Rating: 8/10

Snowpiercer (2014) – Film Review

/ Joe Baker / Leave a comment

One of my favourite sci-fi films from this past decade, 2014’s ‘Snowpiercer’ is constantly engaging, rousing and gritty throughout both its original plot and exploration of the interesting world its story takes place within, as the film chooses to explore the worst of humanity through some gorgeous cinematography by Kyung-pyo Hong and some truly brilliant writing. Making ‘Snowpiercer,’ a superb science fiction thriller, all under the genius hand of director Bong Joon-Ho, who, recently gained a large amount of traction through his Oscar-winning flick; ‘Parasite.’

Plot Summary: In a future where a failed climate change experiment has killed all life except for the lucky few who boarded the ‘Snowpiercer,’ a train that travels around the globe, a new class system begins to emerge on board as ‘Curtis’ leads a revolution with the train’s lower-class citizens…

Despite director Bong Joon-Ho (Memories of Murder, The Host, Okja) usually sticking to this style, the very bleak tone of ‘Snowpiercer’ may leave many audience members in a depressing mindset long after their initial viewing, as the film deals with a variety of themes such as poverty, social class and survivalism, all portrayed in a dark and negative fashion. However, in spite of this, the film never fails to still be very entertaining and thrilling, mostly as a result of its fairly quick pacing and exhilarating action sequences. Although it may surprise many, ‘Snowpiercer’ also takes heavy inspiration from the French graphic novel; ‘Le Transperceneige’ by Jacques Lob, with the two stories sharing many similarities and many differences throughout their respective mediums.

Chris Evans, Jamie Bell, Tilda Swinton, Song Kang-ho, Octavia Spencer, John Hurt and Ed Harris are all fantastic throughout the film within their various roles, especially Tilda Swinton as the villainous and oppressive; ‘Manson’ (who completely nails many of the film’s most memorable lines). In addition to this, the film’s characters also get plenty of development throughout the narrative, to be specific, the film’s protagonist; ‘Curtis,’ as this character becomes far more tragic nearing the end of the film, eventually leading him to devolve from what we would usually expect to see from our main character.

The cinematography by Kyung-pyo Hong is pretty creative and visually impressive throughout the majority of the runtime, as the film’s cinematography backs up it’s story and drama very effectively. The film’s colour palette also plays into this, as the dirty greys, greens and blacks of the train’s tail all further display the contrast between the wealth of the different people on board. Of course, due to the film also being packed with a large number of action scenes, the cinematography does become slightly shakier during many of these moments, yet it is still clear what is happening throughout. One of these scenes in particular, known as ‘The Tunnel,’ I found extremely inventive, as this entire scene takes place in total darkness, with night-vision being utilised exceptionally well, shot without any additional lighting, according to director Bong Joon-Ho.

Although a little uninspired during some of the action scenes, the original score by Marco Beltrami does fit the story perfectly throughout most of the film. Especially when it comes to tracks, such as ‘This is the End’ or ‘Yona’s Theme,’ as the soundtrack matches the bleak tone of the film extremely well. The score also helps to add more impact to many of the more shocking moments within the story, as at multiple points during the narrative, the film reveals certain aspects of this twisted train society which really deepens film’s world.

As the film is set entirely within the futuristic train, the film does do a surprisingly excellent job of the keeping the film’s set pieces unique through the sheer variety of sets on display, as the film takes the audience from the dirty tail of the train, through to a classroom, a nightclub, and, eventually, even a spar, further emphasising ‘Snowpiercer’s underlying themes of social class. Another element of the film I adore is Joon-Ho’s focus on small details, as the film always alludes to smaller aspects of the story or characters which aren’t fully delved into, only hinted at. Despite all of this, however, ‘Snowpiercer’ isn’t totally flawless, as the film does become a little cheesy at points, mostly due to the occasional editing choice or line of dialogue, but this is very rare.

In summary, even though ‘Snowpiercer’ isn’t the best modern sci-fi to date, I personally don’t think the film is far off, from its creative ideas through to its beautiful cinematography and great original score. The film easily overcomes its few cheesy moments and slightly dated CG effects here and there, with a few tiny changes, I honestly believe that this exciting sci-fi flick could be up there with the likes of ‘Arrival’ or ‘Ex_Machina,’ when it comes to modern science fiction. Final Rating: 8/10.

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The Nice Guys (2016) – Film Review

/ Joe Baker / 1 Comment

This ’70s throwback to classic buddy-cop comedy films hits all the right marks, as the fantastic chemistry between Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling alongside the film’s great visuals and hilarious comedic moments, all make ‘The Nice Guys’ certainly worth a watch, whether you are incredibly fond of action-comedies or not, as I feel this humorous flick definitely deserves more attention.

Plot Summary: In 1970s Los Angeles, bumbling private eye; ‘Holland March,’ and muscle-for-hire; ‘Jackson Healy,’ become unlikely partners when they find themselves both looking for a missing woman, named; ‘Amelia,’ following the death of a high-profile porn star. ‘Amelia’s ties to the deceased actress are unclear, but as other members of the porn industry turn up dead, ‘March’ and ‘Healy’s investigation reveals a much bigger conspiracy than the duo could have ever anticipated…

Heavily inspired by action/comedy classics, such as ‘Lethal Weapon’ and ‘Rush Hour,’ ‘The Nice Guys’ is directed by Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Iron Man 3, The Predator), who clearly brings all his love for this genre to the forefront. As, despite the film doing quite poorly in cinemas upon its initial release, the film is clearly a true passion project for Shane Black, being filled with the director’s usual style and classic witty dialogue from start-to-finish.

Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling make an excellent pairing as ‘Jackson Healy’ and ‘Holland March’ throughout the film’s story, as both actors have an enormous amount of chemistry with each other and add plenty of humour into the plot through their interactions with their opposite, as well as ‘Holland’s daughter; ‘Holly March,’ portrayed by Angourie Rice, who is very sarcastic and angsty towards many of the other characters (which can become a little irritating after a while). Matthew Bomer, Margaret Qualley, Yaya DaCosta and Keith David also have small roles within the film, and are all decent, despite not being given much screen-time.

Philippe Rousselot handles the cinematography throughout ‘The Nice Guys,’ and although attractive throughout most of the runtime, the variety of shots is probably the weakest aspect of the film just down to elimination. Still, the cinematography does back-up the story very effectively, never taking the audience’s attention away from the mystery unravelling throughout the narrative. I also feel the film’s colour palette could’ve really added to the film’s visual flair more, as the colour palette doesn’t really delve much into the 1970s style aside from the occasional vibrant shot. However, the film does integrate ’70s style in its opening titles which I appreciated, as the Warner Brothers’ logo seen in the beginning of the film is the actual graphic Warner Bros. Pictures used during the 1970s for their films.

The original score by John Ottman and David Buckley fits the film’s style and time-period perfectly, as the soundtrack attempts to replicate the music of the time through its use of trumpets and a drum kit to add to many of the comedic moments and establishing shots, with the tracks; ‘Cars That Drive Themselves’ and ‘P.I. Life,’ being my two personal favourites (in addition to the film’s main theme). Many of the film’s action scenes do slightly weaken the score, however, as anytime the screen is filled with bullets and fist fights, the original score suddenly becomes a lot more generic.

The majority of the jokes throughout the film do land very successfully, in my opinion, as ‘The Nice Guys’ has a pretty wide range of comedy throughout its runtime. From the hilarious and quippy dialogue between the two main protagonists to the parodying of classic action tropes and even a little bit of slapstick thrown in for good measure, all of the comedy throughout the film is pretty inventive and ensures that the film is filled with humour for every kind of viewer.

Despite the film’s main focus being its humour, however, the action throughout the film is actually very well-executed, from a high-speed car chase through to chaotic shoot outs and bare-fist scuffles. ‘The Nice Guys’ nails it’s action scenes just as well as it’s jokes, as each action set piece is always exciting and brilliantly choreographed. My only real criticism of the film is probably it’s length, as I feel the film does go on for slightly too long nearing end of its story.

In summary, it’s a real shame many that audiences had no interest in ‘The Nice Guys,’ as although many would consider buddy-cop action flicks a dead genre similar to westerns. I personally feel we need more films like this, as bringing back these old kinds of stories really makes the film stand out amongst the complete onslaught of modern superhero blockbusters and generic horror scare-fests. So, although I feel a sequel to ‘The Nice Guys’ is very unlikely to ever be made, the mere mention of one as even a possibility still gets me excited to this day, as I would love to see these characters return to the silver screen. Final Rating: 8/10.

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Corpse Bride (2005) – Film Review

/ Joe Baker / Leave a comment

Tim Burton’s twisted story of a man accidentally marrying a deceased bride could certainly be seen as too dark for an animated family adventure by some, but the film actually blends many of its dark scenes with plenty of gothic charm, heart and humour throughout. Making this stop-motion flick not quite one of the director’s best, but definitely a must-watch for fans of the unique director.

Plot Summary: When shy groom, Victor Van Dort, practices his wedding vows in the inadvertent presence of a deceased young woman, she rises from her grave assuming he has married her. Before he knows it, ‘Victor’ soon finds himself in the land of the dead, and now must find a way to return to the land of the living before he loses his still-living wife forever…

Alongside the entertaining narrative, throughout the film there are various different musical sequences, which were surprisingly entertaining considering I’m usually not a huge fan of musical numbers in film. But, I actually found many of the songs throughout the film actually added to the plot and gave the film another creative element which worked really well when combined with the brilliant original score by Danny Elfman.

Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter portray ‘Victor’ and his accidental ‘Corpse Bride,’ alongside the supporting cast of Emily Watson and Paul Whitehouse. Who, are all terrific, with the two leads in particular having pretty some great chemistry with each other, which really added to some of the romantic scenes throughout runtime (especially when it comes to an animated film). The cast also features Richard E. Grant, who portrays the villainous, ‘Barkis Bittern,’ perfectly, coming across as very sly, rude and intelligent from start-to-finish.

The cinematography by Pete Kozachik is pretty effective considering his previous work is usually far from the realm of stop-motion animation, as although there is definitely room for improvement, the cinematography is interesting enough to keep the viewer engaged throughout the film’s story.

Without a doubt, the original score by Danny Elfman is definitely one of the best elements of the film, as well as being one of my favourites for a Tim Burton flick, as while not quite on the level of the original ‘Batman’ or ‘Edward Scissorhands,’ for example, the entire soundtrack still perfectly captures the creepy tone of the film, as well as many of it’s more emotional moments, all adding to both an extremely memorable and beautiful score. Especially the tracks; ‘Main Titles’ and ‘End Credits Pt. 1,’ which are my two personal favourites from the film.

The stop-motion animation throughout the film is simply outstanding, as each character’s unique design influences their movements, with many of the characters having very interesting and over-the-top designs which perfectly fit within the world of a Tim Burton story. The film also has an unexpectedly ranged colour palette, as in addition to the usual dark Burton-esque colours. The film surprisingly also uses a large range of bright greens, purples and reds in a few scenes, which all really help the film stand out, and give a little more light to many of the miniature sets and various characters.

In summary, while I didn’t expect to enjoy ‘Corpse Bride’ as much as I did, the film’s fantastic stop-motion animation, great humour and emotional scenes all topped with the unique Tim Burton style, I’d say the film is a pretty solid watch aside from the occasional cheesy joke or scene. Final Rating: 8/10.

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Game Night (2018) – Film Review

/ Joe Baker / Leave a comment

Going in initially, I had very little expectations for ‘Game Night,’ as although I mostly enjoyed ‘Horrible Bosses’ (which was written by this film’s directors), I’ve always found most modern comedies to be very hit-or-miss. However, as the runtime continued on, I soon realised ‘Game Night’ was far more than just your disposable comedy flick, as the great cinematography by Barry Peterson and the excellent original score by Cliff Martinez made the film just as stylish as it was entertaining.

Plot Summary: A group of friends who meet regularly for game nights soon find themselves entangled in a real-life mystery when the shady brother of one of them is kidnapped by a group of dangerous criminals…

Right from the opening titles, which are displayed through various falling board game pieces, through to the end credits, which entirely cover a pinboard with names of both the cast and crew (as well as an array of jokes). ‘Game Night’ is constantly brimming with style throughout its story, despite first appearing as nothing more than a straightforward comedy as the film uses its terrific editing to add to the humour at many different points, giving the impression that no corners were cut by the filmmakers when it comes to the filmmaking itself.

Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams, Kyle Chandler as well as the large supporting cast are all fantastic within their roles, with each member of the cast having decent chemistry with each other and plenty of great comedic moments between them (which is most likely a result of the cast actually taking-part in their own game night prior to filming). Jesse Plemons has without a doubt the film’s best character, in my opinion, as he portrays the game night-obsessed police officer; ‘Gary,’ who is just as creepy as he is hilarious every time he is on-screen. Unlike most modern comedies, the characters throughout the film also get a surprising amount of characterisation, as there are plenty of scenes throughout the story in which the pacing slows down to develop each one of the characters individually, which makes the film more engaging, and is a complete breath of fresh air after so many bland comedies with over-acted goofballs as their protagonists.

The cinematography by Barry Peterson is very creative throughout the film, as in addition to a variety of visually appealing shots, ‘Game Night’ also frames many of its locations as if they are pieces on a game board, almost as if every time the characters arrive at a building, it’s as if they are arriving at a stop whilst playing ‘The Game of Life,’ which is exceedingly inventive. As well as this, the film features a variety of interesting transitions between scenes and even a moment which is filmed entirely within a single-take, both of which I felt really added to the film’s overall visual presentation and enjoyable flow.

Although it doesn’t quite fit every scene, the original score by Cliff Martez is both unique and memorable, as the soundtrack uses a minimalist techno feel to mesh-well alongside the film’s stylistic editing and cinematography. Whether a light-hearted comedic scene or even one of the more tense moments nearing the end of the film, the score itself is brilliant. I’m too surprised by this, however, as this composer has done some phenomenal scores in his past, such as ‘Drive,’ ‘Contagion’ and ‘The Neon Demon,’ to name a few. So, ‘Game Night’ is simply just another great soundtrack to add to his sublime catalogue of work.

The film really only has one major issue for me, which it’s the song choice, as although I understand the film is mostly light-hearted fun, the use of iconic songs, such as ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ and ‘Quando, Quando, Quando,’ don’t really fit with the film’s tone, and can make the film feel a little cheesy at points. Of course, as the film is a comedy, there is also plenty of jokes that don’t quite hit the mark, but I’d say there are definitely far more that do than don’t in this case, as the film avoids the lazily written gross-out jokes and shock humour that infests a large number of modern comedies.

In summary, it’s fair to say that ‘Game Night’ was definitely a pleasant surprise for me on my initial watch, as I never expected this comedy to be as memorable or as well-crafted as it actually is. Although it’s not perfect due to its unusual song choices and a couple of overly long jokes, ‘Game Night’ is possibly one of the best comedies of the last few years, and while there are better displays of great filmmaking out there, I do feel this film should be higher on many cinephile’s watchlists. Final Rating: 8/10.

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Hacksaw Ridge (2016) – Film Review

/ Joe Baker / Leave a comment

Serving as both an intense war film as well as the real-life biography of Desmond T. Doss, ‘Hacksaw Ridge’ is a respected Oscar-nominated film which deserves much of the praise it receives, as through the stand out performance by Andrew Garfield alongside the attractive cinematography by Simon Duggan and array of tense moments, ‘Hacksaw Ridge’ soon becomes a very emotional and memorable experience for any viewer, whether overly familiar with the war genre or not.

Plot Summary: After volunteering to enlist in the U.S. Army during World War II, American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, who served during the Battle of Okinawa, refused to kill anyone, despite push-back from his superiors. Soon becoming the first man in American history to receive a Medal of Honor without firing a single shot on the battlefield…

Directed by Mel Gibson (Braveheart, The Passion of the Christ, Apocalypto), ‘Hacksaw Ridge’ is most effective when displaying war at its most brutal, never turning away from displaying the graphic violence and horrific destruction World War II inflicted on many people’s lives, and while the film can sometimes go a little too far when it comes to its gore (feeling a little tasteless and over-the-top at points). I did find ‘Hacksaw Ridge’ more engaging than many similar films within the war genre, and the grim atmosphere the film presents is sure to keep any audience member constantly on the edge-of-their-seat.

The main cast of Andrew Garfield, Teresa Palmer, Hugo Weaving, Rachel Griffiths and Luke Bracey are all phenomenal, with Garfield, in particular, delivering a fantastic performance as Desmond T. Doss. Never failing to portray him as a likeable and brave man thrown into the dark world of war, despite a huge amount of scenes being left on the cutting-room floor as a result of time, which I feel is a shame, as the film isn’t overly long and could’ve benefitted from a few more moments of characterisation. However, ‘Hacksaw Ridge’ also features some extremely peculiar choices when it comes to the supporting cast, as Vince Vaughn and Sam Worthington both portray strict war camp generals early on in the story, which in spite of them both giving fairly decent performances within their roles, I couldn’t help but feel their characters could’ve been better cast.

Although the cinematography by Simon Duggan isn’t anything overly incredible throughout the runtime, the film does have a number of visually pleasing shots, in addition to the film utilising an array of hand-held shots to further the film’s presentation of the uncontrollable chaos of war. Unfortunately, despite not being used heavily throughout the film, the shots involving CGI that we do see could definitely do with some improvement, as the CG effects for the film’s enormous battleships and fiery explosions do look a little unusual when compared to the film’s time-period-accurate battlefront.

The original score by Rupert Gregson-Williams is one of the stronger elements of the film, however, as the soundtrack helps to build tension throughout the story, in addition to being surprisingly memorable. Although, in my opinion, I always felt the score never quite managed to build tension as well as the score for ‘Dunkirk,’ or had the huge emotional impact as the original score from one of the definitive war films; ‘Saving Private Ryan,’ which stopped the soundtrack from reaching the heights it truly could. That being said, the late James Horner was initially attached to the film after being the composer for much of Gibson’s other work. But, after Horner’s untimely death, another composer was brought on before Rupert Gregson-Williams was eventually finalised on, so the film’s soundtrack has been through a very rough-road of development.

One area of the film I feel is fairly underappreciated is the make-up and costume design, as every horrific injury seen throughout the film always appears realistic and looks extremely painful, whilst every costume also feels very accurate to the film’s time-period, almost making the film appear as if the production actually took place during World War II itself. These elements also help make-up for some of the weak writing early on in the film, as whilst the film’s writing isn’t awful by any means, a large amount of the dialogue could be seen as a little cheesy/cliché when it comes to developing the film’s characters.

In summary, ‘Hacksaw Ridge’ is one of those rare films that is both entertaining and distressing, whilst it isn’t quite perfect in its execution, mostly due to its few small issues in regards to its writing, excessive violence and supporting cast. I still feel all of these problems are mostly minor when compared to the remainder of the film, as ‘Hacksaw Ridge’s brilliant war-torn visuals and tense atmosphere on top of the memorable and charismatic performance by Andrew Garfield, leave ‘Hacksaw Ridge’ a captivating biopic I feel many should see at least once. Final Rating: low 8/10.

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A Clockwork Orange (1972) – Film Review

/ Joe Baker / 1 Comment

Despite being very unusual and even somewhat disturbing throughout, legendary director Stanley Kubrick (2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket) brings to life one of the best films of his career, as ‘A Clockwork Orange’ explores an original story with some impressive cinematography and set design, all leading the film to become very iconic and memorable within its own right. Even surpassing the novel it’s originally based on by Anthony Burgess, with Kubrick crafting one of his most faithful adaptations to date.

Plot Summary: In the near future, the young sadistic gang leader; Alex, is imprisoned after a violent event goes public, forcing him to serve time. But, with the promise of an early release, ‘Alex’ is eventually lead to volunteer for a conduct-aversion experiment, which doesn’t go as he anticipated…

Although the narrative throughout ‘A Clockwork Orange’ never fails to be engaging, usually focusing heavily on dark themes of insanity, violence and morals. I do feel the film could definitely be seen as too intense for some viewers, as although the large amount of nudity and torture does serve the film’s story, it could also be seen as tasteless for some, regardless of the film’s overall lack of blood and gore during many of the violent scenes.

Ignoring the unbelievable performance from Malcolm McDowell as the psychotic protagonist; ‘Alex,’ Warren Clarke, Aubrey Morris, James Marcus, Michael Bates and Carl Duering are all excellent in their respective roles, despite their very limited screen-time and development, and although the over-the-top British accents many of the characters have may put some viewers off, I do feel it fits well within the interesting sci-fi world the film sets up. However, we do get another appearance near the end of the film from a character, known as ‘Mr. Alexander,’ portrayed by the late Patrick Magee. Who, despite being an important character within the plot, gives a performance a little too ridiculous, in my opinion, as his facial expressions end up coming across as more comedic than emotional during his dramatic scene nearing the end of the runtime.

The cinematography by the late John Alcott definitely adds another level to the film, as the enormous amount of movement and uncomfortable close-ups throughout the film really add to the story itself, including the now-iconic; ‘Kubrick Stare,’ which can be seen in many of his films. In addition to the fantastic cinematography, however, is also the brilliant editing, which perfectly fits the film’s style, almost as if ‘Alex’ himself is taking the audience through the story within his erratic mind. This also links back to his narration, which is present throughout the film and is brimming with plenty of well-written and memorable dialogue.

The original score by Wendy Carlos is another element of the film I really enjoy, utilising an electronic soundtrack to further push the weird tone of the film, as the score recreates many of ‘Alex’s favourite classic songs in an interesting way, resulting in a soundtrack that’s both memorable and unique. The film also uses a variety of iconic songs very effectively, perfectly capturing the insanity within the main group of misfits. One of the most memorable moments of the film even comes from this, as ‘Alex’ brutally beats a couple whilst singing the classic song; ‘Singin’ in the Rain.’

As previously mentioned, ‘A Clockwork Orange’ is also one of the few films where the sets are incredibly iconic by themselves, as each location the characters visit is always colourful and visually appealing. From the ‘Korova Milk Bar’ through to the London apartment ‘Alex’ and his parents call home, every set has plenty of 1970s style mixed-in with some science fiction aspects (this also applies to the many wonderful costumes on display throughout the film). There were also a number of interesting scenes that were left on the cutting-room floor, including more scenes set within the ‘Korova Milk Bar,’ among plenty of other scenes focusing on the characters committing more horrible acts.

In summary, ‘A Clockwork Orange’ is an extremely bizarre yet incredible experience, as the film is just as interesting to discuss as it is to watch among many film fans. Containing plenty of hidden messages and underlying themes alongside its phenomenal filmmaking and brilliant story, I feel the film is truly one of Kubrick’s best, despite not beating out my personal favourite; ‘The Shining.’ So, although ‘A Clockwork Orange’ isn’t without its flaws, I would still highly recommend this one for anyone seeking something a little more out there, and of course, also due to its huge impact on pop culture and the film industry, alike. Final Rating: 8/10.

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Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) – Film Review

/ Joe Baker / Leave a comment

Many years after the original ‘Planet of the Apes’ franchise ended, the series was rebooted in its entirety with a new ‘Planet of the Apes’ trilogy, with these films almost serving as prequels to the original films, as well as being set within their own timeline. ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’ was the first of this new series, and surprised many people upon its initial release in 2011.

Plot Summary: When a substance designed to help the brain repair itself and cure Alzheimer’s gives advanced intelligence to a chimpanzee, named; ‘Caesar,’ he soon begins to enhance other apes in order to lead an ape uprising through the city of San Francisco…

Although I was never overly invested in the original ‘Planet of the Apes’ film from 1968, as I was always familiar with the sci-fi classic purely through its iconic plot twist near the end of its narrative, I personally feel that director Rupert Wyatt (The Escapist, The Gambler, Captive State) did a pretty great job revamping the science fiction series, as despite the film having plenty of sci-fi elements throughout its story, the film is mostly grounded in reality, focusing more on being a tense thriller with small elements of science fiction scattered throughout the runtime.

Andy Serkis takes on the difficult role of portraying the completely CG protagonist; ‘Caesar,’ and does a superb job of it, as he manages to capture the movements and mannerisms of an ape perfectly through motion capture (which is even more impressive when considering that the film was one of the earliest to use a motion capture setup on location), all whilst ensuring the audience sympathises with ‘Caesar.’ In addition to Andy Serkis, the rest of the cast of James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow and Brian Cox, are all decent in their roles, despite the film having the occasional cliché line of dialogue for most characters.

The cinematography by Andrew Lesnie is visually pleasing for the most part, having a variety of attractive shots as well as having plenty of movement especially when following the apes sprinting or climbing. The way many of the shots are also framed further feeds into the theme of man controlling nature (which is present throughout the film). Many of the scenes set within the ape sanctuary also link back to this theme, including my personal favourite scene of the film; ‘Caesar Speaks,’ which is executed perfectly.

Despite the later films in the trilogy being composed by the fantastic Michael Giacchino, the original score by Patrick Doyle is decent throughout the film, as while it definitely doesn’t have a variety of memorable tracks, the soundtrack does back up many of the action scenes and more emotional moments quite well. I also felt the sound design throughout the film helped add to the film’s realism, mostly through the enormous amount of ape roars, squeals and grunts, whenever the animals interacted with humans or each other.

The CG effects throughout the film still hold up surprisingly well, as although the visual effects have definitely aged since the film’s release in 2011, and the CG visuals are for sure the weakest when it comes to the entire trilogy. The visuals effects are still heavily detailed and feel very real when placed into their locations, which is lucky, as if not, I do feel the weak CG effects could’ve possibly derailed some of the excellent performances from the cast. Aside from the flaws already mentioned with the visual effects, however, the action scenes throughout the film are handled pretty well, as many would probably know this film mostly for its huge action set piece on San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge.

In summary, ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’ may not be the best film within the new trilogy, but it definitely is a very strong start, as although the visual effects may be lacking at points, the great cinematography, decent original score, and brilliant motion capture all backing up Andy Serkis’ outstanding performance, all leads this initial entry to have plenty of entertainment value throughout its runtime, and I’d be very surprised if this first film doesn’t make many viewers want to continue on with this sci-fi series. Final Rating: 8/10.

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Children of Men (2006) – Film Review

/ Joe Baker / 1 Comment

An intelligent, dark, and grounded sci-fi film, with ‘Children of Men’ director Alfonso Cuaron (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Gravity, Roma) crafts a truly memorable experience, as the film’s fresh take on the science fiction genre combines some great performances, alongside decent writing and some absolutely incredible cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki, alongside many scenes throughout the film being done within a single take.

Plot Summary: In a world in which women have somehow become infertile, former activist; ‘Theo Faron,’ agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman across a war-ridden country out to a sanctuary at sea in order to save the human race…

Based on the acclaimed novel; ‘The Children of Men’ by P. D. James, the film adaptation begins its narrative in a similar fashion to its source material, as the story kicks off with a quick peek into the grim world of the film, as the protagonist; ‘Theo,’ makes his way into a small café to grab a coffee. This soon leading onto a very shocking moment, which instantly establishes the tone of the film, and really helps give the audience a clear understanding of how these characters are coping with this reality. This soon leads onto the opening becoming very iconic in its own right (as well as my personal favourite scene of the film) and still feels effective, even today.

When it comes to the characters, all the performances throughout the film are pretty great, as every actor is really giving their all here regardless of the importance of their roles within the story as Clive Owen, Clare-Hope Ashitey, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Caine are all terrific. Julianne Moore as ‘Julian,’ in particular, was a stand out for me, however, having some very memorable moments within only a short amount of screen-time. This is also one of the few films where I must really praise the extras, as many of the continuous takes are done using enormous amounts of extras, and from the foreground through to the background, there isn’t one out-of-place extra.

Every piece of the cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki throughout the film is nothing short of phenomenal, using hand-held shots to the best of their advantage. Many scenes are filmed from the perspective of the characters, placing the audience in their own tense scenarios. Furthermore, the dark grey colour palette of the film also lends itself well to the war-ridden country setting, as every location always feels rustic, dirty, and lived-in. The original score by John Tavener is also effective, despite being used sparingly throughout the film to further add to the bleak atmosphere.

My only real criticisms with the film are related to the lack of character depth and the film’s overall pacing, as the pacing throughout the film is extremely slow, leading to many scenes feeling a little drawn out at points. Despite this slow pace sometimes adding to the building of tension, it feels mostly unnecessary for most of the film’s runtime. The lack of characterisation throughout the film is also a problem, as although a few characters do get some development, it’s usually few and far between, as I found myself finding more information about the characters online than within the film itself, luckily, however, the decent writing does save this from being a huge issue.

In summary, ‘Children of Men’ is an exceptional piece of the sci-fi genre. Coming across as a very different approach than what you’d usually expect from a film such as this one, the film almost feels like more of an apocalyptic drama at points. But, with a thought-provoking narrative, some amazing cinematography, and a fantastic cast, ‘Children of Men’ truly is a very captivating (if not a very bleak) piece of entertainment, which never fails to impress me every time I revisit it. Final Rating: 8/10.

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It Follows (2015) – Film Review

/ Joe Baker / Leave a comment

‘It Follows’ is easily one of my favourite modern horrors to date, as the film utilises some amazing cinematography by Mike Gioulakis, alongside an extremely eerie atmosphere and some decent performances. All tied in perfectly with an original and engaging story, resulting in a film that’s both very memorable, and very tense throughout.

Plot Summary: After a seemingly innocent sexual encounter, teenager ‘Jay’ finds herself plagued by strange visions and the inescapable sense that someone (or something) is following her. Faced with this burden, ‘Jay’ and her friends must find a way to escape their new nightmare, that seems to always be just a few steps behind…

Mostly due to the direction by David Robert Mitchell (The Myth of the American Sleepover, Under the Silver Lake), ‘It Follows’ feels very polished throughout, as every scene usually plays out very slowly, always using the screen-time to build more tension, which I quite enjoyed, I also found the underlying themes of the film very interesting, as the film’s narrative subtly explores ideas of sexual diseases through its unique plot. However, one element of David’s direction I personally don’t like is the lack of any specific time-period for the film’s setting, as although the majority of the film does feel like a classic 1980s monster flick, the film constantly shows many modern devices and cars, in addition to a variety of old horror films on ‘Jay’s television. Making the film feel very inconsistent, despite this being an intentional decision.

As a cast of mostly unknown actors, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Lili Sepe, and Olivia Luccardi all give decent performances here, as while nothing truly phenomenal of note, all the characters do feel as if they have chemistry with each other, with Maika Monroe being the obvious stand out, of course, as although her character doesn’t get much development, she portrays ‘Jay’ quite well, coming off as a mostly innocent and likeable teenager.

The cinematography by Mike Gioulakis is nothing short of brilliant, especially in regards to many other horrors. As aside from a few too many hand-held shots, the film constantly uses the camera to build tension and paranoia throughout the entirety of its tight runtime, as in addition to filling the film with a variety of beautiful shots (many of which contain large amounts of movement). The film also uses plenty of P.O.V. shots to see through ‘Jay’s eyes, placing the audience in the terrifying position of the protagonist themselves. ‘It Follows’ is also mainly using wide-angle lenses, which according to David Robert Mitchell, was done in order to give the film a more expansive, intimidating feel.

One of my favourite aspects of the film is definitely the original score by ‘Disasterpeace,’ as this synth score (which was composed in only three weeks) really lends itself well to the film’s eerie atmosphere, creating an original soundtrack which is just as tense and chaotic as it is memorable. This does fall back on the problem of the film not being set within the ’80s again, however, as this original score would fit in perfectly, especially with the tracks; ‘Heels,’ ‘Title,’ ‘Jay’ and ‘Pool.’

As opposed to many other modern horrors, ‘It Follows’ has a noticeable lack of jump-scares, as the film is usually in favour of attempting to use simple yet creepy visuals hidden within the background of shots, which really gives the film a very fresh feel. ‘It Follows’ also separates itself from many other modern horrors by having many of the scenes involving the creature take place during the daytime and/or in locations such as a bright sandy beach or even ‘Jay’s bedroom, locations many would think to be safe for our characters.

In summary, I truly enjoy ‘It Follows’ from beginning-to-end, as the film is a genuine horror experience which takes risks and doesn’t simply feel like more of the same ideas we have seen before, as the fantastic cinematography and original score help create a film that we keep any horror fan engaged in this thrilling story, and while the film may not be entirely flawless, I really do hope more films within this genre can succeed as well as this one does. Final Rating: 8/10.

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Ghost Stories (2018) – Film Review

/ Joe Baker / Leave a comment

Based on the West End play of the same name written by Jeremy Dyson, ‘Ghost Stories’ is a British horror directed by Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman, featuring many tension-filled scenes and plenty of clever story elements throughout, it’s not quite the cliché horror you might expect, as the film definitely takes a unique approach with its storytelling and ideas, and I would say I enjoyed the film quite a bit due to this, although I feel this may not be the same for everyone.

Plot Summary: Sceptical professor; ‘Phillip Goodman,’ embarks on a trip into the terrifying world of the paranormal, after he is given a file with details of three unexplained cases of apparitions to investigate…

Whilst nothing incredibly original for a horror narrative, this story does allow the film to have almost an anthology-like structure in a way, with the three separate case files all being their own contained story. The film also takes a very interesting direction for the majority of its runtime, mostly focusing on the paranoia and imagination of the human mind, and how certain tragic events throughout life can lead the mind to wander. Whilst I personally think this is a very creative way to explore paranormal encounters and the horror genre in general, I can definitely say not every horror fan would enjoy this element, as I can see many hating this film mainly due to its exploration of these ideas. This concept even plays-into title of the film, which was misspelled as ‘Ghost Stories’ in much of the pre-release media. This was done to accord with the film’s tagline; ‘The Brain Sees What it Wants to See.’

Andy Nyman portrays the main protagonist of the film (Phillip Goodman), and I’d say he does a pretty great job with the arrogant character he is given, especially being a mostly unknown actor. Then, of course, we also have Phil Whitehouse, Alex Lawther and Martin Freeman as the various victims of the cases, who I also quite enjoyed watching. All the performances here are also backed-up by the writing in the film, as I feel the writing is pretty on point here. Having many elements of dark comedy along with giving some development to the various characters and having some little pieces of information hidden within dialogue for later in the narrative.

The cinematography by Ole Bratt Birkeland is pretty impressive throughout, only having a few shots throughout the runtime which I thought were a little bland. ‘Ghost Stories’ also utilises many wide shots throughout the film which really lend themselves to the eerie atmosphere, alongside the hauntingly beautiful original score which also lends itself to the film. This time being handled by Haim Frank Ilfman, a composer who I actually hadn’t heard of before this film. But, I do hope to see his name in credits more following on from this, as the soundtrack works perfectly throughout the film, changing from emotional to tense, to chaotic, without ever feeling rushed.

My main criticism of the film is the usual issue I have with modern horrors, as while I do feel this film builds-up a lot more of an eerie atmosphere than many other horrors. The film is still littered with jump-scares, and while I do believe jump-scares can work if used to a minimal extent, here I felt many of them were just thrown in a points without much reason, the film does have plenty of visual horror however which I appreciate. Another small issue I have is the design of one of the creatures we see in the film, as to me it’s design felt very out-of-place when compared to the other paranormal entities we see within the story, but again, this is only a small issue.

In summary, ‘Ghost Stories’ is a very distinct horror film, as while I don’t think the film is perfect, I did find it pretty entertaining for the majority of my watch. Having an original story and great direction as well as many attractive shots along with some great writing and a terrific original score, I’d say the film is a definite watch for someone seeking something a little different from the horror genre. Final Rating: low 8/10.

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