Lincoln - Review

Tackling a subject so indelibly written in to history, and one so well known is always difficult to bring to the screen. However the story of the last 4 months of Abraham Lincolns life is not just any old history yarn, this is arguably the most important man and moment in the history of America, sending ripples across humanity for all time. So imagine the pressure felt in bringing this particular man to the big screen. It's no secret that this story has been in the back of Steven Spielberg's mind for many long years, and just as Peter Jackson knew long before The Hobbit took shape that Martin Freeman was his Bilbo, Spielberg had for many years known that the only man to fit Lincolns boots was Daniel Day Lewis. You can think of no greater partnership to tackle this important subject in history.

Lincoln covers the end of Abe's life as he sought to cure America of slavery whilst also bringing an end to the civil war. With opposition coming from all corners and a number of votes that must be secured in order to bring about the passing of the 13th amendment. Lincoln shows just how much the 16th president had to fight his corner, support his family and inspire those around him, to accomplish what seems an impossible task.

From the opening scene it is immediately obvious that Lincoln will not spare any detail, like Saving Private Ryan it plunges the viewer briefly into the thick of civil war. As it seeks not only to bring reality to these events, so too it brings reality to its central character through the incomparable Daniel Day Lewis. With no footage nor vocal recordings of the man himself, the take on this well documented individual is inspired and life like. This is no biopic trailing the life of the man from his birth to his infamous death, rather the film throws us straight into the frying pan of a government trying to hasten the end of a bitter civil war. If your history on the American civil war is non existent then the first act of the film will come as a barrage of information that might swamp you. It's advisable to go in with at least a Wiki understanding of what's going down. However for the initiated it will make the events feel real and fresh, coupled with dialogue fizzing all the way through like a Shakespeare play, the casting and the production is note perfect. The first act is the hard sell (for some) but as the plot thickens and you become more settled into events the overriding emotional engine gathers speed in the form of the attempted passing of the 13th amendment, which would put paid to slavery once and for all. The details are beautiful, and reality of the film is undeniably palpable, but to some that means slow and boring. There is a heap of heavy talking here, however it's not all serious. Spats of humour are poised throughout, one particular scene involving Tommy Lee Jone's Thaddeus Stevens confronting a memorably named Alexander Coffroth, had this critic laughing out loud in a very quiet screening.

The big hitters in the cast are obviously those nominated for awards, including the fabulous Sally Field who is incredible in the difficult role of Mary Todd Lincoln. Tommy Lee Jones is also a clear stand out, adding to the emotional complexity and humour of the film. But so many more cast members deserve credit, each performance supported by the strength of the next, compounding into a piece of work that is thoroughly engaging. There are several strands to the story, one focusing on Lincoln himself as he battles to live up to what he said in the Gettysburg address, and keep not only his cabinet, but his family in check. The others deal with gaining yes votes from 'lame duck' representatives in the the Democratic party, which is handled with great comic aplomb by James Spader and his companions, Tim Blake Nelson and John Hawkes. The third strand is the drama played out in the House of Representatives which acts as a roaring furnace, in one seriously well constructed power house of cinematic entertainment.

The cinematography and art direction further supports and realises the story with shots that would look fitting on a wall as art work. Scenes ooze with character so much so you can almost smell the atmosphere of the room or the smoke in air. The score seeks to lift some of the scenes here, but in many cases it actually serves as an obvious marker for emotion which at times is unnecessary. I actually found myself having to concentrate harder on some dialogue scenes as the score begins to soar over bits where it's really not needed. There's a marked effort to honour Abe accurately, and Day Lewis clearly knows his man, from his ease of talking and ability to connect with people, to his posture and mannerisms, there's no denying he embodies this person completely. Yet in a film baring his name, this is no character study that would potentially alienate us from the bigger picture. He does get the last word, however this film perfectly represents not a just a man, but a point in history shared by and effecting many. I thoroughly enjoyed this, so much so I went to see it again and found I got more from it second time round, in fact I'd say it's one of my favourites next to Life Of Pi that ran for best picture in the Oscars. Spielberg has made some seriously amazing films in his time, so many that even the good ones would be far down a top ten of his work, but Lincoln, like Schindlers List or Saving Private Ryan before it sets a new bar and stamp of quality for Spielberg, as he and Daniel Day Lewis will be remembered as the men who brought Lincoln to life on screen.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Wreck It Ralph - Review

For once I'm getting straight on to reviewing a film I just saw this evening, with many more reviews still in the pipeline I'll take a little of your time to freshly tap out my thoughts on the latest Disney computer animation Wreck It Ralph. This is not a Pixar outing and usually that means a serious dip in integrity and story telling, however here we have a film that really is for all of the family and is rather surprising.

Wreck It Ralph takes us into the world of a video arcade that has that idea of Toy Story, in that when we're done playing the games, the characters have a life of their own, in their own universe in the wires and code of arcade games and power bricks. Ralph is a bad guy in his video game Fix It Felix Junior, but he has a moral dilemma in that he's fed up of being the bad guy after 30 years of service. He wants his fellow game characters including Fix It Felix to see him differently, so he jumps game in order to prove he can be a good guy. His actions throw his game in to jeopardy as he game jumps in a desperate attempt to prove himself, and along the way he finds out what it really means to be a good, bad guy.

I was pleasantly surprised by how well crafted Wreck It Ralph is, with so many avenues the film makers could have gone down that might destroy our memory of the games we so love, they have a clear sense of direction here, with imagined characters inhabiting a well realised video game universe. It's very obvious from the off that this is a film made by people who really love video games, especially ones they played at a young age. It's also clear that instead of tarnishing our perception of known video game characters, the writers have managed to create characters of their own, and ones that fit and feel like they belong there. There are so many influences present here that I couldn't possibly list them all. In the imagined games there are obvious inspirations from Donkey Kong (Fix It Felix Jnr), Mario Kart (Sugar Rush) and Halo (Heroes Duty). The best thing is the film refers to many game characters we may not have seen for a while, and realises them such a way that honours them, without treading all over their legacy. It's difficult to explain but everything just works, from the story telling, the referencing, soundtrack, visuals and the characters. They all ring with those familiar tones that (for this reviewer) instantly transport you back to that time when you played on your Sega or Nintendo.

Nostalgia is a factor, but the story weaves it's own particular magic. Although this film has kids firmly in its cross hairs as the target audience, the plot deals with themes that will ring true with adults. Ralph has done the same job for 30 years that he gets no thanks for, and no-one sees the real him, so he acts out. Vanellope is a glitch in her game, she doesn't fit in and is bullied for it, and she is also trying to prove herself. The connection between these two characters when they meet does become the heart and soul of the film, and with its plot twists and turns, the pair are brought together to form a great alliance. When you pick the film apart it has the typical Disney hallmarks that ring of cliche, however the way these are presented are in a world where you are firmly engaged. The nuances of the characters make you feel like you are in a video game environment, something hard to do when you're transposing retro graphic game characters into a graphically luxurious CG animated movie. For instance the friends of Fix It Felix have excellent motion in which they jerk in their movement like a retro character would.

John C. Reilley (Ralph) and Sarah Silverman (Vanellope) are pitch perfect in their vocal roles and these two comic actors bounce off one another brilliantly in the dialog, you may even take a few phrases out of the cinema with you. Jane Lynch is also very notable as the fiery and fearsome Calhoun, who also gets a back story that gives her character some humanity with a resulting (Disney favourite) cliché love in. The writing is sharp and actually got a number of laughs out of me and more so out of the children in attendance. The animation is top notch with good lighting and textures that, especially in Sugar Rush, might have you watering a bit at the mouth. The 3D lends itself well to this kind of film, especially as it's used to noticeable effect here. The soundtrack has great elements of games gone by subtly blending retro sounds into a modern score. Any negatives about the film stem from the predictable direction the plot goes in from time to time. The bad guy arch is rather old hat, although you might not get to the conclusion before the film does, because you're a child and you are the target audience, or you are drawn in so much you take it as it comes.

Which leads me to conclude that if I were ten years old this film would be quite probably the best thing ever, just for the fun and the characters. But I thoroughly enjoyed this because, like Toy Story, it envisages a world that can reside in your imagination, and it's realised in a way that is believable, entertaining and makes me feel old . . . in a good way. One for the whole family, and for big kids, go and see it.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Lawless - Review

Apart from going to the cinema quite regularly these past couple of weeks, I've also gotten a hold of films that have recently been released for home viewing. Ones that impressed me during my absence from writing reviews. Now having sat down to watch a second time, I still hold Lawless in great esteem, and it comes as no surprise. One of my favourite films in my collection is The Proposition, a searing piece of cinema from the collaborative efforts of Nick Cave and John Hillcoat. Now they're back with Lawless, with a screenplay penned by Nick Cave and adapted from the true story written by Matt Bondurant called 'The Wettest County in the World'.

Lawless tells the story of the three Bondurant brothers as they bootleg their way through the depression and prohibition. Business is booming, with the youngest Jack (Shia Lebeouf) taking it upon himself to make he and his family better off for it. That is until the law from the city starts making life hard for them, in the form of a sneering and slimey Charlie Rakes (Guy Pearce).

Although not as weighty, nor as fearsome as The Proposition, Lawless rings with a number of familiar tones. Three law breaking brothers; two elders with grit and confidence, the younger with a lot to learn, with the law hot on their heels, sounds familiar. With a stand alone force of the law in the form of Guy Pearce being their ultimate threat you can't help but see some kind of comparison with The Proposition. Lawless is a much different beast, it's an easy watch, in as much as the story speaks for itself, it's extremely accessible to most with in roads to a well known history. With the central story focused on a family, there will be themes here that ring true with anyone who has siblings, let alone brothers. With Shia LeBeouf as the young runt of the litter Jack, trying his best to play catch up, and falling prey to foolish mistakes, you end up routing for him and feeling his fury as the plot unfolds. With Jacks older brothers acting not just as his guardians, but as a measuring stick as he treads the difficult path towards becoming a man. Guy Pearces Charlie Rakes is the roaring catalyst, changing the family dynamic by brutally enforcing his law on the county, its bootleggers and Jacks face. The resulting kick off, mixed with Jacks tie in with local gangsters, gives the film its real meat and potatoes. It's very violent when it gets down to the dirty work, with one scene in particular giving you a sense that the older brothers have to cross lines that most wouldn't to protect themselves and Jack. With Rakes closing the gap you have to hand it to Guy Pearce as when we first meet him we already think he's a bit left of center, and by the finale he brings the real madness of this unpredictable character to the fore.  

It makes for compelling viewing, mainly because all cast members present are putting in brilliant performances. Shia LeBeouf although type cast here, stands out as he fits perfectly into the character of Jack and grows throughout the narrative convincingly. Tom Hardy plays a perfectly pitched and powerful alpha male as he grunts his way through an ordeal that sees his character live up to his legend. The rest of the cast all have some purpose, mainly in bolstering Jacks story line, with Gary Oldman used to great but unfortunately fleeting effect. The female interests are obviously a sight for sore eyes in this more testosterone fueled film, much like The Proposition. However their weight in the actual plot isn't great, in fact it's fairly none existent, except for maybe making Forrest get a little more angry . . . you won't like him when he's angry.

As with The Proposition, Lawless has a soundtrack is well presented, however here it serves more as a back drop, rather than making a huge impact on the visuals. With soundtracks specially recorded and written for their films Cave has helped mold a soundtrack that you will likely want to listen to separately when the film is over.

Lawless for this critic is like a difficult second album for Hillcoat and Cave, with The Proposition sitting so high on my all time favourites list. I thoroughly enjoyed Lawless, and on its own it is definitely one of the better films of 2012, however, given the creative powers behind it and the cast, it should have been the best.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆