ESSIE GOES ADVENTURING

Hi there folks!

You know, when times are dark and dire, I find myself taking refuge in cinema more and more. This is not me refusing to face up to my problems and worries. But in the modern world, I find we are bombarded with information. And I don't just mean advertising and the like. Our smartphones mean that both "public" and "private" information is constantly flowing our way. Even in the cinema or concert hall - assuming we even go anymore - who can resist taking a discrete couple of taps just to make sure they're ontop of everything?

This is why I love films like this. Adventure stories. Fights with dragons and adventures on the high seas. For a few hours, you get so engrossed your phone and social media accounts lie neglected. For a few hours you genuinely think about something else, and you come out of the experience feeling bizarrely rested. That's the kind of film I'm looking at today.

So unplug your brain and relax. The world and your worries will still be there in a few hours time. But chances are you will be rested and better equipped to cope with it.

happy viewing,
Essie

UNEXPECTED ADVENTURES COME IN MANY FORMS... THE INCREDIBLE STORY OF "CAPTAIN PHILLIPS"

This was another expected Oscar® that sort of never happened right? A lot of people were rooting for Tom Hanks and then he didn’t even get nominated. And by the way, as I write this I can’t help wondering why we didn’t have such a hoo-haa about the Best Actress awards. I think everyone sort of assumed Cate Blanchette was going to get it, then she did. The end. But then again, I think that’s possibly the topic for a different post all together. Let’s return to the tale of Captain Phillips and the story of the real live pirates.

For Captain Richard Phillips, it’s simply a job like any other. There is a ship that needs to be taken from A to B on the African coast. Ok, the route the ship needs to take goes through potentially dangerous waters – pirate territory to be precise – but it’s nothing the captain or the crew cannot handle as long as they keep their wits about them. Besides, not a single American captain has been hijacked in the last two hundred years, so the odds are definitely in their favour.  And so, they set off. Captain Phillips is made of slightly sterner stuff than what the crew are used to but there they are, in the middle of the ocean so they might as well find a way of getting on with each other. Until, that is, the unthinkable happens… A crew of Somalian pirates driven by desperation board the vessel and take Captain Phillips hostage. Thus starts a very dangerous game of cat and mouse with actual lives at stake.

First of all, did you notice the “human interest” angle in Barkhad Abdi, the actor playing the pirate captain being nominated for an Oscar® ?  And seriously, how awesome would it be if he had actually won? I know we are light-years away from the way things should be as far as gender diversification goes, but at least now the “underdog” also is given an equal seat as it were, which is good. Now all that needs to happen is to actually give said underdog the award – but I digress.

I found this film interesting in a way, because it brings the whole concept of pirates into perspective.  I mean hand on heart, when we think of pirates, we tend to think of a rather romanticised version of the concept loosely based on Captain Jack Sparrow. There may (may) have been some truth to that concept once but of course that was quite literally centuries ago. Pirates still very much exist today and their lives are a far cry from that of the Disney pirate captain. They are hungry, desperate and forever being pushed to do more and get more ships by the “big bosses” who would not hesitate to kill them if they so much as opened their mouth to murmur. So in fact, this not just the case of a “swashbuckling life” – it is a simple case of desperation and survival. Not quite a Disney movie then.

The film wonderfully balances psychology and tension – not least in the second half of the film when Captain Phillips is actually taken hostage on the pirate’s own small boat and driven off. When the action took place on the ship, at least there was room to manoeuver, you know? Gun fights, the crew trying to hide from the pirates, the possibility of an intervention, a lot more to “play” with – and play with it director Paul Greengrass does with gusto. You will remember Grenngrass’ work from the Bourne trilogy. He does tension and action very well albeit in a rather testosterone loaded way, but hey, it’s an action movie right? The second half of the film was particularly good because now the lion’s share of the action is contained in the small boat the pirates are using to try and escape from the approaching authorities. We see the way the pirates interact, with each other and with Philips, moving smoothly from the action to the psychological. It was great to see such a smooth transition between the two. Of course the main focus remains very clearly on Phillips’ abduction and his being either returned to safety or taken back as a hostage. But instead of brief and slightly stilted insights, in this film we get a proper, legitimate look at the psychologies of the pirates.  It gives that film that bit of an edge, making our characters that bit more real. Which is interesting really, because this film is not really about the ship – it is about the pirates. This is clear, because the crew, with the notable exception of Philips and the few people who work close to him get very little air time beyond what a crew on a ship would be expected to do. Stock roles, nothing more. The insight we get into personalities we get from Philips and the pirates. It is a subtle difference, but a difference none the less. A different focus would mean yet another film about white “Caucasian heroes” being attacked by “baddies”.  This film asks the question “well who are the baddies?” – because we pretty much know what the “crew” on the good side is like. We have seen enough action movies. The hero usually changes from film to film, so fair enough we get to know Philips. But then, we turn our attention to piracy. Not “attacks”. It’s pleasant to see a film in a genre rather set in stone (like any genre, the action film has its own conventions that fans are partial to) merge so smoothly with the psychological thriller and provide a refreshing change of perspective all at once.

Now don’t let all this talk of how the story is structured make you think I am mentally detracting from the fact that this was a true life ordeal. The story is wonderful – and a good story is the backbone of every good film out there. But the art of cinema truly lies in the way you structure the story and chose to portray it.  I find true enjoyment in mulling this aspect over as well as getting immersed in the film I am watching. I mean, the way the story went presented a brilliant opportunity of course – having actually been on the boat with the pirates, Phillips was able to actually observe them and provide the insight Greengrass so aptly uses to bring the film to life. And as I always say, real life is nearly always much stranger than fiction.

So if you want a film that will grip you, excite you and make the 2.5 hours fly by, you’re looking at the right one. So let the adventure on the high seas begin!

THE UNEXPECTED JOURNEY CONTINUES : "THE HOBBIT 2: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG"

Hehehe. I literally squeaked when I saw this on the in-flight entertainment on the way back from Japan. I missed this one. I don’t know how it happen – well I do. I wanted to see it in 3D or IMAX. One wants to save up, make it an occasion, go with friends. But as it often happens when you try and “overcomplicate” things I just couldn’t organise it somehow – and then, as it were, it was gone. So now that we have given in and watched the film on a tiny in-flight entertainment screen,  what can we say about the second half of our unexpected adventure?

Well, our party has crossed the Misty Mountains, but that is by no means the end of their troubles. They have to get through the infamous Mirkwood Forest to arrive at the human settlement at Lake-town, all this in time for the one appointed day where the secret door to Lonely Mountain can be discovered. And even then, although it seems to be a simple matter of Bilbo fulfilling his contract, well, it’s easier said than done. I mean, we’re talking about finding a single magical stone in an unimaginably large hoard of treasure, without waking out a sleeping, terrible dragon.  And all of this would have been a good deal simpler if Gandalf had actually stayed with them but he has… Gone off somewhere… Yeah, actually, what’s with that?

So if you’re a fan, you know exactly where we are in the story – isn’t it getting exciting! This chapter of course introduces us to Legolas. And on a side-note I had completely forgotten how much of a proverbial “badass” Legolas was. Watching him and Tauriel fight was definitely one of the highlights of the film for me. I know , I know, I moan a lot about special effects and the excessive usage thereof, but come on. We are watching this film so we can be transported to a magical world of elves, dwarves and hobbits. Movie magic literally goes without saying. And come on – most if not all of us rather likes the elves. (Oh yes we do. )And I (still) have nothing but praise for the magical world Peter Jackson has created for The Hobbit. It is not quite the same reaction I had to the Harry Potter films. For those, bizarrely a large part of the characters and settings looked almost as if they had been plucked directly from the inside of my head (the one notable exception being Lupin – he was so unlike what I had imagined it actually upset me and made it hard to concentrate on the film for a short while, but that’s a completely different story). But this world is so beautiful, so organic and so sensitively created that even if I (probably) didn’t quite see it like that myself I literally can’t imagine it being any other way. Just open the door and step right in.

Acting-wise, of course everyone is on point. I find it hard to imagine Sir Ian McKellan as anyone OTHER than Gandalf and Martin Freeman is the perfect everyman trying desperately to keep up with the otherworldly madness going on around him. There is a certain “Britishness” to his acting that I think really “makes” Bilbo. Not least, it mustn’t be forgotten, because Tolkein himself was British – so surely that fits? And of course we have a few new additions to the “family”. The most talked about was, without a doubt, Smaug, voiced over by Benedict Cumberbach. Firstly, I genuinely wouldn’t have known it was him if the fact hadn’t been bandied all over the known world for months. Ok that sentence looks weird but you know what I mean. It doesn’t sound like him. And bizarrely it sounds just as absolutely terrifying as a talking dragon should. And, all humans out there (ehm) we finally have someone representing us too! Yay! We finally get to meet Bard (Luke Evans) face to face and we even have an appearance from Stephen Fry as the rather oily master of Lake-town. So basically what we get is a wonderful magical world reconstructed lovingly by Peter Jackson, with a goodly dollop of Britishness and British humour injected in. That’s basically my idea of perfection in so many different ways.

But the thing about a film like The Hobbit is that it is one of the best representatives of a very specific genre. If you like fantasy (you probably couldn’t tell, but I do) you’ll love this. If you don’t, you’ll steer well clear and honestly feel as if you haven’t missed a thing. I don’t blame you. I mean, I don’t understand where you’re coming from at all, but I don’t blame you. It takes all sorts to make a world. I just need a sojourn or two in different worlds from time to time that’s all.

ESSIE SPEAKS OF AGE

This is not me fishing for presents you lot but my birthday is coming. Ask around. In a matter of weeks, I will be 31 years of age. This has almost automatically turned my mind towards old age and the like.

It's so funny isn't it how we thought we would have "it" all sorted by a certain age. Or maybe not even at a certain age. If you're anything like me it was a vague "when I grow up". I am now getting the feeling that the more I learn the less I know... But is this really a bad thing? 

A sense of wonderment and discovery means that well... Put bluntly, life never gets boring. It's good to never be complacent and far more humble to admit that you will probably never "have it all figured out". And more importantly, it means that you can have adventures all your life, no matter how old you are. 

Here are two rather beautiful stories about growing old and growing up...

Psst by the way... You know how I was getting a bit lazy with the links and trailers and stuff. I have got unlazy. Please scroll down to watch the trailers for this weeks 2 (yes, two, as promised) films!

happy viewing,

Essie 

A COUNTRY - AND A MAN COMING OF AGE... WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF "THE BUTLER"

I was surprised as anyone when this film didn’t so much as get a nod for the Oscars®- and this was even before I had seen it. I mean obviously having a star-studded cast is absolutely no guarantee of a successful film but it’s such a wonderful “behind the scenes” story of one of the most important parts of American history that I was sure it would get a nomination at least if not an award or two. Oh well. The Academy works in mysterious ways sometimes. Having watched the film, my admiration for it has only grown. It is a great historical narrative, but at the same time a very sensitive story about how hard it can be to keep up with the changing times and how a person can truly grow at any age.

The Butler is the story of Cecil Gaines who served no less than eight presidents during his tenure there as butler. It was a fascinating time as Gaines had the opportunity to witness presidents making earth shattering, life changing decisions in “real time”. But on the other hand, at home, life is not so simple for an African – American family because racism is still rife and Cecil’s eldest son, Louis, is getting more and more involved in the ever-growing civil rights movements which worries his mother (Oprah Winfrey) and angers his father to the point of causing a serious rift in the family. Cecil is an old-fashioned fellow who can see that things could be a lot better but does not believe in violently bucking the system. He has faith in the system, if they give it a chance, no doubt it will work out for them in the end. The question is, what will it take for Cecil and Louis to reach middle ground?

I can see what one piece of criticism levelled at this film could legitimately be : that it has all been done before. The film touched me to the core of my soul in some bits, but you actually could argue that it is lacking that spark that extra piece of originality that “umph” factor… I mean so many films go over the trope of the older character that is set in his ways and learning from a younger character. The younger character also learns from the older, the two of them eventually meet at a harmonious middle ground. In this film it is no different. (SPOILER ALERT SKIP TO THE NEXT PARAGRAPH) – Louis, Cecil’s son puts aside the Black Panthers type protesting and actually becomes a politician, changing the system from within. Cecil on the other hand, well into middle age, joins his first ever protest. There is something very “we have seen all this before” about the whole affair, especially if you’re a major Hollywood fan.

But then again, and I have mentioned this before, if you go to a film solely hoping to see something you have never seen before, you’re in for a long series of disappointments. At the end of the day, a “completely” original story is very, very hard to find these days and this should not, in my opinion, be the sole criteria of enjoyment for a film. There are some wonderful juxtapositions in this film that I found particularly touching. I mean, it may be because I work in events myself -  my job isn’t that far removed from that of a butler – so I find it easy to sympathize. One of my favourite such scenes occurs in the first half of the film when Louis joins one of his first protest movements : along with a group of African-American students and others who are anti-segregation they go and pointedly sit at the seats reserved exclusively for white customers and demand service. Reactions range from just cold stares and muttered comments to blows and open abuse but the group bravely stands its ground. At the very same time, Cecil is heading the staff at a VIP event at the White House. Louis is demanding service and risking his life to do so, while Cecil, his old dad, is providing the same service to the highest standard in the country. Juxtaposed, the two images made me choke. Not least because, as I just mentioned, I do what Cecil does. I have stood at the “top table” at Livery events and served guests in complete unison and that, I felt, made it all the more real for me. Not that you need to have worked in service to feel the emotion – it just gave it a bit of an extra edge for me.

And of course the film utilises another trope we know all too well – it is a coming of age film of sorts. It just comes with a reminder that “coming of age” can happen at any physical age. It is, in fact, much harder for the older generation to keep up with the times – not that I am calling anyone fuddy-duddys – simply because as time goes on you have more of an opportunity to make habits. And the more entrenched your habits become, the harder it is to imagine changing them. I am finding this in my own personal life at the relatively young age of 31, I cannot imagine how hard it must have been for someone of Cecil’s age. And even though segregation is now thankfully a thing of the past let us not forget how entrenched and wide spread it once was. Having been brought up on a cotton plantation, telling Cecil that equality was obtainable must have been akin to telling him the sky was green. That said, the film clearly tells us that change is not impossible – just possibly harder to achieve than we might think…

Of course I can’t help but point out Cecil is, in a way a “stock character” too. In films of a certain era or genre we see the typical character of the older African-American staff member who sides more with “the master” than whoever the protagonist might be, despite any amount of injustices. One of the most memorable recent examples being Stephen (played by Samuel L. Jackson) in Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained. If you look at it closely, Cecil is, in fact, exactly the same character. The only thing is of course Cecil is a) a real person, b) soft spoken and gentle so a tad easier to empathize with. In that sense, The Butler provides a very interesting psychological insight into change and our reaction to it as we grow older. Not to mention a fascinating chronicle of a very important part of American history.

So I can safely say The Butler will provide you with a LOT of food for thought. And if you think you have seen it all before – well look a little closer. Like all good art, if you dig a tiny bit, there is always a gem or two to be found.

WELCOME TO THE TWIGHLIGHT HOURS IN "NEBRASKA"

You know how I said I really wanted Leonardo DiCaprio to win the Oscar ®? And you know how I said well, in fairness, Matthew McConaughey did a fine job of his part in Dallas Buyers Club? I mean ok, I still stand behind both statements. But having watched Nebraska I am left literally tearing out my hair going “WHY HASN’T BRUCE DERN GOT AN OSCAR?!” I watched Nebraska in the last third of an 18 hour flight (20 – something including stopovers). I was moved to tears regardless of the insomnia, the jetlag that had begun to set in and the sore eyes… It may be because stories of old folks have a special place for me (my maternal grandparents are still alive and I am especially close to my grandmother) but still… Some emotions are universal and the emotion here is just so strong, I would argue you can tap into it regardless…

Woody Grant (Bruce Dern) has a bee in his bonnet. Well, to be honest, he has many bees. He is getting old and a little “confused”, the years of heavy drinking have not helped. His family are finding it harder and harder to look after him and now, he has his heart set on going to Nebraska. Woody has received a letter from a magazine, ( and it bears all the classic hallmarks of a scam), claiming that he has won one million dollars. So Woody wants to go to Nebraska to the headquarters of the magazine to collect his winnings. An if this means making the trip from Montana to Nebraska on foot, well, he’ll do that too. In the end, his youngest son David (Will Forte) gives in. His father is clearly not letting go of this one, so he might as well ensure he doesn’t do himself any mischief. So he agrees to drive him down to Nebraska. But as will often happen when two people are stuck in a small space with minimal distractions and lots of time on their hands the past will slowly come bubbling to the surface and Woody and David’s past is very far from being a happy one…            

This film basically hinges on how good of a job Bruce Dern does of his part. Because the dysfunctional Woody, what we learn of him “in person” and what we pick up from the other characters talking about him constitute the “spine” of the film. And to give credit where it is due, it is not an easy part to pull off. He has minimal dialogue and basically portrays a cantankerous, obstinate old man who creates an aura around him without saying much of anything – in fact part of the aura stems from the fact he doesn’t say much of anything. But his performance coupled with the equally brilliant performances of Will Forte and June Squibb who plays Woody’s long-suffering wife mean that we are pulled into the centre of the action in no time.

What I really love about this film is that it is a touching and realistic portrayal of how our relationship with our parents changes as we grow older. It isn’t just about taking on the role of caring for them as opposed to them caring for us – although there is that too. Throughout the film, David is trying to actively learn more about his past, his family’s past. You know that point when you started actively asking “logical” and “adult” questions about your family and things that happened in the family’s past? Yeah, that moment. That, combined with the moment you realise your parents are human. We’ve all been there. Except for David, this is a bit more complicated because Woody was far from being a good father. In fact, from what we can gather, he was quite far from being an average father as well. David approaches his father with a clear air of “I’ve had enough of this” at the beginning of the film. Although, maybe because he is the younger sibling, he has more of a “sense of duty” than his older brother Ross ( Bob Odenkirk) who is adamant a care home is where his father belongs. By the end of their adventure the relationship between David and Woody has changed. Oh it is not a “fairy tale” ending. They are not “the best of friends”. But they are the best of friends they can be under the circumstances and that is all that matters…

Mainstream storytelling would have us believe in a constantly loving family unit. If there are “dysfunctional” characters they are “lovable rogues” who can, more often than not, be “reformed” in the space of the story. What I love about this film is that it bucks both these trends, making the entire family a lot more “real” and the ending a lot easier to believe. Because in real life, more often than not families aren’t “cute” awkward like mainstream movies – they are “what the hell is wrong with you” kind of awkward. And that kind of awkward doesn’t get all reformed and tidied away – if there is any reforming done, it gets done at a snail’s pace and probably in bits and pieces over decades. But of course that doesn’t actually make for a nice tidy storyline with lovable characters so films about it are fewer and further between. But the thing is, when done right, the films that DO portray family life warts and all do tend to get huge acclaim. Why? Audiences bond with characters that are accurate portrayals of themselves and events that reflect their own lives. And audiences are made up of real people. Real people with warts. 

ESSIE SPEAKS OF DISNEY OLD AND NEW

Hello folks!

Well you may (or may not) be interested to know I am back in my native London town. I am still a bit jet lagged, still having a touch of trouble adapting to the post-vacation real world but no worries, I am getting there. Hence, the blog update is a tad late but hopefully you'll like it so much you won't notice :)

This week I jump onto the "hype wagon" about Frozen. And what started as an innocent enough blog post inevitably turned into a bit of a comparaison on how this film differs from classic Disney movies but hey... I know other blogs who have had the same issue, so don't you roll your eyes at me...

Once I have re-combobulated myself the aim is to get back to two updates a week regardless of the length so watch this space, as they say.

And in the meanwhile, happy viewing.
Essie

TIME TO THAW THOSE "FROZEN" HEARTS WITH SOME GOOD OLD FASHIONED DISNEY...

The newest Disney sensation! An Oscar ® winner no less! Naturally I had to jump on the bandwagon and get my mitts onto this one as soon as possible – not least because of the complete and utter sensation it seemed to be causing all over the internet. A modern adaptation of The Snow Queen (you know something, I literally hadn’t thought of that until I saw it in the credits at the end) Frozen shows us once again that Disney is doing its best to keep up with the times. And to give them their dues, they haven’t done a too shabby job at it either…

Elsa and Anna are two sisters, two princesses to be precise, and heirs to a small kingdom. There Elsa is the elder sister and heir to the throne one day but there is a slight problem – a problem that must be kept a secret even from her own sister Anna. Elsa has been born with the power to freeze practically everything she touches; she can make it snow or freeze almost at will. Almost. Because, truth be told, Elsa can barely control this power. That said, with the support of her parents she can keep her power in hand (haha see what I did there? Oh never mind...), until an unfortunate accident orphans her and her sister, forcing Elsa onto the throne. Elsa tries to keep everything under wraps, however the stress of the coronation brings the whole secret tumbling out and starts a chain of events that threatens the very existance of the kingdom… There is only one person who can stop it all – but can Anna, an eternal optimist who has grown up in practical isolation in the palace step up to the plate?

Frozen has been hailed as progressive and a big change for Disney’s general rules all over the internet and I will have to join my voice to the chorus up to a point. I mean true, the basic tropes do not change – the whole prince- princess deal, fairy tale endings and the fact that the structure of the story is so predictable that you can predict which attempt will fail and which will succeed with literally no prior knowledge of the script are all there. But let’s give the film it’s due, it has tried to do some things differently. And it seems to have succeeded.

One point that I have seen made time and time again is that only one princess ends up with a man. In fact she technically ends up with two at one point – making the rather original point (for Disney) that love is not as clear cut as “you meet someone, you fall in love and that’s it”. Not only that, but the handsome prince turns out to be the complete villain in the end. It is the rather more homely looking Kristoph who gets the girl when all is said and done – thus admonishing the trope that all good guys are automatically good looking. I mean, naturally both the princesses are stunning and Kristoph isn’t exactly a troll (even though he was raised by them) but hey… It’s a step in the right direction.

And then of course there is the matter of Elsa not having a beau. But then again, when you think about it, it isn’t so surprising. Not because of the rather obvious problems potentially caused by her uncontrolled powers either ; messages of true love surpassing all physical obstacles have been given under conditions that are more trying than these.  It was only when I was reading Disney’s “behind the scenes” snippets of the film when I realised that I put two and two together. Elsa is in fact the result of years of head scratching and wondering what to do with the actual Snow Queen in the fairy tale. I mean sure, you could make her your archetypal villain queen but Disney has an over-abundance of them and I mean look, it turns out they have been trying to make this film since the ‘40s for God’s sake they’re not going to wait 70 years just to do something they have done a million times over once again. The result? A very clever compromise and a way of making the film about sisterly love as opposed to romantic love. This too is part of a trend if you think about it – I mean Brave wasn’t about romantic love either, it was about mothers and daughters, I mean heck, romance didn’t even raise its head in Brave.  And I love the diversification of topics by the way. True it’s a rather small and conservative step (we have moved from spouses to family which isn’t exactly a gargantuan leap) but give it it’s due, we have moved. Better than nothing. But hang on, back to the matter of Elsa being single; you see where I’m coming from, right? I mean at the end of the day, in her origins Elsa is the villain – even though she is innocent in this version of the story – so we couldn’t really have her being rewarded just for learning to be good, right? Being good is the first step. If she is good for long enough, she will get a spouse. Anna has been good. She has been trapped in the palace for most of her life (Rapunzel anyone?) and yet kept her pure heart (and her sanity by the way. I mean excuse the spoiler but if I had lived the life Anna lived, I would have been either a psychopath or a gibbering idiot by 12. That said, her first social contact in decades and she is merely slightly awkward… Oh Disney…) and she even overcomes obstacles and makes sacrifices to save her sister. So she gets her reward.

Soo… Yeah. This IS, in fact a typical Disney film in a lot of ways. I mean fair enough, steps have been taken in all the right directions, but they are rather small steps. Still, as I have said before in this same post, they are steps. We have moved. And we can’t expect messages that are so entrenched and have proved such successful sales tools to change overnight. Basically, if you like Disney, you’ll like this. If you don’t, mark my words, you’ll still find the songs catchy. The film got the Oscar® for Best Music for a reason J

ESSIE SPEAKS OF ACTORS

Well folks, the Oscar season has come and gone once again, leaving us to ruminate over the winners and the losers. I couldn't actually follow the action blow by blow as I am still travelling at the moment but I did keep a weather eye out for the winners on social media.

I have a bit to say about the winners and losers but that may have to wait for such a time where I have had more sleep and my head is not partly full of Japanese architecture. In the meanwhile, let's keep talking about the films themselves, shall we? Here's a bit of a double update for your delectation (not to mention to make up for the fact that . The films that walked away with the awards for best actor, best actress and best supporting actor.

happy viewing folks,
Essie

WHERE THERE IS A WILL THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY - WELCOME TO THE "DALLAS BUYERS CLUB"

Allrighty. On with the Oscar season. I know for a fact that some people who are slightly more soft-hearted are thinking of possibly steering clear of this one. Death, disease, a long struggle against nothing less than the pharmaceutical companies and a very prejudiced “system… Yeah I totally agree, this is not what one might call uplifting. But then again, and I have said this before, not everything in life is uplifting. And if art imitates life, I reckon it only makes sense it imitates the good things and the bad. Besides, Dallas Buyers Club is definitely not all doom and gloom. Oh no. Not by a long shot.

The year is 1985 and Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey) is a regular, all-American guy getting on with his life. He is an electrician by trade, although he has many, many side lines most of them not entirely legal. He likes drinking and doing various drugs with his buddies and “getting it on” with a lovely lady or two (or three) in his spare time – a proper man’s man if you see what I mean. In short, he has a bit of a good thing going in life until a work related accident lands him in hospital where it is discovered that he is HIV positive. His lifestyle means that it has escalated into full-blown AIDS and Ron is told he has a month left to him to get his affairs in order – if he’s lucky. This is a complete blow out of the blue for Ron, not least because he is a red blooded “man’s man” and cannot see how he could have contracted a “homo disease”. But he is not the kind of man to hide from anything for long so he rolls up his sleeves and gets to it. Because Ron has plans and they don’t include dying in a month. He has a long and rocky road before him not least because his  ignorance on the matter is only rivalled by his prejudices towards “homos” who now cross his path more and more often. But as Ron forges forward, he begins to discover some very unexpected friends and allies… And, potentially, a revolutionary way to prolong his own life and the lives of his new found friends… With new friends, however, come new enemies. In this specific case, a whole barrage of pharmaceutical companies… Ron truly has his work cut out in more ways than one…

Now, if you have read but a handful of the reviews for this film you will know one that a lot of what happened is based on real life, but here’s the thing: In real life Ron was not homophobic. In fact, he wasn’t even heterosexual. I have read multiple articles that state that he was openly bisexual and that a lot of people who associated with him in later life never thought of him as straight. Then again, Craig Borten, the scriptwriter for the film swears up and down that the Ron Woodruff he met was as racist and homophobic as they came. If you’re asking what the heck is going on, as Ron Woodruff himself has been dead for a while now the truth is we will never really know. Maybe he was “posturing” to the press – I mean come on, anyone of average intelligence – and Ron was definitely over the average – knows that the mainstream press is going to lap up the story of a typical “red neck” that grew and developed through disease, getting rid of his prejudices and becoming “one of us”. It may have purely been a matter of getting his name out there. And come on, put your hand on your heart and tell me the storyline didn’t get you too. This tactic is especially effective when you have an actor as brilliant as McCaughnahey who can express the change and development in the character in every single subtle movement on screen. And of course from a technical perspective this storytelling gold; ideally you have to see the character grow change and develop from the beginning of the film to the end , it doesn’t get clearer than this. Plus it gives an uplifting, anti-homophobic message that is much needed in a world where the reverberations of the Sochi Winter Olympics and everything that preceded it are still reverberating in our hearts. (Oh come on, don’t tell me the timing wasn’t suspect at all… Seriously).

Now don’t go thinking I am “disillusioned” by the film or am trying to “disillusion” you or something. I’m actually praising the film. Because, even though from a viewer’s perspective the film seems to appear on the screen as if by magic, there is a lot of thought, planning, tactics and marketing that goes into it – and Dallas Buyers Club does a spectacularly good job.  The question we need to ask ourselves is, to what extent did Ron Woodruff himself “meddle” in this. He made no secret at all of his own activism so my bet is… There is a very good chance he put on an act for the scriptwriter on purpose…

That said, does it make our experience any less “real” ? Heck no. Quite apart from anything else, everything Ron did, both for the good of his own health and to fight against the big pharmaceutical companies for others are very real and make awesome stories in their own turn. And quite apart from that, even though it may be completely “real” one cannot help warming to the on-screen Woodruff and MM does a wonderful job of portraying him. And of course one must not, CAN not forget Rayon, as portrayed superbly by Jared Leto. And I do not just mean it in the sense of “Oh what a good job he did portraying a transsexual person”. No. Because what we tend to perhaps forget in the whole discussion about homophobia and AIDS is that Dallas Buyers Club is also about coming to terms with your own imminent death. Rayon is, above and beyond anything else, full of life and joie de vivre and she does NOT want to die. Leto does an absolutely sterling job at portraying Rayon’s heart breaking confrontation with this fact, especially in the second half of the film.

So, basically, you need to watch this film. There is a lot and I mean A LOT to think about. Well, I mean, this is the story of a hustler at the end of the day. Nothing is quite what it seems.

THE SORRY TALE OF "BLUE JASMINE"

There were a lot of things, and I do mean a LOT of things that recommended this film to me. I’m a massive fan of Woody Allen. I’m a massive fan of Kate Blanchette. Blue Jasmine was on Quentin Tarantino’s list of faves for 2013 (oh come on, you know I’m a fangirl. Yes you do). So, yeah. When it came as an option on the in-flight entertainment to Japan, I couldn’t really say no, could I?

Now, honestly, at first glance I failed to see how anyone could dislike this film in any way shape of form. But then, I asked my Mom what she thought of it and she said that the character Jasmine annoyed her so much she couldn’t get more than half way through the film and just turned it off. I strongly disapprove of this kind of thing but it forced me to try and think of the whole affair a tad more objectively and I had to admit I can see where she was coming from even though I don’t agree. At the end of the day Woody Allen’s work is rather a niche affair which you generally either love or hate and this film is virtually marinated in his style - which is good news for any of the fans. Coupled with some rather superb acting from Cate Blanchette – I had been saying she would be up for the Oscar® right from the start – the result is a film that is particularly easy on the eye.

Jasmine (Cate Blanchette) is going through a bit of a tough patch. There was a time not so long ago she could have claimed to have it all. A husband rich enough to fund all her shopping trips and brunches, a like-minded set of socialite friends in New York, a massive, luxurious house and no reason whatsoever to work. However all good things must come to an end and Jasmine’s dream life crumbles down around her ears one day (I’ll let you discover the how and why of it in the film) and she is faced with the rather terrifying prospect of going out into the real world, standing on her own two feet  and earning her daily bread. This is how Jasmine lands on the doorstep of her estranged sister Ginger in San Francisco. Ginger’s life is a million miles away from Jasmine’s and old resentments and feuds boil beneath the genial surface but family is family and Jasmine literally has nowhere else to go. So starts a very uneasy partnership between the two sisters… Here’s hoping Jasmine adapts to real life quickly. Like, before she pushes Ginger to do something they would both regret…

Now, you know the type of comedy where an  alien (or two) from a very advanced technological era come to earth and flail around trying to adapt to the “backwards” fittings and fixtures? Yeah, this is basically the same type of comedy. And I must admit, I’m kind of surprised I like it so much because I never liked that kind of comedy. Even when Star Trek did it. I can totally see why people might get annoyed with the storyline too incidentally. Because the “backwards fixtures and fittings” in the film are basically… Yeah you got it. Our lives. Day to day, normal lives. Ok so Ginger works in a supermarket bagging groceries – just to underline the contrast with Jasmine’s high flier New York lifestyle- but basically she is a million miles away from Mimozas and brunch every Saturday, pretty much like the rest of us. The film is a comedy about how hard it would be for the rich to adapt to our lives. And believe me, it makes for an annoying watch through and through.

But it does raise some rather important points as well. Not least about the way the star culture and society fills us with all the wrong aspirations about the importance of glamour and material things as opposed to the stuff in life that really and truly matters. Jasmine is, in reality, almost completely unqualified. She never finished college and she never worked. So any job she is actually qualified to get is something not unlike her sisters but of course she sneers at that. Any job she can get she doesn’t last in; it’s all “far too menial” she needs to “use her talents”, ah but what are these talents if she has any at all?  Jasmine has clearly not. She is just sure she has them and she must do “great things”. So what the film is, in reality, doing through Jasmine is reminding us gently that the quest for our own “perfect lives” should really begin from a quest within ourselves. We must know ourselves and fully understand what is really important in life. If we need to develop to get to the point we wish to be at in life, we must accept that with good grace and serenity. And above all we must invest into all those things in life that money cannot buy: Love, friendship, family…

Now all these are valid lessons but of course they are given through the means of an incredibly annoying snob (and her annoyingness is a testimony to Blanchette’s acting prowess if you think about it) constantly berating a life very similar to your own. So it takes an effort to get passed that bit and look to the more spiritual lesson of the film. It is a fable; it is a “don’t be like her” cautionary tale for both the rich and the poor – if you see what I mean. And once you have put enough distance between yourself and the film and have begun to truly appreciate stuff like what a brilliant job Blanchette is doing with the part, I am confident you will enjoy it as much as I did. 

ESSIE SAYS KONICHIWA

Greetings from the far East my friends! 

I am travelling in Japan at the moment and truly having the time of my life! I may be slightly disconnected from film at the moment but, as I detail below, God bless airline entertainment systems. I watched more films in a day than I have recently in a week! 

Time differences and all that mean that I will be following the Oscars slightly from behind but fear not, I will have my eye on the ceremony - let's see how things go down!

happy viewing and have a great week! 

Essie 

DON'T LET LIFE "RUSH" PAST YOU...

So Konichiwa as the locals say over here. I have just arrived in Japan J It truly is turning out to be the holiday of a lifetime – but I’ll tell you one thing, getting out here is a bit taxing. I am almost completely de-jetlagged at the moment but the actual flight itself tired me infinitely more than the time difference. Well, what can I say, I am an incurable fidget and sitting still for almost 20 hours is just… Agony. Sleep wasn’t much of an option (I’m a bad sleeper at the best of times) so the airline entertainment system was my best friend for the duration of the flight. Especially since I found so many films that I desperately wanted to watch in their archive. It was for this reason that when my friend asked me how my flight went, my answer was “Not bad – the food was good and I watched 5 films!” I mean the upshot of that was that I ended up sleeping a total of 2 hours but hey… You know… Priorities… ;)

And one of the films that impressed me the most was this one. The mix of adrenaline and emotion was at a level that actually kept me awake and alert through the last lap of my journey, at my most tired (needless to say I totally crashed and burnt right afterwards). This is definitely one of the films I am rooting for at this year’s awards. Here’s why.

Rush is the true story of the intense rivalry between Formula 1 drivers John Hunt and Niki Lauda. (Played respectively by Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl). It is a rivalry that will colour ‘70s Formula 1 racing for ever. The two men are vastly dissimilar in all ways imaginable. John is a tall and handsome ladies’ man who enjoys being the talented “big kid” on the race course, throwing all responsibility and caution to the wind and winning over everyone he annoys by his sheer drive and raw talent. Niki Lauda is the mirror opposite.  The Austrian driver borders on the antisocial, by his own admission looks like a rat and drives his entire team insane with his extreme focus on every single little detail and perfectionism. He is, however, as much of a genius on the race track as Hunt is… Or is he? That is the question the two drivers strive to answer as they battle it out on the track time after time… Their opposing personalities means that the clashes continue both on and off the track and makes the driving even more intense…  But the real question is who will win the coveted world championship? There can be only one…

Hand on heart, I have never seen the point of Formula 1 (or 2 or 3 ) driving. I guess it’s because I’m not the sporting type but cars driving round and around in a circle… Meh… If you’re on the same page as me as far as sports and sporting movies, go don’t knock this one just yet…  Because the actual fact is that it is really, really not just about the driving. In fact the driving is almost just a side line. What really comes, rather brilliantly to the forefront of this film is the analysis, on many different levels, of the intense rivalry between Hunt and Lauda. I found it very, very similar to the concept of the “worthy opponent” that one often finds in tales from the far East. I mean, this is not to say the concept is not present here in the West but it is not spoken about or analysed as much. Both drivers are men of very great talent and relish the fact that the other presents competition that they can truly get their teeth into. Each one is, for the other, “the one to beat”, on the racing track they are almost in their own little world, their own little race, just the two of them, while the other drivers fight it out amongst themselves who gets third place and lower. The clash of personalities just adds passion to the whole affair, intensifying the rivalry and giving each one that many more reasons to want to beat the other.  Yes, in so many ways (but not a sexual one, very obviously) it is almost like being in a relationship. I don’t want to give you too many spoilers, but further down the line we see clear signs that the relationship changes; what starts off as the two men very, very clearly annoying each other to death ends up becoming something akin to sibling rivalry. Towards each other, it is no holds barred. But if a third party tries to attack one of them in any way, rivalry is put aside to form a joint front.

But do not be fooled – or indeed alarmed- this is not some kind of Hollywood-ised “buddy movie” where the two men end up “growing” together and becoming close friends in the end. As this is real life, there is a substantial amount of pathos to the ending of their story which I will leave you to discover. But I think this adds to the beauty of the story really. Holywood fairy tales would have us believe in one “explosion” of an event that remains focal and life changing for ever. In real life, however, the great, the good the ugly and the beautiful come, have their moment on the stage and move on, leaving their place to something else. This is what makes life the beautiful, colourful tapestry it actually is, as opposed to the tidy linear story that is infinitely more practical for films. That tapestry is not always easy to describe or portray in films but this is a very, very good effort. Definitely worth your time.