The Revenant (Review) - Just Give Leo an Oscar

Let's just get this out of the way: Leonardo DiCaprio ought to win an Oscar for this movie. It's inevitable that he won't, because unfortunately he's never awarded for his consistently stellar performances in all of his films, but he truly should. DiCaprio's central performance throughout all of The Revenant is the driving force behind the emotional tension, and is the crux of the the drama. 

The film itself tells the true story of Hugh Glass (Leondardo DiCaprio); a frontiersman in 1820s America, who's on a fur expedition with his native-American son, as well as other hardened men who just want to get home with some money for their families. As the title implies, Glass finds himself left for dead after a bear mauling, and must trek through the harsh, icy environment. His goal: to avenge the unprovoked murder of his son by the hands of a fellow frontiersman. 

The aforementioned bear mauling scene, as shown briefly in the trailer, is by far one of the most intense moments from the entire film. I've rarely found myself to be uncomfortable when watching a movie, but the visceral reality of the attack is genuinely unnerving, and a testament to how proficient DiCaprio is as an actor. It's one of several violent moments found throughout The Revenant, but it's easily the most poignant, and will remain with you long after leaving. It also sets the scene. Hugh Glass is left in a critical condition following the encounter, which allows empathy when certain members of his team suggest leaving him behind. In a freezing wasteland, where everything is apt to kill you, why drag along a man waiting to die? 

While the wasteland may well be frozen and dangerous, The Revenant proves to be an honestly beautiful movie. Filmed entirely with natural light sources (primarily the Sun), the prolonged shots of endless forests place you precisely within the film itself. This is usually just a term thrown around, but when you eventually find yourself in a warm, heated shower, you'll suddenly remember just how different it was back then. Understandably, cinematography is just one of the several Oscars that this film is nominated for, and I'd be shocked if it didn't win. 

DiCaprio's portrayal of Hugh Glass isn't the only stand-out, though. Tom Hardy as the antagonistic John Fitzgerald is equally notable, although his thick accent makes some dialogue hard to understand. There isn't a single performance throughout the film that lets it down, although some are forgettable at the very worst. The miscellaneous members of the hunting party near the beginning are all reasonably interchangeable, for example; however, their role is comparatively minor, so this is far from a negative issue. Perhaps the best example of how powerful the acting is, is that most of the key plot points are conveyed through facial expressions and action, as opposed to conjecture. Hugh Glass is alone for a long time. Because of this, Leo DiCaprio doesn't necessarily speak to anybody. The manipulation of his face, however, leads to strikingly emotive scenes. 

If I had to pick a handful of negative things about The Revenant, I'd have a tough time. It's a fairly flawless movie in terms of things it gets right and wrong, but there's a couple of issues that do drag it down slightly. There are hallucination sequences throughout in which Hugh Glass sees figures of his past, as well as other symbolic objects or monuments. Though these are intentionally vague and subjective, the nebulous way in which they are presented can come off as slightly pretentious. The pacing of the film is also an acquired taste. Going in to this expecting a Taken-esque style of revenge would be foolish, but it's likely even slower than you may expect. I didn't have a problem with this, but the slow-burn of the narrative may be unbearable for some. 

Verdict

The best word to describe The Revenant would be 'powerful'. It's a film that will leave you emotionally drained, but one which is well worth viewing at least once. Multiple viewing aren't really necessary, because it's a story that only needs telling a single time. The slow pace of the story and the out-there delivery of some sequences may put off some viewers, but it's still worthy of your time and money. 

"As long as you can still grab a breath, you fight. 

You breath...keep breathing." 

The Hateful Eight: 70mm Is Best?

By now, it's likely that you've seen Tarantino's latest offering, The Hateful Eight. You've walked out of the cinema, satisfied with yet another stellar film from the main man himself, and avidly await the announcement of his next project. What a smaller portion of you may have done, however, was to walk out of Leicester Square after seeing the deluxe, 70mm version of the film. Luckily, I managed to be one of these people. 

Now, I love movies. That might be a reasonably clichéd thing to say, but I'll say it regardless: I really love films. I'm not one of these people who can talk in-depth when it comes to the actual production side of cinema, though. Because of that, I'm not going to go in detail when it comes to what actually goes in to the 70mm version of the movie; I'll come off like an idiot. I can go through it in basic terms, though: Basically, when a film is...well, filmed, it is then converted into digital footage to be shown to the masses in cinemas. With the special 'Roadshow' production of The Hateful Eight, however, Leicester Square Odeon is showing the film on reels - like cinemas used to do decades ago. 

But what does this actually mean? Well, it means that the movie looks like an old-timey film. In that, I mean you can see all the wonderful grain and imperfections that a digitally shown movie lacks; giving the cinematic experience an oddly real, palpable feel to it. The colours are deeper, and the contrast between them is a joy to behold. In terms of how you're actual experience will change, though, that's equally significant. After a brief introduction from one of Odeon's staffmembers, you're treated to a three-minute Overture, which consists of music pieced together from the film itself - this sets the mood, and gets you excited to begin. 

Halfway through The Hateful Eight, things fade to black, and the audience is then presented with an "Intermission" slide. During a movie, this kind of interruption is practically unheard of (in modern cinema, at least), but it feels perfect when watching a movie that's essentially a cinematic stageplay. Also, this makes Tarantino's eventual narration feel somewhat justified, if still a little peculiar. 

The final bonus of seeing the film in this context is the free programme given to the audience beforehand, which contains set photos, character profiles, and other titbits of information which just beef up the whole experience. It might seem like I've used the term "experience" a lot during this, but that's because it's exactly what it feels like. In a time when going to the cinema has become commonplace, it's nice to try something new (though technically very old). 

Should you see The Hateful Eight in 70mm if you can? Yup. You definitely should. 

The Hateful Eight (Review) - A Tarantino Wet Dream

Describing the plot of The Hateful Eight sounds like something straight out of a Tarantino fan's dreams. You've got yourself a handful of hugely talented actors commonly associated with Tarantino - with the likes of Tim Roth, Bruce Dern, Walton Goggins, Kurt Russell, and, of course, Samuel L. Jackson - all locked in a small cabin for a few nights, left with nothing to do but look shadily at eachother and throw anecdotes all over the place. 

If you were to actually describe the plot, however, it'd go something like this: John 'The Hangman' Ruth (Kurt Russell) is transporting dastardly criminal Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh) across Wyoming to a small town called Red Rock, where he plans to have Daisy executed for her crimes. Along the way, The Hangman picks up travellers Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson) and Sheriff Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins). Together, the four head for Red Rock, but a storm forces them to seek shelter in a small, isolated cabin: Minnie's Haberdashery. Now, The Hangman isn't entirely pleased with this, what with Daisy's bounty being exceptionally high, and so he doesn't trust any of the seven other men inhabiting the cabin. One thing leads to another, and soon the mystery begins to unravel. 

What is perhaps most unique about The Hateful Eight when stood alongside Tarantino's other movies is that it takes place almost entirely within a single room. I'm aware that Reservior Dogs plays with a similar concept, but that film didn't clock in at almost three hours runtime; this does. Because of this, the film feels more akin to a stageplay than a traditional Tarantino flick, and is all the better for it. It could've been easy to capture the violent, action-packed lightning that is Django Unchained, but this is a very different beast. Things are far more foreboding, which makes the inevitable violence pack a bloody punch. 

And the violence is certainly bloody. I'd go as far to say that it is quite probably the most violent Tarantino film to date, despite the violence itself being isolated to the latter half of the movie. Heads literally explode at times, and that alone should let you know what you're in for. There's also plenty of profanity and, controversially, racial slurs littered throughout. Of course, racist vocabulary is far from desirable in real life, but the contextual nature of the film means that it would be anything but acceptable to omit it from the script. Most of this is targeted at Samuel L. Jackson's character (being the only black man out of the Eight), but he gives just as good as he gets. Like Django Unchained, the script is shocking, but hilariously entertaining. 


The solitary conditions that the film plays out in mean that it requires some hefty performances from its cast to remain interesting, and these are most certainly found. Every single inhabitant of Minnie's Haberdashery is fleshed out and personified by their respective actor, and there's never a moment in Hateful Eight's staggering runtime that I found myself feeling bored. You're drawn in to the story from the moment you lay eyes upon the bitter Wyoming countryside, and things don't let up until the credits roll. 

The version I saw was at a regular screening, so I can't speak to the 70mm or its effect on the overall experience. There's a certain moment in the film which follows on from the intermission found in the longer cut, however. Without the intermission in the regular version, this moment that follows the transition felt a little unusual. I won't spoil why, but a certain narration seems more comical than endearing without the pause, and it almost feels like it should have been removed for the wide-spread release. 

Verdict
While The Hateful Eight might feel a little slower than previous films by this legendary director, it's far from mundane. Every single scene is packed with tension and intrigue, and will have you guessing at the true motivations of the Eight until everything is revealed. The eventual reveal of the truth isn't even the conclusion to the story however, as Tarantino's iconic 'Chapters' continue further than this, until the story is truly told in its entirety. If you know what you're in for, then this is a bloody good time.

"Room for one more?"

Sicario (Review) - 'Sicario' Means 'Amazing Movie' in English

It's a concept we've seen a million times before: Good cop witnesses atrocities; good cop joins shady group to put an end to said atrocities; good cop discovers they might not be on the right side of the law; good cop tries to stop misdoings. That's the funny thing about Sicario, really. If you pull all of its pieces apart one-by-one, then it's not exactly unique or imaginative. But that doesn't matter. Every actor and every shot is so incredibly engrossing, that you completely forget the formula - you're totally drawn in. 

The film opens with Emily Blunt's character Kate Mercer performing a ram-raid on a known property with ties to the Mexican cartel. Things don't quite end up as expected, however, and she begins to see with blinding clarity that kicking in doors won't reach the guys on the top. So, when her actions are noticed by government higher-ups, she's enlisted to join a specialist task force that give her the assurance they'll get a chance at "the real guys behind this". After a particularly bloody trip to Juárez, Kate begins to see that maybe the people she's with aren't necessarily the good guys, and that she might be entering a world which she's far from familiar with. 

The first thing you'll notice about this unexpectedly brilliant movie is how beautiful it looks. Yes: rotting corpses hidden in walls might not be a pretty sight, but you'd be forgiven for thinking so when it's delivered in such a stylised and enthralling way. There are a few shots in particular that manage to tell far more than pages of dialogue ever could, and they're intensely impressive to even the most passive of viewers. A single frame is never wasted in Sicario, and that's precisely how it should be. 

But, as I mentioned, the acting is just as sharp. Emily Blunt in the lead role is a perfect fit, as she manages to portray exactly what the viewer is feeling; we don't honestly know who these people are, or if they're even within the law, and neither does she. The absolute star of the show has to be Benicio Del Toro as the sinister and enigmatic Alejandro, however. From the very first time we see him, Del Toro leaves you full of questions that might not even get resolved. Not only does he add to the disconcertingly mysterious tone of the entire movie, but his guarded motives are one of the things that keep you watching so intently. Josh Brolin also delivers a strong performance as Kate's polar opposite with the character of Matt Graver; a gung-ho fighter who never fails to see the funny side amongst the mangled corpses. 

Kate (Emily Blunt)

And if we're going to cover all of our bases, then I ought to point out just how perfectly the movie is scored. Before we even catch a glimpse of Juárez, we already know how dangerous it is from a long, panning shot of the mountains accompanied by music that wouldn't seem out of place in any horror flick. You genuinely fear for Kate's life as she's violently thrown into a world she neither understands, nor can put an end to. The film ends on a similarly bleak note that'll leave you with plenty to think about. 

If you're going in to Sicario for an out-an-out popcorn flick, then you're better off looking elsewhere. This is heavy content, and it's delivered in a style that perfectly suits just that; violence is visceral and destructive, not glamorous. If you think you can stomach it, though, then it's well worth your time. 

The Martian (Review) - Super Starman

Rarely do films based off of books stick so closely to their source material. I'm not one of these people who endlessly laments when movie adaptations stray from the work that they're based upon, but I was genuinely surprised by how accurate The Martian was at depicting the tone and events of the popular book by Andy Weir. 

The film opens to Matt Damon very nearly dying. Well, we as the audience know he survives, but to everybody else concerned (and believe me: that concerns plenty of people), Mark Watney dies while the crew are leaving the iconic red planet. And so, as the crew of six becomes five, we discover that Mark is holding on to his dwindling life by a delicate thread. Soon after waking up, Mark comes to the realisation that he will most likely die on Mars; unless he can somehow survive for literally years and inform NASA of his existence. 

It's a pretty brilliant premise, and one which feels relatively similar to something like 127 Hours or Castaway in its execution. Here we have a survivalist who, against all apparent odds, must survive long enough to escape his natural prison - and what a prison it is. Ridley Scott presents the Martian planet in beautiful, desolate wide-shots that really give a sense of just how isolated a man would feel when he is literally the only human being on an entire planet. Surprisingly, there's also a vast amount of comedy based around this premise, which was hinted at in the trailers: "I don't want to come off as arrogant here, but I'm the best botanist on the entire planet." This is appropriate, as the book also depicted Watney as a very charismatic individual; perhaps more so than the movie manages to achieve. Regardless, Matt Damon is fairly excellent in the role, and adds hugely to the overall entertainment that the film provides.

But he's far from alone in the stellar acting department. It would take too long to name every famous actor present in The Martian, so here's just a few familiar names: Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Sean Bean, Kate Mara, Donald Glover, and Chiwetel Ejiofor. It's a star-studded cast to say the least, and nobody is particularly wasted throughout the movie. Sure, because of the sheer amount of talent present, it's understandable that some characters receive less limelight than others, but everybody gets their chance to shine. Saying that, I was a tad disappointed that Michael Peňa had little chance to flex his comedic muscles, but only because he was probably one of the funniest parts of the recent Ant Man. 

There's a fair amount of contention over one aspect of the movie, however: the run-time. It may only be 2 hours and 20 minutes long, but certain segments do seem to drag a little, and there's a scene added at the end (that wasn't in the book) which feels inconsequential to the overall story. I won't spoil anything, but the film's ending wouldn't have been worsened at all if this scene had simply been removed. 

I'd also like to make a particular mention for the soundtrack - both original score, as well as existing songs incorporated into the movie. Though David Bowie's Life on Mars? might have been too obvious, there's still his equally iconic Starman featured, as well as other 80s classics from ABBA and, going even further back, The O'Jays. Similar to Guardians of the Galaxy, the juxtaposition of futuristic space travel with memorable songs made the film feel a little more grounded in reality. Additionally, the score composed by Harry Gregson-Williams (who played a large role in the Metal Gear Solid games) is just as mesmerising, and really evokes a sense of films like Alien - also by Ridley Scott. 

Verdict

While not quite as incredible as I'd hoped it would be, The Martian is still well worth your time. If not for the catchy soundtrack full of disco, then you ought to see it for Matt Damon's pretty spot-on portrayal of Mark Watney in his isolated home. You might be yawning towards the end, but it's still a movie that's not going to be a waste of your time. 

"I'm gonna have to science the shit out of this."

The Visit (Review) - Worth an RSVP

Families can be a nightmare, can't they? I'm sure everybody has certain relatives who refuse to speak to eachother, so the premise for The Visit is instantly relatable. Once her kids find out that she hasn't spoken to her parents in years, a single mother (Kathryn Hahn) decides to let them go and spend a week at their grandparent's house. Because of the huge rift between her and her parents however, the mother doesn't go with her kids, as she instead goes on a cruise with her partner. In order to document their trip, the eldest of the two children, Becca (Olivia DeJonge), brings a couple of video cameras. After a few days at their isolated home, however, the kids soon realise that something isn't quite right. 

I went into The Visit knowing literally nothing about the movie: I hadn't seen any trailers, nor even seen a poster for the film. In fact, the only reason I decided to go and watch it was because I had nothing better to do, and I'd heard that it was a horror. Because of this sight unseen approach, I had literally zero expectations for the film - a huge benefit for any modern movie. This lack of expectations meant that the sky was the limit for how much I would enjoy The Visit, and I'm happy to say that it's well worth the price of admission. The plot isn't the freshest I've seen in recent memory, and it clearly borrows elements from icons of the horror genre (the day of the week appearing on-screen regularly, a la The Shining, for example), but it's still interesting and keeps you guessing up to the inevitable reveal. 

Something that surprised me slightly about The Visit was that it was a found-footage movie, although it managed to sway slightly from the mundane stereotypes found within these films. Sure, there were moments such as hiding a camera downstairs to capture footage in the night, but otherwise things felt relatively fresh in this respect. Perhaps this is because while the movie wants to be found-footage, there's times when the camera is operated in a manner that would be completely unnatural if held by a normal teenager. For example, while on a Skype call with their Mum, the camera is positioned behind the two kids. Now, this could obviously be set-up by them with a simple tripod, but it just doesn't feel like something that you would film. For the most part, though, the documentary-esque way in which the story is presented and filmed keeps the pace and tension high, and really adds to the overall feel of the film. 

Something that doesn't entirely add to the movie is the relationship between the two kids, and their characterisation as individuals. First of all, Becca begins the movie spouting academic jargon that would confuse even an adult, and it just feels awkward to say the least. Also, though he's eventually redeemed slightly by other events of the movie, Becca's brother Tyler (Ed Oxenbould) is downright irritating. Sure, I might have a slight bias as I've never been a fan of children in movies (or at all, to be honest), but his pseudo-rapper persona that he adopts is just cringe-worthy. As I said, this is amended a little later by his strengthening relationship with Becca, but there's times that his arrogance draws a little from the events playing out. 

Nana (Deanna Dunagan)

This slight diminishing of tension is an issue throughout the film, as while The Visit is primarily a horror/ thriller, there are segments that are very humourous in a tongue-in-cheek style. While this isn't a problem, there's certain scares that are lessened by a moment of comedy, and vice versa. Personally, I would have preferred if the film had gone all-out horror, but maybe this is just a point of personal preference, rather than a fault of the movie itself. 




Verdict
It won't stick with you as the best film of the year, but if you have a spare afternoon then there'd be far worse things to do than see The Visit. It has moments of genuine tension, and the occasional scene that will make you laugh out loud. While the film runs for about 10 minutes too long, it still manages to tell an interesting story with a twist that, while not revolutionary, it's unlikely you'll see coming. And considering M. Night Shyamalan's last few movies have been panned both critically and commercially, this turned out to be a very nice surprise. 

"Would you mind getting inside the oven...

to clean it?"

Until Dawn: Games Becoming More

This past week, a few friends and I played through the thoroughly enjoyable Until Dawn for PS4. Taking heavy inspiration from the slasher teen flicks of the 80s, the game focuses on a group of teenagers as they return to a remote, isolated cabin following a tragedy that they brought on exactly one year prior - sounds familiar, right? Well, like games such as Heavy Rain, Until Dawn attempts to create more than just a traditional game. In fact, the experience is crafted in such a way that for those not necessarily playing, it almost feels as if you're watching a lengthy horror movie. 

Now, games have emulated movies to a certain extent for years. The Metal Gear Solid series, for example, contains insanely long cut-scenes that rival some of Hollywood's own efforts at engaging storytelling. But if you asked somebody unfamiliar with games to sit down and enjoy an instalment from this series, they wouldn't have the faintest clue where to begin. And this is understandable; between these moments of nothing but viewing are lengthy, complicated gameplay segments that are immediately foreign to anybody not involved in videogame culture. So why is Until Dawn any different? Well, it simplifies the actual 'playing' sections to their most base level, while also maintaining a strong sense of player engagement. 

What this does is create an experience that is just as enjoyable for viewers as it is for players, and it shows: a quick search on YouTube reveals videos of the game with view-counts passing the millions. The interesting point to this, however, is that while the game is selling well, it isn't doing so at the rate of popular franchises such as GTA or Call of Duty. NPD sales figures show that for August, the game is at 7th place in the charts. Now, the whole culture of watching people play games on the internet is an ever-growing one, but it's interesting to see a game that is arguably being viewed far more than actually played. Is this a bad thing, though? Of course not. 

If anything, this shows that the medium of videogames is expanding into popular culture more so than ever before. What we have here is a game that has captivated the attention spans of people who may not necessarily consider themselves a player of videogames. A game that, for better or worse, is being enjoyed passively just as much as it is actively. Can the same be said for music, or TV, or even films? Here is an experience that is entirely unique to the videogame industry, and just goes to show just how diverse of an industry it is. If you want to sit down with some friends and play through Until Dawn, you can, but you can also find just as much enjoyment watching somebody else do so. 

Hopefully, the success (both sales-wise and through sheer popularity) of Until Dawn will lead to more experiences such as this. Games that engage both the players and audience, and go out of their way to truly make you feel a part of the experience. Even if you'd consider yourself as far from a player of games as black from white, you should at the very least see what the fuss is all about, and might see that this is a medium far beyond what others can achieve. 

Oh, and this was originally going to be a flat-out review of the game, but I felt this would be a little more interesting. If you're interested in a review: You should buy this game. Not only is it a hugely enjoyable, interesting and engaging story wrapped up with some tight controls and believable characters, but purchasing it also shows that a variety of content is favoured in mainstream videogame culture.