Review: The Kings of Summer ★★★★

During The Kings of Summer, you could almost be forgiven for experiencing déjà vu. Jonathan Vogt-Roberts’ inaugural feature film feels a lot like Stand By Me, arguably the best of the ‘coming of age’ genre. This is far from negative and The Kings of Summer is a wonderfully well-intentioned film with a strong comedic script.

The film follows the efforts of two teenage boys, Joe (Nick Robinson) and Patrick (Gabriel Basso), who are desperate to escape their overbearing parents. Together with Biaggio (Moises Arias), they descend onto a wooded plain and construct a house so well crafted that you wonder whether the lads are qualified architects. Nevertheless, the film’s implausibility is forgiven as part of its endearing whimsy.

The acting performances from the three boys are fantastic: their comic timing is excellent, and they perfected the ‘Superbad dynamic’ of two nerdy friends and one complete nutcase. The exceptionally strange and offbeat performance of Arias as Biaggio, the boy whose background we know little about, is hopefully a sign of great things to come. It is the spectacularly brusque Nick Offerman (of Parks and Recreation fame) who is gifted the vast majority of the best lines, however, and no one can begrudge him that as he delivers them flawlessly, no thanks to his years of practice as Ron Swanson.  

As the film progresses and cracks begin to form in their utopia, the boys’ emancipation becomes less and less attractive. The comedy dries up a little in this final third and it begins to take itself quite seriously but it is so funny in the earlier parts of the film that it should be allowed a little self-indulgence.

The Kings of Summer is a well-made film with a great heart, and the tranquility that transcends the film is no doubt down to Vogt-Roberts wonderful direction. He uses some lovely wildlife montages to portray the utopia that the boys have found themselves in, and a great amount of slow-motion to keep the pace of the film to a meander; what some people argue as too much, I thoroughly enjoyed. The soundtrack also does the film a lot of favours with a summer vibe that lends itself perfectly to the story.

Vogt-Roberts’ film is a testament to all indie comedy and to coming of age films, of which it is one of the best since Stand By Me. This is a film to treasure for this generation.

Holy Hollywood, Batman!

Ben Affleck to don the cowl as The Dark Knight returns in Man of Steel sequel

Ben Affleck: Caped Crusader. A headline that sent the internet into a frenzy. Whilst the furor that followed was to be expected, the scale of animosity, however, possibly wasn’t.

Credit: The Guardian [online]

Respect was an alien concept to Affleck in his early 21^st century, ‘Gigli’ days. However, strong career moves in recent years have gifted him a newfound esteem. Hollywoodland, The Town and Argo all landed him reverence from the critics, and an Academy award, no less, for his spectacular directorial work on Argo.

Recent maturity on Affleck’s part, has led to his removal as the butt of every joke. Instead, directing seems to be his forte and he has got his career back on a path he can be happy with. Why is it, then, that Affleck is willing to jeapordise his revival by opening himself up to such a risk-laden project? Scott Mendelson’s insightful article for Forbes raises the interesting argument that perhaps Affleck’s decision is, in fact, a shrewd one that leaves Warner Bros. indebted to him. This debt could grant him a lifetime supply of money to continue making his gritty, artistic dramas. As Mendelson puts it, he is “arguably sacrificing Ben Affleck the actor to ensure the continued artistic legacy of Ben Affleck the director”.  

Perhaps the decision is less complicated, though; Affleck is quick to distance himself from the atrocity

Credit: digitalspy.co.uk

that was Daredevil so maybe he sees this as an opportunity to prove that he has the ability to successfully portray an emotionally damaged superhero?

Zack Snyder has promised us that Affleck’s Bruce Wayne will be “a man who is older and wiser than Clark Kent and bears the scars of a seasoned crime fighter”. This is ideal for Affleck, who has gotten to an age where the Expendables franchise might be the only place he could play ‘action hero’. His “I’ve seen things and lost people” character in Argo could be translatable for the image that Snyder clearly has for Wayne in Man of Steel’s sequel. 

In all honesty, the biggest problem with Man of Steel 2 is the fact that it involves Batman at all. DC Comics has, up to this point, made dark and emotionally gripping superhero movies; a far cry from Marvel’s glossy, action movies aimed at destroying the box office (as well as New York). However, Man of Steel’s incredible box office success of more than $649 million must have caused the Warner Bros. executives to have a greed-induced panic attack. Before we could take a breath after Man of Steel, Batman vs. Superman was being announced at Comic Con.

Sadly, DC will become the pet project of Warner Bros. and we will lose the grit and guile that made the Dark Knight trilogy such a breath of fresh air. Christopher Nolan will surely distance himself from such money grabbers, and the quality (although perhaps not the fun) will dissipate. However, maybe Affleck’s gritty films, courtesy of Warner Bros.’ debt to him, will act as a replacement?

This decision has left the future of DC unclear but, maybe, Affleck’s appointment isn’t all that bad. If he can emulate his performances from The Town and Argo then we may have a decent film on our hands. The stellar cast from Man of Steel will all be featuring again and David S. Goyer can certainly pen a clever script. If you were to ask Twitter, it is the end of cinema as we know it; in reality, it isn’t nearly as neglectful a decision as one might think.

Review: Man Of Steel ★★★★

Man Of Steel is a true depiction of the direction that the DC Universe is taking with Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer at its helm. This duo was responsible for the epic Dark Knight trilogy and offered their respective talents to Zack Snyder as he attempted to banish the curse that seems to linger around the Superman franchise.

The Superman jinx has caused problems for even the most established of directors. Bryan Singer's attempt, Superman Returns, was the most recent at creating a decent film about the Last Son of Krypton but was a massive flop in spite of its cast and hefty budget. Many feared that Snyder, with his less than entirely dependable record, would be unable to shake the curse. However, Man of Steel is a surprisingly good film and, whilst flawed, sets up what has the potential to be an exciting franchise. 

As with Batman Begins, Goyer seemed keen to dedicate the first in this fresh superhero series to Kal-El's origin; making Man of Steel a prologue to the established story of Clark Kent. Hence, Kal-El's story from birth to adulthood (as he develops into the superhero marauding as Clark Kent, Daily Planet reporter) is explained to us at length and in great detail. 

Very little was spared by the production team when creating the crumbling Krypton, and the opening scenes depicting General Zod's uprising against the Krytponian Council demonstrate the monumental scale of the budget. The risk behind allocating such a large budget to a franchise known to be difficult is a huge demonstration of faith by the production companies in Snyder, but also in Goyer and Nolan. The faith pays off completely and Snyder was able to create a breathtaking Krypton. 

A large portion of the film is taken up by flashbacks to Kal-El's childhood on Earth and the events that defined him. Bullies, life lessons from his father (Kevin Costner) and near-death experiences throughout his formative years lead to a young man who doesn't understand his differences to the human race, nor his place on Earth. Henry Cavill won't get a lot to play with in terms of meaty acting with Superman; he is an invincible alien who isn't flawed in the way that Bruce Wayne is. However, Kal-El's desperation as he travels the world in search for answers is well depicted by Cavill. He also does well to get his teeth into the emotional tussle between "Supes'" passion for the human race and his obvious desire to preserve his own kind. There is a vulnerability to the character that Cavill manages to tap into thanks to Goyer's writing. 

Man of Steel boasts an excellent cast, who all live up to their reputation. Michael Shannon is superb as General Zod, in keeping with the frightening intensity of previous DC villains under the Nolan and Goyer reign. Amy Adams is an excellent Lois Lane, whose only downfall is the lack of tongue-in-cheek comments we expect from the quick-wit of Lane's character. This humourlessness is one of the film's two greatest flaws. Whilst it is a theme characteristic of the new DC world, Superman is a franchise that arguably needs a touch of humour due to the ridiculousness of its premise. Kevin Costner and Russell Crowe, playing the two fathers (Jonathan Kent and Jor-El), are the biggest culprits as they remain unflinching in their solemn severity, delivering life lessons to Kal-El. Whereas in the Dark Knight trilogy, we can rely on Christian Bale and Michael Caine to deliver some sharp one-liners, Man of Steel offers very little in this department.

There are some scenes worthy of a smirk though, if you look closely enough. Kal-El in full Superman dress being marched down a corridor with handcuffs on was particularly ironic. Cavill's dry delivery of, "If it makes them feel more secure..." and the preceding arrest scenes, actually raise some interesting points about the nature of humanity when faced with something we do not understand. This fear of the unknown is an underlying theme to the film and Goyer sheds a harsh light on humanity, asking us to take a look at ourselves and the manner in which we react to the different among us.

One of the challenges with the Superman franchise is the titular character's invincibility. It is a difficult thing to make a fight between Superman and his foe interesting when you cannot see the former falling short. Snyder's answer to this problem seems to be pitting Kal-El against his own, equally powerful, race and causing an inordinate amount of damage to Metropolis in the process. It was evident for all to see where the majority of the budget had gone. The length, and seeming endlessness, of these excessively destructive battle sequences were frustrating and contributed massively to the duration of the film itself. The audience watch as two superhumans crash through buildings, and later satellites, with complete disregard (somewhat ironic in Superman's case, considering a later scene demonstrating his unencumbered love for humanity). Interestingly, Watson Technical Consulting recently carried out simulations of the battle over Metropolis to determine the consequential costs of such a colossal war. They determined that, with economic impact, Metropolis would need $2 trillion to regain their former mighty status (see picture attached for further figures - credit to Buzzfeed.com). Avengers and Chitauri, take note: this is how you destroy a city. 

Since Nolan's Batman, the DC universe has become a lot darker than its Marvel cousins and Man of Steel is no exception to this. Whilst it could have been far more refined in its explosiveness, for it does feel very long, Snyder had the incredibly difficult task of interesting the masses with 'Superman vs. Zod' so can almost be forgiven. In short, Man of Steel is a good film which has kickstarted a potentially great franchise; something I never thought I'd say about a Superman film. 

Review: The Purge ★★

The Purge is James DeMonaco's attempt at showing us what could lay in wait for the Western world with our often questionable moral compass. He tries to couple the classic thriller banality with an underlying political comment, and fails on both counts. 

The film opens on James Sandin (Ethan Hawke) returning to his large house, in its pristine and gated neighbourhood, on the eve of the annual purge. The annual purge was developed and passed by the mysterious New Founding Fathers, granting US citizens a 12-hour period where all emergency services are suspended and all crime is 'legal'. It was created in an attempt to reduce US crime and it has succeeded; the public seem to appreciate the opportunity to "purge their souls". James Sandin is one of the leading security system salesmen, exploiting the purge to create a small fortune (a fact much despised by his neighbours).

The Sandin family are, in typical slasher fashion, dysfunctional. James' wife, Mary, is played by Lena Headey and she puts in a characteristically strong performance. There are two kids, Zoey and Charlie, both playing roles we have seen many times before. Charlie (Max Burkholder) is a socially-awkward loner and Zoey (Adelaide Kane) is a rebellious teenage girl, typified by her desire to secretly date someone her father doesn't approve of. 

The first half of the film is disappointing as DeMonaco makes the ill-founded decision to loiter around the political and ethical issues that come with the purge. Regrettably, the script is nowhere near good enough to make this first half engaging. The awkward dialogue is at its worst as the family, and the audience with them, suffer through dinner together. Hawke and Headey are both strong actors but even they cannot rescue the dialogue here. 

The poor build-up is not helped by the noticeable influence of Michael Bay. Having seen his producing credit crop up at the film's opening, one can make the safe prediction of seeing either an explosion or a girl in a bawdy outfit. Lo and behold, under 10 minutes in, we have Zoey in a risqué school uniform, dry-humping her boyfriend. At least Bay is nothing if not consistent with his lecherous depravity.

The film really gets going when Charlie decides, rather naïvely, to disarm the security system and grant Edwin Hodge's character, sanctuary. Unfortunately, he was a 'purge target' for some sinister socialites who arrive at the Sandin's house asking for their man back, on the proviso that if he is returned then the family will remain unharmed. They explain that they do not want to harm a family cut from the same cloth as they. Upon their eventual entry to the house through Sandin's own questionable security system, The Purge becomes a classic home invasion thriller, complete with clichés. The film moves clumsily towards its unfortunately predictable climax, throwing in a rare jump on occasion. However, DeMonaco manages to sustain a certain level of tension throughout the invasion half of the film, which is the film's saviour. 

James DeMonaco has tried and failed to make a film that is both frightening and thought-provoking. The attempted political comment is not intelligent enough to warrant thinking about and the scares are predictable. However, it offers enough tension to make it a passable 85 minutes of slasher cinema.

Review: The Hangover Part 3 ★★

The Hangover franchise finally comes to a close with a disappointing whimper in Part III. Following the fantastic success of the first and the even more impressive success, though undeserved, of the second; Todd Phillips brought the "Wolfpack" back for a final outing. 

The "Wolfpack" of Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), Doug (Justin Bartha) and Alan (Zach Galifianakis) are brought back together by the death of Alan's Dad. They are soon holding an intervention for Alan, who has been off his medication for a number of months, and planning to drive him down to a rehabilitation centre. En route, they are abducted by Marshall, played by John Goodman; a mafia man with a vendetta against Leslie Chow (Ken Jeong). He wants our 'heroes' (I use the term loosely) to locate Chow and bring him in. He also takes Doug hostage until they do find him, signalling the end of Justin Bartha's involvement in the crux of the story. Naturally, the adventure of finding Chow is far from simple; car chases, mafia hits and heists that all end with the gang back in Las Vegas. In fact, the film's more notable elements were the occasional nods back to the escapades of the first film. It seems Phillips wished to bypass the second film which, despite its incredible box office success, was a misogynistic, racist atrocity. 

However, whilst the adventure sounds like it should be an entertaining and humorous thrill ride, it is actually a huge disappointment. It feels like Todd Phillips made the ill-advised decision to pursue a darker route, focused more on action than the light comedic bearings that were so successful in the original Hangover movie. The action storyline is far too linear and basic to make it stand out as an action film but the jokes are far from funny enough to pass it off as a successful comedy. It's a movie that feels subdued.

Also subdued are the characters that have been so loud and brash in the previous films. The most obvious is Chow whose exceptionally flamboyant arrogance is certainly toned down, which tones down the laughs and leaves the weak plot far more open to scrutiny. Perhaps the muted nature of Part III comes as a result of the fallout after Part II? 

It isn't just Chow that was neutered though as Phil and Stu, previously so sharp and unafraid, are left with horribly limp jokes. The script is so hollow for the pair that more than half of it seems to consist of swearing rather than actual constructive dialogue that moves the story along. However, Galifianakis is still the quirky, possibly deranged, Alan; a sociopath that we have grown to love. It is his character that provides us with the only laughs of the film, of which there are enough to only count on one hand. It is one of the cameo performances from Melissa McCarthy that actually brings some quality comedy to the 100 minutes and she is hardly used, which is a crying shame. 

The Hangover Part III is better than its immediate prequel. However, it is a far cry from the groundbreaking original. It wasn't funny enough to call itself a true comedy but Phillips does not, at least in this outing, have the nous to pull of a clever action movie either. It is an ironically sober affair that lacks the comic bite of The Hangover but, thankfully, lacks the darkly racist jokes of Part II. 

Feature: This Is The End vs. The World's End

An apocalyptic battle at the box office 

This summer will see two end-of-the-world comedies do battle, with a representative from each side of the atlantic capitalising on the recent apocalypse hysteria. The World's End is the third, and final, in the Three Flavours Cornetto/Blood and Ice Cream trilogy from Messrs Pegg, Frost and Wright. This Is The End is a collection of everyone to have ever acted in a Judd Apatow movie, acting in the same movie produced and directed by Apatow's protégés Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. Which will triumph at the box office and which will triumph will the critics? 

The World's End signals the end to a wonderful trilogy of timeless British comedy; Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz making up the numbers. Not much about the story has been released aside from what inferences can be drawn from the trailer; all we know is that five friends have come together after some 20 years to attempt to finish an epic "12 pubs, 12 pints" pub crawl. However, the town of Newton Haven has changed since the gang were last there and something is a little amiss with the townsfolk. What the trailer does do is assure fans of the previous Wright/Pegg/Frost collaborations that this one will have similarly sharp dialogue, and plenty of falling over fences. 

This Is The End takes a slightly different approach to the apocalypse. Everyone in Judd Apatow's vast contacts list has been called in to play exaggerated versions of themselves for this, and it doesn't look like it will disappoint. There's a party at James Franco's house and everyone who's anyone is inattendance; including a hilariously drunk Michael Cera, whose clips in the trailer were the standout. The partygoers are all getting nicely inebriated when the world starts to end. We are, as yet, unsure what it is that is causing human kind's demise (although it looks to be monsters of some description) but the key here is whether the all-star cast will match the script. Hopefully this is more Superbad than Funny People. 

Comparing box office takings for previous Pegg/Wright/Frost films with Apatow films gives us a pretty decent chance at predicting the outcome for this summer. Altogether, the hugely successful Hot Fuzz grossed $80,573,774 worldwide (with a taking of £7.1 million on its first weekend in the UK). This is more than 3 times what Shaun of the Dead grossed. Compare that with Bridesmaids, which grossed $149.4 million, edging out Knocked Up ($148.7 million) as Apatow's most successful film. Even the desperately disappointing, This Is 40, managed to gross $88 million. It is a safe bet, therefore, to back Apatow to win at the box office.

However, winning the battle for critic approval and widespread adoration will surely be The World's End. Both Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz received 91% ratings on www.rottentomatoes.com, and 4 or 5 star reviews from every well-respected critic. Contrast this with Apatow's very "hit or miss" career in filmmaking. Whilst Superbad won many comedy awards for its completely accurate and hilarious portrayal of the awkwardness of high school, and films like Anchorman have gone down as a cult comedy, Apatow has struck out with films like Year One (achieving 14% on www.rottentomatoes.com and an average score of 3.8/10 on Metacritic). 

I fully expect to thoroughly enjoy both films: This Is The End will be mind-numbing, hilariously crass humour and I expect to see clever, witty dialogue from the writing team behind The World's End. Apatow will inevitably win at the box office but I expect The World's End to clean up with the critics. 

Release Dates

This Is The End: 28th June 2013
The World's End: 19th July 2013

Review: Safety Not Guaranteed ★★★★

Safety Not Guaranteed is a wonderfully quirky, indie rom-com with a dash of sci-fi thrown in. Boasting a relatively impressive cast, provided that you're a fan of American sitcoms like New Girl and Parks and Recreation, the film is one of heart and emotion. 

Jeff (Jake Johnson), a rather nonchalant journalist for a Seattle magazine, takes two interns, Darius (Aubrey Plaza) and Arnau (Karan Soni), as they follow up the potential story behind a classified ad that reads, "Wanted: Someone to go back in time with me. This is not a joke...Safety not guaranteed." The advertisement takes them to a small rural town in Washington where it becomes clear that Jeff planned on using the trip to track down his high school sweetheart, who lives in the town. He also takes the reluctant Arnau under his wing as he attempts to help the intern lose his virginity. This leaves Darius to do all of the investigative work regarding the ad and its source. She traces it back to a frustrated supermarket clerk called Kenneth (Mark Duplass) and begins working on gaining his trust. 

The film then flits between Jeff's exploits with Arnua and Liz (the sweetheart), and Darius' attempts to get closer to Kenneth. The story, however, focuses not on the logistics of time travel but on the reasons for returning. Scripted with heart, the reveal of the respective reasons for travel will strike an emotional chord with the audience. It delves into the deeply personal reasons without becoming too mournful; maintaining a light hearted semblance throughout, thanks to the excellent script and beautifully understated performances from its leads.

Jake Johnson's Jeff, whose insensitivity and 'slacker' attitude could have been incredibly irritating, is funny in all the right places. He does this without trying to steal the spotlight, which must be on Plaza and Duplass. Their mutual reliance on each other and the innocence of their touching relationship is one of the highlights of the film. Aubrey Plaza is dry, Duplass is quirky, and together they forge a great partnership that you can fully believe in. 

Colin Trevorrow's name will soon be attached to the forthcoming Jurassic Park IV and his days of making low budget, indie movies will inevitably be over. This is a shame because Safety Not Guaranteed is fine work. 

Review: Star Trek Into Darkness ★★★★★

JJ Abrams' initial reboot of the Star Trek franchise was fantastic fun: with an expertly picked cast, well timed comedic injections and incredible visual effects dominating the screen. It did have flaws but every audience left the cinema wanting more. Abrams heard those calls, coupled with a lovely box office intake, and his sequel, Into Darkness, is pretty much the complete package. 

The story picks up a few years down the line; Kirk (Chris Pine) has completely warmed to his seat in the Enterprise Captain's chair, so much so that a touch of arrogance is creeping into his commands. The film opens with a tribe of pretty angry aliens chasing Kirk and McCoy (Karl Urban) through their vegetation. The crew is attempting to prevent the obliteration of the indigenous race but Spock (Zachary Quinto) finds himself marooned inside the erupting volcano that would be the tribe's destruction. In order to save his First Office, and best friend, Kirk flaunts the Starfleet Prime Directive: allowing the primitive race to see the Enterprise rising out of their ocean as they rush to save Spock. 

Fast forward to a meeting at Starfleet for Kirk and Spock where we find out that Spock filed a report of the incident, leaving Kirk to be stripped of the Enterprise and furious with his friend. Not much later, though, Starfleet Command have a reason to reinstate both to the Enterprise and the rest of their crew. A brutal terrorist attack on Starfleet archives in London, followed by another on a meeting of all the Starfleet head honchos in San Francisco, means that Admiral Marcus restores our heroes to their 'rightful' positions. Their mission is to kill the elusive Khan, played with brilliant menace by Benedict Cumberbatch, who is responsible for the attacks. The film does not stop for breath as it races at warp speed towards its monumental climax.

One standout feature in Into Darkness is the pendulum of audience support, swinging back and for between characters. There is very little 'black and white' to this story, which makes it an incredibly involving experience for the audience. The political agendas are both compelling and ugly simultaneously, and the middle section of the film will leave a lot of the audience fighting over who they should be standing behind. 

Nothing has been spared here for Abrams as he creates a wholly believable and enticing universe, as well as satisfying Hollywood's lens-flare quota for the year. His visual effects are beyond stunning as the Enterprise warps around various planets and space stations. The 3D is perfectly okay; it isn't annoying as in some films but equally, it isn't a knockout feature as in Life of Pi, for example.

The audience will find real pleasure in how the characters have grown into their roles. Kirk and Spock's friendship-cum-bromance perfectly emulates their predecessors and is a credit to Pine's and Quinto's acting ability; both actors seem born to play their roles. Karl Urban is incredibly dry as McCoy, with a bitter metaphor for every situation (something Kirk picks up on). Even Simon Pegg has become a far less annoying Scotty, toning down the accent and his comedy. 

Spock and Uhuru's (Zoe Saldana) relationship encapsulates the internal battle Spock is enduring, between the emotionless Vulcan and the human desire to feel. It is an incredibly interesting emotional tussle, and is something we see between Spock and Kirk also throughout the film; all kudos here to Quinto. 

A matured cast and a gritty, political storyline doesn't sound very 'Star Trek' but it compensates for the grit with brilliant visual effects, involving characters and the odd, subtle one-liner. It is a boisterous, thoroughly entertaining, film: a mature Star Trek, lacking none of the fun. 

Review: The Place Beyond The Pines ★★★★

The Place Beyond The Pines is Derek Cianfrance's latest offering, after the hugely successful Blue Valentine, and it is nothing if not ambitious. The small town of Schenectady is the setting for the film and, with its name synonymous in the Mohawk language with the title, it epitomises the poetic free flow of the film. 

The film is divided into three distinctive chapters, but with subtle themes of morality and fatherhood undercurrent throughout. In the opening chapter, Ryan Gosling captures the audience with a breathtakingly good performance as Luke Glanton, the strutting stunt rider devoid of sentiment, who is thrust into fatherhood with no warning. His brief fling with Romina (also played brilliantly by Eva Mendes), when he was last in Schenectady yielded a son, Jason, whose existence is only discovered by Luke when the boy is 6 months old. Eager to show Romina that he can be a father to the boy, Luke sacrifices his drifter lifestyle and takes a job at a garage run by the hillbilly Robin (Ben Mendelsohn). With poor wages and a desperate desire to provide for his son, Luke uses his remarkable talent on a motorcycle to rob banks, with Robin's guidance. 

Bradley Cooper's character Avery Cross is the primary subject of the second chapter, and he is a character troubled by many of the same problems as Luke but in a very different setting. He is also the father of a young son and after being thrust into the limelight as a local police hero, under rather suspect circumstances  he finds himself embroiled in a web of corruption and guilt over his false hero status. It's a storyline that closely parallels Luke's, just in different circumstances; with both men struggling with moral ambiguity in their lives as they seek to do right by themselves and their sons. 

The final chapter in this noir tale whisks us fifteen years into the future, where a lot has changed. Avery is running for attorney general over the state of New York but is divorced and has an exceptionally strained relationship with his son, for reasons easily deducible from the previous chapter. Avery's son, AJ (Emory Cohen), has grown up and has turned into an incredibly disturbed, rebellious teenager due to the lack of attention gifted him him by his father. AJ, rather unwittingly, befriends Jason (Dane DeHaan), who mirrors Luke in his drifting, stoner attitude. This chapter was a clever and cyclical end to the film but with the two young actors taking the lead, the film begins to suffer. Both the young men have fantastic careers ahead of them but they were taking over late into the film and having to follow two outstanding performances from both Gosling and Cooper. 

Ultimately, this film is overlong and interest begins to wane towards the end. Arguably, a lot of respect for this film comes from what Derek Cianfrance was attempting to do, rather than what he actually succeeded in doing. Nevertheless, the film is helped along by acting masterclasses from the big names in Gosling, Cooper, Mendes, and a spectacularly sinister turn from Ray Liotta as a 'crooked cop' deserves a mention. In spite of its flaws, Cianfrance has still managed to create a beautifully moving and emotionally charged film that effortlessly dives into, and deals with, evocative themes like masculinity, fatherhood and guilt, with complete class. 

Review: Evil Dead ★★★★

The Evil Dead was one of, if not the, genre defining horror movies. 5 teenagers, staying at a cabin so far from civilisation that it's almost laughable, are suddenly complicit in the act of waking up all kinds of hellish demons that are quite literally hell-bent (pardon the pun) on taking their souls.  It catapulted Sam Raimi into the spotlight and has influenced horror movies for the last 20 years. The reboot is almost as fantastically enjoyable as its predecessor, but not quite. 

Sam Raimi made his cult classic on a tiny budget and relied heavily on a few practical effects and enough comic presence in the script to turn it almost satirical in places; it was certainly a film ahead of its time. Fede Alvarez's version has a far superior budget thanks to Raimi's successful original, and it replaces the comic undercurrent with one that screams gore. The film is exceptional in its explicit and visceral detail, and in its use of fake blood. The fact that it lacks the humour of the original is somewhat disappointing, though this isn't a feeling that lingers with Alvarez taking you on a truly thrilling ride. What must be noted is that Alvarez used no CGI in his remake, a remarkable feat with the outrageous detail paid to the insane actions of the possessed teens.

Arguably the film's greatest flaws are the acting and the dialogue, which are pretty poor. Jane Levy as Mia is the stand out performer, and this is sure to be her platform to great things. However, Levy aside, the acting does leave a lot to be desired. This is most notable before the hellish antics can distract you from the completely wooden depictions of sincerity. Alvarez's decision to change the opening gambit from spring breakers to a drug intervention would be fine if the acting or dialogue was competent enough to emotionally involve us. Unfortunately they are both below par and we have to suffer through that first half hour before the action kicks in. However, it must be remembered that most films of this persuasion are rarely known for their exceptional dialogue and Oscar-winning performances. Alvarez's scares, although sometimes a little tame, and wonderfully excessive use of gore are more than enough to keep all fans of the genre, happy. 

The film barely stops to catch its breath as it launches us towards its dramatic finale. The final 15 minutes might be the bloodiest 15 minutes I have ever seen on a big screen but they were great fun and no one could argue that Alvarez could've made it any more dramatic. The directing quality of Alvarez is clear to see in the final third and, for his first feature film, this is very impressive. Sam Raimi hired him after watching a few of Alvarez's short films, and his work on Evil Dead will have made Hollywood sit up and take note; reminiscent of what the original did for Raimi. 

Interview: Alex Walker

Perfection is an obligation, rather than a choice, for Alex Walker. During our interview it was plain to see that he will not cut corners in his pursuit of a good film. The Auburn Independent Film Festival must have appreciated the effort and talent because Spacewalk placed second out of the twenty-three films on the shortlist last week. I met with him on the set of his next film, California Eden, to discuss Spacewalk, California Eden and his inevitably bright future.

Spacewalk was born out of an experimental film form project. Alex explained that he was reluctant to experiment too much with the visuals but he envisaged that sound was something that could have interesting effects on the finished film. The story focuses on a young deaf girl, Mia, who is more comfortable in silence than in the harsh world of sound that her hearing aid drags her into. She prefers to dream of a life in space, where everyone is deaf to the world around them. An exceptionally provocative message, expertly portrayed, did not come without having to tread a few tricky paths. The team behind Spacewalk were eager not to create a film that was incorrect or offensive in its representation of this problem; they wanted those with hearing impairments to appreciate the film as much as anyone with perfect hearing.

One of the standout features of Spacewalk is the performance by Kathryn Miller as Mia. I spoke to Alex about how he cast the young girl and was surprised to learn that it was her first acting job. She was found on a casting website and was incredibly co-operative and professional for her age, Alex explained. He described to me his desire to ensure that the acting in his films looks natural. Tony Banham, he explained, is a father himself and so his short turn as Mia’s Dad was no different to how he is with his own kids. Alex’s desire to keep everything as natural as possible with his actors is compounded by his directing style where, in his own words, he likes to let them “breathe”. This is due to his belief that forcing them into the strict shackles of ‘this way or the highway’ direction would only have a negative effect on his film.

Speaking to Alex about what he likes to see in his films, it was evident that he likes to pay very close attention to detail. It was close up shots of inanimate objects and the actors’ interaction with them to create a depth to his characters, and specific lighting techniques to create shadow that he mentioned as his favoured traits in a film. He confirmed that California Eden will showcase these directing preferences far more than anything he has made before.

California Eden is the brainchild of Alex and his writing partner Lotta Weber, although it was Alex and his editor, Nina Lindholm, who pitched the idea to the group having researched the Jonestown massacre. It was a mammoth task for the writers to work out how they could tell the story in twelve minutes in such a manner where the audience are fully involved with the characters who were victims of Jim Jones’ insanity. For those not familiar with the Jonestown massacre, its death toll was 918 and 912 of that number committed suicide on Jones’ command. It’s a story worth reading and the film picks up in the final 24 hours. When they pitched the film to their university year group, it had an incredible reception; the characters are rich and the story is gritty and intense.

It hasn’t been plain sailing for California Eden though. Writing aside, Alex and his team encountered some difficulty casting Jim Jones. Rebel Dean had been cast but started to back out days before filming was scheduled to begin, due to fears that he wouldn’t be able to portray the true mania of Jim Jones. Luckily, Alex quelled his fears and the film recently completed filming, to be screened on May 13th^th.

It seems there really is not limit for Alex Walker and his team; with California Eden’s incredible reception, a penned mention on a popular American podcast and independent film advertisers clamouring for the chance to publicise it. Alex made it explicitly clear how much it means to him to prove to everyone, and to himself, that he can tell a good story. His biggest fear was making a film half-heartedly that wasn’t as good as it could have been but speaking to him post-completion, all those fears have subsided and the confidence is palpable. All of this comes off the back of success at Auburn and there are plans for California Eden to be entered at bigger festivals. Did someone say Sundance…?

Watch Spacewalk and California Eden (after May 13th^th) at www.alextwalker.co.uk

Like California Eden’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/California-Eden/492472554147089?fref=ts