Third Contact - Independent Film Review

This week I was given an opportunity to see a an independent film by first time Director Simon Horrocks and asked to voice my opinion. Made over a year on a tiny budget with a cast of friends and acquaintances who worked for pretty much nothing, Si is hoping to get his production Third Contact in to cinemas in the near future.

Third Contact follows depressed psychotherapist Dr David Wright as he seeks to unravel the mysteries surrounding the suicide of two of his patients. The world he inhabits is not as it seems as he falls deeper into the rabbit hole that will see him discover a new outlook on the universe.

Third Contact starts very hurriedly with the complex fundamental idea that underpins the plot laid out mere seconds into the film. If you've never heard of quantum mechanics and its principals, like me, you will find this a hard pill to swallow. With it carrying on by throwing up names of people we've not met, nor will ever meet in a rather off hand way I honestly began to get a little lost. I actually forgot who Renee was and how he related to everything. So whilst I was trying to figure out what the slightly obnoxious man on the couch was going on about, or who the weird woman in the house was, I suddenly found myself thinking, who are these people they are talking about? However as the film continues I started to to scrape back what might be going on. And on re-viewing I realised where I'd missed the cues, having been lost in other thoughts first time around. My main issue is there is no time for you to pick up the pieces, there's no equilibrium set, we're introduced to our central protagonist at the same time this hard to digest idea is thrown into the mix, and that's 30 seconds in to the film. However once you see the film as whole you understand that the confusion at the beginning drives the questions later in the film.

Tim Scott-Walker pulls the most weight here in the acting department, with many moments of conviction and honesty, he's a good central character. Given most of the cast worked for little or nothing and consisted of friends there is an obvious short fall in the conviction of some of support characters. Many of which are foreign, which puts up another barrier when some of them struggle with particular words. My major criticism is the over use of bad language, particularly in a few earlier scenes, some of it is unwarranted and feels forced and is not a mark of conviction, just laziness.  

Time mends the wounds inflicted in the first act and I really was driven by the mystery of the plot, the acting and the shooting style drew me in as I realised that I'm really in unfamiliar territory here (a rare thing in cinema). The pace settles and as David tries to unravel the mysteries of his patients suicide, you see the pieces start to fit together. What is great to see is that there are steps towards highlighting character signposts, however some of these aren't paid off in anyway. For instance David has an OCD moment in the opening scene, yet this is never really touched upon or signposted again.

There are films that take a particular amount of concentration, needless to say all films should have your undivided attention, but in the case of Third Contact you really need to have your ears and eyes tuned in properly.With juxtaposing scenes, including one that had me vastly confused, in which David inhabits an alternate universe and sees himself walking the street, you will ultimately leave this film with many questions. Third Contact will jar you at first, but understanding will follow if you want it to. Having been a debut project for Si Horrocks, Third Contact certainly comes loaded with real promise and attention to detail. What I most enjoyed was Davids internal struggle with his past and how those memories, shown in colour, had a great shooting style and gave more depth to his character.

My first viewing of Third Contact resulted in me visiting the website and as if knowing that curiosity would follow, Si has constructed a site that explains more in depth those ideas that underpin the plot. I found this understanding enriched my experience of the film. Like one of my favourite films Donnie Darko I wanted to understand more, and while the dealing of the subject matter in Third Contact isn't as well executed, it comes loaded with that same promise; that you can discover the answers yourself and come to your own conclusion.  

Third Contact has one heck of aura around it, from the moment it starts there's an air of foreboding, something isn't quite right, like a David Lynch movie, it's immediately obvious from the way people talk to the cinematography. My immediate reaction was one of confusion with the plot, however the way in which the film is shot, and the quality of it is testament to the effort by Si Horrocks and the tiny budget this was made on. Also for a debut this is fiercely ambitious, with a concept that has it's roots in sci-fi this has a real world feel to it, much like Primer or Donnie Darko, the ideas can be believed in a real world environment. However I can't help but think that this could have been better executed, with expectancy that the audience will figure out certain character traits by paying attention to all of the exposition, this would be a hard film to enjoy for an average cinema goer. However for film fans who like intrigue and go to the cinema to have themselves challenged, Third Contact for a low budget debut has some great ideas and does its best to realise them. There are lessons to be learned here, but what I can honestly say there is real promise here for Si and his future as a writer/director.

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Star Trek Into Darkness - Review

For this film fan Star Trek was the least interesting thing in sci-fi cinema, until in 2009 J.J. Abrams revitalised the franchise into something that was, well . . . cool. A truly entertaining and fresh look at the story revolving around the original TV series. The first outing did an outstanding job of bringing these characters together and making it feel new, rather than treading down a familiar path. Just like Christopher Nolan brought Batman back to life, Abrams has reinvigorated Star Trek and catered to a much wider audience. Four years on and the follow up; Star Trek Into Darkness looks to be bigger and bolder, but will it be better?

Into Darkness see's Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Qunito) and the crew of the Enterprise hunt down John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) a one man weapon of mass destruction, after he attacks Federation headquarters on earth. With a lot at stake, and difficult decisions to meet head on their subsequent mission to find and kill him reveals truths about themselves, their enemy and the Federation.

Into Darkness starts with an almighty bang, no introduction necessary, as we see the crew in the final climactic stages of a mission to seek out new civilisations, to boldly go . . . etc. Lives are already on the line and lands us right in the middle of a situation that could end the life of certain pointy eared crew member. The crew is exactly how we left them in Star Trek, albeit a little on edge right now, in what will be the most exciting opener you'll see all year. It's great to see that the mood created in the first outing is reignited by throwing a bit more gas on the fire.

The following major plot thread doesn't give anyone time to breath. There are some dialogue scenes including Pike (Bruce Greenwood) and Kirk in a bar in a 'wait haven't we been here before?' moment (seriously every bar on earth must be lit same way in the future). Though no sooner are the crew back on Earth, they are abruptly en-route to find and destroy their new nemesis John Harrison. In the lead up there are expansions on Starfleet and the 'Prime Directive' which basically entails not starting or seeking out confrontation. However as terrorists go John Harrison is pretty ruthless, having beamed to another planet during an attack that has close personal cost to Kirk, the fool hardy Captain naturally seeks out revenge that could spark a war. So far so reasonably simple, there are some great dynamics created here, Cumberbatch plays the villain with a thickly laden menace, and Kirk responds as you'd expect. Later in the film the two have a furious one on one of deathly stares and brash words, in which I felt Cumberbatch although convincing, over egged the evil a little. The events of the opening act fuel the drama in the relationships and choices of the crew. All the major crew members are given some part to play that are ultimately greater than the those of the previous film, with Scotty (Simon Pegg) getting a lot more screen time in this case. The locations created are believable and everything once again looks visually astounding, with added Abrams lens flares, naturally. The soundtrack once again hits the mark with a definite theme running through that may have you humming it out the door.

The action moves at a lightning pace and certain twists and turns in the plot raise some questions. It's difficult to disclose any plot points here because they will ruin the overall surprise, but the film keeps going at a furious pace with a lot of serious conversations happening in the middle of the action. It gives you no chance to sit back and think about out that what you just witnessed. What helps carry the plot is the fantastic cast and sharp writing. The chemistry between these characters still feels electric and fun, Bones (Karl Urban) Kirk and Spock bounce off each other like an expert comedy trio. All the characters have a distinct impact on the tone of the film which is great to see in production that relies heavily on CGI and action. The final act is explosive without being overly grand, certainly not as epic as blowing up planets and creating black holes that you're nearly sucked in to. However the stakes are risen at a human level as Kirk risks his life to save his crew, and Spock has his moment to exact some green blooded bad assery.

The result is a fantastic re-visit to the crew of the Enterprise one that sees the pace vastly increased and the stakes risen. However with questions raised concerning the plot line dominating the third act, one feels the first outing was better executed and more believable. This is still great fun to watch and it once again keeps things interesting for fans and the newly initiated. Having been chosen to helm the new Star Wars movies, this film shows that J.J. Abrams is the only man qualified for the job. The joy is upon leaving the cinema in 2009, having just seen Star Trek, I craved more. Into Darkness was no different, I still want to see more.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Evil Dead - Review

Horror remakes, they never seem to end, and like movies based on video games they nearly always deliver poor or sub standard results. So imagine the collective sigh of millions of film fans when it was announced that one of the holy grails of horror, The Evil Dead, was to be remade. A small amount of relief came from the fact Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell were producing, but still is this really warranted? As someone who'd never seen the original before now, I had a chance to see the two with a fresh perspective.

Evil Dead (dir. Fede Alvarez) follows Mia (Jane Levy), her brother and three friends as they spend a weekend in a cabin in the woods in order to help Mia kick a drug habit. On discovery of a Book of the Dead they unwittingly summon demons that possesses members of the group. A desperate fight for survival ensues as the evil grows and bodies begin to stack up.

Evil Dead, although being a remake of The Evil Dead, does things differently to the original in terms of story and tone. The original plays out very simplistically, there's not a good deal of character foundation. The remake has a sturdy structure to it, the visitors have been here before as kids, they're long time friends and they're here to help Mia kick a drug habit, far from the world where she can fall back in to it. When shit hits the fan there are legitimate reasons for them to stay, it feels believable. This isn't your typical, stupid kids do stupid shit kind of film. Surprisingly any amount of humour is almost non existent, except in a few instances with one character flat out refuses to die, despite multiple, horrifying wounds. This lack of laughs is a little jarring and really not what I expected from the this film, and the seriousness makes you want to re-watch Evil Dead 2 just to remember why you initially wanted to see this.

The action is reasonably unpredictable, and with focus occasionally shifting from characters, you have a vested interest in some of them, however it's easy to guess who will come out on top. There are efforts to avoid cliched tricks of the trade that I have come to sigh and laugh at, therefore the shocks come from rather random places, and once or twice I did physically jump in my seat. However that idea of haunting, brooding and disturbing horror still remains absent, as it does from countless modern horrors, I firmly believe that no film will ever impact me the way The Shining did. The effects are quite simply stunning and grotesque, with most being old school in camera solutions mixed with flutters of digital enhancements. They will make you squirm and reel as there's so much care and attention made to keep this feeling very real. The result is a horror film that I actually enjoyed watching, the pace, action and the all important foundation of the story had me reasonably interested. What helps is the way the back story gives Mia's outcome some kind of metaphorical implications, rather than simply it's all over, let's get to a hospital and try and explain this madness. There's some element, albeit a very obvious one, that she may have ousted her demons.

It's not perfect by any standards, the genre and the setting are well worn and makes me think of The Cabin In The Woods in the which the idea is riffed on almost in a spoof fashion. It rings with those familiar problems with modern horror, but does a better job at keeping you engaged and occasionally surprised. Given this comes from the guys who defined the cabin in the woods horror, I can't help but respect that they tried something a little different, rather than a flat out remake (a funny mindless horror) they went a different road and sought to give us some serious scares. Brave move and on it's own it stands out further than a lot of horror movies, but ultimately makes me want to settle back in to the not so serious predecessors for some relief.

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

The Bitter End . . . or Lager End - The World's End Preview

Way back in 2004 the print and promotion will have mentioned 'from the guys who brought you Spaced', whether or not you knew what they were going on about, Shaun Of The Dead had instant appeal to a wide audience here in Britain, and sated the appetite of those already of the Wright/Pegg/Frost bandwagon. SOTD's appeal came down to it's thoroughly British sentiment and comedy rubbing shoulders with the traditionally American genre, the zombie movie. It also had that magic quotable chemistry with so many scenes becoming repeated in pubs and common rooms country wide. Hot Fuzz was hot on it's heels in 2007 with another similar spin on the action movie genre, mixed with a bucket load of British wit and circumstance. The many references to Shaun Of The Dead (including a certain sweet freezer favourite) and Hot Fuzz's great success prompted many to beg for more. With fame and various projects tying Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg to different projects they are back once more after six long years with a fresh flavour of Cornetto.

Now the posters read 'from the guys who brought you Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz' and early this morning the first trailer for 'The World's End' was released and has prompted many social media feeds to explode with quotes from the past films and a looooot of excitement. It's anticipation especially here in Britain is warranted as these are films that speak to us culturally, yet they don't come loaded with Shane Meadows or Ken Loachs overtly serious dystopian themes, they are enjoyable, hilarious, OTT fun. The premise of the new film is 5 friends led by Pegg, seek to revisit and conquer a pub crawl they failed to complete in their teens. Now fully grown and most in suit and tie day jobs, their journey to drink a pint at 12 pubs, ending with The World's End, sees them embroiled in some kind of alien takeover that seeks to end the world as they know it.



I'm particularly looking forward to it, the cast and creators alone warrant attention, these are actors/writers/directors who we've seen grow into stars and now it feels a bit like your home town band who got famous coming home to play a gig. With Paddy Considine, Martin Freeman, Eddie Marsan and of course Nick Frost in the mix, one can imagine the tone this will have the potential for some serious laughs. Based on the teaser trailer there are already hints of that British culture of small towns and pubs and that familiar central protagonist not fulfilling his potential, living in the past, a bit like Shaun. From very first glance it would be easy to say it won't live up to expectation, but the joy of Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz was not just in the premise; it's the writing, the comedy and the characters and of course pub based action, and from what we've seen here Edgar Wright and co. know your poison.

The World's End is released on July 19th 2013.
Expect a film review soon after ;)