Review: Pride

Pride

Director: Matthew Warchus

Starring: Bill Nighy, Paddy Considine, Imelda Staunton, Andrew Scott, Dominic West, George Mackay, Ben Schnetzer, Joseph Gilgun.

Running Time: 120 mins

Certificate: 15

Is this the feel-good film of the year? I challenge anybody to watch Pride and not leave the cinema without a beaming smile on your face and a sudden urge to be part of the LGBT community and the tale of their unlikely friendship and comradery with the striking Welsh miners in 1984.

The film follows a group of LGBT activist, led by Mark (Schnetzher) and Mike (Joseph Gilgun) fighting for equal rights along with newcomer, Joe (Geroge Mackay), who is also terrified of coming out to his parents. During London’s Gay Pride parade Mark realises that the LGBT community and the striking miners have a great deal in common, and a bond is soon struck between the two oppressed minorities.

Not the sort of material that would suggest a charming, feel-good and often hilarious film and it’s not easy for a film like this, based on real people involving real, against-the-odds stories to drift into sentimentality. This is not the case with Pride, however. Yes, it owes a great deal to the likes of Brassed Off, Billy Elliot and Made in Dagenham, but this is its own film entirely in its own right, backed up with a wonderfully witty and often incredibly moving script from Stephen Beresford.

But it’s the performances that really push this film up to the next level. Imelda Staunton is brilliantly hilarious as Hefina Headon as an inquisitive senior, who will have you practising rolling your Rs for days to come. On the opposite side of the spectrum is Ben Schnetzer, who gives a determined and affectionate performance as the leader of the LGBT group, Mark Ashton, and Geroge Mackay as Joe, who brings a fragility and all too realistic edge to the film. Paddy Considine offers an enormous amount of heart and warmth to the preceding and, along with Staunton, is responsible for some of the scripts best lines.

The supporting cast provide just as many memorable moments, especially Dominic West whose dance to Shame Shame, Shame a particular highlight and the delicate Andrew ‘Moriarty’ Scott. It is also great to see Bill Nighy not being Bill Nighy. He is not here to be the funky dad, with the cool suits and witty one-liners, which is a breath of fresh air in his least Nighy-esque performance since Pirates of the Caribbean.

At times it feels like there are too many characters under developed and unnoticed. Potter fans will recognise Jessie Cave, aka Lanvender Brown, however she (and others) is somewhat pushed to the background occasionally involved in the odd chanting/protest scenes. This is somewhat of a blip on an often great, occasionally brilliant film that will have you rolling in the aisles and drying your eyes at the same time.

Verdict: The feel good film of the year so far. One of the most enjoyable films released this year, guaranteed to make you smile, cry and party 80’s style. BAFTA bait, surely?

The first Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer smashes online!

The first official teaser for Avengers: Age of Ultron is here!

This teaser gives us our first glimpses of twins Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver (played by Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, respectively), along with James Spader's eerily excellent Ultron. There's also plenty of familiar faces on show, and if this trailer tells us anything, it's that Age of Ultron is gonna pack a bigger punch than Hulk on a stag do.

Tell us what you think of Marvel's latest superhero barnstorm below.

Missed Masterpieces #1: The Hunchback of Notre Dame

June 2013 - The Hunchback of Notre Dame

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Release: 1996

Director: Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise

Starring: Tom Hulce, Demi Moore, Tony Jay, Kevin Kline.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is hardly considered one of the classics from the enormous Disney back catalogue. It's release in 1996 resulted in moderate commercial success for Disney going on to gross over $300 million worldwide though in comparison to The Lion King, released two years earlier, grossing close to $1 billion, this was an underwhelming box-office return, along with generally positive reviews however, regardless of this, it seems to have become a 'forgotten classic.' It was released a time where Disney began exprimenting with 3D animation, so perhaps audiences were a little more demanding and longed for the more ground-breaking visual spectacle they were becoming more familar with (the film's release was sandwhiched between Toy Story (1995) and A Bug's Life (1998)).

I know the main critic of the film is that is drifts too far from the original source novel by Victor Hugo, though kudos must be given to Disney for attempting to bring a new, younger audience to the story, whilst still keeping certain dark (often pitch black!) themes to accompany the whimsy. 

Given the initial premise of the story and characters you'd be forgiven for assuming the film would be nothing more than your standard Disney film, ticking off the conventions as they come along; you have the unnassured hero in Quasimodo, the love interest in the gypsy Esmerelda, love rival in Captain Phoebus, the villian in Lord Frollo and a trio of gargoyles providing the laughs. As well as this it features the usual musical numbers, some more memroable than the others (The Festival of Fools, a barn-storming, foot-tapping number).

However it is in the character of Lord Frollo (chillingly voiced by Tony Jay) where the film really packs its thematic punch. Lord Frollo is a man who is driven to near-insanity; torn between his faith and his lust for Esmerelda, and this is evident in the haunting Hellfire scene. Frollo sings (in a stunning vocal performance from Jay) how he is fearful of the 'spell' being cast on him by Esmerelda and begs for protection and forgiveness from God, before finally forcing her to submit to his lust or face an eternity in 'Hellfire'. It is a hugely powerful and uncharacteristly dark moment in Disney films, up their with Night on Bald Mountain from Fantasia and the terrifying donkey transformation scene from Pinnochio. The visuals and music work together perfectly to provide the best Disney villain song of all time, and arguably one of the best Disney songs of all time.

This scene, combined with the spectacular (Hell?)firey climax set atop of Notre Dame Cathedral allows this film to be more than a Disney film, but a Disney film with a light-hearted front but a pitch black inside, which deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Fantasia and The Lion King.

Do you agree/disagree? Do you have any other suggestions for future Missed Masterpieces?

Review: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Director: Matt Reeves
Starring: Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Tobi Kebbell.
Running Time: 131 mins.

There was an awful lot of pressure and expectation upon the release of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Rise of the Planet of the Apes was easily 2011's surprise package of the summer blockbuster season, a season which also saw the release of Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Thor and Captain America. Whilst commercially, the film didn't quite hit the heights of the above mentioned films, critically, however it was one of the better reviewed films of the summer, surprising critics and filmgoers alike. The, inevitable, sequel would therefore come under tremendous pressure. Can the film compete financially with the big boys of Hollywood in a season dominated by superheroes and giant robots, whilst still keeping characterization and storytelling at its heart?

Boy does it!

DOTPOTA takes place 10 years after ROTPOTA (still with me?). After escaping into the giant redwoods of Muir Woods, the apes, led and governed by Caesar (brilliantly portrayed, again through motion-capture technology, by Andy Serkis), have created a community in the heart of the forest. They have not had an encounter with humanity for 2 years, and are presumed extinct.

Humanity has collapsed and has become close to extinction due to the outbreak of the ALZ-113 virus (or Simian Flu), with only a small number of survivors holding up in San Francisco, led by Malcolm (Jason Clarke), sporting a hat Alan Grant would be proud of, and Dreyfuss (Gary Oldman), however after a chance encounter and panic reaction, the two species are at loggerheads once again. Not good news for the surviving humans who need the apes help in order to restore energy supplies to their settlement.

It would be impossible to review the film without mentioning the special effects which are stunning. The motion capture technology is put to superb use, and through the performances of Serkis and, a brilliantly brutal and menacing Toby Kebbell, as Koba, right hand man to Caesar, every emotion is crystal clear. It's a refreshing change for a summer blockbuster film to not only feature jaw-dropping special effects, but to include them in a way that develop characters and add emotional depth rather than just because they look cool.

Not only just, but it's the attention to detail that adds the visual spectacle to the film. The scenes of a desolate San Francisco being overran by primates (note the slightly more subtle reference back to the 1968 original, rather than Tom Felton's more-than-direct wink to the camera in ROTPOTA) is a magnificent highlight.

If there are any gripes to be had, and there are few, with the film is the that final 25 minutes aren't quite as exciting and exhilarating as they were last time out. The tension between the two species built up throughout the film doesn't quite hit the heights as its predecessor. The human characters also feel like they are there because they have to be just to move the film along, narratively. The straining relationship between Ceasar and Koba is far more interesting that the conflicting Malcolm and Dreyfuss, both representing two sides of humanity, however this is completely understandable. The film is all about the apes. This is a film not about the extinction of humanity, but a film about the uprising of the apes. With another sequel penned for a 2016 release, this film perfectly sets up what is sure to be massive. "War is coming..." warns Caesar, and we can't wait!

Verdict: Picking up where Rise of the Planet of the Apes left off, the film offers a master class in what is possible with special effects, both action and character wise. It is the summer blockbuster to beat this year, and whilst it may not be as commercially successful as some, it certainly packs a meaner narrative and character punch. We’ll stick to Optimus Primate over Optimus Prime any day of the week.

Review: Transformers: Age of Extinction

Transformers: Age of Extinction

Director: Michael Bay

Starring: Mark Whalberg, Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammer, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor

Running Time: 165 mins

Once again the summer is blessed with yet another outing of the headache-inducing Transformers franchise, arriving in our cinemas to destroy minds and box-office figures simultaneously. After the original outing in 2007, followed by Revenge of the Fallen and Dark of the Moon in 2009 and 2011, respectively, we are now treated to Age of Extinction. If anything can be taken from the previous three films then surely you would have thought that Michael Bay would have learnt from his the flaws (are there are a lot!) of initial trio, and used them to bring his next trilogy (yes, 5 and 6 have been green-lit) and bring his CGI porn to newer levels, and a greater maturity.

He hasn’t, and they haven’t.

Set 4 years after Dark of the Moon, the remaining Autobots have been forced into hiding, due to government agents, led by Kelsey Grammer, believing them to be a threat to humanity after the aftermath of the battle of Chicago. The corpses of the caught ‘bots are then presented to scientist Stanley Tucci (providing a convincing Steve Jobs impression) who strips them down in order to harness the substance that creates the Transformers race, Transformium (no, really). Inventor Mark Whalberg stumbles across an old truck, which turns out to be an in-hiding Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen), and it’s not long before the government get word of Prime’s whereabouts.

To try and gain any more of an understanding of the narrative to Age of Extinction would be a waste of time. The plot spirals out of control within the first half hour, before we get a chance to be introduced to the new caricatures (sorry, characters!), even with Bay’s child-like attempts to make the characters seem more interesting and ‘real’ with the over-protective father – daughter cliché being crammed down your throat almost as much as the laughably blatant product placement in almost every frame.

Then there’s the introduction to the new Autobots and Decepticons. There are some familiar faces in the form of Prime and Bumblebee, still communicating through his stereo system, but then there’s also the introduction of an army of new allies and foes, however they appear in such large quantities it is difficult to gain a grasp on just who the hell is fighting who, who the hell do I want to win and most importantly, why the hell do I even care?

2013’s Pacific Rim showed what you can do with a film about fighting robots. A surprisingly satisfying blockbuster with original, breath-taking action sequences and interesting characters (squeezed into a nice running time of just over 2 hours). However, it remains an impressive achievement for a city-hopping film which features fighting robots, that transform into all manner of objects featuring giant robot dinosaurs to be so incredibly boring, with the film once again falling into the trap of devoting the entire final 60 minutes to over the top action sequences where it is impossible to decipher what is going on. It is obvious that the criticism of the previous three instalments of the franchise have had no effect on Bay as a filmmaker. However as long as the Transformers bandwagon rolls on and on, taking in billions of dollars in the process, why on earth would you change it?

Verdict: A carbon copy of the previous instalments, albeit with a few minor changes. A bum-numbing, migraine-inducing snore-fest which doesn’t bode well for the future of not only the franchise itself, but on blockbuster films for years to come. We’re praying for Transformers 5 to crash and burn like so many of its robot counterparts.