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'Mad Max: Fury Road'

30/5/2021

In cinemas now!

I’m going to cut straight to it - rather in a similar fashion to George Miller’s new epic. You know those brilliant action films that build and build and build to that one epic climax? Well 'Mad Max: Fury Road' is a two hour long epic climax, only once or twice slowing down to stop for gas. And yes, a literal metaphor there.

To give a little context before I rant and rave, we follow the titular Max (Tom Hardy) in a dystopian wasteland world, where humanity is no more and it’s inhabitants fight for the necessities of life. Everybody in this brilliantly crafted world is either mindlessly mad, a sociopathic incestuous warlord, missing limbs, or great at killing. Max crosses paths with Furiosa (Charlize Theron), who definitely ticks at least two of those boxes, and they team up to fight everyone who ticks the former two boxes.

I could have sworn I’d, as one usually would, entered a regular, run-of-the-mill cinema to watch this film. But before long I realised, no, I’m rather happily sat inside the violently motoring jet engine of an aeroplane, surrounded by every drum kit on the planet being relentlessly smashed to bits. On fire. And of course I mean that in the best way possible. It was immersive. The opening sequence was incredible - completely unforgettable - with Tom Hardy’s earthy and jagged voice supporting in-at-the-deep-end insane visuals, and a hugely imaginative chase scene, just to warm you up. That’s one thing I feel needs to be reiterated somewhat; the imagination behind every frame of this film.

For years, with exception to some more recent triumphs such as The Raid, most action films have been so formulaic, predictable, and prosaic, it’s brilliant to have a film so artfully crafted and exciting as this released. From the previous Mad Max films, we all know that it’s going to be absolute chaos from the off, but there are points in this movie that top expectation. Like seeing Tom Hardy fight a rabid-looking man, who’s madly playing a double-necked electric guitar, that also doubles up as a flamethrower, on top of a speeding war machine. For example. I didn’t want it to end. But for others like me, we have sequels to anticipate. Oh and I will anticipate. I have no idea how they’re going to keep building and bettering themselves, but I’m betting that they will.

Just to rein it in a little, I need to mention how brilliant the music is throughout. The now reliable and popular Junkie XL helps to provide an immensely epic - that word again - score. And a special hats off to the vast stunt, pyrotechnic, and art teams behind this film. I stayed to watch the credits and my face was constantly illuminated white by the seemingly never-ending list of names devoted to those departments. I loved the actors in this film but the stunt workers really shine through. The only thing I would have liked a little more of is gore. But that’s just a personal preference and I’m not moaning because of the gore that there was, it was great and vile and juicy.

Go and see this film. It’s absolute chaos. One of the best, raucous, and erratic action films I’ve ever seen. It’s everything your wild subconscious brain would want this film to be, and masses, tonnes, litres more.

Review by Peter Imms.

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'Pitch Perfect 2'

13/5/2021

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In cinemas May 15th!

Three years after the success of the first outing for the Barden Bellas, Brownstone Productions has brought us another hilarious instalment which will have you singing the soundtrack for months to come. 'Pitch Perfect 2' sees the Bellas cast out of their role as the top a cappella group in America after a particularly humiliating performance at the Lincoln Center. In order to restore their position and their dignity they must enter and win an international competition that no American team has ever won before. With Elizabeth Banks in her new role as director, as well as actor and producer, I can only imagine the pressure she must have felt to live up to the massive popularity of the first film. The good news is, I believe they pulled it off. Everything is bigger and better in this film.

Part of the draw from the last film was the humour. A mixture of flat out silly, dark, and just plain offensive; it is not to everyone’s taste. But for me, it takes me back to some of the classic English comedies that I grew up with. Yes, some of the jokes are pretty low brow and yes, they do offend everyone, but here-in lies the beauty of it. They do not victimize one group of people, no-one is singled out. Everyone is open to ridicule and everyone is ridiculed, including themselves. A prime example of this is a particularly funny scene (seen, in part, in the trailer) where the Bellas are discussing their chances in the international competition and it is left to a cappella pundits Gail (Elizabeth Banks) and John (John Michael Higgins) to explain why no American has won the competition before. In short, it’s because “Everybody hates us”.

The musical numbers have stepped up a notch since the last instalment, more complex and dramatic. Particular credit must be given to the German group “Das Sound Machine” headed by Kommissar (Birgitte Hjort Sørensen) and Pieter Krämer (Flula Borg). Their musical performances are spot on, creating real intimidation for the Barden Bellas. Kommissar and Pieter are a brilliant double act with Pieter running his mouth, hilariously ridiculing the Bellas as Kommissar stands by with an almost perpetual look of disgust on her face. The characters are stereotypically German but are given enough of an upper hand that it does not feel like they are being picked on.

There is an abundance of star cameos, clearly drawn by the popularity of the first film, each used to perfection. Although some have been hinted at in the trailer, there are a few that you just will not see coming. As for the few new major players, Hailee Steinfeld is suitably adorable as Emily, the new Bella recruit, another great singing talent that I was not aware of. Beca’s boss is played by
Keegan-Michael Key, bringing a side-splitting distraction to the main storyline. Full of energy and ridiculously quick-witted, he is a joy to watch and an excellent commentary on the sometimes ludicrous behaviour of the modern music industry.

My one gripe would be the lack of Beca (Anna Kendrick) in this film. Despite being touted as the lead in both films she is conspicuously missing from a lot of the main storyline. When she does appear, she lacks the energy of the other girls, highlighted by the force of nature that is Rebel Wilson as Fat Amy. Luckily, the energy and verve of the other girls make up for this deficit and the film does not suffer too much because of it. In general, this is an excellent film. If you are a fan of the original, I guarantee that you will love this even more. If you’ve never watched it before, what the hell have you been doing?!? Seriously though, take your friends, head out to a cinema and prepare to spurt Sprite out of your nose with laughter every other minute.

Review by Melanie Crossey.
See this review on The Fan Carpet.

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'Far from the Madding Crowd'

13/5/2021

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In cinemas May 1st!

The literary junkies among us may already know the story of Thomas Hardy’s 'Far from the Madding Crowd'. In fact, even if books are not your thing, you may recall the much applauded John Schleslinger’s adaptation, released in 1967 and starring Julie Christie (don’t show your age now). If both of these classics have eluded you, let me give you a quick rundown. Bathsheba Everdene is the ultimate feminist in a time when feminists were subjected to the same mixture of fear and fascination as an extra-terrestrial strolling down Tottenham Court Road might be today. Despite and probably also because of these qualities, she finds herself the subject of three very different men’s affections.

This latest adaptation by Danish director Thomas Vinterberg will, at the very least, make you fall in love with Devon. Although Thomas Hardy’s novel is set in the kind-of fictional Wessex (Hardy’s term for Dorset and its surrounding counties), Vinterberg’s version is very specifically set in Devon, and it’s easy to see why. The sprawling landscapes with a mixture of exquisite, lush fields and harsh, jagged cliffs mirror the beauty and painful isolation of the characters’ lives.

Carey Mulligan is wonderful in the role of Bathsheba. Despite a mostly cute and innocent outward appearance, she exudes an intelligence and strong mindedness that makes her seem much older than her years. The character itself is every actresses dream. Considering the time of its creation (Hardy’s novel was released in 1874), she is incredibly well rounded and independent. Complex and full of contradictions, she feels her way through life with a realism that is largely missing from other heroines of its era. Mulligan tackles this character with expertise and you often find yourself simultaneously loving and hating her in equal measure whilst also willing her to make the right decision, to live happily ever after.

Mattias Schoenaerts is another actor perfectly cast in his role as Gabriel Oak. Schoenaerts’ Gabriel is almost maddeningly kind. Although perfectly willing to speak his mind, he does so with a delicacy and benevolence that will make girls around the world fall in love. His soft eyes and innate stillness seem to fill both Bathsheba and the audience with a sense of calm that is torn away the minute he leaves the screen.

Possibly the weakest link within the leading roles is Sergeant Francis Troy (Tom Sturridge), although I am reluctant to place the blame on Sturridge himself. While a valiant attempt, he struggles with a somewhat underwritten character. He’s the only one of Bathsheba’s suitors who it is genuinely difficult to understand her attraction to. Full of bravado and ego, he lacks any real charm and I question whether Bathsheba would ever even give him the time of day. Michael Sheen is William Boldwood, our remaining suitor, and positively steals the show. At first dismissive and rude, as more of his character is revealed, so is his renowned acting talent. Even the most banal lines are underpinned with an inherent sadness and pain that makes you want to just hug him. Boldwood is often a difficult character to find affection for but in Sheen’s hands he is magnetic, heartbreaking.

Overall, the film is fantastic. Beautiful, cruel, funny and romantic. It’s refreshing to watch a film where the roles are reversed. The female lead, smart and independent, avoiding romantic attachment and running from the idea of being tied down, whilst the men chase after her, grappling for the chance to couple up. Sporting a stellar cast, vital for this particular story, some scenes are so heartbreaking that if they don’t utterly destroy you, I can only assume you have no soul. Take tissues.

Review by Melanie Crossey.
See this review on The Fan Carpet.

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'Born of War'

12/5/2021

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In cinema's and available on demand May 1st!

'Born of War' is about Mina, a relatively ordinary girl trying to ﬁnd her place in college (and ultimately the world) who is suddenly thrust into a desperate ﬁght for her life when her parents are killed by the fanatical cohorts of her true father, a terrorist leader intent on taking down an oil company in his native land, who has only just learnt of Mina’s existence after her mother ﬂed his country over two decades ago. Having escaped capture Mina is taken in by British Intelligence and a plan is formed to lure her father out of hiding using Mina as bait.

Without going into any spoilers the plot gets deeper and more complex than that and if you’re familiar with the genre it’s possible you can already see the various twists coming, but I was genuinely surprised and I like that. 'Born of War' is the second ﬁlm from rising star (I hate that phrase) Vicky Jewson. Now I am fully familiar with Vicky’s story, I remember all the reports when she started her ﬁrst ﬁlm at just eighteen. Being as I am the same age, just a few months separate us, she seemed to be living the dream and was and inspiration to my younger self. Admittedly when it comes to Vicky’s ﬁrst ﬁlm, 'Lady Godiva', her age is largely considered the only noteworthy thing about the ﬁlm, but I’m hesitant to dismiss someone just because they didn’t get it right the ﬁrst time, it was more than I had managed after all.

This second attempt whilst far from ﬂawless is certainly an improvement and it would appear the action thriller genre is a far more comfortable place for Jewson. Let’s get the politics out of the way, yes this is an action ﬁlm with a female lead, the tightness of whose catsuit is not the primary selling point, by a female director and no those two things don’t happen nearly enough, in fact I can’t immediately think of another time that combination has actually ever happened. I’m not here to debate sexism, good is good and bad is bad, and whilst there’s certainly something positive to be taken away from this I’m here to talk about the ﬁlm on it’s own merits.

Now despite the criticism I am about to level at the ﬁlm, and I am, it did manage to keep me engaged all the way to the end and I’m a ﬁrm believer in “the story is king”. Here we have a smart, albeit slightly disjointed, story with just enough twists and turns to make you think without confusing you. In tone and style I’d liken this to the thriller series '24' or perhaps the upcoming 'Spooks' movie, and I’ll be interested to see if that can hold my attention in the same way seeing as the trailer already struggles to keep me awake.

I will say that the opening set piece, whilst well staged, is largely unnecessary and gives the audience a lot of information which is later played off as part of the mystery, meaning we waste a fair amount of time revealing stuff that wasn’t particularly hidden in the ﬁrst place, possibly at the expense of other more important characterisation that is most deﬁnitely missing.

If it sounds like I’m conﬂicted on 'Born of War' it’s because I am. For every nice thing I can think to say about the ﬁlm a negative point pops up to cancel it out. Beautiful staging - uninspiring cinematography; strong female lead - lack of characterisation across the rest of the cast; neat, clever, twisting plot - uninteresting dialogue and a villain who, to be blunt, is just boring. The action set pieces are all well thought out but seem to have been victims of a lack of rehearsal time, and the ﬁlm as a whole just lacks that ﬁnal coat of paint.

The biggest problem with 'Born of War' is perhaps that it looks cheap, which feels like a low blow to a low budget independent movie. The cinematography is frequently hindered by the limits of the locations, as I said already the action could have been a lot smoother in places and the sound mix could deﬁnitely do with another pass. The one area that wasn’t neglected is the design, the middle east locations are used to great effect, the set pieces are well thought out and there’s even a Bond-style end boss ﬁght on a swanky private jet. If only the practicalities of all this superﬁcial loveliness had been given the same attention we might be looking at something really incredible, as it is we’re just looking at a ﬁlm that tries hard but doesn’t quite make it all the way to the ﬁnish line.

At my screening Vicky came onto stage before the start of the ﬁlm to give a relatively typical thanks for coming, hope you enjoy the movie as much as we did, type speech coupled with a miniaturised breakdown of how production went and what they were trying to achieve. At ﬁrst it felt like she was overselling the movie but at some point she ﬂipped to almost apologising for it, explaining how ﬁnancially challenged they were (although it’s rare to see an indie ﬁlmmaker that’s ever said they had enough money) and the corners they cut and risks they took to get the ﬁlm to us.

This slowly began to activate the cynic in me and much like the Hulk he often threatens to break free and wreak havoc on the surrounding population, don’t poke the bear as they say. Biting off more than you can chew is a mistake not an excuse, and having now seen the ﬁlm I can say that more has been accomplished with less. That being said I’ve certainly seen less accomplished with more and the accomplishments of 'Born of War' are not to be sniffed at, ﬂawed though it may be.

I’m hesitant to call this ﬁlm good. Ultimately I think it falls short of that for me but it certainly isn’t boring and for what it is it’s quite impressive; well deserving of ﬁnding an audience, which I don’t doubt it will. The production as a whole felt like a team trying their hardest but through lack of time, experience … and yes … money, couldn’t quite achieve what they were after. But I’ll take sincere effort over genuine incompetence any day, a few more Vicky Jewson’s making action ﬁlms and a few less Michael Bays and we might be getting somewhere.

Review by Kristian Mitchell-Dolby.
See this review on The Fan Carpet.

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'The Falling'

6/5/2021

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In cinemas the 24th April in the UK!

An intelligently bizarre film about grief, solitude and connection. It toys with the idea of the supernatural throughout and delves into the psyche of what a person leaves of them self with those who remain behind. It uses themes of sex and intimacy to explore what it is to be wanted by someone and also how sometimes the line between the two can become blurred. It is odd in its portrayal, and builds pace very slowly so doesn't really grab your full attention until almost half way through when events take a strange turn and the girls begin fainting and getting sick.

With uncomfortable scenes stemming from abandonment issues it keeps you questioning what is happening, and unable to relax. Masie Williams as the lead in this is absolutely fantastic as Lydia and she truly shines as a talented actress. It is great to see her versatility as a somewhat snarky and insecure girl as opposed to the brave and resilient one that she plays in Game of Thrones. Likewise Florence Pugh is perfect as the somewhat ethereal Abbie. You can see why Lydia is drawn to and attached to her.

Joe Cole as Lydia's brother Kenneth achieves just the right balance of innocence and predatory behaviour, his character will raise the hairs on the back of your neck at points, and not in a nice way. Also worth a mention is Maxine Peake as their mother, she barely says anything during the film and yet she barely needs to to convey everything through her expressions, or lack of them. The roles of the teachers and fellow pupils while all being played well were still just your standard archetypal characters that we've all seen a thousand times before.

Overall it is a good little film with an original story that is definitely worth a watch, however it is the pacing and general weirdness of it that slightly lets it down. It almost goes too far with it. Almost.

Review by Lydia Kay.
See this review on The Fan Carpet.

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'A Little Chaos'

6/5/2021

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In cinemas April 17th in the UK and 26th June in the USA!

This film is an absolute masterpiece. A high stakes period drama as two talented landscape artists attempt to build the garden of dreams for King Louis XIV, a man or exquisite tastes. Kate Winslet stars as Madame Sabine De Barra, a widow and a woman or revolutionary talent and ideas in gardening. As pressure mounts to create perfection or face the consequences before they are out of time; Madame De Barra struggles with sexism among her workers and competitors, romantic entanglement with her employer and mentor André Le Notre (Matthias Schoenaerts), grief, and the poisonous actions of jealousy.

Rickman's portrayal of the King could seem very much by the book and as just another boring demonstration of aristocracy, that is until a little scene that takes place in a private garden between him and Winslet which is outstanding and touching. Also well worth a mention is Helen McCrory as the shallow and conniving Madame Le Notre, she plays this role perfectly.

It is a truly riveting story that captures the imagination and connects you to the characters. Winslet delivers a stunning performance that is certainly award worthy. She breathes life and passion into Madame De Barra in a way that is captivating to the audience, you genuinely like her and want her to succeed. Her co-star Schoenaerts also gives a noteworthy performance as his character grows and develops throughout the film.

Alan Rickman as the director has created an utterly beautiful film and a triumph of subtleties.

Review by Lydia Kay.
See this review on The Fan Carpet.

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'Mad Max: Fury Road'

'Pitch Perfect 2'

'Far from the Madding Crowd'

'Born of War'

'The Falling'

'A Little Chaos'

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