Scott Pilgrim vs The World

Yes. This is seriously late. Indeed, you’ll be hard pressed to find a cinema that is still showing Edgar Wright’s slice of pop culture history. But if you can, and you haven’t already seen it, then do. The reason I would give for this is that on the big screen, with the big speakers, the colours will be brighter and flashier, and the bass, which pulses throughout the film, will actually make the floor tremble. And it’s a terrific movie going experience.

The film itself is almost indistinguishable from ‘Shaun of the Dead’ or ‘Hot Fuzz’. So if you either loved or hated those movies, don’t let that affect your viewing of Scott Pilgrim. The only similarity they share is Wright’s dedicated and meticulous post production work, which was characterised in the earlier films with extremely snappy editing but here takes on a new level of sophistication. The film is visually STUNNING. I think, although I expect it won’t happen, it will be a travesty if the film is not nominated for a ‘Best Visual Effects’ Oscar: after all it’s Best, not Most Advanced.

As for the cast, everyone is on dependable form. Michael Cera plays to type (again) and Mary Elizabeth Winstead is suitably lovely and aloof as the plot’s catalyst, Ramona Flowers. In the supporting cast Kieron Culkin provides the laughs, along with Anna Kendrick (who, like Cera, seems to be getting a little typecast). Newcomer Ellen Wong is Knives Chow and she has a crucial part in the film, bringing up suitable audience opposition to the notion of Scott and Ramona being together. As for the evil ex’s, well, they all have a heck of a time doing it. In fact Jason Schwartzmann seems to be the only one taking it fully seriously, and as a result, his boss-level character is the least fun.

Brilliant in so many ways. Some people will, no doubt, have an allergic reaction to the film and that is understandable. Still, if you want to see something on screen that actually hasn’t been done before (certainly not to this standard) then try and find a cinema that is playing Scott Pilgrim, because it will blow your socks off.

Recent Developments

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Toy Story 3

I left the cinema with a headache. Was it because of the series of moral conundrums that faced Woody and the gang? Whether to go back to Andy because they’re ‘his’ toys? Whether to stick with the nice little girl whilst everyone else is trapped? Whether to help out the one toy who betrayed you when he faces impending destruction? No. It was because of the painful and unnecessary 3D that in no way advanced the story telling but served as a migraine inducing reminder of how far there is yet to go with that technology.

But one must assess the movie on it’s own merits and not that of the technology which hampers it and so what i was watching was yet another example of the world’s best movie studio, right at the top of it’s game. ‘Toy Story 3’ takes up a few years after the previous movie left off and Andy is off to college. It’s the dilemma that we always knew would face the toys, the threat of retirement. And so they’re all (through a series of circumstances i would deem unnecessary to this review) packed off to the evil daycare centre: Sunnyside.

What goes on from there is a series of traditional Pixar capers which fuse the winning childrens characters that John Lasseter so painstakingly created in the first movie, with the adult humour that they got so inch perfectly right with ‘Up’ and ‘Monsters Inc’. Any kid who doesn’t like this is probably an alien and, dare i say it, fixated with ‘The Claw!’. For adults this might be a labour of nostalgia in some parts but it’s sweet, almost painfully sad at the end and a great way to keep your inner child entertained.

‘Toy Story 3’ is a triumph for Pixar and proof that animated sequels don’t always have to lose the heart of the predecessors (take note Dreamworks for Kung Fu Panda 2). New and old characters mesh in a beautiful crafted and rendered children’s movie that has more heart that most of the adult dramas that come through the cinemas. Just see it in 2D.

The Kids are All Right

This might be the first film that really epitomizes Obama’s America. Free-wheeling West coast liberal lesbians and college aspirational multi-talented kids- what’s not to love? Even the sperm donor who’s supposed to be a bit of a bum in comparison with the super uptight doctor Mom (Annette Benning) owns an organic farm and successful restaurant. It’s another case of beautiful people living out beautiful lives, and i’m never averse to that.

Benning along with Julianne Moore (who, it seems, absolutely cannot resist getting naked in any film) play the lesbian parents of two kids (Alice in Wonderland’s Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson) who find out who their biological father is (He’s Mark Ruffalo). What proceeds is family bonding that results in a slightly more heterosexual inclination for one of the mothers and a good all round assessment of what family values really mean.

The film is very self-congratulatory. The kids have some problems but are smart and at least fairly well rounded. Nice house, nice food, nice wine and a lot of funny one liners, it doesn’t need to try as hard to be a brochure for West coast life as it does. But it would be unfair to say that it is entirely consumed by ‘smug’. The film is also a sweet and tender portrait of happiness and love from 15 to 52. Reminiscent of ‘It’s Complicated’ in it’s attempts to do nothing more than sell a certain lifestyle, it’s superficial but also an attractive proposition.

A nice idea is brought together by a cast on fine form who each bring their own talents to the varying roles. It’s not the golden star for gay adoption that some cynics thought it might be and works as a more interesting, and more rounded, exploration of family life that should appeal to almost anyone. Except Republicans.

Inception

The problem, broadly, with this film is how it is perceived. It’s the same problem that ‘The Matrix’ faced with people adoring the Gondry-style bullet time action but not quite understanding how a Summer Blockbuster can have the stones to try and teach it’s audience philosophy. ‘Inception’ falls into the same bracket. It’s a great big action film with mind-boggling photography and special effects but, at the end of the day, it’s just a summer blockbuster and it shouldn’t be seen as anything more than that.

The film is, however, a terrific summer blockbuster. The cast are all on excellent form and seem to be composed solely of people who I personally find to be genuinely cool. DiCaprio is once again on polished, accomplished form and (as i have long predicted) an Oscar doesn’t seem too many years off. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Tom Hardy channel their hip/of the moment vibe into their roles, whilst Ellen Page plays roughly to type as the smart and sassy architect. Ken Watanabe and Marion Cottilard are graced with less developed characters but they don’t seem out of place on screen. The one oddity is Michael Caine who has so little to do it just feels weird to see him in that role.

What to say about the dreamscape? Some bits are very clever, particularly Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s zero gravity fist fight which is cleverly hooked up to…well the film explains better than i ever could. The limits were, practically, boundless for what could be done in the visualization of the subconscious and Christopher Nolan doesn’t completely exploit that, preferring to tone down the crazy and up the amount of gunfights. I can personally say i have never had a dream that involves a ski assault on an Arctic fortress, but hey?

‘Inception’ is big and bold, if not particularly clever. The last frame in particular is a work of art. I don’t expect any Oscar nods for this film, but i respect their decision to not shoot in 3D, a choice that may lose them the Visual Effects gong, but should win film-making plaudits.

Eclipse

There are a lot of people who hate Twilight, and, superficially, one might assume that i would fall into that bracket. But i don’t. I still see the thousands of reasons why i shouldn’t be enjoying these films (reading the books would be a step too far in the wrong direction), and every time a girl audibly swoons in the theater cinema dies a little bit. But the fact is that vampires are cool and these films do an almost perfect job of cashing in on that.

The love triangle that was established in ‘New Moon’ comes even more to the fore here with Jacob (Taylor Lautner) repeatedly telling Bella (Kristen Stewart) how much he loves her. It’s all very sweet if a little desperate given her total and uncomprehendable infatuation with Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). The question of Team Edward versus Team Jacob no longer seems relevant: it’s Team Insane-Life Destroying Choice versus Team Happy Compromise.

The action gets a bigger platform under new helmer David Spade. The baseball scene in the first film highlighted the potential of vampire fights and whilst that isn’t fully exploited here, the set piece showdown between the Cullens/Werewolves and the New Borns is pretty neatly done. But it’s the emotional menage a trois that takes centre stage here; especially in a particularly uncomfortable tent scene where the wereboy utters immodest but self-aware phrases like ‘Well, we both know i am hotter than you.’ The fleeting man-love in that scene borders on homoerotic and shows how desperate the producers are to cash in on the Worldwide obsession with Twi-Porn.

Bigger and better than ‘New Moon’ if lacking in the sense of adventure of the first movie, ‘Eclipse’ is a film that deserves a little less blatant emotions, especially given the developing stories that surround the threesome. A perfect springboard for a proper vampire movie in ‘Breaking Dawn: Part One.’

Cyrus

‘Cyrus’ is the product of the fruitful marriage of Indie cinema and the Hollywood machine. Unquestionably a Fox Searchlight picture it sets out the lives of two unmarried/divorced 40-odds and throws in a slightly psychotic son to that picture. It’s not exactly the ‘Squid and the Whale’ with Damien, but if you can imagine that picture written and directed by Noah Baumbach, then you’re not a million miles off.

John C Reilly once again displays his miraculous ability to attract women (this time Catherine Keener and Marisa Tomei) but once this leap of faith is taken then the film can be quite rewarding, although, typical of mumblecore filmmaker, deeply frustrating. Cyrus (played by Jonah Hill who is so perfectly spherical that in itself it seems like the work of some malign force) is Marisa Tomei’s son and he is, without wanting to spoil the film, a bit fucked up.

It goes nowhere. Very little happens along the way. Everyone is neurotic and self-obsessed and when taken out of the context of the film, deeply unlikable. However like all of this wave of middle class, suburban, comedies-that-aren’t-funny, dramas-that-aren’t-dramatic it’s not completely loathsome, getting by on being a class above the average Apatow-farm comedy.

If you hate this type of film, one that continues to invade vaguely independent cinemas, then this is not for you. Even if you like that then it won’t blow your mind, but then again you couldn’t really expect it to, could you?

Winnebago Man

The idea of ‘Winnebago Man’ is a simple one. Track down one of the early stars of viral media and see what he has to say for it. Ben Steinbauer was clearly hoping that Jack Rebney would be a reclusive, mentally fragile wreck of a man who would lambast the people who have pushed him out of society and into this self imposed exile.

In many ways that is just what Rebney is. He lives up a mountain, has gone blind and only has his dog and a very camp long distance friend for companionship. His main passion in life is to abuse Dick Cheney and he reteatedly spouts off against the Internet. The hypocricy of the man should have been more apparent to Steinbauer, who focusses to hard on the anger and not nearly hard enough on the desperate attention grabbing of the lonely Rebney.

It’s not the broadest scope for a film and Rebney plays up wildly to his notoriety, to the point where trusting him as a person (rather than an actor) becomes beside the point. It’s interesting if superficial, and could desperately have done with a wider look at viral media. Noticably the most amusing parts are the other viral videos that are fleetingly featured, like Star Wars Kid and Nunchuck Man.

‘Winnebago Man’ feels like a college project by an inquisitive but naive filmmaker. It’s only funny in parts and the repeated attempts by Rebney to broaden his famous ‘anger’ and massively over indulged in, to the point where pity turns to mild irritation.

Get Him To The Greek

Fans of Forgetting Sarah Marshall might well find themselves drawn to this cinema by the promise of a similar offering (indeed spin-off is the most appropriate term for the film) however what they’ll find is similar characters in very different situations, particularly ones that are cruder, less funny and overly moralistic.

Having enjoyed his outing in Forgetting Sarah Marshall as well as finding his Scandalous stand-up tour genuinely funny I expected a more rounded and self aware performance from Russell Brand. He zips back and forth well with Jonah Hill (once again on fine form in a bizarelly similar, but totally different, role to his Hawaiian waiter) and with Rose Byrne as his English (former) love, but he never manages to capture the sparkle that stole the show from Jason Segal a couple of years ago.

There are funny moments and Brand works his butt off to try and be the best damn rock star that he can be, but at the end of the day the offering saunters part too acutely between the poles of seriousness and as a result this lack of subtlety, and an exhausting schedule of party scenes that eventually blur into one, mean that Get Me To The Greek is less of a guilty pleasure than it really should have been.

More like Forget Me To The Greek the point of this film is extremely laboured, so much so that even the good work of it’s cast becomes nigh on void when considered as a whole. A particularly unmoving, but funny, experience.

4.3.2.1

This film is truly dreadful.

I went to see it purely because, well, you know, I kinda like Emma Roberts and Tamsin Egerton. Alas no more. Maybe I exaggerate a little, about not likely them, but the film is such an unpolished turd that to properly review it would be to devalue movies like ‘Year One’ and ‘The Proposal’. Therefore I simply offer this recommendation:

Do not see this movie.