Tag Archives: 3 stars

Contagion * * *

Genre: Thriller

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Writer: Scott Z. Burns

Cast: Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Marion Cotillard, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law, Jennifer Ehle, Kate Winslet

Running Length: 105 minutes

Synopsis: Contagion follows the rapid progress of a lethal airborne virus that kills within days. As the fast moving epidemic grows, the worldwide medical community races to find a cure and control the panic that spreads faster than the virus itself. At the same time, ordinary people struggle to survive in a society coming apart.

Review: if not for the multitude of A-list stars that populate this movie, it would be easy to mistake Contagion to be a documentary of a real virus outbreak. The trailer may lead one to believe that this is a melodramatic, high-octane thriller, but the truth is quite far removed from that. This is a controlled, meticulously filmed movie that almost feels like a reality program, and the extent to which it potentially mirrors real life is rather disturbing to say the least.

Soderbergh is one of the most versatile directors of our time, and although the multi-prong structure is something that he had already explored (with great success) in Traffic, the complex narrative in Contagion is still a welcome change from the current norm. The screenplay by Scott Z. Burns runs the gamut, covering personal, familial life to much broader national and global perspectives, and yet manages to marry most of them together pretty well. There are almost no melodramatic moments in Contagion, but the film cuts so close to home that it is more gripping and disconcerting than any action-thriller that I have seen in a long while.       

With the amount of talent on hand, it’s not difficult to find at least a couple of great performances in Contagion. Matt Damon is quietly effective as the grieving husband and overprotective father, and both Kate Winslet and Marion Cotillard are highly memorable in the handful of scenes they feature in. The standout, however, is Jennifer Ehle, whose portrayal of the fearless Dr Ally Haskell is one of the most dimensional, and easily becomes one of the emotional centres of the film that many audience members would identify with.

This isn’t a perfect film by any measure – it does begin to lose steam in its final reel, and with the many varied storylines and characters it was only natural that a few of the subplots feel unfinished even when the credits roll. It may probably have been better to have left some parts out – the Jude Law component to me felt particularly superfluous – but as a whole this is a very absorbing movie, and one that will definitely leave you with much food for thought (and reaching for the hand sanitizer).

Rating: *** (out of four stars)

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Crazy Stupid Love * * *

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Directors: Glenn Ficarra & John Requa

Writer: Dan Fogelman

Cast: Steve Carrell, Julianne Moore, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone

Running Length: 118 minutes

Synopsis: Fortysomething, straight-laced Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) is living the dream – good job, nice house, great kids and marriage to his high school sweetheart. But when Cal learns that his wife, Emily (Julianne Moore), has cheated on him and wants a divorce, his “perfect” life quickly unravels. Worse, in today’s single world, Cal, who hasn’t dated in decades, stands out as the epitome of un-smooth. Now spending his free evenings sulking alone at a local bar, the hapless Cal is taken on as wingman and protégé to handsome, thirtysomething player Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling). In an effort to help Cal get over his wife and start living his life, Jacob opens Cal’s eyes to the many options before him: flirty women, manly drinks and a sense of style that can’t be found at Supercuts or The Gap. Despite Cal’s makeover and his many new conquests, the one thing that can’t be made over is his heart, which seems to keep leading him back to where he began.  

Review: It’s very difficult to find a fresh romantic comedy these days, as this is one of the genres that have literally been done to death. This is why Crazy Stupid Love comes across as a surprise – it’s funny and touching at the same time, and whilst not all its attempts at breaking out of the confines of the romantic comedy are successful, it’s different enough to set it apart from many similar films.

Crazy Stupid Love is essentially an ensemble movie much like Love, Actually and its ilk, but the film has a smaller cast with stronger associations to each other. However, the film also suffers from character bias, with some characters getting much more screen time than the rest. This isn’t necessarily a flaw, but all the characters in Crazy Stupid Love are so interesting that the imbalance may leave some audiences craving for more. It is to the cast’s credit that almost the entire ensemble is engaging, with even the younger actors putting in a relatively good effort.

The standout is Ryan Gosling, who has proven repeatedly that he is a great actor, and in Crazy Stupid Love he brings the right mix of smarminess and vulnerability, and although he has relatively less screen time compared to Steve Carrell, Gosling’s scenes (especially those with Emma Stone) are very memorable. Julianne Moore has even less face time, but her nuanced portrayal of a middle-aged woman in a quandary about her love and married life is one of the best I’ve seen in years. There’s also great chemistry between the main leads, and in a romantic comedy this is what ultimately makes or breaks the film.

One of the other little pleasures of Crazy Stupid Love lies in its excellent soundtrack, which features an eclectic mix of music ranging from Thievery Corporation to Nina Simone. Music can add a lot of texture to a film, and this is definitely the case in Crazy Stupid Love. (A side note, Late Night Alumni’s You Can Be the One is featured in the film but not on the soundtrack album – definitely a song to check out)

Interestingly, it’s the smaller scenes in Crazy Stupid Love that work well – some truly standout sequences include a phone conversation between Steve Carrell and Julianne Moore, and another scene in which Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone make drunken small talk. In contrast, the big, plot-resolving set pieces near the end of the film feel farcical and artificial, and is one of the reasons why the film doesn’t rank higher on my list of romantic comedies. However, it manages to hit a good number of right notes as a romantic comedy, and is definitely one of the better films released of late.

Rating: *** (out of four stars)

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The Hangover Part II * * *

Genre: Comedy

Director: Todd Philips

Writers: Craig Mazin, Scott Armstrong and Todd Philips

Cast: Bradley Cooper, Zach Galiafinakis, Ed Helms, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong

Running Length: 102 minutes

Synopsis: The Hangover Part II is director Todd Phillips’ follow-up to 2009’s smash hit The Hangover, which became the highest-grossing R-rated comedy of all-time and also won the Golden Globe for Best Film – Comedy or Musical. Reprising their roles from The Hangover, Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, and Justin Bartha star in the film. In the sequel, Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), Alan (Zach Galifianakis) and Doug (Justin Bartha) travel to exotic Thailand for Stu’s wedding. After the unforgettable bachelor party in Las Vegas, Stu is taking no chances and has opted for a safe, subdued pre-wedding brunch. However, things don’t always go as planned. What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, but what happens in Bangkok can’t even be imagined…

Review: Nobody expected The Hangover to do as well as it did when it was released in 2009, and it eventually became the highest grossing R-rated comedy of all time. This is obviously the biggest reason why The Hangover Part II is seeing light of day this year, but can lightning strike twice? The answer, unsurprisingly, is both yes and no. While The Hangover Part II is very entertaining, it’s almost an identical rehash of The Hangover despite the change in locale, and lacking the element of surprise the sequel just feels less inspired than its predecessor.

Todd Philips and his creative team obviously decided to justify the existence of this sequel by upping the ante, but this is a ploy that works unevenly. Everything is bigger – the setup of the gags, the stakes, and even the (somewhat pointless) action – but the whole is less than the sum of its parts. And that really is the biggest weakness of the film, likely to overlooked by most audiences since the cinematic experience remains pretty much on par with that of its predecessor.

There are still plenty of things to like about The Hangover Part II despite this. The politically incorrect and crude humour can still be very funny, even if it gets a little forced at times. It may not be a laugh a minute, but it does come pretty close. The central mystery is still intriguing despite being extremely far-fetched, and the denouement is pretty satisfactory, even if it seems a bit rushed. And like the first film, the end credit photo montage packs some of the best visual gags in the movie.  

It is undeniable that the leads are very flawed and yet very likeable characters, and the chemistry between the actors have only grown stronger in the sequel. Much as they are in a totally improbable situation, the audience is always rooting for the group to solve the mystery and ride off into the sunset. And this is essentially why The Hangover Part II will be a box office success – even though the proceedings are a bit old-hat, there will be enough empathy/sympathy with these characters that most audiences will be very forgiving. One wonders, however, if audiences would be as forgiving the third inevitable time around.  

Rating: * * * (out of four stars)

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Kung Fu Panda 2 * * *

Genre: Animation

Director: Jennifer Yuh Nelson

Writers: Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger

Voice Cast: Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Gary Oldman, Angelina Jolie,  Seth Rogen, Jackie Chan, David Cross, Lucy Liu, Michelle Yeoh, Jean Claude Van-Damme

Running Length: 90 minutes

Synopsis: In Kung Fu Panda 2, Po (Jack Black) is now living his dream as The Dragon Warrior, protecting the Valley of Peace alongside his friends and fellow kung fu masters, The Furious Five (Angelina Jolie, Jackie Cham, David Cross, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu) .  But Po’s new life of awesomeness is threatened by the emergence of a formidable villain Shen (Gary Oldman), who plans to use a secret, unstoppable weapon to conquer China and destroy kung fu.  Po must look to his past and uncover the secrets of his mysterious origins; only then will he be able to unlock the strength he needs to succeed.

Review: Two words encompass what Kung Fu Panda 2 would mean for most cinemagoers – crowd-pleaser. Although it doesn’t even try to deviate slightly from the formula set in the first film, and perhaps exactly because of this, Kung Fu Panda 2 has a lot of ticks in the right checkboxes. It’s a beautifully animated, consistently funny film with a good number of well-choreographed action set pieces that will be able to entertain both children and adults (more the former), despite being very light on plot and completely wasting the numerous A-list stars found in its voice cast. Somewhat surprisingly, I found myself enjoying Kung Fu Panda 2 even more than the original film, which, believe it or not, means this franchise shares a common trait with the Godfather movies.

Jack Black, despite his manic intensity and crazed performances, is not always an asset to a movie (case in point: Gulliver’s Travels), but as the voice behind Po, it is a partnership that works very well. Perhaps it’s because we never really see Jack Black in the flesh, and the panda persona is actually far more cuddly and crowd-friendly than his real self. Gary Oldman is a new addition to the voice cast, but is perfectly in his element as the central villain in the film, and his nuanced vocal delivery helps to give Shen some much needed dimensionality. The same cannot be said of any of the very well-known actors who have lent their voices to the film, especially when a few of them have literally nothing more than a handful of lines to deliver.

The world of Kung Fu Panda 2 is lushly detailed and richly coloured, which really needs to be seen without 3D glasses and their dimming effect to be fully appreciated. Coupled with the facts that pretty much nothing significant happens in the third dimension, and that some of the action sequences can be quite hard to follow in 3D, there’s very little reason to shell out more to watch this film in 3D.

Although Kung Fu Panda 2 does try to introduce a little pathos with the somewhat clichéd origins story behind both the villain and the protagonist, the plot is not the film’s strong suit. There also seems to be a rather ill-advised attempt to create some romantic tension between Po and Tigress, which seems rather out of place and never gets resolved fully – perhaps it’s waiting for a second sequel. However, the film is so entertaining with its witty banter and action sequences that the little flaws pretty much cease to matter. This isn’t a revolutionary animated film by any measure,  but it’s entertaining and accessible, and is the most family friendly film to be released this summer season so far.

Rating: * * * (out of four stars)

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Fast and Furious 5 * * *

Genre: Action
 
Director: Justin Lin

Writer: Chris Morgan

Cast: Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Jordana Brewster, Dwayne Johnson

Running Length: 130 minutes

Synopsis: In this instalment of the Fast and Furious series, former cop Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) partners with ex-con Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) on the opposite side of the law. Since Brian and Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster) broke Dom out of custody, they've blown across many borders to elude authorities. Now backed into a corner in Rio de Janeiro, they must pull one last job in order to gain their freedom. As they assemble their elite team of top racers, the unlikely allies know their only shot of getting out for good means confronting the corrupt businessman who wants them dead. But he's not the only one on their tail. Hard-nosed federal agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) never misses his target. When he is assigned to track down Dom and Brian, he and his strike team launch an all-out assault to capture them. But as his men tear through Brazil, Hobbs learns he can't separate the good guys from the bad. Now, he must rely on his instincts to corner his prey… before someone else runs them down first.

Review: Although this is ostensibly the fourth sequel in the Fast and Furious franchise, Fast and Furious 5 is a departure from the series’ street racing roots. More a heist movie along the lines of Ocean’s Eleven and The Italian Job, there are almost no “true” racing sequences in the film apart from the climactic finale – street racing and car enthusiasts may feel a little cheated, but action fiends will find themselves with quite an adrenaline rush at the end of the movie.

The laws of physics have never really come into play for movies like this one, but Fast and Furious 5 goes one step further and totally ignores the existence of physics. It’s a grand visual spectacle for sure, especially the final reel – but one must not allow any rational thought to seep in or the reality check will ruin the proceedings.

Like all heist movies, the truly fun part of Fast and Furious 5 is when the crew is put together and the caper executed, and this is done pretty well despite the collective lack of acting skills. However, the film runs at least a half hour too long, and some judicious editing will really have helped to move things along. Much as the action sequences are well choreographed, more than two hours of high octane action and literally thousands of quick cuts makes the viewing experience a little more fatiguing than it should be.

An interesting addition in this instalment is Dwayne Johnson, who plays an FBI agent who’s doggedly on the crew’s trail. Both Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson were pipped to be the spiritual successors to Schwarzenegger and Stallone, and while both have not really lived up to this expectation, the close quarters combat sequence between the two action stars is one of the highlights of the movie.

This is the quintessential Summer blockbuster – loud, mindless action that is actually very enjoyable once you look past its flaws. Stay for mid-credits sequence that features a surprise cameo and promises at least one more movie in the franchise – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing considering how Fast and Furious 5 has turned out.

Rating: * * * (out of four stars)

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Hall Pass * * *

Genre: Comedy

Directors: Peter and Bobby Farrelly

Writers: Pete Jones, Peter Farrelly, Kevin Barnett and Bobby Farrelly

Cast: Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Jenna Fischer, Christina Applegate, Nicky Whelan, Richard Jenkins

Running Length: 104 minutes

Synopsis: Rick (Owen Wilson) and Fred (Jason Sudeikis) are best friends who have a lot in common, including the fact that they have each been married for many years. But when the two men begin to show signs of restlessness at home, their wives (Jenna Fischer and Christina Applegate) take a bold approach to revitalizing their marriages: granting them a “hall pass”, one week of freedom to do whatever they want with no questions asked. At first, it sounds like a dream come true for Rick and Fred. But it isn’t long before they discover that their expectations of the single life – and themselves – are completely, and hilariously, out of sync with reality.

Review: A lot has changed since the Farrelly Brothers’ breakout hit, There’s Something About Mary, was released thirteen years ago. What were groundbreaking back then – crude sexual jokes, gross out sight gags and the like – have now become the norm in most R-rated comedies. Hall Pass may not exactly have pushed the boundaries of such comedies, but like many Farrelly Brothers’ movies, it does have something that many of such comedies lack – a heart.

Although Hall Pass boasts a fair number of shocking moments (none more disgustingly memorable than the scene where Fred has to deal with a drunk woman) and is actually laugh-out-loud funny at times, what really sets it apart is that the film actually manages to offer some pretty good insights into relationships and monogamy. It actually gets pretty sentimental at times, toeing the line of schmaltziness, but as a whole both the comedic and “serious” moments work well together.

Hall Pass is far from being perfect – the decision to feature both the husbands’ and the wives’ storylines means that something has to give, and in this instance it’s the wives’ stories, which feel woefully underdeveloped. There is enough fodder for a whole other movie, so the inclusion of these subplots merely detracts from the main story. Also, despite Rick and Fred having a number of friends, none of them seem to have any real personality other than Richard Jenkin’s late appearance, who then manages to steal the limelight from the two leads in every scene they share. The film is also fairly predictable throughout, and most of the plot developments are easily figured out, including the shock moments.

Hall Pass won’t be as enduring as There’s Something About Mary, and despite the scatological humour and male nudity, comes across as a relatively tame film. Whilst it’s a tough sell to anyone who doesn’t like lowbrow, slapstick humour, most audiences will likely find themselves pretty entertained.  

P.S. One more thing – don’t forget to stay through the entire end credits to catch a seriously funny outtake that involves a minor cast member. It truly is comedy gold.

Rating: * * * (out of four stars)

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Made in Dagenham * * *

Genre: Drama

Director: Nigel Cole

Writer: William Ivory

Cast: Sally Hawkins, Bob Hoskins, Geraldine James, Miranda Richardson, Rosamund Pike

Running Length: 113 minutes 

Synopsis: Set against the backdrop of the 1960s, Made in Dagenham is based on a true story about a group of spirited women who joined forces to protest for equal wages. Rita O’Grady (Sally Hawkins), along with her friends and co-workers at the city’s Ford Motor Factory go on strike to protest the unfair wages. Rita is coerced into attending a meeting with shop steward Connie (Geraldine James), sympathetic union representative Albert (Bob Hoskins) and Peter Hopkins (Rupert Graves), Ford’s Head of Industrial Relations. What she expects to be simply a day out of work, complete with a free lunch, turns into much more when she and her colleagues become outraged by the lack of respect shown in the meeting to the women employees. Rita becomes the main driving force of the equal wages movement, and soon it spreads nationwide, and even attracts the attention of the government, especially newly appointed Secretary of State Barbara Castle (Miranda Richardson).

Review: To be honest, I wasn’t expecting Made in Dagenham to be anything but a run of the mill female empowerment movie. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how entertaining and engrossing the film turned out to be. Much of this can be attributed to the excellent ensemble cast, in particular Sally Hawkin’s spirited, delightful turn as the accidental heroine. Although the film is based on a true story, Made in Dagenham does feel a little too pat and tidy for real life, but nonetheless it manages to be a compelling piece of filmmaking. 

Sally Hawkins was suitably impressive in her Oscar-nominated role in Happy-Go-Lucky, and while her portrayal of the plucky Rita O’Grady is not as accomplished, she brings an optimism and a twinkle in the eye to the proceedings, making the film more light-hearted than the traditional feminist movie. Miranda Richardson also deserves kudos, turning the bit part of a government bigwig into a full-on role, and Rosamund Pike is extremely memorable as the underappreciated wife of a Ford official, despite appearing in a limited number of scenes. 

The women’s strike is fodder enough for one movie, and one of the few missteps in Made in Dagenham is its addition of unnecessary subplots – for example, there’s Rita’s co-worker who has to deal with her shell-shocked husband. Although these are compelling side stories, they are not well-connected with the central story and as such feel like they are padding out the running time of the film. It’s also a rather predictable film that ends up exactly where everyone would expect it to be, but the final product is so enjoyable and satisfying that few audience members would be complaining once the end credits roll.

Rating: * * * (out of four stars)
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Space Battleship Yamato * * *

Genre: Sci-Fi

Director: Takashi Yamazaki

Writer: Shimako Sato, based on the anime TV series Space Battleship Yamato by Leiji Matsumoto and Yoshinobu Nishizaki

Cast: Takuya Kimura, Meisa Kuroki, Hiroyuko Ikeuchi

Running Length: 137 minutes

Synopsis: It is the year 2194. The Gamilas, an enemy of undetermined form, begin an invasion of Earth. The nations of Earth pool their forces and fight back, but their armies are defeated and most of humanity wiped out.

Five years later, in 2199, space-to-planet bombs have polluted the Earth, and those who remain alive have fled underground. Even former top pilot, Susumu Kodai (Takuya Kimura), has left the military. However, a communication capsule from the far off planet of Iskandar seems to bring hope for Earth. The Defense Force of Earth equips the Space Battleship Yamato with a previously unknown propulsion system, a ‘wave-motion engine’ based on plans found in the capsule. Kodai rejoins the Force, and becomes part of the crew aboard the Yamato. With the fate of the Earth in their hands, the crew blasts off for Iskandar.

Review: If you’re of a certain age group, Space Battleship Yamato (also known as Star Blazers) would probably be part of your childhood memory. This live action “remake” of Space Battleship Yamato has made it to local theatres about three months since its debut in Japan, and whilst there are some niggling flaws, it remains a generally entertaining space opera, very reminiscent of the Star Trek film franchise, especially the reboot in 2009.

From Takuya Kimura’s involvement in the movie to the very respectable special effects in the film, it’s clear to see that a lot of effort (and money) has gone into the making of Space Battleship Yamato. There are some very impressive action set pieces, and the CGI is top notch, almost as good as first-tier American sci-fi productions. Even the end credits song is done by Steve Tyler, echoing the iconic song in Armageddon which was performed by Aerosmith. 

Unfortunately, the actors in Space Battleship Yamato are a bit too prone to hamming it up, and because of the rather melodramatic plot, some of the scenes end up being unintentionally funny. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, since one doesn’t come to such a film expecting deep character portrayals, but some of the more potentially poignant moments are really undone by the cheesy acting.

Space Battleship Yamato is also guilty of trying to cram too much into its already-long running time. One particularly noteworthy offender is the romantic subplot, which really stuck out like a sore thumb and never felt like it was well integrated into the rest of the movie. Also, for such a long movie, Space Battleship Yamato still gives short shrift to many characters and their backstories, and the opening reel is particularly confusing because most of the characters aren’t properly introduced till later on. The reason for rushing through these subplots and expositions? Too many action sequences for its own good, which eventually wear out their welcome.

Despite all these imperfections, Space Battleship Yamato works well in the context of a guilty pleasure. It’s corny and cheesy like the original Star Trek series, updated with action set pieces that are closer to the 2009 JJ Abrams reboot, and ends up being somewhere in between, which isn’t entirely a bad thing. Part of why I found the movie enjoyable was the nostalgia factor, so for audiences who are not acquainted with the original anime are likely to find the film toeing closer to mediocrity. 

Rating: * * * (out of four stars)

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True Grit * * *

Genre: Western

Directors: Ethan & Joel Coen

Writers: Ethan & Joel Coen, based on the novel of the same name by Charles Portis

Cast: Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Barry Pepper

Running Length: 110 minutes

Synopsis: Set in the Old West around the end of the 19th century, 14-year old Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) is out to seek vengeance for her murdered father. The murderer is a man called Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin) who has fled into Indian territory after committing the crime. As the local law enforcement is no help, Mattie instead seeks out the help of a bounty hunter Marshal Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges), a tough drunkard who’s supposed to be at the top of his game. Although initially disinterested in the chase, Cogburn has a change of heart when Mattie offers a handsome reward. Also accompanying Mattie and Cogburn is LaBoeuf (Matt Damon), a Texas Ranger who is hunting Chaney for the assassination of a Senator. A curious camaraderie forms between the trio, and the tough journey tests their mettle, especially for Mattie.

Review: True Grit sticks so true to the Western formula that it’s almost shocking that the usually quirky, offbeat Coen Brothers are behind the film. Although this is ostensibly a remake of the 1969 film starring the iconic John Wayne, this version by the Coens should more accurately be considered as a standalone interpretation of the Charles Portis novel. With a deft mix of comedy, character study and good old hardcore Western action, True Grit is one of the best Western films in recent years (in fact probably the best since Unforgiven), but remains a tough sell to audiences who are not fans of the genre.

There are a number of good performances to be found in True Grit. Jeff Bridges wisely chooses not to emulate John Wayne’s (Oscar winning) performance in the 1969 film, but actually puts across a better, more nuanced performance than what Wayne managed to achieve. There are still traces of Wayne’s Cogburn in Bridges’ portrayal, but these are kept to a minimum and it never feels like a facsimile. However, it is unlikely that Jeff Bridge’s Oscar nomination this year will lead to a win. Matt Damon is also understatedly effective as LaBoeuf, and apart from Mattie is probably the next most likeable character in the film.

However, the true standout is newcomer Hailee Steinfeld, who delivers the difficult dialogue with ease, and with a very believable, fiercely committed portrayal, Steinfeld’s Mattie easily becomes the emotional centre of the film. It’s far easier to be vested in this Mattie’s outcome than in the original film, as Kim Darby’s performance and role was eclipsed by John Wayne’s star power.   

Like many Westerns, the pacing of True Grit is slow and deliberate. Audiences who are able to settle into the groove of the movie will find themselves enjoying a film with a strong plot and amazing aesthetics (Roger Deakins’ cinematography is nothing short of flawless).  However, there’s a good reason why Westerns have fallen out of favour even amongst directors, and the bottom line is that most cinemagoers simply aren’t patient enough for slow burn movies like this one.

Rating: * * * (out of four stars) 

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127 Hours * * *

Genre: Drama
 
Director: Danny Boyle

Writers: Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy, based on the book Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston

Cast: James Franco

Running Length: 94 minutes

Synopsis: 127 Hours tells the true story of Aron Ralston (James Franco), an adventurer who makes the mistake of embarking on a canyoneering trip without letting anyone know where he’s going. A freak accident finds Aron trapped in a crevasse, a boulder crushing his right arm and pinning him down. He tries everything to try to free himself, but with only a small number of tools – including a blunt utility knife – Aron realizes that he may very well die in the crevasse if he doesn’t take drastic action.

Review: With 127 Hours, Danny Boyle has managed to film what seemed like an unfilmable account – how do you make the ordeal of a lone adventurer being trapped in a canyon for five days an interesting commercial film? It’s impressive what Boyle had achieved with what is essentially a static movie, and is very reminiscent of how Buried played out almost entirely in a wooden coffin. This isn’t exactly an action film nor is it a thriller, but 127 Hours is very captivating, thanks to an excellent performance by James Franco and the masterful direction of Danny Boyle. However, the more squeamish should be warned that there is an extremely graphic and realistic sequence later in the movie which may make for extremely disconcerting viewing. 

Apart from the first fifteen minutes of the film (which features some fantastic landscape shots of the canyon), and a brief interlude which introduces Aron Ralston and his encounter with two lost female hikers, 127 Hours basically sticks with the protagonist throughout his five day ordeal. This means that James Franco is basically in every scene, every step of the way, and much like Natalie Portman in Black Swan he gives the performance of a lifetime. It’s intense and yet totally believable, and the audience is led to feel what he feels every step of the way. Although there are fleeting flashback and fantasy sequences, the focus never moves away from Franco for long. Like Ryan Reynolds in Buried, this is the role that breaks Franco away from the classification of “featherweight thespian”.

(Some viewers may be familiar with the story of Aron Ralston, but those who are not may do well to skip over this portion of the review if they wish to avoid spoilers.) Danny Boyle follows through Aron’s entire ordeal, including his decision to finally self-amputate his trapped limb to save himself. This now-infamous scene is filmed “as is”, the camera not shying away from the complete process, documenting in excruciating detail how Aron fractured his arm then slowly hacked away at his own soft tissue with a blunt utility knife. Although there are far gorier scenes in slasher or horror films, this particular sequence is much more believable and as such is far more difficult to sit through. 

Although 127 Hours may tend towards being a little too showy at times (in particular the fantasy sequences), it cannot be denied that Danny Boyle has managed to create a very resonant film that will stick in the minds of many viewers for a long time. He takes more artistic license than most of the documentarians that have featured the same story, but this is an uplifting (at least at the end), inspiring tale about the strength of the human spirit that deserves to be seen by a wider audience.

Rating: * * * (out of four stars)

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