NOTHING QUITE MEASURES UP TO ``HER``

Those of you who know me in real life know that I still (yes, still) don`t have a smartphone. This makes me incredibly annoying if we are meeting up somewhere I`m not familiar with (not least because not only do I have no GPS, I have absolutely no sense of direction whatsoever – one friend of mine rather historically had to `navigate` me to a club for all of two hours. I was very lost.). Anyway, so I`m oldschool. I check my e-mail from home. I can`t tag myself in venues. The concept of a selfie is slightly lost on me and I don`t have Instagram. Now, 2014 may well be there year Sedef converts to smartphones but for now my little old `dumb phone` does me just fine. So when you guys all whip out your smartphones and get stuck to them doing this and that, I will make fun of you. My favourite quip is that you are surgically attached to your phone, or that you are in love with the thing. My quips a little more than jest, but Her makes the very valid point that artificial intelligence is here to stay and that well… Where there are intelligent beings capable of personal development … There will, inevitably be love.

Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) is a writer. He works as a writer at the `handwritten letter company` composing letters for other people. He is good at what he does – he is considered one of the best writers in the company. He was once the life and soul of the party, he and his wife Catherine (Rooney Mara). All that is gone now. Theodore and Catherine are getting divorced and this has pretty much knocked Theodore for six. Theodore seems to be closing in on himself more and more and getting more and more depressed with each passing day until, completely on a whim, he buys a new, artificially intelligent operating system, OS1. OS1 is an artificially intelligent operating system designed to meet the users every need and be as close to being human as possible without having a body… Thus begins a very extraordinary relationship. Because the one thing Theodore needs from life is love. And Samantha (as the OS decides to call herself – voiced by Scarlett Johansson) may just be the girl for him…

Human VS Artificial Intelligence used to be something merely for the sci-fi geeks. You know, something you thought about if you happened to be a fan if writers like Isaac Asimov or series like Star Trek. But the technological developments of the last couple of decades mean that now artificial intelligence is, potentially, part of our everyday lives. Which in turn means mainstream art has begun to think about it. I mean fair dues; Spike Jonze is by no stretch of the imagination mainstream, but the point is that this is a film that was seen by a good many people, was awarded an Oscar and a good many other awards besides. I has raced its way through lists of iconic films and ``to watch`` lists. It has clearly struck a chord. And although relationships with computerized beings (what DOES one call them ??!!) are, for now, only really frequent in high-tech countries such as Korea and Japan, well, this may well mean that the trend is heading our way… 

I think this film has struck such a chord because it touches on a very sensitive point. A point only single people in their thirties will get. Your thirties is a time of life where most people around you are settling into their relationships. If not already married, people are moving in together, having children and generally taking step after step in that particular area of ``adult life``. Now don`t get me wrong, I am one of these single people. I am not discontent with my singledom either. But come on guys, put your hand on your heart and admit it. More or less frequently – depending on your nature – there are moments when you are filled with the sense that you will never find ``your other half``. There is a moment you look around at all the happy (or seemingly happy –but that is a different post all together) couples around you and think ``that will never be me``. And if you have been a confirmed bachelor, this is one thing, because you do probably know by now that just because you are single at the moment your world is not actually coming to an end. If however you exit a long-term relationship, it may feel as if literally all is lost. The whole story line with the friend Theodore got set up with annoyed me at first. It seemed to me, for a second, that it was a re-hash of that hoary old chestnut about clingy and slightly mad single women in their thirties (and there is definitely an element of this thought in the film. Think of the ``choking on the cat`` bit if you have watched the film.) Because clearly, if you are above a certain age and single there must be something very wrong with you *sigh*. But when I thought about it a little more calmly I began to get it. Because more often than not that IS how you approach potential new relationships if you are in Theodore`s shoes. If you were dumped I mean. Nothing and no one measures up to your ex who was, clearly, the most perfect person ever in the world. All those other people `left on the shelf` couldn`t even begin to compare to that perfection. Hence at first any new potential partner is riddled with faults. Even if they are not.

The other, not completely disconnected point is most clearly put across by Theodore when he talking about Samantha. On more than one occasion he says of Samantha that it is ``great to be with someone who is excited about the world``. I see what that is about completely, although I find it hard to put into words. We all get hurt at some point. We all get jaded. And rather unfairly we desperately search with this joie de vivre in others, without exactly being generous with handing it out ourselves. We have in Samantha someone who is only just discovering the world, combining all the qualities of a child, truly excited with new life, with the sensibilities of a grown woman.

Her is a very, very deep film. It asks a lot of serious questions about love and relationships. And although if were to go into a detailed analysis of what I think of each one I would have to possibly start up a new blog or something like that, I think there is one last very valid point to be made. In a world where we are more and more obsessed with appearances, Theodore ends up bypassing the gorgeous single woman he gets set up with and falls for a woman without a body. They have ``phone sex`` and go on dates ``via camera``. So whatever other points the film makes, I think Her makes it perfectly clear that for a relationship to truly work out you have to know to look below what is only skin-deep.

On the surface a simple boy meets girl… Only with so many twists and turns… Spike Jonze has truly outdone himself this time. Definitely a must-see. 

ESSIE SPEAKS OF A '90s CLASSIC : AEON FLUX

Ok, as I was writing up a whole batch of films I watched this week (I, like every mortal being, occasionally do get massive backlogs of things. This week it’s blog articles embarrassingly enough)I suddenly realised there are two with massive similarities that simply have to go together. I mean, if you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Both undertake quite similar topics and both actually invite you to think about more serious issues in the “underlying” bits. As it were. Neither of them actually bursts with originality, however, both of them are so enjoyable that I have to write about them. Yes I’m a bit of snob. That’s why you love me. (I think).

Ok, so we are in yet another dystopian world far, far in the future, with yet another heroine. There is yet another oppressive government in place. However, there is a reason for this. Years and years ago there was an epidemic. A most terrible thing that all but wiped out the human race. Only a handful of the population survived the calamity. This handful lives within the walls of the city/country, carefully shielded from the outside world. Theirs is a population of riches and a life of ease. However, a secret group of rebels, the Monicans, believe that their seemingly benign government is up to something. Freedoms are controlled, if subtly. All the people have strange nightmares. Then they vanish, never to be seen again. Aeon Flux (Charlize Theron) is one of the Monicans’ best assassins. And when her beloved sister Una is “disappeared” by government forces, she is overjoyed that a chance for revenge is presented to her: to kill the president of their little country, starting, hopefully, the revolution to end their slavery entirely. However, as Aeon plunges into the heart of government, she begins to uncover things, things to do with the past. Her own past, the president’s past, in fact the past of the entire city… Secrets so big, that the fate of the entire population may in fact come to rest in her hands…

Again, newsflash, this film’s main strength is its special effects. Absolutely no surprises there. But, you may be surprised to hear, I am not going to bang on about the predictability of the story. Oh no. There are some very nice touches here and there. Now, this is more of a sci-fi action than anything else. By this I mean that science fiction actually plays a large part in the story (but you knew that. You watched the TV series back in the day right? Yeaaah, of course you did.) . As opposed to the Hunger Games, that is basically an action flick that happens to be set in the future. So if you’re a sci-fi fan, I’d say go for this one definitely. It has some good, original approaches. You may or may not be able to figure out the plot beforehand, but then again this is not always such a terrible thing. Besides, I couldn’t, if that helps you at all. Of course there is a goodly dollop of emotion and the usual Hollywood values in there. The importance of family (note that here too there is a younger sister. Only this time she actually dies and needs to be avenged, as opposed to rescued), love overcoming all… But there is enough originality in there that will prevent you from getting bored and changing channels. Heck, there was a point where your author was feeling around for tissues at one point. That’s the difference with female directors you see.  Or rather, you will if you give it a whirl. 

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. 

"PROMETHEUS" - A TRIP TO OUR FUTURE AND PAST

I bet you had begun to wonder where this one had got to. After reviewing the entire “alien” series with semi-religious fervour, it would be downright odd of me to have skipped Prometheus. Well, I hadn’t. I just hadn’t got round to it yet. Well, that and a million other things in my life, but that’s the topic of another blog post all together. I seriously need lessons or something in planning my life but anyway. The point of this particular post is that I have got round to Prometheus. I have watched it. I desperately need to talk about it.

Ok, so as you know this is the “prequel” to the whole series we have all ranted on about all these years. This is the story of “how it all began” in more senses than one. Allow me to explain.

“How did it all begin” is the precise two archaeologists in 2093 claim to be able to answer. The answer lies in a planet system far, far away from Earth, and this connection seems to go back thousands and thousands of years. The only way of finding out the rest of the story is, however, to check out this planet system. Of course, the mission, founded by “the company” takes off and at the far end of the universe, mysteries and secrets begin to get uncovered? So who are the “alien”s? How did they become what they are? What started that entire story anyway? And possibly,  the origins of life on earth… Our friends – and indeed, we ourselves-   will discover the answer to all these questions and more. But the thing is, in discovering these, they will inadvertently unleash unthinkable terror on the planet… Think Pandora’s box, only bigger… Much bigger…

Ok, so there’s no surprises about the storyline and the way it all goes, right? And as you can guess, yup, aliens, chases scenes, some horrendous and messy deaths (that caught me completely by surprise as far as timing goes by the way) all the classics, all there. The only thing I will “tut tut” a bit about is the slight reliance on jump-scares. It’s a cheap scare to be honest; I much prefer a steady build-up of terror. But then again, if they are particularly well-done, I can forgive them. And they were particularly well-done, especially since I was watching it in the middle of the night. I nearly jumped out of my skin. And it isn’t like the film is completely devoid of atmosphere, quite the reverse, but Scott chooses to use the tool in a completely different way.

And the origins? Well, you get an answer as far as that is concerned. But, ok, there are two different ways of looking at this. My boyfriend complains that the explanation is too vague, and that basically, a film that claims to “explain” something should have a bit more meat on its bones as far as explanations go, which is a fair point. Another fair point is that the explanation, well, it’s nothing we couldn’t actually piece together ourselves. And the details of the explanation have very much been substituted by an impending sense of doom – understandable as we know what’s coming next. I agree with these points but I reckon it’s just a different way of doing it. I mean, it’s a typical horror trope, some things are much better left to the imagination as far as being terrifying is concerned – not least because everyone will imagine what is more terrible for them and be EVEN MORE scared if you get what I mean.  So yes, this is very much a showcase of amazing special effects and slick camera-work. And, incidentally a prequel to the Alien franchise. I mean, I have got to add one point, the film very obviously has religion as its center-piece (oh come on, you knew that. I mean, they are looking for how life on earth began for God's sake, the connection is staring you in the face waiting to be made). And as we all know, religion is one of those topics that... You know. It's a sensitive issue. However, the question to ask is, does it entertain? Does it go down well when you kick back of an evening with that extra helping of ice-cream you really shouldn’t be eating? YES. So go ahead, watch it. You know you want to. 

A DYSTOPIA AND A SLICE OF HISTORY: "THX 1138"

I kinda knew this film was going to be depressing. But it is a classic – and I mean properly, a real classic. As in film history and stuff. I mean, think what you want of George Lucas, he is a significant part of film history. And it’s kind of important to know about him. AND if you’re interested in dystopias – in a professional capacity or just because you like them – this is one of the important ones. Which is why I watched it. No regrets =)

Our story takes place in the future – as it usually does. In the 25^th Century, humanity lives in cities underground and every aspect of life is strictly controlled, with authority and more importantly, with drugs. Roommates area allocated by an automated system, prayers are said in sterile chapels to an automated God. The highest possible levels of productivity and the lowest possible degrees of emotion are made possible through the use of heavy sedatives. However, not everyone agrees with the system. Not everyone thinks this is a good idea. LUH 3417 for instance, a spirited young woman, is part of the rebellion. Not only that, she actually starts substituting the sedatives of her roommate THX 1138 so he discovers his humanity and emotions. THX begins to feel strange – otherwise known as emotions. And one of the emotions is love for LUH, a love that is quickly reciprocated. However things like love, sex and not taking drugs are serious offences in this world. And The Powers That Be soon discover the subterfuge and catch the couple... Will THX be able to use his new found humanity to survive? Or ultimately, will he be consumed by the all powerful system?

Well we all know the George Lucas penchant for grand scale, battles between good and evil and the trope of the individual against the entire – evil – system (Think Luke Skywalker against the Empire. Same difference). Also, you don’t need me to point out the fact that the whole storyline bears a rather eerie resemblance to the classic book Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. I mean yes, there are no end to the number of twists on the story but twist it as you will, it is still the variation of the same story. Oh don’t get me wrong, Lucas’s film doesn’t fail at being emotionally engaging, heck, in my opinion, it’s almost what Lucas is best at. It’s just that I cannot seem to shake the feeling that the film has been “done before” as it were. I think the main reason for this is the fact that there are so many familiar themes, thoughts and stories in there; Lucas creates a powerful hybrid of them all, united with some brilliant strands of his own but... I don’t know. I felt it’s lacking the thing that forms the transition from Good to Great. I mean, it was his first feature to be fair. And it is part of film history. But still...

IN MEMORIAM OF TONY SCOTT : "DEJA VU"

Well, I would be no kind of cinema lover if the (newly) late Tony Scott didn’t get a mention in the blog sometime soon now would I? Think what you will personally of Tony Scott, the man was one of the greats. He is one of those rare gems who can actually walk the thin line between art pieces and popular cinema (I think we’re all in agreement that these are two totally different things, right? Right. ). Now, for some, this means that Tony Scott’s films were neither one thing nor the other, making him sort of a Jack of all trades  / master of none kinda guy. I think those who support that idea need to think twice about that statement. If you’re a creative person, it is hard enough, on some level, to constrain yourself to the “rules” of classical filmmaking (Oh come on, you DO know what I mean). But then again if you adhere too closely, chances are you’re going to be able to pay your rent and all that but just fade away as a filmmaker. It is notoriously hard to show originality without going off on a tangent. It is, as I said a very fine line. And Tony Scott, God rest his soul, was an artist and an entertainer who was able to revolutionize classic genres (notably the action film) AND create perfect art pieces at the same time.  I strongly feel that this film was one of his best, so here it is. 

Our story starts in New Orleans, when a ferry carrying the crew and families of a navy vessel is blown up. Among the first on the scene, is BATF agent Doug Carlin (Denzel Washington) is among the first on the scene.  But if you thought all that can be done at that point is piece together the clues left behind to catch the culprits, you are mistaken. There may actually be a way to save them. Carlin learns this when he becomes attached to an as yet experimental FBI unit. The methods they use are dangerous and even the most brilliant scientists are unsure as to the full capacities of their machinery but the lives of hundreds are at stake. And among those hundreds is the woman Doug has fallen in love with. Without ever having met her… I would like to close my summary with the film’s tagline, which I find particularly poignant: “If you thought it was just a trick of the mind, prepare yourself for the truth”…

And if at this point, you’re going “Oh, so what, they’ve invented time travel” err, no. It’s a tad more complicated than that. What the heck do I mean by that? You’re simply going to have to watch the film and find out. First of all, respect for Tony Scott. In the first place, the film is a class A action film. All the ingredients are there, charismatic hero, wild chase sequences, the pyrotechnics, special effects… Every box ticked. Then, there’s the sci-fi part of it. Now, like I said, it’s not just about sending agents back in time “Terminator” style. It’s more complicated than that. And Scott does NOT just gloss over the explanation. He actually explains it. I mean, we watched the film as a group, there were moments (more than one – and we’re all postgraduate students by the way) where serious explanations to the question of “what just happened??” were necessary. So it’s a genuine, serious and intelligent sci-fi movie too. And on top of that of course, there is the romantic angle. And I mean, first of all , come on peeps, it’s love. That’s NEVER a cliché. Secondly, Denzel Washington and Paula Patton (who you may remember from such films as Ghost Protocol and Precious amongst other things) are spot on with the chemistry. For one minute I want you to now stop and think about how hard it is to take three almost completely unrelated genres (not two, three. Two might work – it usually does. Three is where it gets complicated) and mix them in such a way that the result is smooth, classy and nail-bitingly, arm-of-the-chair grippingly exciting. Just “sticking them together” simply does not work out. You have to watch this one to know what I mean. 

TIME TO REVISE YOUR OPINIONS ON ALIENS : "K-PAX"

Ok, as you can see I have finally got a semi-decent theme going this week. And it’s aliens! Not just the Sigourney Weaver variety but some that are a little more, well… Shall we say understated? I saw the trailer for K-Pax a good many years ago and it really, really seemed interesting but it’s only almost literally ten years later that I got the chance to see it. Oh I do so love using our school library. A word from the wise, if you have some establishment providing you with free books and dvds (a university library for example) make the best of it. It’s definitely what I am doing. Now, K-Pax is not a person / alien but a planet. It is the planet Prot (Kevin Spacey) comes from. He appears one day in Grand Central Station in New York, and his calm explanations that he is, in fact, an alien lands him quite quickly in the Manhattan Psychiatric Institute. Here, the head doctor is Dr. Mark Fuller (Jeff Bridges) and he along with a lot of his eminent colleagues is finding it difficult to understand why this mysterious man’s delusions seem to be so persistent. But there is something else strange about Prot. He has a unexplainable sensitivity to light, seems to know a lot about astro-physics that not only makes perfect sense but baffles leading experts in the field and seems to be having a very bizarre effect on his fellow patients. Dr. Fuller is an eminently sensible man, a man of science but even he begins to seriously wonder… Could Prot possibly, actually come from another planet? Rarely, if ever, have I seen such a film for twists and turns. There were a good few times throughout the film when I was pretty sure I had “got” which way the story was going. Then there was a twist. “Oh” says I and I adapt my approach. Nope. There’s another twist. And not one of those “forced” twists either. The film really, really flows, everything develops really organically. The one thing you probably expect and will ultimately find is the “extraordinary character bursts into the everyday reality and changes the lives of everyone he comes into contact with” line. Yes, there is that. But even that is done with sensitivity and come on, it is a Hollywood film. Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges more than make up for that with their acting alone. The story is, basically, a detective story. We are trying to piece together Prot’s past. Along with Dr. Fuller we are try to find out who Prot really is – and what he is – and like every good detective story nothing is quite what it seems right to the very end. Believe me. Whatever you think this film is at the moment, it probably isn’t. You’re just going to have to give it a whirl and see what I mean for your selves.

OK, THE LAST ONE, FOR NOW : "ALIEN: RESURRECTION"

Like I said, this one was touch and go for me at first. I mean logically. I don’t want to give too much away about the third one in case you haven’t quite got round to it yet but… Hang on a minute. I’m not going to be able to say a thing about this film unless I give that away. Err… Ok this is awkward but seeing as I’m one of a mere handful of people who hasn’t watched this thing yet, and seeing that, well, we are so far evolved in our taste in films that, honestly, you don’t mind a tiny spoiler, right? I mean, it’s on the back of the Alien 4 DVD for God’s sake. Ok I’ll cut to the chase. So. You may (or may not) recall that at the end of Alien3 , Ripley had found out that she had a Queen alien embedded in her chest and had killed herself to save the human race. At this point, especially with big words like “Resurrection” being thrown about I had my doubt as to how realistic / good the film was going to be. But, and I may have mentioned this, the film had one redeeming feature in my eyes in the form of director Jean –Pierre Jeunet. The man is a little mad as far as I’m concerned (and anyone who doubts it should watch masterpieces like Delicatessen and Cite des Enfants Perdus) but this is a good thing in this particular case. I personally love the man’s style and thought that this alone was a recommendation for the film. Plus of course, this was the third “sequel” after all, if thing got a little doodah here and there, frankly, who could blame them? Wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. The film is brilliant. The resurrection is totally justified. And Jeunet works brilliantly with the entire combination. Allow me to explain. It is 200 years later. Technology has advanced tremendously even since Ripley’s time. And even though the aliens seem to be abandoned to the dusty vaults of history, there are still determined men and women out there who want to get their greedy paws on the aliens to use them as the ultimate weapon. In the end, a long series of experiments finally have a result: Ripley is cloned, using blood samples she gave while she was alive. And she is cloned with the Alien Queen inside of her. Now, the Queen is surgically removed and set to the task of breeding “warriors” but then there is the matter of Ripley. She is, thanks to her new genetic coding, a alien – human hybrid who, having been born in her early to mid-thirties is finding the world a slightly challenging place. Add onto this the crew of bounty hunters that have just come on board ship for shady business and already we have an interesting concoction. And as we all know only too well by now, if there are aliens in the mix, things are pretty much bound to get deadly… The film does something very, very intelligent here. They take something that could have been just used to “bring Ripley back” and glossed over and make it into a serious commentary. There is quite a serious, thought-provoking section on cloning in the film. I assume the date coincides with first arguments on the topic, but of course the arguments are just as relevant today. The other good thing is, the “argument” is not presented via long and somewhat stilted dialogue, but mainly through visuals and events, ergo it is emotionally engaging as opposed to being long, erudite words that have kinda been said before. There are, naturally, the pre-requisite chases through corridors and grizzly deaths but the whole thing carries the clear mark of Jeunet’s original style and quality so they are, all in all, a pleasure to watch. Plus, there are a few serious surprises in store. I mean one in particular made me go “Oh God, why didn’t I think of that!!” – out loud. It’s so obvious and yet so well-hidden. I did also spot a few comments on religion and its place in society, but that is possibly the topic of a longer, more serious write-up / essay (for those who aren’t sure what I’m talking about, surely you noticed that the omnipresent main computer in the spaceship is called “Father”?). I don’t necessarily agree with what the film is saying about religion, but I just wanted to point it out, if only to prove that Alien is really, really not like “any old” sci-fi movie. As someone who has actually studied film, it is my personal opinion that it merits multiple-viewings and serious consideration. And I mean, it’s a riot to watch, even if you watch it just the once… 

ANALYSIS OF A QUADRILOGY NOT QUITE LIKE ANY OTHER : "ALIEN3"

In for a penny, in for a pound. I might as well do the whole quadrilogy while I’m about it. Like I said last week though, to be fair the Alien series (it turns out) is the exception to the rule. “The rule” being that usually, even if a first film is potentially brilliant, the more sequels are made of it, the worse they turn out. But with such great directors and actors on board, really, the room for failure drops significantly. And David Fincher is, categorically, one of my favourite directors ever. Hence, I really, really, had to watch this. And review it. So, last time we abandoned Ripley, she was once again in cryosleep, crossing the galaxy with the survivors of the previous calamity. It seemed as if her troubles were over, but in fact they may, in a sense, only just be beginning. When a mysterious malfunction forces the ship to crash land, Ripley is the sole survivor. She is now officially the only woman on Fiorina 161, once a maximum security prison, now almost abandoned inhabited by the inmates who have “found religion”. Ripley has one single fear in this whole unfortunate turn of events: that an alien had snuck on board her ship and could have not found its way onto the planet. Pretty soon the bodies of the inmates begin to pile up… Her fears seem to have been confirmed… Now, I have to say we’re at an interesting point in the quadrilogy. I mean, this film is brilliant. There is a brilliant plot-twist at the end, which, the problem is, seems to bring the story to its natural end. I have the DVD for the fourth film and will review it next week, but the premise for it seems a little… Well, I do know it’s meant to be sci-fi but even so… We’ll have to wait and see if Jean-Pierre Jeunet can make it work. In the meanwhile, what of David Fincher? Stylistically the film is Fincher through and through and through, i.e. dark, gothic with a slightly apocalyptic feel about it. Fincher once again goes down the route of suspense rather than jump-scares. There are a few classical tropes employed, such as chase scenes down long, dark corridors, with the added stylistic renovation of our first p.o.v .shot from an alien. I mean, true, it doesn’t turn out to be anything mind-blowing but still, three films in, it needed to be done… It’s good quality adventure entertainment basically. It’s not an art piece, it will not change your world but hey. Not all films are meant to… And this one is perfect the way it is…

IT'S A SEQUEL - BUT DON'T HOLD THAT AGAINST IT! "ALIENS"

I’m pretty sure you’re surprised to see this title here. For those who aren’t familiar, this is the sequel to Alien, a film I reviewed last week. Looking back, I have to admit that sequels have been rather a rare occurrence on this blog. Not quite sure why. The fact that I have very, very little faith in sequels may be one reason though. It tends to mean that one formula struck gold and the production company is trying to milk this fact as much as possible. Usually however, it ends up just re-hashing the story, if the original director was someone particularly famous they tend to want to move on, the director of the sequel may not be up to the same standard… You get the picture. Of course the Alien quadrilogy (well that's what it says on the box set!) is an exception to this rule, not least because all four films were directed by quite extraordinary directors; Ridley Scott, James Cameron, David Fincher and Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Our director in the spotlight this week is James Cameron, one of the auteurs of the modern classic Hollywood style (you know what I mean. Right?). The main reason I decided to review Aliens after all is, surprisingly, I liked it a lot better than the first Alien film. No offense to Ridley Scott, I usually like his work a lot, but yeah… So, if you recall we had left Ripley “suspended” in her pod floating in outer space, safe in the knowledge she would be picked up soon. She is. The thing is, 57 years have gone by in the meanwhile and quite a bit has changed. For example, the planet she had her final battle with the “alien”(s) is now colonised. Ripley desperately tries to warn her bosses – or in fact anyone who will actually listen to her – of the danger that lays on the planet, but of course no one listens to her. But then, when all contact with the colony is lost, the authorities have to concede that something strange is going on. A band of marines are sent to investigate and “take out” anything that is lurking there and Ripley is taken along as a consultant. This is either going to help her face and overcome her recurring nightmares, or alternately “end” her nightmares… Along with her life. Right. Now, as you can imagine, there is nothing wildly original here. Which may be a strange thing to say but hear me out. I’ve said this about Ridley Scott, I will also say of James Cameron that, more often than not, their cinematic structure very rarely strays from the mainstream. This may be conceived as a lack of originality; however this is not necessarily the case. It is matter of doing something and doing it well. You may not be strong on composing, for example, but may be excellent at playing other people’s compositions. Same here. Cameron takes what we may know, but makes a work of art out of it. Unlike Scott in the first Alien, there isn’t such a heavy reliance on jump scares here, the buzz word here is suspense. I think this style works a lot better with the genre too, there are a lot of tense chases for example when the hero / heroine gets away just in the nick of time. Now, here actually is my point. Thinking rationally, you know that the hero /heroine will get away. Especially if it’s early on in the film. The point is though, that Cameron is capable of creating the suspense in such a way that you actually get excited about it. You actually are tense. Hence, as far as Cameron is concerned, mission accomplished. And you’ve enjoyed a good, exciting movie. Aliens shines with this classic brilliance. Do not be put off by the fact that it’s a sequel if you have that sort of prejudice (I know I do), it is what you might call the exception to this particular rule.

REMEMBERING A CLASSIC : "ALIEN"

Ok, I know. Yet another classic. But again, it’s the first time I’ve watched it myself! So I guess, I just guess there might be a few more out there like me who missed this one. Hence I will now just scribble it down. Just in case you thought, you know “Oh another silly old sci-fi movie. Naah, I’ll pass”. NOT the right attitude. At all. Well I mean, yes it is a sci-fi film. We’re pretty much in agreement there. But it isn’t “any old” sci-fi”. It’s a bl**dy good sci-fi / adventure film. And if you’re any kind of film buff you would be a fool to miss out on, if only because it is such a good example of its kind. The Nostromo is a mining ship back from an average duty shipping ore back to planet earth from a distant planet. They are well on the way home when the ship’s main computer changes their course and re-charts it to a seemingly deserted planet from which a mysterious, indecipherable signal seems to be being transmitted. The duty of the crew is to investigate any further life forms. From the moment the crew get to the abandoned buildings on the planet, something isn’t quite right. And although, when they get back to the ship, they are fully aware of the fact that they have returned with “something”, it will take a while to realise what a dangerous “something” they are dealing with. In the limited space of the ship, the danger grows and in the middle of outer space there is simply nowhere to run… Now, in my view Alien is an interesting mix of a thriller a sci-fi and a horror film. I have to wag my finger a tiny bit at Ridley Scott at this point, if only because he seems, in my opinion, rather overly reliant on jump-scares. And I mean they are well done, but still. Too much is too much, and to my mind it gives the impression of not knowing what else to do. But Scott lets the tension build up really well. Another thing, credit where it’s due, is that he has obviously let his imagination run wild. And he has done an excellent job of the whole sci-fi side of things; considering the film is not one of the newest around (I was just reading in one of my text books in fact that a lot of the Nostromo was built largely out of old souped-up airplane parts hehe). I mean, it’s not life changing by a long shot. It’s the classic story of the monster roaming an enclosed space where our characters are trapped and get “picked off” one by one. (Oh come on, that was NOT a spoiler. Besides, I haven’t ruined ANY of the actual surprises). It’s good fun basically. Watch it. You’re in for a nail-biting time if nothing else!

THE END OF THE WORLD WEEK FOR THE CHILDREN OF MEN

I have to admit, there was a lot of hype about this particular dystopia. I mean, it was praised to the skies, nominated for three Oscars ® and miscellaneous awards, over half the people I know watched and said it was one of the best films they ever watched. So I thought it would be only fitting to put it in here. It is, after all, the most recent dystopia out of the three and has the added bonus of being, in my mind, the most realistic. That is partly due to the fact of it being so recent, so we can draw clear ties with the problems we have today. The film presents what could (unfortunately) logically be “worst outcome” scenarios involving things that happen today. I mean, yes I grant you, given the vagueness in “Time Of The Wolf”, we can’t really say that isn’t realistic either, but the difference between this film and Time of The Wolf is that Time of The Wolf has the people and the effects of the disaster on the people in the foreground; it is a psychological dystopia if you will. Children of Men is all about the disaster and, in true Hollywood style (it is a British film but all the same), “fixing” the disaster. Of course in Time of the Wolf people aren’t trying to fix anything just trying to survive, and that is what makes the film so tough to watch; it’s bleak, there is no end in sight. Children of Men, however, does provide “a cure”. And unfortunately, for that reason, a film that starts out with one heck of a lot of promise and originality, spirals down into something quite cliché – with a few Biblical references thrown in for good measure. But I’m getting ahead of myself, let me give you a lowdown of the story first…
The year is 2027 and we are in London. The world has, basically, gone to pot. An “infertility” pandemic has taken over; no human beings have been born for the last 18 years. All the doctors in all the lands are powerless; the human race is, for all intents and purposes, dying out. Chaos, in the meanwhile, has taken over. Governments like Britain crack down on illegal immigrants, refugee camps have sprung up all over the country where the “fugees” live in ghettos and are shipped out of the country. Anti-government activism is rife, bombings and raids a day to day occurrence, pollution is everywhere, you get the general picture… Theo is separated from his wife Julia. Julia has gone underground and has joined the anti-government fight. Theo has lost faith and just gets on with his life. Until, that is, Julia contacts him and asks for his help. A girl needs to be escorted to meet the mysterious “Human Project” and he is the only one she trusts to obtain the necessary papers to travel through the country. Theo is dubious at first but it becomes obvious that bigger things are at stake, because this girl may well be the key to the salvation of humanity… The problem is, she is a refugee and must be kept safe from the government. But it will not take Theo long to understand that the government aren’t the only ones trying to get their hands on this woman… The future of humanity is, for all intents and purposes, in their hands…
You may have, on reading the plotline, wondered what was so “original” about the film. I mean, you don’t have to be a genius to guess why the woman holds the key to human survival, right? Yes, yes, she’s pregnant (you still don’t know whether they get her to safety or not though, so I technically didn’t tell you the end). But there are lovely little touches about the possible future world that are given out within the first 15 “introduction” minutes of the film that draws one straight in. For example, now the government distributes “suicide kits” for people in depression, allowing you to take your own life in the comfort of your own home, with no mess. What else? In the first 10 minutes again, we learn the youngest person in the world, an 18 year-old, has just died. The entire world is in mourning (don’t worry, this is not integral to the storyline AT ALL J ) Remember when Lady Diana died? Heck, any celebrity? Nice dystopic poke at the phenomenon there, Theo uses the excuse to get off work early because “he is distraught” J Oh and there are these funny little “rickshaws” made up with motorbikes all over the roads. There still are cars and busses but obviously they have been stopped at some point, the cars are quite old. And the whole theme itself is also good, I mean, we are responsible for entire species dying out, why not humans? Especially with this “aging population” all around Europe and the developed world, it isn’t unthinkable at all, scary but true.
But the clichés bleed through straight away. The anti-government stance of the film is a given of course. There is the unavoidable old hippy acquaintance of Theo’s that gets them out of a scrape or two (the inimitable Michael Cane, the only possible excuse for this characters existence is the fact that he is played by such a great actor). And of course the reason why Theo and his ex-wife went their separate ways (yes, yes again you got me; their son died). And then, completely out of the blue, there are the Biblical references. I mean, putting aside the obvious one of a baby whose very existence is a miracle bringing hope and salvation to the human race (note here that the reference is made obvious by the mother herself joking about it, teasing Theo who asks who the father was by saying “there is no father I was a virgin” and then bursting out laughing). There is the activist that helps Theo and Kee (oh yes, the mother’s name is Kee. As in key. Get it?) to escape Miriam (Miriam is the name of the sister of Moses and leader of the Hebrew women during the Exodus) who just so happens to be a midwife. She is leading her out of an oppressive and scary state (Egypt reconstructed as Great Britain) to, wait for it, the Human Project that will pick her up on a… Boat. (Moses in the reeds anyone?) And then there is one scene, right at the end, where the crowds admire and “adore” the baby. Now, I have seen this being interpreted as a throwback to Rosemary’s Baby, but I am not too darn sure about that. And of course the very name of the film. (Children of Man / Children Of Israel – there is the second connection with the children two of course, but such things are rarely coincidental in this business). Unfortunately, that is where the philosophical “similes” end. I do wish the director had gone deeper with the theme, I mean why not, but if there was any further depth to the film I missed it. And yet the presence of the previous parallels are so obvious that their presence without any further basis is confusing – they confused me at any rate… The director then mixes in various parallels with the Iraq war (some parallels with the infamous Abu Ghraib prison cannot escape even the most undiscerning viewer). And of course these make sense seeing as this is an anti-government film but… I don’t know, too many themes spoil the broth if you ask me…
In short, I admire what director Alfonso Cuaron Has set out to do. Unfortunately, I feel he hasn’t quite finished the job. I do understand that there is a lot to say on these things but why, oh why did he feel he needed to say the whole lot at once? Fewer “messages” would have salvaged the original themes that are present in the beginning of the film, making it a whole lot better than it is. Wasted potential. Watch it. You will like it. I’m just saying you could like it one heck of a lot more…

THE END OF THE WORLD WEEK WITH JOHNNY MNEMONIC

This is one of those late ‘80s early ‘90s films that everyone remembers with a kind of… Nostalgia? Disdain? I don’t know. Sci-fi films of that era (in fact any era gone by) suffer greatly these days, don’t you find? I mean, technology has come on in gigantic leaps and bounds, with films like the Matrix (trilogy), Lord of the Rings and what have you on our hands, any previous and feeble attempt is well… Sneered at. If you like the genre, I can’t blame you. I mean, most of us watched the Matrix for example, right? I mean at least the first one if not all three (I honestly wouldn’t have watched all three unless it was kind of necessary for my self-education but there you go). Remember the effects there? Wow. So I get why you might pat Johnny Mnemonic on the head and let it pass… But it was when I actually saw the film advertised on TV when it hit me… The slogan they used can be roughly translated to English as “Before the Matrix… There was Johnny Mnemonic.” I took one look at it and thought “Damn right”. The topic, the casting (Keanu Reeves leads in both – heck of a coincidence, no?) in every respect. In a lot of respects Johnny is a kinda prequel to the Matrix. As you know, the story of the Matrix opens in a time where machines have taken over the world (I’m putting it very basically, don’t jump down my throat). Here, it is sort of just before that happens. Machines are getting more developed, fusing with humans, big corporations are pushing them on, getting greedier and greedier…
In this dark world exist people like Johnny (Keanu Reeves). He is what is called a “Mnemonic courier”. What that means is that he has a computer implant in his brain (mechanic and computerized implants and chips in the body are apparently common in 2021). The implant is a sort of storage device. Think of it as a hard drive stuck in your brain. He uses the device to courier information back and forth. He earns well but he wants out. He has had to give up a lot of his long term memory to be able to have the implant – he no longer thinks it is worth it and wants his life back… Trouble is, he has to do one last job… But in this last job something goes wrong. Johnny, eager to just get it over with, takes on way more data than his implant can take. It’s no sweat really; he easily has 2 or 3 days before the data seeps out and kills him. Problem is, getting to his destination is going to be a bit of a problem. The yakuza that have been hired by a mega company are out to kill him… The information Johnny has in his head is extremely valuable… Unwittingly, he has in fact taken on something that could change the destiny of the planet for ever…
Now, I have to admit even the story line makes you smile. “One last job” – but something goes wrong… How many times did we hear that one eh? There is a girl involved of course. And a resistance group who fights the corporations that have almost literally taken over the world. All the clichés of the 20th century are there. Thing is, so are a lot of things that we see time and time again afterwards. I mean, from the smallest to the biggest thing… From the touch screen computers (well very early interpretations of – I’m not talking about tablets by the way but the stuff you see on Minority Report or CSI these days) to the whole concept of people being hooked up to computers and the internet (now what does that remind you of, hm?) come to the screen for just about the first time here. There is even a direct reference to the famous sci-fi anime “Ghost In The Shell” (a fascinating work that also takes place in a world were humans can fuse with machines. The whole question of machines with souls thus arises and one of the characters – her soul that is – is uploaded into cyber space, highly recommended if you haven’t seen it). And you will see that a lot of mediocre sci – fis have copied and referenced Johnny since then.
I know that this film can be considered “quaint” at best by some standards, and I’d have to agree with you. But it is also kind of an historic film, the first time a lot of things happened. Not to mention the whole thing with machines and humans – a topic we may well have to actually tackle in the future… A “must-watch” by my standards.

MORE CARTOONS ANYONE? TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED : "A SCANNER DARKLY"

Now, in telling its story, this film employs a rather original technique… Now, the whole thing is an animation, no doubt about that but the animated characters are real actors. Drawing of Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey Jr, Woody Harrellson and Winona Rider (she’s the epitome of the 90’s as far as I’m concerned, it was a bit of a surprise to see her acting in a 2006 film if you see what I mean… ) parade around the screen making one feel decidedly odd. But odd is good in this particular case and experimental. Almost a nice mid-way solution for those who don’t particularly like animations, a wonder we didn’t think of it before… Apart from a few sci-fi details the whole film is set within “real” boundaries too, no weird space creatures (well there is a creature from another dimension but in context it’s actually quite acceptable), no one flying through the air… Serious and sci-fi never the less. And very thought provoking…
In the future – but not the too distant future – the world has become a much more totalitarian place… Security cameras are everywhere recording our every move, undercover cops everywhere trying to uncover God knows what… The biggest problem is D, also known as Death. That by the way is not a bad joke but the name of a highly addictive drug; little red pills that first give you a massive high and then of course, by degrees, destroy you. Bob Arctor (Keanu Reeves) is one of the good detectives working on the gangs selling “D”. He is undercover, completely so because at his office he wears a “scrambler suit” preventing him from being recognized and is known as Agent Fred. He spends time as Bob Arctor with a bunch of small-time dealers and addicts, trying to get to the “bigger picture”. However as the operation deepens, Arctor has to take more and more D to keep “in” with the suspects. Plus when he (Agent Fred) is given the bizarre directive of keeping an especially close eye on Bob Arctor things start getting tricky… And schizophrenic… In more senses than one…
It doesn’t take long to realize this is a very “anti system” film. Not anarchist in any way but anti-totalitarianism, anti-big companies having their own agendas and controlling everything. It’s sci-fi of course, none of it is based on real events but the dedication at the end seems to imply it is in the memory of security service agents who were irretrievably harmed in the line of duty. It isn’t a “down with everything” type of message though. This is very clearly a dystopia, “look, this is what we could become. Let us do our best not to be so”. And this should be done by being anti-totalitarianism of all kinds. Not letting anyone get too strong for the common good. It’s a good film and a good moment to stop and reflect on what could happen without freedom. Something we should possibly do more often…

MORE CARTOONS ANYONE? TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED : "RENAISSANCE"

Ok, the next film on this week’s list is also a dystopia I’m afraid. Don’t worry, the next one is a touch more cheerful and you don’t have to watch them all at once if you are not that way inclined… Ok, this is a dystopia but it’s not actually as “farfetched” as “A Scanner Darkly”, not as “sci-fi”, but it’s futuristic and dark… It’s got a similar “m.o.” as A Scanner Darkly but not quite the same (Yeah, I know, no two works of art are the same, don’t get lippy on me!). The lines and the choice of style in that film are more realistic… I don’t quite know how to put it, it must have some computer “juice” in it as well, and it seems half real and half drawing in places… Renaissance is a “bona fide” cartoon, and I gather the characters are all based on actual actors; the style is by NO stretch of the imagination the same. Another thing is that it is a “black and white cartoon”. Yep, no colors AT all… (Doesn’t get further from Pixar studios does it really?)A little tough to watch in bits but one gets used to it, honest…
Our hero is Captain Karas. He lives in Paris of the future, but not the too distant future. Many things are different – glass pedestrian sidewalks above the ways for cars, computers are very high tech and so are weapons… But some things are the same… The underworld is still the underworld big corporations still rule… Well, pretty much everything. In this case we are talking about Avalon, experts and monopoly of beauty products everywhere… When one of their brilliant young researchers mysteriously vanishes, Karas is called into action. He realizes very quickly that the situation is a lot more complicated than it seems, and as Avalon is involved it’s bound to be dangerous too… But when Karas starts having a relationship with the lost girl’s sister, then the case gets personal… Not a good idea if one’s life is at stake…
Well, they class this one as a dystopia but actually I have seen worse. We all know how evil big corporations can actually be, we’ve all seen adventure stories with handsome cops, beautiful girls and high-speed chases… There is a little sci-fi thrown in but this will not throw you off the story, a story that is nail-bitingly exciting at that… Yes, people of an older generation might be slightly “jolted” by the fact that it’s a cartoon but don’t let it put you off. The style really adds to the dark and dangerous atmosphere and the film is really brilliant as perfect little whole. Who said French cinema sucked? They come up with some pretty good stuff as well – if they put their minds to it. It doesn’t even have Jean Reno or Gerard Depardieu in it! :D

ENOUGH OF THE PAST! LET'S GO "BACK TO THE FUTURE!"

OK, so I’m ashamed I even have to mention this one as one of the films I have recently watched but what can I tell you… Some of the holes in my film knowledge are truly massive. Well I’m glad I watched it. Quite apart from the fact that the film is HILARIOUS, it is the granddaddy of all time travel films and a BRILLIANT 80’s time capsule to boot!
Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox – sad to think the poor guy caught Parkinson’s disease later on in life, such a brilliant Hollywood actor!) is a teenager living in the USA, in the 80’s, in a small town. He rides his skateboard, likes rock music, and plays in a band… Oh HE is the good friend of the local eccentric, a mad scientist under the name of Prof. Emmet Brown. Now, Prof. Brown is well known for his failed inventions, but one fateful night, he actually succeeds. He succeeds in building nothing less than a time machine (we all know what THAT looks like right? Come on, even I knew about the old Delorian…). However, as things do, things do not go according to plan. Marty inadvertently finds himself all alone in 1955. The time machine’s fuel is left back in the present (read 1985) as is the professor. When, on top of all this, Marty inadvertently prevents his mother and father meeting, he has a far more serious problem on his hands… Now, apart from fixing the time machine and getting back to the future, he also has to make sure he has a future to get back to…
It is all we expect a Hollywood film to be. Steven Spielberg, good actors, a Hollywood ending… I can see why it became… Well, it’s almost a franchise isn’t it? And it sprung so many archetypes in the years that followed. Time travel. Flying cars. Mad scientists (not exactly a new theme but you have to admit a lot of mad scientists in movies today seem to be distant cousins of Prof. Brown.)It was the first time many things were done, and done brilliantly. A typical example of good old fashioned family entertainment.
And although the film is suitable for the younger members of the family as well, the older members will find it especially nostalgic, because first of all the film is set in 1985 (and that brings back a flood of memories to anyone who was alive in the 80’s, even the tail end of it like me) and then of course in 1955, fun to watch whether you like films from that period or it brings back memories to you as well… You’ll like this one. Don’t wait as long as I did to watch it.

INCEPTION

Now, I don’t usually go in for “public crazes”. On principal. Something doesn’t necessarily have to be “popular” for me to enjoy it – in fact if it’s too popular, I tend to resist it. Take LOST for instance – never went near it. And now we know the end, I doubt I ever will. However, occasionally even I succumb to public opinion. Especially, if a film flies to NUMBER THREE in the imdb top 250 of best films ever – a list compiled based on public vote – within days of its release. I’m talking, as you probably have guessed, about Inception. Stories about the film started circulating in my hometown like wildfire – it became pretty obvious I had to go to the cinema and see it. And that is saying something – I hardly ever go to the cinema (my job is watching films - can you blame me for God’s sake?). I am still bowled over. It is some MIGHTY film…
Ok, so for the story. Now bare with me – it’s a complicated story, I’ve only seen the film once and it’s slightly hard to tell without giving away spoilers. But I will do my level best. Our hero is Dominc Cobb (Oscar ® nominee Leonardo Di Caprio – and Dominic Cobb is incidentally also the name of the lead character in director Chris Nolan’s first film). Dominc has an unusual talent. With the help of new “dream sharing” technology, sedatives and some talented colleagues he can infiltrate people’s dreams. Originally conceived as useful for military exercises, it is now an outlawed process, because the dream sharing has a “disadvantage”. Because once you’re sharing a dream with someone, you can have access to their thoughts and ideas. Gives corporate theft a whole new meaning, no? Dominc Cobb is the best of the best. The only problem is, he is also a wanted outlaw back in his home, the United States, so he cannot return. This may have been ok but Dominic has two small children back there, with their grandparents, waiting for their Daddy to come home. Then, Dominic is offered the chance of a lifetime. Mr. Saito is Oscar® Nominee Ken Watanabe. (The name may well mean nothing to you but you actually will recognize him – he was nominated for an Oscar® in his performance in Last Samurai. He was also one of the leads in Letters from Iwo Jima) a rich businessman makes him an offer he simply cannot refuse. One last job and if he succeeds, Saito will pull the necessary strings so Cobb can go home to his family. The only problem is the job he has to do may well not be possible. Inception: Planting an idea into a person’s mind instead of taking it. It actually sounds easy, but messing with the subconscious can be trickier than it first sounds. And I don’t mean in the therapeutic sense…
Inception is, as I said, a MIGHTY film – well worthy of a director with a legacy of mighty films (Don’t forget Mr. Nolan was nominated for an Oscar® as the director of The Dark Night). Leonardo Di Caprio, I feel, is like a wine maturing with time. He’s handsome of course, but I don’t mean that – he’s one hell of an actor and I am confirmed in that opinion every single time I see him in something. In fact, the acting is something to be mentioned quite seriously because the standard is quite high this time. And there are people I could not squeeze into the (already rather long) synopsis. For instance, Marion Cotillard. How can I possibly not mention Marion Cotillard for God’s sake she is one of my favourite actresses! Her role will become clearer when you watch the film but let me just tell you she executes it with utter brilliance. Another favorite of mine is a member of Dominic’s crew: Ellen Page. She was nominated for an Oscar® at a very tender age for her stunning performance in Juno (I reviewed this movie actually. Click right here). Trivia pages tell me that she was by no means the first choice and the favorite for the part was Evan Rachel Wood (who turned the part down). Great respect for Miss Wood but I honestly don’t know what Mr. Nolan was thinking – she is perfect in the part. Last of all, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as another crew member. You may or may not remember him from “500 days of summer” but I think he was awesome, I particularly enjoyed the performance.
I only have one slight criticism of the film. With such grand things such as the subconscious, dreams, etc. on the scene, Chris Nolan could actually have gone for a film with a lot more philosophical depth. I mean, the film is often called a Matrix knockoff (which is an insanely unfair comment) but then again, I can see why you would prefer the Matrix : It had a philosophy. It discussed things such as life, existence. I mean, sure, Inception is definitely a film to be watched again (Mr. Nolan’s aim apparently. Another big success on that score). The plot is very well constructed, it is intelligent and original. However, at the end of a day it’s a very intelligent, well acted Hollywood movie with absolutely SUPERB visual effects.
Nothing at all wrong with that, of course. Just some unused potential…

SURROGATES

Ok, animation, children’s classics, and fantasy – all this is fine for me. Sci-fi? Not a big fan. I’m not quite sure why, I am the right generation to like sci-fi. Possibly, because I was brought up on a steady diet of books and stories. I’ve never really liked machines or computers (though God knows I use them often enough). I would feel no great loss if they vanished tomorrow – except perhaps to write my blog… That is why; getting me to like – I mean REALLY like a sci-fi flick is no mean feat. No sir. I was vaguely curious about Surrogates and had a few hours free at work and that is the only reason I picked it up in the first place. I reckoned it was a police drama of sorts, had to have action in it being a Hollywood film with Bruce Willis in it and thus would probably pass the time… Well, it did pass the time, I’ll give it that, but it did a whole lot more in the meantime…

Surrogates is set in a rather eerily realistic (to my mind) future. In this future, technology has advanced to such a degree that people no longer need to leave their homes. Ever. They live their lives “by proxy” using robotic surrogates that can be controlled with the mind. These surrogates are, as you can imagine, completely customizable and physically perfect, you can be absolutely anybody you want to be… Crime rates are absolutely nil, in fact there hasn’t been a murder in quite a few years when suddenly a man and a woman and their surrogates are destroyed by a very sophisticated weapon. Tom Greer (Bruce Willis) is the FBI agent who must investigate this. The prime suspects are a renegade group of people who live without surrogates under the leadership of a man called The Prophet… But when Greer’s own surrogate is destroyed in a chase another challenge presents itself. If he wants to solve these seemingly impossible murders he must accomplish the unthinkable… He must leave his house. For real…

The technology itself may not exist yet but we are not as far from the Surrogates as you might imagine. This is, after all, a mere caricature of the internet. We all have customizable online personas (and they are completely customizable – hence the many child-filters against people who, shall we say, are not as well meaning as we are in chat rooms. I mean look at the newest development on this topic here) and do in fact have complete online “lives”. To the point that there is an actual website (www.suicidemachine.org) that helps one commit “online suicide” – removing one from all the social networking sites completely and forever. That may sound like a nightmare scenario for most of us but it actually might be quite liberating if you think about it… For those who are slightly older, well first of all, the sci-fi element does not get in the way of the police-drama section. It is undoubtedly there, but not “hard to follow”. In fact I am, to be honest, almost completely computer illiterate and yet could follow the ins and outs of the plot with ease. And Bruce Willis isn’t half bad either =)

THEY WALK AMONG US IN "DISTRICT 9"

Oscar® movies are all very well and good in their place, but some people find them “hard to sympathize with”. This is mainly caused by an aversion to big budget movies / movie studios, and that I can understand. But occasionally, just occasionally an Oscar ® movie not quite like the rest comes along. Well, especially this year – with the number of Oscar® nominees going up to 10 in Best Picture. District 9 was one of the “flukes” that got into the top ten on that count, although I was truly rooting for it for Best Screenplay. And Best Editing. Ok, and Best Visual Efects… It’s an alien movie not quite like the rest, hell, it’s a movie not quite like the rest – standing boldly up and criticizing the system slap bang in the middle of Hollywood…
I was as curious as the rest of them when it came to District 9. The marketing tactics used were truly creative: a sticker here, a notice saying “non-humans were not allowed” there… I sat down to the film praying not to be disappointed. My prayers, Thank God, were answered…
As I said, District 9 is an alien movie. It starts – pretty much in “V” style with a large ship (just one – not 29) hovering over Johannesburg (fitting for World Cup Fever, no?). Anyway, one day the ship appears. Then silence. No messages appearing beneath the ship (Yes, OK I watch V. You’re just going to have to live with it), no bizarre creatures demanding to be “taken to our leader” just silence. So, humans being humans, we go and investigate. In fact, it transpires that the ship was just passing and made an emergency stop. The ship is out of order. Illness is rife in the colony. They don’t want to invade the planet – they just want to rest for a few days, repair their ship and go home. This being Earth however, this is not that easy. They are soon caught up in a web of bureaucracy, most of their belongings are confiscated and they are put up in a shanty town / refugee camp – District 9 - in Johannesburg. The big shrimp-like creatures soon breed hostility and racism. We arrive in their campsite with a camera crew – in fact that is what the entire movie is, a “documentary” on District 9, and we watch the developments through the eyes of the cameraman. Developments however are not what they might have been thought. And soon even Wikus Van De Merwe the head of the bureau running District 9 himself is caught up in a freedom fight he never imagined would be his own…
First of all, I defy you to watch this film and not get completely caught up in it. It is one of the best examples of the genre – not using an objective “invisible” camera and placing it live in the action. The director sweeps us along to the heart of the story until we are quite emotionally embroiled. And besides, you would need to have a heart of stone (or a sensitive stomach – having cameras running and jolting along is well and good but apparently this can make people queasy. Personally, I’ve never had the problem but there you go)
I guess I do not need to spell out the criticisms of the human race in general in this film. The problems of today: poverty, inequality, prejudice, racism, empty bureaucracy that doesn’t help those in need… they all find their way into District 9. It also forces us to ask ourselves what makes us “human”. Or rather, what exactly we mean by “human”. The message of the film, in the end, is that we have to look way beyond our appearances to begin to understand each other, and I’m sad to say we have quite a long way to go on that count… Those of an older / queasier generation can still watch it. There is some violence but nothing stomach churning (and yes I can be objective on these matters even though I am a Tarantino fan thank you very much). And, as you have already read, it is most definitely NOT a typical sci-fi movie. It is not the “evil aliens against humans” this time. This time, the humans (well some of them anyway) are the monsters – even though they are the ones with two arms two legs and one head. And as for the personal story line of Vicus – masterfully acted by Sharlto Copely – is touching to the core. To. The Core.
You will think some rather uncomfortable thoughts and draw some rather uncomfortable parallelisms. You will undoubtedly be shocked and shaken, this is one GOOD story. You may, at the end get a tad emotional and hunt for a tissue. It is an experience. I just wish it was awarded for its pains, because as far as I can see, it most definitely deserves something.

IF YOU BELIEVE THEY'VE GOT A MAN ON THE "MOON"

Now I wonder if you remember Moon… Director Duncan Jones ( a.k.a. Zowie Bowie son of David Bowie. But we will gloss over that as Mr. Jones chose to change his name... ^_^) won a BAFTA for “Outstanding Debut for Director” in 2009. I started watching it with no massive expectations (other than passing the time before I went out on a Saturday night). Now, I am a full-blown Duncan Jones fan. And I cannot wait to see more of his work.
The year is somewhere far in the future. The place is the Moon. Mankind has found a new way of developing energy – harvesting solar energy straight from the rocks on the Moon. Working this energy plant is no walk in the park, you just ask astronaut Sam Powell (Sam Rockwell). At the end of a three year stint on his own with no company except the robotic assistant GERTY (to whom Kevin Spacey lends his voice) he is very excited to be going home to his family in two weeks time… Sam is completely cut off from Earth due to a long-running communication problem, but he does receive recorded messages from time to time and that helps him hang on. All is running mind-numbingly smoothly, until he has an accident one day while tending to the various generators on the ship. He is rescued by GERTY and resuscitated but finds things on board ship rather different… Sam has no recollection at all of the accident… And GERTY seems… Well, elusive. And he is now forbidden from leaving the center, a rescue team has been sent from earth to tend to his damaged vehicle… Sam smells a rat, outwits GERTY and finds his way back to the crash site to investigate. There he… Oh how can I say this without spoiling the film for you? Ok, there he finds something that changes him and his entire outlook on his situation drastically and forever…
I feel that Moon may well be one of those films that are talked about as “visionary” in the future. And we have to pay our respects to Sam Rockwell, effectively a one-man-band throughout the film, but please don’t let that worry you; the film is not “existential” or “meditative”. Not in the sense you imagine it to be anyway. Duncan Jones manages to make the sterile and “civilized” atmosphere of the space station positively hostile and claustrophobic. And among other things, GERTY deserves attention in his own right, he is not the sort of robot we are used to, he actually “thinks” for himself, seems for all the world to be imbued with feelings and even ends up conspiring with Sam. But again, this is elegantly done and also logical, seeing as GERTY is actually programmed to help and protect Sam… Robots and ethics of robots for example is a topic people are already discussing – a friend of mine is actually writing a thesis on the matter. This is one of the reasons the film is visionary – the subject matter is now still the realm of “sci-fi” but close enough to current technological developments to make you think “what if” . And believe me, although the film is tagged as “sci-fi” in a lot of places they are all very realistic “what if”s… Watch it. But be prepared. It is not what you are expecting…