A FOUR-FOOTED PERSPECTIVE ON THE HORRORS OF WAR: "WAR HORSE"

Ok, hand on heart. You have to admit it, in the scheme of things; these fellas often get missed out. Heck, they sometimes don’t even get a mention. Especially if we’re talking about war.  War is horrible, no one wants it, and no matter which way you look at things, a lot of people end up getting hurt and it is an absolute tragedy. Thing is, some of the “people” getting hurt are actually animals. I was on Facebook the other day and saw a very touching picture. A marine and his dog were standing in front of a memorial for all the marine dogs that had lost their lives in battle. The caption read “some heroes have four paws and fur”. I think it’s especially heroic, not least because these animals don’t actually understand what they are fighting for. They trust us. They go along with it. They do their best, sometimes to the bitter end. I think this is the reason films like War Horse is important. Let’s remember our animal friends. Let’s remember their sacrifices too…

Albert Naracott leads a tough life. He lives on a poor farm with his mother and his father, a rather embittered veteran of the Boer wars. His pride and joy is Joey, a beautiful thoroughbred horse his father purchased more on a whim than anything else. At the time, nobody thought anyone could get a day’s farm work out of Joey. But Albert knows he’s special, and so is their friendship. The couple are inseparable, that is, until the First World War Breaks out. The army needs everything, and “everything” includes horses. The family needs money. Albert is heartbroken but Joey is sold to the army. So begins the adventure of Joey. We follow him all through the horrors of the First World War, and thanks to him and the people whose lives he enters; we witness human stories on both sides of the trenches. The horror and fear in the Germans and the British as they prepare to fight each other to the death. The French civilians as they desperately try to survive the horrors ravaging their country. And the animals who are clinging on to dear life just as firmly as the humans…

Now, there are two ways of looking at this film. I could, potentially, be quite mean about it if I wanted to. I mean, this film is the latest incarnation of a genre that my generation has grown up with and lovingly giggled at later on in life. I am talking about films like Lassie, or Skippy the Bush Kangaroo. Joey is wonderful, his antics, the way he interacts with other horses and his ever varying tirade of owners brings tears to the eyes… However… I mean I have never owned a horse but seriously… It gets to the point that you begin to expect him to rise up on his hind legs and speak English. Or eat his hay with a knife and fork. I don’t know. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying the film isn’t adorable. (I mean heck, I loved Skippy the bush kangaroo so much, I WANTED a pet kangaroo, just ask my mom if you don’t believe me). But realistic, it definitely ain’t… And I mean, while we’re on the subject of realism, every single filmic cliché is successfully crammed into one film through Joey’s constant changing of hands. I mean, again, since we are talking about a master like Spielberg here, it is all very tastefully done and very well blended but still… A touch of originality now and then would not have hurt. At all.

But, on the other hand, as I said at the beginning of this post, this film makes an excellent point. Animals fought – and still fight – just as much as humans in the wars. They suffered and they died. They changed hands as if they were furniture (which is another subtle point made in the story of Joey) without any consideration for their feelings at all. If nothing else, this story helps us remember them. So go ahead. Watch it. Add some chocolate. Or a glass of wine. And tissues. This film will probably not change your world, it is more goo than anything else, but as they say, a little goo now and then is cherished by the wisest men… I think that’s how that quote went anyway… J

OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF INFANTS : "THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PIJAMAS"

I had heard SO much about this film. I guess you will have figured this out about me right now; I don’t do films that are “immensely popular”. If I feel a film is becoming a fad, I do have a certain tendency to steer clear from it. Not because I don’t trust public opinion, I just… I don’t know, it’s my inner artist or something “not wanting to follow the crowd” I guess. That’s one thing. The other thing is, I guess I’m a little wary around holocaust films. I mean, there are SO many of them. I’m not saying there shouldn’t be a lot, but the inevitable result of a large number of people crowding around a single topic is a lot of rather mediocre artwork. I mean , I’m sorry, but it’s true. Now, it has to be said that The Boy in the Striped Pijamas is not %100 original, in that all the themes it uses we actually have seen before. You might argue it was done better. But then again, this film takes it and uses it, adds on and adapts very, very well. And that is what artistry is largely about is it not? The adaptation and adding is just as important as coming up with an original story – especially in this world where truly original stories are becoming tougher and tougher to come by.

The Boy in the Striped Pijamas is the story of eight year-old Bruno (Asa Butterfield, who, it seems, is well on his way to becoming the acing phenomenon of the next generation. I didn't actually recoginse him at first but do the reasearch. He has been around. In a good way). He is the son of a high ranking SS official. He doesn’t quite understand what that means, but it seems that his father, along with other soldiers, is working hard to make the world they live in a better place. And that can’t be a bad thing. Bruno is very sad when his parents inform him that they will have to move out of Berlin. Bruno is very sad to leave his friends and his familiar routine behind, but the countryside soon begins to afford other occupations for him. One thing  that piques his interest more than anything is the “farm” they can see from the top bedroom windows. Some of the “farmers” who work there come to the house to run errands sometimes. Bruno thinks they’re a little odd, especially since they seem to wear pyjamas the whole time… His parents tell him he is strictly not allowed to talk to these people, but kids will be kids. Bruno strikes up friendship with a little boy his age called Shmuel. Bruno just wants a good friend to play with, and pass the time. Their friendship, however, will have consequences far beyond even his active imaginations wildest imaginings…

Of course you got the film I was talking about : Life is Beautiful. The classic that “made” Roberto Begnini. And my goodness, what a classic. It is so important to return to the innocence and sense of discovery innate in the soul of a child to take a fresh look at what we’re doing from time to time. Especially in the face of horror such as the Holocaust, not least because we are all pretty much in the face of something we have never seen before amazed and horrified. The thing about Bruno is though, his family do their level best to keep the evil from him. To prolong his and his sister Gretel’s innocence, they use every single trick they know but in the end, to no avail.

The film is touching in so many ways. It shows how the different family members do their best to cope with what is in effect a very stressful and upsetting situation. I mean even the father, who is the default “bad guy” by the end of the film can be understood. I honestly don’t know how I would react in his shoes either to be fair. But we should keep that discussion for after you have watched the film. The Boy in the Striped Pijamas is another striking testament to how miserable war really makes every single one of us. And that no matter how hard we try to escape it or block it out, it will come crawling through to our lives. The only way to stop it is to stop war completely, but well… That seems to be a lesson this planet isn’t quite ready to learn yet… 

ESSIE SPEAKS OF STRANGE LOVE (PART 2)

Now, I need to put something straight. You may have, from my previous input and some of previous notes deduced that I dislike love stories. WRONG. I LOVE love stories. It's just that, as with everything cinematic I have anything to do with, I like a twist.

No, get your mind out of the gutter, that is NOT what I meant.

I do not like the typical, boy meets girl, they fall in love, something separating them arises, it is vanquished, the end. Type plots. I like a bit of a twist to the story. It has to have something extra. It has to be original. Fresh. It should make us think about love, for example. Ok, the plot I just outlined is one of the ways it goes - but what about the other ways? Are you really telling me there is one single formula for love. Hah. Please.

This is why I like these films. The characters are down to earth, real. The plots are (mostly. for me complaining, scroll below) original. Both deifnitely have a lot of character. And make you think. A lot.

And besides, after the way Jennifer Lawrence ruled the ceremony I couldn't really avoid Silver Linings Playbook. Even if I didn't adore the film - which I did. What did you make of the Oscars by the way? Did the film you were backing get something? I am SO chuffed my beloved Django Unchained came away with two Oscars! Totally deserved Mr Tarantino - your fans eagerly await your next endevaours!

happy viewing!
Essie

PRESENTING AN OSCAR SWEETHEART: "SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK"

You may look at the name of this film and the subject matter and you may well decide to steer clear of it. It’s understandable. Especially if you haven’t read the book. Mental illness and family difficulties may sound a tad bit too serious for an evening out. Luckily this particular baby has 8 Oscar® nominations and a big name like Robert De Niro for extra pull. A good thing too, otherwise audiences would miss out on one of the sweetest films made in recent history.

Pat (Bradley Cooper) is just out of hospital.  This would be a sensitive time for anyone, but especially for Pat and his family, because Pat is just out of a mental institution.  Having just discovered he had undiagnosed Bipolar Disorder (after what we shall call for now a rather unfortunate incident involving his ex-wife and her lover) he has undergone the necessary treatment and is now ready to face society once again – or is he? Yes, Pat seems to be doing everything he possibly can to get his life back on track but with one caveat. He wants his life back on track so he can get back together with his ex-wife. His ex-wife has a restraining order on him, so, as you can imagine, this is not an entirely straightforward process. In the midst of all this, however, his friends and relatives are doing the best they can to support him. His father’s (Robert De Niro) OCD is as bad as ever and it’s all his mother (Jacqui Weaver) can do to keep them both in line. Besides, on good days Pat is buoyant, full of energy and optimism… But then there are the bad days… The bad days are really bad… Especially considering Pat is not too hot on the idea of taking his meds. But then, then Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence of The Hunger Games fame) comes into his life. Tiffany has her own demons to contend with, this much is obvious. She is intelligent, sassy, talented, ok she’s more than a little crazy, but she may well be just what Pat needs… If he can get his mind off his ex-wife for two seconds that is…

Now, on the one hand there are things I don’t like that much about this film. Mainly the fact that, when you scratch the bottom of it, it is blindingly obvious who’s going to get together with who, etc, etc. Ok it’s technically a spoiler so I won’t tell you the end, but yeah. It’s basically the first scenario you thought of. You might say, why get upset with that? Films like that are two a penny, why let this specific one get to you? Well my dears, simply because, the film has SO much promise in other areas I would have honestly expected a lot better from it. A lot better.

Having had personal experience of people with Bipolar disorder, I can safely say that both the character of Pat and his relationship with his family are accurate to the bone. I have read reviews from viewers with the same disorder, all highly recommending anyone who has the disorder – and now has it under control – and the families and loved ones of anyone with this disorder to see the film. I second that. You will see SO MUCH that is so familiar. Pat is infuriating. His behaviour is erratic to say the least and sometimes downright dangerous, both to himself and to those around him. But with his endless optimism, his seemingly inexhaustible ability to bounce back, you can’t help but love him as well. Then there is the relationship with his father. Again, this is not a particularly original theme, but, maybe due to Robert De Niro’s great talent, there were bits that brought tears to my eyes. Not only are they a typical father – son in that everyone is very “manly” and problems and feelings are not discussed, the father also suffers from what is obviously quite serious OCD.

I guess the point is we’re all a little mad when you think about it but we’re all trying to battle our personal demons, be they big or small, towards the same goals in life. Love, happiness, success…  Ok, yes, I do think bits of it could be worked out a lot better. But the bits that work, work SO damn well… I don’t know man, you just HAVE to see it. 

MAKING HISTORY AIN'T EASY! "HITCHCOCK"

I honestly wish this film had been nominated for more awards. And definitely bigger things than hair and makeup. But I mean, I do get it. Anthony Hopkins. Helen Mirren. It would be a surprise if the film didn’t turn out as well as it did. Plus, I don’t know, maybe audiences in general are getting a tad bit jaded about films about filmmaking. But you know, I think these films are important. It’s important for films to talk about their own history. And as far as history goes, it doesn’t get bigger than Alfred Hitchcock.

History in the making he may have been, but that did not mean life with Hitchcock was easy. And his beloved wife Alma Reville could testify to that fact. Temperamental and obsessive while he was working on a project, depressed and dejected when he wasn’t working on one, it falls to Alma to ensure the household (and often the studio) runs to order. It is 1959, and Hitchcock – Hitch as he is more commonly known – may just have struck gold while looking for his new project. An innocuous little horror story called Psycho, based largely on the murders committed by the notorious serial killer Ed Gein.  The thing is, Hitch seems to be the only person who can see it. Even his beloved wife Alma has her doubts as to whether this story of blood and gore can be turned into anything tasteful. Or successful. That the studios would actually agree to distribute.  But Hitch is adamant and filming goes full steam ahead amidst grave economic gambles. However there is more serious trouble afoot. While Alma’s love and dedication to Hitch seems to continue unabated, there is no denying that she is more and more distant these days. And that she is spending more and more time with her friend Mr Whytfield Cook whom she is helping with his latest project. Hitch is worried, distracted even.  Not a good thing when you have mortgaged your home to make a film that the studio still hasn’t given their final word on distributing. Is this Hitch’s finest hour? Or will he loose his marriage and his career in one fell swoop?

Now, I like films like this. I like films about marriages. Hollywood is funny in the sense that actually getting into a relationship is often portrayed as the only really difficult part. Once you get the person of your dreams, we are told, it’s all roses and light until death does you part… Err, no. It takes a lot to make a relationship work and a marriage. And even if, like Alfred Hitchcock and Alma Reville, you have been together for 30 years, well guess what; there can still be hitches (pun intended). There can still be pitfalls. And, strangely, it is these pitfalls one must be afraid of. At the beginning there is the rush. You know that rush of emotion, of “something new”. 30 years later, routine is setting in alongside love. You really, really begin to know what it is like to live with this person. It’s when stuff happens to shake the marriage at this point that you should be concerned. And this is what gives the film its brilliant edge. Because yes it’s absolutely fascinating to watch Psycho come together. Especially if, like me, you’re a film-buff AND Hitchcock fan.  But at the end of the day, we know what happened there. It’s Psycho for God’s sake. It’s one of the most famous films in history. What we may or may not know, however, is how and whether this film ended Mr Hitchcock’s marriage.  And that, gentle viewer, you are going to have to watch and find out for yourself.

Told with great affection and a lot of (albeit rather British) humour, Hitchcock will warm you down to the cockles of your heart. And give you a history lesson in cinematic history to boot. I men come on. It is one of the greatest films in history…

ESSIE SPEAKS OF THE BAD GUYS... AND HOW WE LOVE 'EM.

Well hello there peeps! It's awards season, isn't it all exciting? Think what you will of the Oscars politically, socially and all that malarky but for me it's just a perfect excuse to glut myself on movies. Because, you know. You have to keep on top of what everyone is talking about. It's my job. Kinda. Self-appointed job, ok? It totally counts.

And this week I have for you, two sets of bad guys we simply cannot help loving. One of them comes in the shape of one of the best television series I have seen for a very long time. The other is the latest work of my favorite director in the world. This last one is interesting from the themes point of view; not only are the villians, extraordinarily, strangleably brilliant, the good guys are, well... Let's just say they're not all that "good" either... Typical Tarantino. But then again, that's why I love him.

So come on folks, scroll down. Wether you want to be them or be with them, you know you love the bad boys deep down. And below we have tons of adventures for you to have. Without leaving your living room couch...

happy viewing! (http://essiespeaks.blogspot.com )
Essie

A BLOODY TALE OF SWEET REVENGE : "DJANGO UNCHAINED"

I have been waiting for this film for so long. SO. DARN. LONG. Ok, peeps, please don’t except anything even remotely resembling an objective review of this film. I am such a massive Tarantino fan that I could not possibly… I mean, the guy can do no wrong ok? That’s why there is nothing wrong to find. This is, in a way, the good thing about Tarantino’s films. It’s clear cut. You either love it or you hate it. It is either a whole bowlful of filmic goodness you dive into headfirst or you run from it screaming. As there is no doubt at all which side I’m rooting for, let’s move straight onto the film and what it is about…

Meet Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz). To the untrained eye he may well look like just another travelling dentist touring the Wild West, but you couldn’t be further wrong. Dr Schultz is a bounty hunter, and he is one of the best, if not the best there is. Fate brings him face to face with Django (Jamie Foxx). Django is a slave like many, many others you could find in the country at the time, but he holds a specific interest for the good doctor. Back in the days where technology was not widespread, you had to know what the person you were bounty hunting looked like to be sure to “hunt” the right man. And Django just so happens to be in possession of such information about a specific group of scoundrels Dr Schultz happens to be looking for. While he is about it, Dr Schultz frees Django, gets him fresh clothes and a horse, teaches him how to shoot and, when the pair seem to hit it off particularly well, partners up with him in the bounty hunting business. Over time, the pair become fast friends and Dr Schultz agrees to aid Django in a personal matter. His wife is still a slave and she has had the sad misfortune of falling into the hands of a particularly sadistic plantation owner, Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). However, saving Broomhilda (Kerry Washington – Django’s wife) from Monsieur Candie (as he likes to be called) and his motley crew headed by his loyal old butler Stephens (Samuel L. Jackson) is not going to be easy. It’s a good thing our friends have a bit of penchant for short cuts…

There is a reason this film shot to number 41 in the IMDB TOP 250. There is a reason it got 5 Oscar® nominations. First of all, hats off to Mr Tarantino for assembling such a brilliant cast and for getting the best possible performance out of a group of quite extraordinary actors. You know all the hype about Christoph Waltz? Well, guess what, it isn’t hype. He is THAT good. Heck, he is nothing short of brilliant. He deserves any and every glory and award he gets. And the villains? Oh my. Oh my, my, my. Calvin Candie is one of the most loathsome villains I have met in my time and Stephens is the perfect sidekick. OK to be fair, Stephens is actually a tad bit more than just a sidekick. But I’ll let you work that out as you watch. The point is the acting is beyond  brilliant.

As for the plot? Ok, one small thing. It turns out that the original of the film was five hours long. It was CUT DOWN to three hours. Now, personally I don’t see what is wrong with a five hour film, especially if it’s directed by Quentin Tarantino but hey. I guess it is slightly impractical from the cinema owner’s point of view. Now, the problem is, you feel the missing footage. Here and there, there are hints of things that you could have sworn were going to be further developed, but are not. Luckily they are not frequent. As for the blood? The gore? Is there much killing? I hear you ask. To which I respond, is that not why we came? The blood and guts start flowing around 10 minutes into the film and only intermittently stops, with “tarantinian” surprises around every corner. And trust me, if these surprises don’t make you love King Schults / Christoph Waltz even more than you already do, you really have no heart. Or sense of humour.  

Then of course, we really, really mustn’t forget Django. Because, to be absolutely fair, that is what this film is about. And Mr Tarantino makes an excellent point about slavery. There are strong messages in the film, to the point that some may find some of the bits a tad bid didactic. Then again, I think those bits would have gone much better within the five hour framework.  Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying, in any way, that they shouldn’t be there – slavery was a terrible, shameful time and we need to talk about it openly. This is probably why, in actual fact, Quentin Tarantino is the best man to talk about this. I mean, accuse him of what you will, shrinking from portraying brutality is not, nor ever can be on that list.  But anyway, back to Django and Broomhilda. Jamie Foxx is the perfect Siegfried to his beloved Broomhilda, and if there was any a couple whose sweetness and suffering justified a whole plethora of villains being sent to a bloody grave, it is them.

In short, to all my Tarantino fans, fear not. It’s all we have been waiting for and more. For those who aren’t…