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. 

IN WHICH OTHER WORLDS ESCAPE TO US... "THOR"

I know, I know, this is mainly one for the fans. A film I mean. Not  blog post. I may have mentioned that on a normal day to day basis, Hollywood action – adventure films do not feature high on my “to watch” list. But there comes a time when even my interest is piqued. I’m guessing if you’re a fan of Marvel comics and all that that franchise entails, you have already seen this one. If, like me, you’re not THAT into comic books and the like, you may or may not be  contemplating watching it for a bit of a change one evening when you want to watch something fun but not out too much effort into philosophical analysis or complicated story lines. This is the first film of the series, the special effects are spectacular, the actors and actresses beautiful, it is everything modern Hollywood is today. What did I think of it? Well, I’m seriously considering watching The Avengers            later on this week so yeah; this should probably give you a clue…

In this first “episode” of the series, we are introduced to Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki, Norse “gods” who live in the peaceful kingdom of Aasgard ruled by their wise and benevolent father Odin (Anthony Hopkins). Thor is the elder and natural successor to the throne – and frankly he can’t wait. He’s an outstanding warrior, handsome, popular and a born leader. He is, on the other hand reckless, hot-headed and has a dangerous tendency to rush into situations without considering the consequences.  And when he opens his whole world up to the possibility of war with their eternal enemies the ice giants, Odin can find no further alternative but to banish Thor to Earth, minus his powers, to teach him a lesson in humility if nothing else. But if this is not painful enough, with Thor gone, forces within the palace that are not as friendly as they claim to be set to work… The danger of war is merely the tip of the iceberg as far these forces go. Thor may be adapting well to his new world and even making friends, especially in the person of the beautiful scientist Jane Foster (Nathalie Portman) but will he find what it takes within his soul to help him return to his duties back home and save his world?

I will not bang on and on about the entertainment value of this one. Like a lot of Marvel films, we are transported to a world of super-heroes and beautiful maidens and it is perfect, seamless, unadulterated escape from your daily woes for all of two hours. We know what we are getting and we get a good quality load. Romantic comedy, action, drama and a very well choreographed “alien getting used to our world” type comedy all rolled into one, and finished off with all the high sentiment and pumping adrenaline of classical storytelling and fairy tales. Now now, don’t get upset I called it a fairy tale. That is what it is, after all…

But there was one point I found particularly fascinating about this particular film. I loved the fact that Jane Foster is a scientist ( I do realise this is probably less to do with the film and more to do with the original storyline). But more importantly I love the fact that we are not told to just suspend disbelief and go “oh so Thor and the Norse gods are real after all – now, moving swiftly on”. The character of Jane Foster means that there is a voice constantly questioning the veracity of what is going on on screen and asking the question “well how can this be?” And sure enough, the film (or, like I said, the story itself. I haven’t read the comics so I’m not entirely sure which) provides an explanation based on physics. Now I know less about wormholes and the theory of parallel universes than I do about Marvel comics. Thus I have no idea how much the physics “stands up”. But I think it is a fascinating point that in the 20^th Century science has become so pervasive in every day life that even what would once be classed as “fairy stories”, now feel the need to provide at least a semblance of a scientific explanation for fear of alienating the audience. The mystification of the world is truly dead people, there is no mystery and no wonder… Or I mean, there is, but we are not very tolerant to it anymore. We MUST know the REASON. For some reason we simply can’t just kick back and enjoy the story…

And I mean, don’t get me wrong, perversely, I LOVED the fact that there is a scientific, “real life” explanation for it all in the film. But I just can’t shake this nagging feeling that this has become more of a “necessity” than anything else. And that we may have irretrievably lost an important part of our collective imagination… Then again, maybe the answer is to kick back and enjoy the ride. Because, if nothing else, Thor does provide a most entertaining ride. Highly recommended. 

IN WHICH WE SEE ANGER MANAGEMENT ISSUES CAN BECOME CONSTRUCTIVE : "THE AVENGERS"

The whole thing really began with my being pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Thor (2011). Having the second film close to hand, it seemed really silly not to just go ahead and watch it. I have been taking a few days off recently. A weekend away with my friends, a few “mental health” days here and there…  It’s tough work working in events in the Christmas season. Sleep is not as much a part of my schedule as I would like, nor is “down time”. In situations like these, as the film so eloquently puts it “people need a bit of old fashioned”. Oh and well… Christmas is coming. It’s the season for a little old fashioned. I mean, ok, I do realise that The Avengers is not necessarily the first thing that occurs to one when you say “Christmas Movie” but I think there’s an argument to be made there. The film is, after all, all about everyone coming together for a common good, putting differences aside, learning from each other and concentrating on doing good in the world. Not sure you know what I mean? You may have a point, I am getting ahead of myself slightly. Let’s take this step by step…

At the end of Thor, we see Loki cast into an abyss, vanquished… This, it seems, was merely a hiccup in Loki’s attempts to climb to the top. Not only has he been rescued, he has been given an army. The destination? Earth. Loki is determined to conquer the planet and claim it as his own – he will have the kingdom Asgard denied him. And the attack is so ferocious and the power he has gathered so great that it will take every single super hero the Earth can muster, ranging from the incredible Hulk to Captain America to conquer him… But even with Thor, Loki’s own brother, joining the fight, what are the odds of a handful of heroes against an entire army that is truly “out of this world”?

The answer to that question lies, of course, in the word “heroes”. The Avengers is everything a superhero movie should be – and then some. The only thing that was missing from the conventional mix was a “love interest” story which I found rather refreshing to be honest. Forcibly inserting a rather “out of the blue” love affair usually seems a little unnecessary to me.  I mean ok, there is the “attraction” between Natasha Romanoff and Hawkeye but there is a lot of military style “loyalty” mixed into that. I mean, yes, there is the hint that there may be something more to their relationship, but her will to save him is based largely on her wish to redeem her past sins. Oh and there is of course Pepper Potts and Iron Man (I think he is my favourite Avenger by the way. I find him the most “human” of the lot. I know they all have their token faults but Iron Man has actually personality issues and borders on the dysfunctional. Plus Robert Downey Jr.’s rendition of him is HILARIOUS.  ). One might argue that all of this makes to film rely a little too much on explosions, special effects and “boys toys” as it were. But honestly… Who watches The Avengers for the philosophical messages and character development?   

Another thing I noticed is that the place of humour in the movie has been notched up quite a bit. It is mainly Loki’s domain – but this is of course Character creation 101: a believable villain has to have at least one quality that we deem positive. Between him and Iron Man, the film provides quite a few genuine giggles  - always a plus in my book.

One last thing I noticed in the film is the several references to God and religion. One is when Captain America says in reference to Thor and Loki “There is only one God and I am sure he doesn’t dress like that”. The second more open reference comes towards the end when we see the clips of the aftermath of the war when a man says “it feels nice to have someone watching over us”.  The Avengers are clearly not a Parthenon of gods, but guardian angels? Possibly… It all links in to the “bit of old fashioned” the film points out we all need some times. I don’t necessarily mean the film is promoting religion in any way shape or form. I think the message is that of return to what we perceive as “old fashioned values” in the face of chaos and negativity. Things represented largely in the film by Captain America : loyalty, obedience in a soldier, self-sacrifice… He is, in fact, a stark contrast to Iron Man who is the flippant and egocentric millionaire at the beginning of the film. At the end he has learnt the value of teamwork and is even prepared to take quite a significant “one for the tem”… Heck, even the Hulk learns to use his.. “considerable anger management issues” to the greater good.

It is interesting that this model of film was so popular in the time of the Second World war – Captain America’s epoc : A disparate, unlikely crew rub each other the wrong way at first, but learn to pull together to fight a common evil… I am not really surprised that the theme has re-emerged in these days of economic uncertainty…

Of course I may be overthinking the whole thing – and I do strongly encourage you to not think about it too much and get stuck in the movie and have a good time… But I guess I’m saying there is interesting stuff to think about in there if you are inclined to a bit of post-watching analysis…