.P Phillip Seymour Hoffman

Yes, you’ve read that correctly.

Oscar winning actor Phillip Seymour Hoffman, who starred in films Capote, Boogie Nights and The Master, has passed away at the tragic age of 46.

It is suspected that he died from a heroin drug overdose after he was found in his New York apartment with a syringe in his arm. Hoffman had been struggling with a heroin addiction for many decades after revealing he checked himself into rehab last year. He had managed to remain clean for 23 years.

He leaves behind a fantastic legacy as well as his wife and three children, who are in my thoughts and prayers during this emotional time.

Rest in peace to Phillip Seymour Hoffman. You will be greatly missed by film fans all over the world.

 

My First Review! // The Dark Knight

Plot Synopsis:

In this sequel to the critically acclaimed Batman Begins, Batman/Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the city streets. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as The Joker (Heath Ledger). Also starring Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michael Caine, and Morgan Freeman.

Official Trailer:

Full Review:

Before I begin this review, I would like to explain why I chose to look at The Dark Knight for the blog’s first ever review. The reason is that this will be one of the easiest films for me to review. Why? Because there’s nothing to pick apart. NOTHING!. This is genuinely one of the few perfect films in the history of cinema. WHOA! “That’s a really bold statement” I hear most of you cry. I understand it’s something that can twist several knots in a lot of people’s panties, but I stand by it completely and I’m here to back up why I think it cannot be improved upon.

Directed by Christopher Nolan (Memento, Inception), The Dark Knight is yet another Batman film. This was the seventh Batman movie to be released in the uber-successful franchise and the second of which to feature The Joker as the villain. Oscar winning actor Jack Nicholson (The Shining, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest) played the clown prince of crime originally in the Tim Burton gothic flick simply titled Batman, released in 1989. So what exactly does The Dark Knight have to offer? A superhero story which pushes all the boundaries and completely obliterates the mould of modern comic book movies. It’s also completely different to the atrocious (but hilarious) Batman And Robin, which is definitely a plus!

The first major strength of this film is the script. My god, this is exactly how a script should be written! The story is woven together so well, it flows like the beverage you bought in the foyer being slurped up by the straw. And every line of dialogue spoken just feels so right. Every word has a purpose; not one fragment of the script is wasted on anything we know already; something so many screenplays suffer from. Speaking of the dialogue (Ha! Get it?! Speaking? Dialogue! … never-mind), this screenplay is responsible for some truly memorable quotes which I always try to slip into conversation, including the infamous question posed by Ledger’s character “Why So Serious?”. Each letter that drips out of the character’s mouths is pure movie gold.

The acting is great all around as well, as you expect from such a top notch cast. Christian Bale really gives depth to the character of Bruce Wayne; pulling off the egotistical side of him in a sublime manner and the broken, damaged side of him in such a way that you can relate to a billionaire who dresses up as a giant bat at night. It takes a really good movie in order to pull that off! And I know some of you hate the fact that Batman sounds like he has throat cancer, but personally I don’t mind it. It’s there for a reason; to scare the seedy underbelly of Gotham to their core, and it works.

Gary Oldman plays Batman’s trusty partner in crime Lieutenant Gordon. Well, he’s Batman’s crime partner only in this movie since Robin is not included! As you expect from Oldman, a quality performance helps the audience sympathise with his character as he tries to correct the corrupt legal system and end the high octane mayhem. Aaron Eckhart also gives a good performance as you watch his character struggle to cope with the madness inflicted upon him and those he holds dearest.

But of course, this wouldn’t be a complete review if I didn’t talk about a certain actor’s iconic performance. Heath Ledger’s Joker. What else do you want me to say about this magnificent performance?! Seriously, there isn’t much I can add to the large amount of praise for Ledger’s oscar winning performance. But I will say that I’m a HUGE Batman fan and I can safely claim that the Joker that’s portrayed in this film is the perfect Joker. You don’t know his background, his real name is unknown and he doesn’t have any motives. As Michael Caine’s Alfred puts it, he is someone “who just wants to watch the world burn” His chilling chuckle sends shivers down my spine every time I hear it.

The Dark Knight has set a new precedent for all films being released nowadays. Not many films can sell an idea that’s as ridiculous as a vigilante dressed as a bat. And many films still can’t pull off the same realism inherent in this film. It’s completely in it’s own league and has yet to be matched. This is a truly immersive experience which I can very happily watch over and over again. Plus, it looks stunning on Blu-ray!

Fergie’s Final Fifteen:

Simply brilliant on every level. A true masterpiece of cinema. This is a MUST see!!

Rating:

A+

What else did you expect?!