NOW IN CINEMAS - A NOVEL TAKE ON A CLASSIC: "SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN"

Now, you know how I was kind “meh” about the previous film? Well, I’m positively annoyed with bits of this one. I have a feeling that the blog may (only from time to time) turn into a place where I sit and gripe to you lot about what annoys me about films. I will not make a habit of this. And I will never put stuff that is so bad that I genuinely think you shouldn’t watch it. But still, why not be honest about bits you don’t like in something? That’s kinda what I’m doing with Snow White and the Huntsman.

Of course, Snow White and the Huntsman is the latest attempt to “revamp” the story of Snow White and the seven dwarves. I mean personally, I feel that the film is worth watching for this reason alone, I really like the idea of “what really happened” sort of versions of these things, I mean Cinderella has had her fair share of re-vamps, why not Snow White? I mean, here the basic tenets are all there. But in addition to the usual, Snow White does not “keep house” for the seven friendly dwarfs. She is “the chosen one who must save the land”. And when she comes back from the dead (she is not “asleep” like the fairy tale but actually dead here), she leads an army against the evil stepmother /witch and destroys her. Badass. Right?

Well, hmm, maybe. There are a few matters to be discussed though. First of all, Kristen Steward. I mean, no offence to the actress but I actually had to google her. No, to find out her real name. I thought and thought, and all I could come up with was Bella Swan. But there is the other matter of, well, she obviously isn’t worried about being typecast at all. Think about it, weak /normal and beautiful female character no one expects much of goes on to conquer hearts /become something super human and extraordinary / conquer hideous enemies. Fine, the second one doesn’t involve rather large wolves that are calling themselves werewolves. (I will not get started on Twilight. I respect everyone’s choice whether to like it or not but I will say one single thing : classic literature clearly states , VAMPIRES DO NOT SPARKLE IN THE SUN, THEY BURST INTO FLAMES. It’s my pet peeve about that series. Moving on).

Yes, so Snow White. It doesn’t take much experience in film analysis here to figure out that the Snow White here is very clearly a Christ figure. I mean she actually dies. And is brought back from the dead. Ok, there is true love’s kiss involved, but then the true love melts into the background, Snow White remains as white as snow as far as matters of the heart are concerned. It’s an interesting tack, but firstly it may be a little too serious for a film that is a fantasy film based on a children’s story. I don’t know, it just seems inappropriate somehow.

And then there is some stuff in the film that just popped out at me and my friend as we watched it. For starters, Snow White  is trapped in a tower for many long years until she comes of age. Then, her step mother must kill her to remain the fairest in the land for ever, when Snow White escapes and her adventure begins. The thing is, she is very athletic and able for someone trapped in a small cell for the best part of 15 years…  To the best of my knowledge, her muscles should have atrophied and stuff, no? Unless being “the chosen one” makes you some sort of exception. I mean this kind of omission of logic would be ok once in a while if it was tied together by this brilliant fantasy film that takes your breath away. And I mean there are some truly epic bits of this film (The bit with The White Heart for instance? I mean, Ok it has religious overtones but still... Pretty epic.). Oh and Charlize Theron is brilliant as the stepmother. Just awesome. But not as many as I would have liked. And a few too many of the afore mentioned errors in logic. I mean, suspension of disbelief is well and good but honestly, one shouldn’t push the matter.  Still, like I said, the concept is interesting. There are some seriously good bits. It’s a fun watch. Just watch it at home, on DVD with a couple of friends over. So you can point stuff out and gripe about it to each other J

ESSIE SPEAKS OF LUSCIOUS LEADS

I was just about to say to myself, well gosh, yet another week without a theme. But there is. And how could I have missed it? It’s luscious leads of course!

I know there are only two of them but come on. On the one hand we have Johnny Depp starring in what is possibly – very possibly – perfection on film as far as I’m concerned. The only thing is perfection as far as I’m concerned is a rather relative concept. You’ll get what I mean when you read the entry.

And then, for those who would like things a little more objective around these parts, I have a film that is, objectively, both brilliant, packed with suspense, brilliant directing and a-class acting. And it stars the gorgeous, charismatic Jeremy Irons. Now if that isn’t something to sink your teeth into I really don’t know what is.

Oh I am fine. I’m in the last lap of my organisational nightmare; I move houses on Sunday (it’s the second time this month but hopefully I’ll be staying put here for a while) and on Monday I start full time work again for the first time in 2 years. Well it’s an internship (for now). But then, I believe, routines and stuff will start setting in and who knows, I may even be able to kick the number of posts a week back up to three. But in the meanwhile, thanks for bearing with me. And enjoy !

happy viewing !

Essie

POSSIBLY MY IDEA OF A PERFECT FILM : I GIVE YOU KING "CRY BABY"

  I try to be professional while I write this blog. This may seem strange as I am actually doing this for pleasure not work. But still, standards must be kept up and all that, and I try and be objective and honest and all that when I review films. Like everyone, however, I have my Achilles heel. I don’t admit this too often, but those who know me know this well. If Johnny Depp is in it, the chances are I am probably going to love this film. No matter what the rest of the technical qualities. I mean, I will notice the rest of the film. I will bear whatever is wrong with it in mind when I talk about it. But I will also like it. For Johnny’s sake. *sigh*.

But into all that comes a film like Cry Baby. Ladies and gentlemen, you would be very hard pressed to squeeze more things I like into a single movie. It’s a musical. It’s a ‘50s musical. It has ‘50s music in it (in case you hadn’t made the connection). It has Johnny Depp in it. It has absurd comedy and kitch coming out of its ears. I am well aware that film critics everywhere may not necessarily agree with me but I just may have discovered perfection dear readers. In my universe, anyway.

So what is Cry Baby about? Well, we’re in Baltimore, the ‘50s. And the town can be roughly divided into territories of two gangs. One, the Squares, the “goodie two shoes”, who have the full support of the adults and the “Drapes” aka the juvenile delinquents (these are all real gangs by the way and based on the memories of writer and director John Waters but I’ll get to that in just a second). The head of the Drapes gang is Wade Walker, better known as Cry Baby, who can sing and croon like Elvis himself and can make the girls swoon with his ability to shed a single tear. Love, however, knows no boundaries and one day, he falls for a girl. The girl – Allison - happens to be very “high up” in the Squares gang. However, she is actually “sick of being good” and Cry Baby has a heart of gold for all his bravado and showing off and with a bit of a “bad girl makeover” Allison is soon the “queen” on Cry-baby’s arm. However, the small town, Allison’s ex-boyfriend and the “system” are determined to keep the lovers apart. Will they overcome the obstacles and get together in the end?

I love this film because it doesn’t put on airs and graces. It doesn’t take itself too seriously. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a serious (and successful) effort at making a brilliant film. But at the end of the day it is a fifty’s film full of fifty’s stuff that may well look like kitch to us today. Frankly, the film really, really doesn’t care. John Walker grew up in Baltimore where the Drapes (the real ones) and all their escapades ruled the headlines. Like all respectable kids growing up, he really wanted to be a Drape. Whether he succeeded or not (I got the impression not from the interview but who knows), he has put that whole era well, truly and completely into the film. And the comedy. The absurd comedy, oh my God. I know that both musicals and absurd comedy are acquired tastes more than anything else, but for those who like them, this film offers perfection, be it through the music or the performances. Johnny Depp is gorgeous as Cry-Baby and my other favourite in the film is without a shadow of a doubt Iggy Pop who stars as his “step-grandfather”. I’ll let you discover for yourself how that works out J

Now, if you’re going to feel all self-conscious and weird because you’re not watching the next “cool and hip thing” give this a miss. But if you’re not pre-occupied with “cool and hip” and want to really let rip, and I mean toe-tapping, guffawing and actually applauding the screen, this is the one. Plus it has Johnny Depp. I mean, come on, this is a proposition you just can’t refuse… Right? 

TAKING THE NEXT STEP IN YOUR DEVELOPPMENT - IN THE CREEPIEST WAY POSSIBLE - "DEAD RINGERS"

I had a thing about this film for some reason. Not a good type of “thing” either. I’m not sure why I had this thing; it has everything I usually go for in a film. Plot twists, a brilliant director, a brilliant leading actor (I mean, Jeremy Irons, come on…).  I got the feeling that somehow it would be a little too creepy. I came across the film multiple times and avoided it. Until I saw it in the school library and thought, you know what, this is dumb. I need to get over this. And boy am I glad I did. Here’s for getting over one’s fears and moving on. It can be one heck of an experience. Just like meeting the Mantle twins – only slightly less creepy.

The thing that’s creepy about Elliot and Beverly Mantle is the fact that they are pretty much impossible to tell apart. And this, as you can imagine, is a fact that the twins take full advantage of. They are famous gynaecologists, in reality quiet and sensitive Beverly does the research and the outgoing Elliot implements it, managing the “PR” side of things. But be it in consultations, board meetings and even on dates, the twins live perfectly interchangeably. After all they are the only ones who can tell each other apart. Until, that is, Claire Niveaux, a sultry actress with a very interesting gynaecological problem waltzes into their lives.  The unthinkable happens. The shy and reticent Beverly falls madly in love with her. And for the first time in the twin’s lives, he wants to keep her all to himself. Now there are several problems with this plan. Firstly, what will Elliot – who is generally rather good at getting exactly what he wants in life – say about this and secondly, will either of them survive this first severing of their umbilical cord?

First of all, Ok, I do love the idea. And I am pretty sure that throughout history twins have abused their looks and replaced each other in various capacities. I wouldn’t know, I’m not a twin. However, my cousins are twins, one of my dearest friends is one of twins and I mean… Yes, they call them “identical” twins for a reason, but it is realistically quite easy to tell them apart. I guess it’s all about suspending disbelief and all that but I don’t know, possibly because I was hanging out with my cousins who are twins just before watching this, I found suspending that bit a bit hard. But let’s not split hairs. At the end of the day, some twins are almost impossible to tell apart. And although it is abundantly clear that Jeremy Irons plays both, he does both so well we can let it slip. By the way, this is an opportune moment to remark on how hard it actually must be to play not one but two very complicated parts in the same film. Congrats to Jeremy Irons,  it must be hard enough getting into one character but he very successfully manages to get into two at once.

Or is it two, really? Because, while playing around and using every gimmick in the book with the twins thing, Cronenberg is really asking, as far as I can tell, whether they actually are two people or two halves of the same person. The way Kusturica phrased it in “Arizona Dream” was “one person too big to go through life in one body” or something to that effect. We may well be able to say the same of the Mantle twins. It reaches the point when, every time Jeremy Irons appears on the screen, it is literally anyone’s guess which one he is. But don’t worry, clues are abundant. The insecurity lasts just long enough to shake you. And shake you this film will. It is definitely, definitely not for the faint of heart. But worth every spine chilling minute. 

ESSIE SPEAKS OF FAMOUS ANCESTORS

Ok, this week the theme just emmerged by itself. I just happened to watch them very close together. They do seem like chalk and cheese on first approach but look closer. I'm on to something here.

Both of them are cinema adaptations of very famous "things". Well, in all honesty, I guess Tintin is more of a "phenomenon" than anything else but still. Both have very "important" ancestors to live up to. You know, the Hollywood film thing when the hero starts off lacking in confidence about his older brother/father/mother/great uncle/whoever who was so much more successfull at whatever it is and ends up overcoming his fears and being successful in the end? Yeah, like that. Only with movies.

I'm well by the way, thanks for asking. I have now found myself a place to live but teleportation not having been invented, it entails me finding a way of transporting my stuff to said place. Oh and submit my dissertation. At the same time. Which reminds me, I really need to get going - I have a life that is in serious need of organisation.

happy viewing!
Essie

"THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN" - RELOADED

Well now, here we have a film trying to live up to very famous ancestors. I mean, of course Tintin has had many “films” made of it before, but to the best of my knowledge, this is the first computer-generated / non “cartoon” (oh you know what I mean) cinema film made about it. And I mean, even if it weren’t, one goof, one error, one detail out of place and you will have a hoard of angry fans of many ages descending on you like the proverbial heard of locusts – ready to tear you to pieces. And yet, of course, be it the storyline or the effects etc, you have to still be able to have done something that no one else before you has done. It takes one heck of a director to be able to do that. Steven Spielberg for example.

So, what adventures, what dangers and mysteries do Tintin and Snowy find themselves embroiled in this time? This time, Tintin stumbles on the mystery quite by accident when he decides to purchase a rather ornate and beautiful model ship in the flea market. The ship attracts an inordinate amount of attention from the word go, strange men offering extraordinary amounts of money to buy the ship off him. Tintin, naturally, gets suspicious and refuses to sell. His journalistic instincts and quick wits will lead him to a sunken treasure, a story spanning half way round the globe and a family curse and feud involving the Haddock family… This time, a lot is at stake – not least Captain Haddock’s family honour!

First of all, I thought the film thought up a brilliant way of “introducing” Tintin and Captain Haddock. Secondly, the film is brilliant. Of course, as we mentioned above, there are quite a few challenges to making this film. It has to, up to a point anyway, follow a formula. It’s expected, it’s even wanted by the fans. However, it has to be an original artwork in its own right at the same time.  Now, a director like Spielberg is one of the best people to face these challenges, because he works mainly in the minefield of mainstream Hollywood movies. The fans of these “genre” films want certain very specific things from the films they watch. But you simply cannot regurgitate a single magic formula – there is no way of holding on to an audience under those circs. So you have to find just the right balance of the familiar and the original to make a really good film. I don’t think I need to spell it out to you guys, Spielberg has done this quite a few times in his time, and he has, in actual fact, done it again. The film is a wonderful, exciting ride into an adventure filled world that we are, in fact, quite familiar with. The film may be – and in fact is – an animation, but do not sneeze at this fact, as the film was so successful artistically, that it has gathered nominations and awards in contests as prestigious as the Oscars®, BAFTAs and Golden Globes. If ever a progeny lived up to a famous ancestor, this one is it people. Not to be missed. 

"21 JUMP STREET" - ALSO RELOADED

So, hand on heart, what do you guys make of the whole remake of ‘80s stuff phenomenon? I mean, it’s bad enough with the “never ending sequel” phenomenon but this is just ridiculous (I mean seriously, zombies for example. If I see another ad for “28 – insert time measurement of choice – Later” I will SCREAM). That is why, you may be surprised if you happened to check out www.imdb.com for the rating of 21 Jump Street – the 2012 film remake of the classic tv series – you might be mighty surprised to find out it’s 7.3. I wasn’t. I had already watched it, you see.

And honestly, when we started watching it with my friends, we didn’t expect much from it. We had just ordered pizza, we wanted a “silly” comedy to complete that extremely replete feeling you have lounging about on the couch after ingesting ridiculous amounts of pizza. We got the comedy bit right. The thing is, it was utterly brilliant. One of the best tribute / remakes ever and FUNNY. Yes, in block capitals.

Now, I’m pretty sure many of you remember the story of 21 Jump Street. But maybe you don’t. Besides, this is the film. Schmidt (Jonah Hill you may remember him from Moneyball actually, I thought he looked familiar!!) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) are cops. They happen to be high school buddies. Back in the day Schmidt was the “nerd”, Jenko was the “jock” and Jenko bullied the heck out of Schmidt. But years have gone by, and the twosome have realised that they actually seem to complete eachother rather well – brains / brawn wise and have become best buds. However, no matter how complementary their talents are, this doesn’t make them all that successful in the police department. After utterly ruining their first arrest, they are sent to a special undercover unit on, well guess what, 21 Jump Street. Their mission? To stop the spread of new – and deadly – synthetic drug. By returning to high school – undercover.

Ok, it’s probably pretty obvious that this film is not some dark comedy wittily commenting on pertinent issues of our times. It’s something to kick back and relax to, have a proper old bellyful of laughs with friends to. But the thing is, it’s not so easy making a good comedy, even if it doesn’t necessarily entail making witty commentaries about the world. I mean, there is, in the first instance, the slight problem that most storylines worth their salt have already been exploited. You can find a new angle, use new actors and it may well work, but you have to be careful. Using an already popular concept can make you look pretty damn silly if it blows up in your face – especially with a particularly strong concept to compare your work to. Then there is the problem this film specifically faces. The 21 Jump Street television series. Or maybe I should say the highly popular, almost legendary 21 Jump Street television series. How do you cope with making a film (as opposed to a series – completely different kettle of fish ) about a concept that was SO popular without blowing it up in your face?

First of all, there is the concept of the series that came before. I mean, how do you cope with that one? 21 Jump Street does this by inserting clever tributes to the series all through the film. Ok, so what if they’re copying it – one can’t really ignore something like 21 Jump Street – the series – so they embrace their lineage. And there is categorically NOTHING wrong with that, so long as you do a good job of your own work. And well, the film is just HILARIOUS. The jokes and gags are very relevant, very cleverly updated from the 1980’s. The acting – and I know you’re probably going to say that it isn’t exactly Shakespeare, but sometimes the simple things are in fact just as hard as the fancy stuff – is also brilliant. Everything is tasteful and cleverly done as opposed to “silly” and relying overly on physical gags and the like. Put your prejudices to one side and give it whirl I say. You will NOT regret it.