Skepsis' Reviews

Not seen Black Dynamite but was very close to buying it recently. Was at £2.99 somewhere but when I went back to order it the price had gone back up. Might pick it up at some point

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I would recommend it to absolutely everyone, JayDee. Pick it up, I'm sure you won't regret it.

I'll echo that. I've seen it twice and it's pretty flippin' fantastic. Great to watch with others, too.

Definitely thirding that. Best film of the year it came out, even without the brilliant references, it's a fantastic comedy. Watched my downloaded copy about 10 times before DVD came out and I snapped it up. Showed it to my class of students, they didn't get it.

Think my favourite reference is 'suddenly, i'd like to leave your island'

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Man, I really need to get down to writing some reviews! I'll have one up ASAP (if anyone is following this thread ).

Here's another Quick Reviews in the mean time.

The first collaboration between Director Spike Jonze and Writer Charlie Kaufman is exactly what you’d expect it to be: Surreal, at times f**ked up and, most importantly, intelligent, challenging and completely absorbing.

The clever and wildly imaginative writing style that would become a trademark of Kaufman’s in later films (see Adaptation; Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) is on full and glorious display in Being John Malkovich. The concept itself, a puppeteer who literally finds a portal into the mind of actor John Malkovich, is perhaps the most original I’ve ever heard and gladly, I’m able to say the film itself is only more of the same. From the small and numerous set pieces and character quirks to increasingly bigger and bolder plot points, it is nothing short of groundbreaking – avant-garde cinema at its finest.

The cast gathered to play the tricky roles on offer is excellent and their achievement is made all the more impressive with the fact that Kaufman created characters of an ilk never really seen before. John Cusack is appropriately creepy as the jobless puppeteer, Craig Schwartz, who finds Malkovich’s portal, gaining a certain sympathy from the audience he later turns on its head in such as a dramatic fashion. Cameron Diaz is an actress I’ve never really invested much time and attention in but she surprised me here with skill and subtleness in portraying Schwartz’s animal-loving wife, Lotte. Catherine Keener’s performance as Craig’s manipulative co-worker, Maxine, served perhaps more than anything to convince me even further that she is one of the best actresses of recent decades. And then of course there is the man himself, John Malkovich. It’s difficult to comprehend how he could have figured out this role, playing a kind of false version of himself in a highly surreal universe, with no previous similar character, from any actor, as a reference point.

In his first feature-length film, Spike Jonze carries off the direction with vigour in creating a world so rooted in the surreal it becomes hard to distinguish between reality and fantasy. Is this the real world we are seeing? Or a dreamland created by Schwartz to satisfy his longing to live through another, to escape? The questions thrown out at you over the course of the film are numerous and at times extremely difficult to answer. This makes for a challenging piece of cinema you’re not going to be able to sit through casually.

I still maintain that Eternal Sunshine... is Kaufman’s best work, but this comes extremely close. It is, though, by far the best I’ve seen from Cusack, Diaz, Jonze and indeed Malkovich himself. There is an atmosphere to it that is some ways is deeply disturbing, and in others genuinely uplifting. If you’ve yet to see it, then you most certainly have my recommendation.

Two months after the death of his wife in a car accident, depressed, pill-popping father Paul (Rainn Wilson) is living with his son, T.J. (Devin Brochu), in his mother (Piper Laurie)’s house. Their lives are turned even further upside-down with the unexpected and unwanted arrival of pyromaniacal metal head Hesher (Joseph Gordon-Levitt).

Hesher is everything I want indie films to be. Equal parts funny, melancholy and dramatic, it serves up a challenging and thought-provoking experience, whilst often throwing in moments of absolute hilarity. It is a fantastic mix of comedy and drama. Above all though it is edgy and takes full advantage of being free from the censorship of a big budget and a big studio. Like similar indie productions, it is aimed at a specific audience and, to that group of people, is all the better for it.

I feel like a decent chunk of my review should be dedicated to Gordon-Levitt’s performance. This is his best showing since 500 Days of Summer; highlighting his comedic and dramatic abilities with a role chock-full of humour (a great combination of in-your-face, “Apatow-style” stuff and subtle nuances) and edgy, often meaningful and emotional moments, carried off with vigour and believability. Gordon-Levitt is at his best when the comedy is understated; when he plays it totally straight, as if moving into a stranger’s house without their knowledge is the most regular thing in the world. The closest comparison would be Rainn Wilson in Super or The Office.

Wilson also appears in Hesher, but not in any capacity most people, including myself, would be used to. He drives the dramatic elements of the film with a performance intentionally and effectually devoid of comedy. His portrayal of the depressed widower is surprisingly good, a role I didn’t think he could pull off having seen a lot of his filmography. Happily, I was proven wrong: it seems his acting chops are not limited to comedic roles. Natalie Portman brings a typical charm to a role similar to her turn in Garden State, and rounding off the main cast is young Devin Brochu, whose mature performance compliments both Wilson and Gordon-Levitt very well indeed.

And despite its dark and darkly comedic tone it retains its indie charm. It feels low budget. When you’re thrust into the shoes of a helpless T.J. watching Hesher set fire to his bullies’ car, knowing he’ll later pay for his unwanted acquaintances’ actions, it feels real not only on an intimate emotional level but also on a physical one. When we see the vehicle go up in flames, we know it’s really going up in flames; it looks real and the audience is not forced to suspend their disbelief watching something they know was created on a computer.

There are many people this movie is not for. Offended by rape jokes, blaspheming children or pot-smoking grandmothers? Don’t bother. Hesher is deeply wrong on many levels. But it also has a message, one that’s poignant and relevant if you look past its brazen exterior. If you’re a part of its niche audience, then it comes highly recommended.

Carnage
Roman Polanski, 2011
Christoph Waltz, Kate Winslet, John C. Reilly, Jodie Foster




The image I have chosen to illustrate this review is more consequential than such things usually are because it's so representative of what Carnage is all about. Roman Polanski's latest film holds up a disarmingly funny mirror to the hypocrisy and suppressed rage at the heart of ordinary middle class society.

The story (adapted from the Tony award winning stage play God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza) goes like so: Ethan Longstreet, son of Michael (John C. Reilly) and Penelope (Jodie Foster) is struck, with a stick, and badly injured by Zachary Cowan, son of Alan (Christoph Waltz) and Nancy (Kate Winslet), when the former refuses to let the latter join his "gang". All begins well when the two couples gather at the Longstreet's apartment to cordially straighten out the situation, but as the evening progresses we are treated to a collective breakdown of epic and hilarious proportions.

With nothing but an apartment and one conversation to explore, Polanski’s biggest challenge was to cast the right people from the huge talent pool his reputation has made it possible to pick from. Experience was the order of the day here and the four Oscar nominees (three winners) each give pitch-perfect, versatile performances where they so easily could have fallen into tiresome repetition. The best by a whisker is Waltz, who is so infuriatingly obnoxious, yet simultaneously so funny, you don’t know whether you want to punch him or hug him. He is what I might call the odd one out of the group too, the only character that starts off loathsome and walks that line the entire time. Reilly, Foster and Winslet each start off somewhat likable before slowly descending, along with Alan, into the hypocritical, passive aggressive mess of a person they are so careful to hide – Michael behind joviality, Penelope behind her sophisticated tastes, and Nancy behind her vanity.

At only 80 minutes, it’s an unusually short piece but the script leaves nothing to be desired, yet not one line is wasted. It fits in some striking visual humour, and a lot of unexpected moments, so don’t think the singular setting is synonymous with a comfortable viewing experience. The running time really flies by, to be honest; the cast is so mesmerising and the story so compact and entertaining. It’s a strangely exhilarating experience.

Have you heard Mark Kermode's comments on this Skepsis? He's not scathing exactly, but you're left in no doubt that, a) He prefered the play and, b) All the things he loved about the play, he thinks Polanski cocked up.

Nope. But I've never seen the play, so I'd be in no position to comment. I also don't think comparisons should be made. As a singular entity, I think the movie is fantastic.

I don't think he'd like the film even if he hadn't seen the play. I think he was just making the point that the strengths of the play were lost in the film.

Thought I'd stick everything in here, all in one place.

Easy A
Will Gluck, 2010
Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Thomas Haden Church




After a little white lie about losing her virginity gets out, clean cut high school girl Olive (Emma Stone) sees her life paralleling Hester Prynne's in "The Scarlet Letter", which she is currently studying in school - until she decides to use the rumor mill to advance her social and financial standing.

I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that I'm astounded by how much I enjoyed this. After seeing some decent to good reviews I expected little more than a fun high-school flick I could switch off to. What I got was this generation's The Breakfast Club.

It manages to draw you in a number of ways. The affable, goofy charm of the gorgeous Emma Stone makes Olive incredibly easy to like and we care about her right from the get go. She has star quality in abundance and it shows. Her turns in Crazy, Stupid, Love., The Help and Zombieland make it clear she has a massive future, but this is where she gives her best performance to date, for my money anyway.

The story, whilst simple, feels very fresh in its delivery, and is thickly layered with a brand of comedy that is all at once razor sharp, superbly written and performed with aplomb. It's deceptively smart, too, a quality that is sorely missed in the majority of teen-centric comedy releases these days. Direct reference is made to them in the movie itself, but even before it does I'm feeling twinges of a kind of bright, inventive humour akin to John Hughes' wonderful and iconic youth films of the 1980s, only culturally up-to-date.

The supporting cast was one more thing I found myself really digging. Thomas Haden Church, Lisa Kudrow, Malcolm McDowell, Patricia Clarkson, hell, even Amanda Bynes wasn't completely insufferable. Stanley Tucci was undoubtedly the stand-out, though, as Olive’s liberal dad. He’s hysterical.

I would encourage any doubters to give this a chance. There's a lot more to it than I think a lot of people expect.


From the trade-off tab:

American History X
Tony Kaye, 1998
Edward Norton, Edward Furlong, Beverly D'Angelo
Recommended by DexterRiley




Norton's performance is good enough to carry the entire thing. One of the things that struck me as most remarkable was the way in which he portrays Derek in the 'after prison' parts of the movie, the thought that I could feel even a grain of sympathy for a man clearly so despicable is both terrifying and awe-inspiring and a testament to how well performed and how well written the part is. Of course the tirade of hate we see from in the flashback sequences and how committed he is to that is just as impressive.

But I never felt as if the story really lived up to expectations, mostly because it lacked focus. The narrative following Derek's attempt to reform his brother is good but too much time is spent on Derek's own reformation to dedicate the time needed to make the main story pop. Both are extremely well made and acted across the board, but it felt as if I was watching two separate movies roughly sliced together.


and some quickies...

Charlie Wilson's War (Mike Nichols, 2007)

Entertaining, and certainly more fun than it has any right to be. I would watch Philip Seymour Hoffman in anything. Always superb.

The Men Who Stare At Goats (Grant Heslov, 2009)

Wispy nothingness when it comes down to it, but the cast try hard and the wackiness is more charming than annoying.

The Muppets
James Bobin, 2011
Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper




This finally rolled around to our side of the pond this week, and I got to enjoy a genuinely fun family film in the company of my own. I was never much into the Muppets being born in the wrong generation, but I picked up a sense of this being a great tribute, not too sentimental, but heartfelt. I know that this was very much a passion project for writer and star Segel, and that shows in abundance. It's extremely carefully crafted and you can feel the love that went into it as it radiates warmth in its big, brilliant musical numbers and cheeky comedy.

One of the biggest draws of this film for me was the incredible list of cameo appearances. I spent a good chunk of the running time looking out for them, personal highlights including Donald Glover, Alan Arkin, Sarah Silverman, Zach Galifinakis, Ken Jeong, Jim Parsons, Dave Grohl and Rico Rodriguez. The fleeting moments that they are on screen are as much fun as any of the rest of the movie, which is to say, a lot.

The principal cast do a good job in what essentially are Muppet-supporting roles. Segel and Adams are perhaps uneven at times and the script does have some low points but all is done with such enthusiasm and likeability it's hard not to get on board. As expected the puppeteering is top class as is the cinematography, which provides some surprisingly creative shots working with its puppet stars.

The Descendants
Alexander Payne, 2011
George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Nick Krause




Alexander Payne doesn't make a lot of films, but when he does you'd better not expect anything but quality. I thoroughly enjoyed The Descendants, not just for Payne's trademark wit, unique characters and intelligent, realistic story arcs, but also for some truly outstanding performances.

George Clooney is Matt King, a real estate lawyer in Hawaii whose life is coming to a crossroads. His wife has suffered a boating accident she may not recover from, leaving him the sole carer of two volatile daughters. Pressure to complete the sale of the land, of which his is the sole trustee, is building from his seemingly endless supply of cousins/co-owners, and as if that wasn't enough, he discovers his comatose spouse has been having an affair.

The drama that transpires is awash with sharp, understated humour, brought to life from an expertly crafted script by Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash (Community's Dean Pelton), and like Election, About Schmidt and Sideways before it, The Descendants neglects big set-pieces and exaggerated characters in favour of something much more real - in this case a genuinely touching and true-to-life study of a family in crisis. Clooney's turn provokes everything you want it to, a genuine sympathy for the man as we see him try to navigate his impossible situation as best he can. His co-stars are superb - newcomer Amara Miller displays a remarkable capacity for comic timing, and Shailene Woodley comes close to stealing every scene she's in. Payne clearly invested a lot in the chemistry between the three, and it shows in abundance. Supporting players Nick Krause, Matthew Lillard, Beau Bridges, Robert Forster and Judy Greer have small parts but each brings something unique and very, very valuable - especially Krause whose character injects more humour and subtly; ingeniously (and inadvertently) seems to drive the story's twists and turns.

It's an expertly crafted film, the careful arcs coming together to bring a low-key story to a moving, but hopeful, conclusion.



High Fidelity
Stephen Frears, 2000
John Cusack, Iben Hjejle, Todd Louiso, Jack Black




What a superbly fun and unexpectedly complex flick. I loved the way the themes of relationships and music were weaved together rather than running parallel to each other, we see how Rob's (Cusack) obsessive personality (manifested in his record collection and compulsion to list everything, something I relate to all too much) factored into his past relationships and how it is affecting the one he's in now. It's not a performance-centric piece, but the cast all do great work, right down to a surprising but very welcome cameo from Tim Robbins. It's always fun to watch Jack Black do his thing. The screenplay is surprisingly complex for such a simple premise, but it's executed extremely well. It will come as no surprise that the soundtrack is a star in its own right, and rightly so - it rocks.

Hard Eight
Paul Thomas Anderson, 1996
Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow, Samuel L. Jackson




Anderson's first, and in comparison, worst feature. It's him finding his feet more than anything else, but I wouldn't call it awful by any stretch. The story works and has some good bits mainly during the first half and a fun twist climax. Patrow and PTA regulars Hall and Reilly are inconsistent, especially Hall who didn't really work as a leading man, for me. Jackson and a bit-part role by Philip Seymour Hoffman were the stand-outs in terms of performances. Didn't quite feel it, but as it was a stepping stone to four masterpieces, all is forgiven as far as I'm concerned.

Righto. Gonna try to write at least a little bit about everything I see from now on. We'll see how that goes.

I feel completely the same about Hard Eight.

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"George, this is a little too much for me. Escaped convicts, fugitive sex... I've got a cockfight to focus on."

I'll fourth the Black Dynamite plugs. Great film.

Yep! I saw it again a few weeks back and it totally holds up. Not often I watch a comedy multiple times and laugh in all the same places.