'Birdman' review by Captain Raptor

'Birdman' review by Jake Boyle

Aside from white dudes, the one thing dominating the Academy Awards this year is drums. In Whiplash, they're a central plot device. In a certain Republican's wet dream, sabre-rattling propaganda piece, the drums are metaphorical, and being banged by a deranged old man pissing over his own legacy. In Birdman, drum solos consist of 80% of the film's soundtrack, a wise move as the near constant tapping and rumbling perfectly suits the film, being in equal parts playful and unnerving. 

Birdman Or (The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance) is marked by innovative and fascinating directorial choices. Aside from being sleek and damn stylish, the decision to make the film appear like a single take adds a sense of urgency and heightened energy to a film that's already fairly madcap in its own right. Equal parts showbiz satire, complex character study and a meditation on the nature of art, Alejandro González Iñárritu's dark comedy is inventive in its themes and narrative as well as being pioneering in technique. Michael Keaton's ever-increasing delirium is just as terrifying as it is humorous, and the whole film's balance between tense emotion and frenzied weirdness is spot-on, each magnifying the strength of the other through juxtaposition, as well being powerful in their own right. Incorporated into the film's single-shot aesthetic is some excellent framing and close-ups that really enhance the monologues, in particular Emma Stone's visceral, fantastically delivered rant about her father's irrelevance.

While Stone definitely holds the best single moment of brilliance, it's Edward Norton and especially Keaton who really steal the show, due to their level of commitment and sheer intensity (both comic and dramatic, and with Keaton the two are mostly simultaneous) coupled with their phenomenal casting in these particular roles. The characters can pretty easily be construed as exaggerated, ridiculous versions of the actors themselves, and it's sharply funny watching the two of them tear their own image apart so brutally, alongside the rest of Hollywood (which gets its fair share of lambasting, a move which is potentially irritatingly self-aggrandizing but primarily absolutely hilarious). Most surprising is the performance given by Zach Galifianakis, showcasing hitherto ability to not only do on-point dramatic acting, but a firm grasp of nuance, in a comedic role that still manages to retain the bitterness in the film's dark heart.

Birdman Or (The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance) is a phenomenal film, one that makes very risky moves and consequently reaps the rewards for its bravery. Unique in its film-making approach, bold and fascinating in its narrative and dialogue, and packed with outstanding, ferocious performances, this is one of the smartest films of recent years whilst still retaining an excellent emotional depth, a fiery sense of humour and some exploratory philosophical musings about life. At times, yes, it's a little pretentious, but it has the courage of its convictions and all this subtle brilliance is just the underlying of a brave, groundbreaking and thoroughly exceptional film.

'Bridge And Tunnel' review by Captain Raptor

'Bridge And Tunnel' review by Jake Boyle

In an act of extreme (and potentially misplaced) trust, Glacier Road Productions have made their 2014 film Bridge And Tunnel free to watch this January, and are then asking for the viewer to donate however much they think the experience was worth. The film shows a year in the life of a group of young friends in a New York suburb, which isn't exactly groundbreaking but certainly gives the story plenty of options to explore. 

Those options are taken numerously. Despite the clearly defined time frame, this isn't a story with a beginning or end as such, more just a collection of scenes showing the progression of various plotlines. The audience is brought into the middle of them and most of them go unresolved. Adherence to reality runs throughout, both in the lack of sensation and closure on events, and then the general mundanity of the characters and their lives. This isn't exactly a criticism - the mature realness is quite refreshing, and investment comes easier when the situations are relatable - but there's often a struggle to imbue the events with any sense of drama or even relevance. Speaking of relevance, there's various topical references scattered throughout, and Jason Michael Brescia (the writer/director) very evidently has an axe to grind. I'm all for talking about serious issues in movies, but the way it's placed into the dialogue is so unnatural seeming and forced that when it's present, it completely pulls you out of any engrossment you were experiencing.

There are some strokes of invention. The irreverent graphics and voice-over used to advance the plot is thoroughly charming, and Wass Steven's permanently irate bartender is offbeat enough to shake things up, stealing all the film's best moments with a few fantastic monologues. The multiple plotlines allow the film to touch on many subjects, but some of them are worth more screentime than they get (a gut-punching moment of grief, a mirthsome but lightly tense scene at a fertility clinic), and others could do with being shortened or removed entirely. The scenes showing the initiations of new romances are far too familiar to entertain, and they're only elevated to any level of interest by the charisma of Mary Kate Wiles and Arjun Gupta.

Bridge And Tunnel was, on the whole, an enjoyable film but one that meanders around, occasionally stumbling. It's a nicely down-to-earth story with evidence of both heart and brains, but finds itself semi-regularly hampered by stilted dialogue, uneventfulness and a narrative that is all too often told rather than shown. A story consisting purely of a middle part does have its perks as well as the more obvious pitfalls, the humour is gentle but present, and much the same can be said for the drama. From an independent director it's a work that's not exactly promising, but certainly shows a fair amount of potential.

You can watch Bridge And Tunnel here: www.bridgeandtunnelfilm.com/watch/
You should donate if you can. 

'Into The Woods' review by Captain Raptor

'Into The Woods' review by Jake Boyle

Revisionist fairytales haven't being doing too well recently. Particularly springing to mind are the unintentionally comical Snow White And The Huntsman, the Twihard-baiting Red Riding Hood adaptation and the dire state of affairs that the Shrek franchise dissolved into. However, if anything were to buck that trend, it could quite possibly be a collaboration between some of the most prolific absconders of tradition when it comes to fairytales: enter Into The Woods. Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's original musical sought to explore the dangerous aspects of these bedtime stories, and Disney have played so fast and loose with existing mythology that most of us think of their heavily censored Grimm stories as being the 'real' version of the tales.

It's a highly uneasy partnership, unfortunately. The film tries to retain the darkness and maturity of the source material at the same time as translating the story into a family-friendly adventure. This often leads to an uncomfortable middle ground wherein nothing of any genuine drama occurs, but the departure from familiar archetypes and feelgood simplicity will presumably alienate the children in the audience. The third act is a genuine joy that manages to be both heartfelt and impishly subversive, but the preceding hour and a half takes far too long to get us to that point. There are some flashes of quality in these earlier stages - Johnny Depp's gleefully predatory wolf, the knowingly posturing angst-off between the two less-than-charming princes - but mostly the film doesn't attempt to engage with any darkness or complexity, and it's essentially played out as a conventional fairytale, without much humour beyond pratfalls to see it through. The stroke of genius by Lapine is that later, when the story reaches the natural conclusion for a fairytale, it suddenly lurches into a moodier and tense state of affairs. This is made so much more dramatic and engrossing by the relative calmness and cheeriness of what came before, but that doesn't adequately justify the more-than-occasional lack of charm and life that came with it.

The actors all play their parts well, but nobody's performance here is exceptionally good. Meryl Streep's at the top of the pile, due to her having the most layered character to play with and her own inimitable expertise. As the hapless couple at the centre of it all, Emily Blunt and James Corden have believable chemistry and get to show abilities in their range that don't often get exhibited. On the subject of ability, Corden is a perfectly decent singer but he can't quite hold his own alongside the rest of the cast, something that becomes incredibly noticeable during his duet with angel-voiced Anna Kendrick. The costume and set design is eye-catching, but for a fantasy film that's really a basic requirement. The contrast between the initial happy section of the film and the later gloomier section is given an atmospheric enhancement by the abundance of garish colours in the former, and total absence of them in the latter. For a musical, the songs are oddly plain, although the aforementioned princely 'Agony' is an absolutely scream, and there's enjoyment to be had in Cinderella's crisis of confidence 'On The Steps Of The Palace'.

While it builds as it goes on and is quite enjoyable by the time it's finished, Into The Woods is a missed opportunity. The highlights show that there was great potential for this film, but it got lost in Disney's mollification process. Going truly dark and embracing the ruination of fairytale morality would have been the best option, but being more realistic to what the film was trying to achieve, far more attention needed to be paid to making this film clever and subversive from the offset. The excellent crescendo of an ending is worth sticking around for, but so much of the needlessly extended build-up to that is frustratingly unadventurous. 

Top Ten Films Of 2014 as chosen by Captain Raptor

Top Ten Films of 2014 as chosen by Jake Boyle

So, newcomers, the rules: only films I actually saw and reviewed (obvious, I should think) qualify, and their categorization as 'Films of 2014' is based on the date of their general release in the UK. Here's the highlights of a pretty good year, and eyes on the horizon for what treats may arrive in the coming 12 months. Without further ado: 

10. In Your Eyes - A charming, clever romcom that balances its warm familiarity with unique metaphysical oddity. The witty script is trademark Whedon, and the whole affair is supported and heightened by genuinely engaging chemistry, some nicely subtle dramatic strokes and proof that clever cinematography isn't just the plaything of the auteurs and arthouse.

9. X-Men: Days Of Future Past - The uniting of our favourite mutants old and new was almost as exciting as the monumental action that took place within. Not that it wasn't anticipated, but it was utterly fantastic witnessing Brian Singer restoring his former series to its former glory - blunt one-liners, sensational showdowns and minimal but incredibly effective use of curse words.

8. The Fault In Our Stars - There's an argument that an adaptation as loyal as this is pointless, but what's inarguable is that the end result is a masterclass in extreme emotion. Tears will come fast and furious in an exceedingly heartfelt and heartbreaking romance, and any risk of melodrama is offset by some charismatic snark in the sentiment and a grounding in Shailene Woodley's authentic exhibition of love and lamentation.

7. Edge Of Tomorrow - Well-executed sci-fi action elevated by a fantastic premise that provided as much laughter as it did interesting narrative progression. Smatterings of darkness and sarcasm added even more flavour to an invigorating alien invasion film that stimulated the brain a little and the heart rate a lot.

6. The Lego Movie - Anarchic, energetic, hyperactive delirium. Funnier that most adult comedies, this exercise in buzzing vibrancy was infectiously joyful and pure, unrestrained fun. A playground of infinite possibilities was exploited to bring 100 minutes of hilarity, madcap brilliance and inventive film-making.

5. The Wolf Of Wall Street - Every bit as frenetic and wild as The Lego Movie but with some slightly more adult themes. DiCaprio led the pack with a dynamic powerhouse performance amid a brilliantly sleazy tale told vividly and enthusiastically, packed with dark wit and acerbic humour that made a virtue of the captivating debauchery and immorality.

4. Gone Girl - An intelligent film through-and-through, from writing to camerawork to use of lighting. An exhilarating murder mystery plot that transitions into sharp, frank social satire, Fincher and Flynn managed to keep the dark suspense rolling throughout without inhibiting the playfully wicked sense of humour, that in combination with the scathing indictment of less desirable parts of our culture, brought this picture to life.

3. Nightcrawler - A truly unmatchable performance by Jake Gyllenhaal, fantastically embedding menace into the layers of his deeply unnerving character. A caustic satire of shock journalism, an incredible blackness underpinned both drama and comedy, intertwining the two to create an electric and ominous atmosphere, and the tension was so well executed that maximum reactions of horror could be drawn from neatly underplayed nastiness.

2. 12 Years A Slave - Unflinching, harrowing and deeply, deeply moving, this was definitely the year's most superlatively dramatic affair. The sheer brutality alone grabs you by the throat, but the rich emotions and the moments of tenderness map out a story that touches all bases of suffering and upset, framed perfectly by Steve McQueen's lingering shots, and by a cast pouring heart and soul into every moment of screentime.

1. Guardians Of The Galaxy - It was never in doubt. James Gunn's keen sense of style and genre awareness allowed him to create an idiosyncratic delight that amazes in all areas. An absolutely hilarious adventure that exhilarates every fibre of the viewer's being as they are whisked to each inventive, fascinating setting alongside outstanding dialogue and an irrepressible sense of amusement.  The action was bracing and helped along by absolutely marvellous concepts and set-pieces. Indefatigable charisma embodied every aspect of a film that can be described as no less than awesome, in every sense of the word. 

'Gladiator' review by Captain Raptor

'Gladiator' review by Jake Boyle

Fox have just released Exodus: Gods And Kings, Ridley Scott's new grand-scale, blood-brothers at war historical action-drama. The eagle-eyed among you will have noticed that this is not a review of that film. This is because it looks like trash. Glossy, fancy trash with Aaron Paul admittedly, but trash nonetheless. The buzz (or lack thereof) around the film also suggests this, so rather than risk the waste of time and money, I watched the film that filled all those same criteria, but apparently is, you know, good.

In terms of epicness, Gladiator certainly hits it target, arguably even giving Peter Jackson a run for his money (which is saying something, because he has a lot of it). The Colosseum is shot to look imposingly monolithic and the occasional long shots of landscapes are a beauty to behold. The overtly grandiose cinematography does break immersion to some degree, but it definitely does establish the ostentatious tone Scott was aiming for. This lofty atmosphere is grounded by some nicely balanced characters; despite being typically honour-bound and stoic, Russell Crowe's warrior hero is a gentle and thoughtful man who stares wistfully at passing robins and simply wishes to go home and tend to his crops. This humbleness and restraint doesn't give Crowe many opportunities to flex his acting muscles (although his regular ones are perfectly utilised) but his performance is wholly capable throughout. Joaquin Phoenix's villainous emperor is also pleasantly atypical, maintaining the necessary level of sinister whilst being wholly petulant and insecure. These are not traits easily spun into an interesting character, let alone a convincingly threatening one, but Phoenix's performance is both so nuanced and so intense that he manages to be both pitiful and intimidating. 

It's this sense of grandness offset by realism that really makes Gladiator tick - spectacular fight scenes followed by grim depictions of casualties; loud roars and frenzied movement preceding quiet scenes of tension. It allows Scott to have the best of both worlds, mixing intricacy and extravagance. However, this at times clashes with the will of the story, which wants to make Maximus as heroic as humanly possible. In order to heighten his valiance, characters make senseless decisions just so Maximus can then overcome his obstacles in a way that looks cooler and has a stronger symbolic resonance. However, the exaggeration that this leads to feels more than faintly ridiculous, especially in the film's fairly trite ending, which upsets the equilibrium of style and substance that had previously been so expertly maintained. This isn't the only issue - dialogue remains unremarkable throughout the film, it's longer than it needs to be and Hans Zimmer's score is incredibly generic - but it's certainly the most frustrating one.

For the most part, Gladiator is a highly enjoyable film that manages to deliver both action and drama in a very precise and well-conceived manner. Occasionally things tip over into the melodramatic or just plain silly, but it's never to any major detriment and the film remains exciting even when it temporarily loses its intelligence. Some strong lead performances from Crowe, Richard Harris and especially Phoenix, and highly polished set-pieces are the highlights in a good film that could have been great with a little more fine tuning. 

'Revolutionary Road' review by Captain Raptor

'Revolutionary Road' review by Jake Boyle

Revolutionary Road made excellent proof back in 2008 that you can make a film as Oscar baiting as you like, but the Academy will still totally ignore DiCaprio. While the world wasn't exactly crying out for more portraits of beautiful, well-off couples squabbling about how trapped they feel in their pretty desirable situation (director Sam Mendes having already created the epitome of this in American Beauty), the cast alone is certainly a draw.

Alright, so that might not be an entirely fair summation of the premise, but it definitely is the cast that keeps this film afloat. Kate Winslet and DiCaprio are just as strong leads as you'd expect them to be, her pleading eyes and quivering expression combating his looks of lostness and confused frustration, setting the tone well for the inevitable breaking of the dam as both actors do what they're best at - high emotion, namely unrepentant sorrow and anger. There's strong support in the form of the ever-versatile Kathryn Hahn, Kathy Bates wringing a lot of complications out of a pretty simplistic character, and an excellent Michael Shannon stealing his few scenes as walking tension, injecting needed electricity into every scene with the merest of mumbles. Both the drama and the acting of the film follow an effective pattern (but still notably a pattern) of lengthy restraint followed by outbursts of extreme frankness.

Predictability is an issue with Revolutionary Road. The obstacles that the characters encounter in their attempt to break off the 'shackles' of their suburban existence (more on that shortly) are entirely foreseeable, so there's not really any drama to be gained from them. On the whole the film's problem might be an inflated sense of importance - although the emotion delivered really packs a punch, it's not ever really unnoticeable that the character's circumstances, while obviously troubled, are not exactly as dire as portrayed. The choice of 'well-paying job or risking living out our dreams', while utterly real and complex, is not actually an especially interesting one to watch play out. There's a comment on the fraudulence of The American Dream here, but the dialogue and especially the sets are too clean-cut and flowery for any critical message to really come through. There's a lot of slow, longing shots from camera angles that heighten how lovely everything looked. It seems to be aiming for thoughtful and beautiful but more often than not it ends up coming across as somewhat self-satisfied and ponderous. It's a shame because there's evidence of potential for smarter and more intuitive storytelling present; one excellent scene has the camera focus on a silent but solemnly fuming Winslet as the other characters scream in confrontation in the background, simultaneously demonstrating a capability for raw emotion and for subtly stylistic transmission.

The acting in Revolutionary Road is sublime, so much so that it'd be worth watching for that alone, and there are moments (and occasionally whole scenes) of excellence, when the writing and direction reaches the same heights as the actors. However, it's never enough to compensate for the story's own obviousness and unimportance. A promising and still enjoyable film is let down by a failure to properly convey the darkness and genuine arguments lying at the fringes of the chosen theme.

'The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies' review by Captain Raptor

'The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies' review by Jake Boyle

Even fans of The Hobbit films (which I'm on the fence about being) generally don't contend that they're on much of a comparable level to the Lord Of The Rings. The first film has its moments throughout and there was a solid half an hour of enjoyment at the beginning of The Desolation Of Smaug but the less said about anything else the better; my apathy was such that I nearly didn't go and see this concluding chapter.

I'm glad that I did, though. On a purely visual level, The Battle Of The Five Armies is equal to (although not surpassing) the incredibly high bar set by Jackson's earlier trilogy - the special effects are so glossy and deeply-textured that they rival the beauty of the panoramic shots of the landscape. In most other areas, there's still a reasonable amount to be desired but definite improvements have been made. Most upsetting of the flaws that the film does have - above Bard's irritating children and the lifeless, hackneyed romance between Tauriel and Kili - is the briefness of the encounter with Smaug. After building tension and dropping out right before it boils over in the previous film, Smaug is promptly defeated in the time it would take a hobbit to finish an entrée. It baffles me why waging war against a dragon seems to have been considered something that needed to be got out of the way rather than indulged in, and why this was seen as a way to open this film rather than conclude the second one.

In more positive news, the titular battle is astounding. It's got the grand momentum and sense of epicness that hallmarked Lord of The Rings, but the most exciting moments are the most individual and offbeat ones - Legolas running up a collapsing bridge, Billy Connolly headbutting his enemies whilst calling them 'buggers', Thranduil (who Lee Pace plays with a bit more depth than before) charging into battle on his majestic moose. Martin Freeman is just as magnificently bewildered and contemplative as ever, and there's a noticeable step-up from Richard Artmitage, capturing Thorin's obsession with steely-eyed pathos and conviction running through every line of dialogue. The 'greed is bad' message at the core is as subtle as a troll in a china shop but it does engage the viewer; the exact same sentiment being applicable to Ryan Gage's comic relief as the slimy, cowardly Alfrid.

The way it deals with Smaug is a total disappointment, but as the film progresses it grows stronger. The Battle Of The Five Armies is a strong exit for the franchise, building upon and bettering what the other Hobbit films had to offer. It's got the stereotypical Jackson perks of being visually stunning and blisteringly exciting, but the performances and emotional tone of this film possess more feelings and naturalness than they have in past excursions. Uniquely, the running time does not feel stretched or padded, but this raises the question of whether this trilogy could have been improved by condensing it to the originally planned two films. Regardless, it's going out on a high.