YOUR WEEKLY DOSE OF SUPERHERO : "IRON MAN 2"

This is typical me, it needs to be said. I literally jumped in and watched this anyway, because it was convenient more than anything else. I had no prior knowledge of the series; I hadn’t even watched the first film. It had Robert Downey Jr. in it. It was a superhero movie. Oooh it has been nominated for the special effects Oscar®. That was just about the sum-total of my knowledge of the film. What can I say; I’m not always the epitome of professional conduct when it comes to my film watching habits. In the end, I had to put it in the blog. And just hope that there were enough nutcases like me who just dive into the middle of a series with no rhyme or reason. Or, alternately, have watched the first film already and don’t really care that I haven’t.

Having invented the Iron Man suit, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) has literally become the personification of peace on earth. “Peace is privatized” he announces proudly and the press lap it up. He already has riches, now he has worldwide fame and the kind of adulation only a super hero can have. He is, both seemingly and actually, an eccentric and slightly egocentric businessman that does whatever he damn well likes without regard to too much else, so all this suits him just fine. The long suffering Pepper Potts (Gwenyth Paltrow) does her best to keep him in line and to keep his company from going under completely. But under this perfect veneer there is trouble brewing. Both the government and Stark’s rivals will stop at nothing in their plotting to get their hands on the suit. Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), a rather brilliant Russian physicist is not only out to get Stark but is possibly the only person with the brains and the technical capability to bring him down. Then there is the small matter of finding a replacement for the “core” that keeps Stark alive. As in, Stark has failed to find one. And he is desperately low on cartridges…

Now, this is the kind of Hollywood film I really do love. I mean yes, we know that Pepper Potts and Tony Stark will get together in the end. Yes, Tony Stark will defeat the bad guys. But Tony Stark is far from your average squeaky clean super hero. I love superheroes with attitude problems, especially if they are acted by actors as successful as Robert Downey Jr. In fact, after having seen his success in Sherlock Holmes in a very similar role, I am beginning to suspect that he is not so much acting but just being himself (a bit like a modern Clint Eastwood if you will). No matter though, he is just too funny. The comedy value alone would, in fact, make the film a joy to watch.

But then, there are the special effects. I honestly don’t know what I think of the whole school of thought whereby people go to films solely for the special effects. I am not one of these people. But every now and then, I enjoy a good show. And come on, even if you are all French New Wave, Godard and Truffaut when it comes to films, you have to admit that a good, old fashioned action flick is really, really fun. Especially if it makes you actually laugh outloud. And go “Ooooh!” at the special effects. I’d try to get this in blu-ray if poss. And I’d watch it with the sound blaring. And popcorn. If I had my way that is. Just saying. 

AN EERILY REALISTIC STORY OF "CONTAGION"

Oh Steven Sodebergh. Oh how I love you. Ok, I am continuing my catch-up session of recent(ish) films and this one was definitely high on my “to watch” list. Why? Because I really, really enjoy the work of Steven Sodebergh. I know, he isn’t easy watching. He has a penchant for all things slightly dark and disturbing and is more than capable of putting that feeling across, through the screen, right into your bones. Contagion is no different. In fact it is definitely one of his spookiest yet.

Beth Emhoff (Gweneth Paltrow) dies suddenly after a business trip to Hong Kong, her young son dies the very next day. This may be considered a small event in the scheme of things; however, there is a problem. Not only are the doctors completely unable to figure out what Beth and her son exactly died of, the disease is spreading. And by that I mean spreading all over the world, killing every man, woman and child in its wake. The CDC and the WHO desperately try to analyse the disease and figure out a cure. In the meanwhile, panic on a global scale sets in and everyone, even bloggers like Alan Krumwiede start to chime in with conspiracy theories and home remedies. The war for law and order in the world has begun. It is being fought in a laboratory.

Now seriously, this is what separates a “good” director from a “great” one: The ability to take an almost mundane story but tell it in such a way that you are glued to your seat, terrified. I mean come on, mystery diseases that threaten the whole of humanity – how many times have we seen that one before? This is seriously different though. Sodebergh primarily focuses on the “silent killer” angle. You can be sure that every time the screen goes particularly quiet, something bad is going on. And you know this in the pit of your stomach as well, you know that sinking feeling. Quietly and slowly, the action unfurls on screen, and you can’t even find it in yourself to yell “no” or something. It’s weird.

Oh the cast definitely helps. I haven’t named everyone – which is unfair because the cast is so brilliant – but other names I haven’t mentioned include Lawrence Fishbourne, Matt Damon (who has put on a bit of weight I am sad to observe. Maybe it’s for the film or something but it doesn’t suit him methinks), Kate Winslet and Marion Cotillard. To be honest, you’d have to be a very special kind of fool to make a bad film with a cast like that. But Sodebergh is ANYTHING but a fool.

The other brilliant thing the film does is play on the “six degrees” thing. You know, how we are interconnected with the entire rest of the planet and everything. It’s a particularly brilliant way to do it if you think about it. Because the disease spreads through, you guessed it, touch. Your smallest action, brushing against someone or handing someone something may suddenly make you responsible for carrying the disease to your part of the world, killing thousands if not millions. If there were ever a film to remind us that yes, a tiny event all the way on the other side of the ocean could affect our entire lives, this is it. You will see what I mean at the end of the film when the origin of the disease is revealed. I mean, it actually made me stop and think.

And if this all seems a bit like a bunch of old clichés think about it: this has happened. Think about SARS, think about Bird Flu. I mean, ok, thankfully the disease was stopped before it actually killed half the population of the world but you know… The fact that the film is so realistic doesn’t “help” either. So definitely go for it. It will make you think. It will make you shudder and curl up under the covers a little more tightly than usual…

SE7EN

I have some difficulty understanding why human beings seem to have this innate need to be scared. Horror movies for instance. I have great respect for a well executed horror film, and when I come across one I don’t hesitate to put it on the site (Triangle for instance). But the genre is tough to pull off – it tends to descend into complete mayhem story-wise and / or rely on liters of fake blood and loud sound effects to scare us (read make us jump). People are quite scary enough in real life as far as I’m concerned. I mean, take Zodiac for example. (Alternatively, take the story of the real thing, here). Serial killers. Now that’s scary. Not least because they’re actual real people, not characters dreamt up by a screenplay writer. All though, I must say there are some “pretend” serial killers and evil characters that are just as scary. I mean, without resorting to “magical powers” and the like. I have in mind, a film by the director of Zodiac, Mr. David Fincher. Mr. Fincher is also the praiseworthy director of cult movie “Fight Club” and in my view, has a flair for the scary, gory (without the whole “God, that’s a lot of ketchup” effect). His works are most definitely parental and sensitive stomach-al advisory. The film I want to talk about in this particular write-up is Se7en (or Seven for anyone who is confused). It has attained cult status in its own right but it’s been around for a while now and is not as famous as it’s brother Fight Club so I just wanted to make sure you remember / learn about it =)

The beginning of the film will be familiar to anyone who has seen a “cop-flick” or two. Detective Lt. William Sommerset (master-actor Morgan Freeman) is ready to retire. He has an earned reputation for being both eccentric and one of the best officers on the force. His last duty, before being sent off to enjoy his retirement, is to have rookie cop David. But Sommerset’s last case turns out to be anything but simple. A simple if rather bizarre murder turns out to be the first in a series: There is a psychotic serial killer out there… He’s using the seven deadly sins as an M.O. As time goes on, the deadly sins get more and more serious and the murders more and more… Imaginative… Mills and Sommerset have to act fast, because if they run out of sins, they run out of time. And then, they may never catch him…

Now, here, ladies and gentlemen, is one scary film that doesn’t need ghosts and ghouls. Brr… Apart from that, the film deserves a mention on its technical merits too. It was, for instance, nominated for an Oscar® for Best Editing. The whole atmosphere of the film is very dark which is noticeable in the choice of location, dialogue and characters. We also see Gwyneth Paltrow as Mills’s young wife, rounding off a very talented leading cast. Morgan Freeman is, in a nutshell, Morgan Freeman. And just watching Mr. Pitt leaves us with no doubt as to why David Fincher chose him for his extraordinary cult movie 4 years later. I mean, it’s easy to forget but Brad Pitt is a lot more than just a pretty face. He can ACT. Anyone who doubts that can just pick up cult movie “12 Monkeys”. I admit there may have been a slight “dip” in the middle but I feel he’s “back” now. That was my distinct impression on leaving “Inglorious Bastards” anyway. But I digress. Yes, well, the film is basically a VERY well executed murder mystery. It is the VERY well executed bit that carries the caution factor. The adrenalin never stops; you are literally chilled to the bone and I actually got up and screamed at the screen in the final minute or so – anyone who has watched the film will know why. You’ll enjoy it. You may have nightmares afterwards, but you’ll enjoy it.