ESSIE GOES ADVENTURING

Hi there folks!

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

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

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

happy viewing,
Essie

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ESSIE SPEAKS OF AGE

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

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

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

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

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

happy viewing,

Essie 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WELCOME TO THE TWIGHLIGHT HOURS IN "NEBRASKA"

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

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

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

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

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

ESSIE SPEAKS OF DISNEY OLD AND NEW

Hello folks!

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

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

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

And in the meanwhile, happy viewing.
Essie