On Summer Blockbusters: Captain America, Super 8, Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Cowboys and Aliens

Summer blockbuster season is almost at an end and as with many summers, 2011s saw sequels, prequels and adaptations dominate; from Thor (comic book) and Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides (Sequel) to X-Men First Class (prequel) and Cars 2 (sequel). Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two has taken the box office crown, but is far from the best of the summer offerings.

Captain America: The First Avenger, based on the early Marvel character, fails to break the stale Marvel story mould, but has an enjoyable old Hollywood style charm and an ending that, with its slight deviation from previous predictable films, packs a surprising punch. However, as with all recent Marvel outings, Captain America is written and directed towards next summer’s avenger’s film. This desire to produce an endless line of sequels and franchises has led to the recent Marvel canon becoming boring and predictable. Captain America’s charm (like that of the first Iron Man film) raises it slightly above their other comic book adaptations but shows us no sign that Marvel have any intention of taking a risk in the way DC have with Batman. Unfortunately, a line of fantastic box office receipts means that have no reason to.

J.J. Abrams has an impressive CV; he created the enigmatic TV show Lost, gave us the best of the mission impossible series, Mission: Impossible 3 (2006) and in 2009 directed one of the best summer blockbusters of recent years with the reboot, Star Trek (2009). This summer, Abrams offers us Super 8, a monster movie that feels very familiar. Spielberg’s attachment to this film has been well publicised (he is a producer and has allowed Abrams to use his Amblin Production company logo) and it is just as well save Abrams be accused of plagiarism. Super 8 is essentially E.T.(1982) with a bigger budget and a bad attitude. This does not make it a bad film. In fact it delivers some very effective and powerful sequences, especially one involving a train and another with Elle Fanning. It does not marry the personal relationship between youth and alien with the larger military response as successfully as E.T. did, but this is a criticism that only really becomes relevant towards the end of the film. Therefore, Abrams have delivered an entertaining summer movie with heart. The most notable thing about Super 8 is that it feels so much like a Spielberg film, that one wonders where the motive and enthusiasm to make it came from when E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and War of the Worlds (2005) are already out there.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes gives us the beginnings of the ape saga that began with Planet of the Apes in 1968 and produced several sequels. Set in modern day San Francisco we see the scientific breakthrough, intended to cure Alzheimer’s, which causes the ape revolution. Apes takes its time with the story, building towards a final third where the only real piece of action takes place. As with the other films in this series,the message is that we, the humans, are as barbaric in our actions as we assume the animals to be. There is also a strong message about the morality of animal testing and with this, Rise of the Planet of the Apes is the most thought provoking of the summer's blockbusters, which is reflected in its steady, mature structure that does not placate the audience. The film does lack somewhat when it comes to involvement with the characters and if as much time had been spent developing the humans as has clearly been spent creating the very impressive animals, this may have the heart of Super 8.

Two genres, one film; Cowboys and Aliens is a mix of two long standing genres and makes it work. Unlike the excellent Serenity (2005), which did the same, this is more western than science fiction and manages to bring in all the conventions of the western genre, while also bringing in some pretty serious aliens and technology. Like many western films Cowboys and Aliens deals with the post civil war years and how this has affected those that fought in it, espeically as modernity comes and they no longer see a place for themselves in a changing world. This change is usually signaled by the coming railroad (which gets a nod in the final reel!). Here, the railroad is replaced with aliens and the threat they bring. Harrison Ford is fantastic to watch as a hardened veteran with a tough heart (not unlike an older Hans Sol0) and the rest of the cast work well, too. Although the always great Sam Rockwell is underused. This is not a flawless film (there is a questionable deux ex machina half way through) but it is the most entertaining of the summer blockbusters, combining a solid western film with science fiction seamlessly. There is also a hard edge that may surprise considering the 12a rating, as it also tackles native American racism and doesn't shy away from depicting the violence of the characters.

On Catching Catfish on TV

Without doubt The Social Network (2010) has been the most publicised, most debated and most awards laden movie about Facebook. All this, and it's a great film. Yet, in the same year as Fincher's The Social Network was getting everyone talking, the best film about Facebook begun its quiet ascent to becoming the ultimate water cooler film. That film is Catfish, directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman. Catfish markets itself as a documentary that follows photographer Yaniv Schulman, the director's brother, as he embarks upon an online relationship with the family of an eight year old child prodigy artist. This leads to an online relationship with the eight year olds elder sister and leads to a meeting that is absolutely riveting.

The documentary credentials of this film have been much discussed and debated. The perfect three part structure, the too clean ending and the slightly uncertain 'acting', as if a script hasn't quite been memorised or improvisation is not a skill they've mastered call into question the true documentary nature of the film. The star and directors claim it is 100% real. That the structure and the ending is something that they were very fortunate to fall into as they followed Yaniv's story. Not since This is Spinal Tap (1984) has a film blurred the lines between fact and fiction, forcing an audience into wild debate. The difference with This is Spinal Tap is that the answer is out there, it's just hard to believe. With Catfish, the status of documentary is insisted upon by all involved, yet doubted by many.

Whether it is 100% real, completely fabricated or a mix of both (the latter being the most likely), Catfish is thrilling cinema. It is impossible to take your eyes off the action as the story develops into more shocking turns. Amongst the comedy, the drama, the thrills and the heartbreak this is edge of the seat viewing and the most relevant film about Facebook so far created.

On Closure with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two

Seven books, eight films and ten years later, the Harry Potter franchise comes to a loud expensive conclusion with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two. Bringing together over $6 billion in revenue so far, and counting, the Harry Potter films are the most successful film franchise of all time, even surpassing the twenty two films following the adventures of James Bond. With one very good film in the seven so far (the third in the franchise, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) directed by Alfonso Cuaron) how does the magical money train bow out?

The Deathly Hallows Part 2 picks up exactly where Part One concluded and with some atmospheric, dialogue free shots of Hogwarts and the misery that has overcome the school creates a powerful sense of doom. Yet once the story kicks in the film, as has been the problem with others in the series, becomes bogged down in its multiple narratives. It's hard to feel the emotion aimed for during the slaughter that takes place at Hogwarts when the attack won't focus on any major characters and Harry, Ron and Hermione are off on other adventures. There is much to admire in the cinematography and the set design and Ralph Fiennes at Lord Voldemort is impressive in every scene in which he appears. However the combination of too many characters (towards the end there are reaction shots of just about every character who hasn't died, just to make sure they get in the film) with a slightly ridiculous deus ex machina means that non hard-core fans will find the whole film shallow beneath the surface.

Harry Potter on film does not leave cinemas with the emotional punch that many would have hoped, but instead concludes with a film very much like the last four and as with the last four, there remains a sense of impressive detachment throughout this film.

On The Tree of Life, a Textual Analysis

With a notoriously sparse filmography (five films in thirty eight years), The Tree of Life is Terrence Malick’s fifth feature. ‘It’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen’ is an overused platitude in film criticism. However, The Tree of Life really is unique when it comes to feature length fiction cinema.

Genre has always been something of a loose concept when applied to Malick films. There will be a genre that is more applicable than any other, but his treatment of the genre’s codes and conventions (recognisable features of the genre) negates any serious attempt to make the theory stick. The Thin Red Line (1998) is a war film, yet scenes of warfare are infrequent and the lack of a protagonist to follow is also unusual. Yet, few films capture the beauty and horror of war while making the viewer consider the wider, human consequences. The Tree of Life would best be described as a family drama, yet this does not even begin to summarise this sprawling tour de force of photography and music, with, of course, some family drama thrown in. This is not even a sub-genre or a hybrid. It is even less genre orientated than any previous Malick films. It is a genre unique to Malick, achieved through his incredible ability to juxtapose images with music and the autobiographical characteristics of this story.

Narrative is even more of an opaque concept when applied to Malick films. Narrative theory will tell us that stories follow a recognisable pattern, which allow us to easily follow the story. This is so embedded in cinema that we don’t even notice the familiarity of many stories, yet subconsciously we know when we have moved into the final act of the film and when it is tying things up to come to an end. The Tree of Life follows no recognisable narrative structure. Time is a loose concept in all Malick films, but even more so here. We begin with the death of a nineteen-year-old son, but then never see the son pass the age of ten. The story of the mother is interrupted by a dazzling thirty-minute spectacle recreating the creation of life. The grandness of which adds a greater weight to the personal story of the Texan family. What could loosely be described as the film's chapters are bookmarked by ephemeral shots of dancing colours. In short, this is a film that shakes free the shackles of traditional story telling and delivers an unpredictable narrative with a very relatable story at the heart of it.

Despite its magnificent shots of the natural world shown along side a classical score, the most memorable scenes from The Tree of Life are those of the family and it is this representation of a 1950s Texan family that provide the film with its emotional power. One of Malick's most impressive skills is his ability to communicate three-dimensional characters with little or no dialogue. Therefore, when we see Brad Pitt's patriarch showing his son design sketches and patents and then the next scene him in a courtroom receiving a despondent pat on the back, his character is developed further as an ambitious but frustrated man. This is one of Pitt's finest performances and certainly his best since the fantastic The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007). Opposite Pitt's tough, but loving father is the angelic mother, played by Jessica Chastain. The naturalness on show here is incredible, highlighted by the fact that it is easy to forget about Pitt's celebrity and just accept the representation on offer. The moments captured of the sons as newborn babies, or those of them playing games or causing mischief in the neighbourhood will immediately bring to mind memories for anyone with siblings. The interactions feel so universal, yet at the same time personal, as if we are intruding, or perhaps more accurately, an unseen member of the O'Brien family.

The audience for The Tree of Life is a difficult thing to pin down. Malick fans will surely see the film (they don't know when there will be another), but the indulgence on display here may be too much even for those who admire his previous films. The film will certainly not play to a traditional weekend audience, yet winning this year's Palme D'Or at Cannes will give it a much needed publicity boost and bring an audience eager to see why it won. The film must have been a marketing nightmare as it is outside the key demographic, but realistically only falls into a very small demographic anyway. The most likely audience is one that is extremely cine-literate. To really get the most from Malick's latest an audience will have to put into the film more than they are given. More than most films, The Tree of Life will speak to people on an individual level, each taking away a lasting image, whether it's an exploding volcano or a baby's foot being gently cradled by a new father.

More than anything, The Tree of Life calls to mind the 1982 documentary Koyaanisqatsi, which was a series of well shot images placed alongside the music of Phillip Glass. This documentary had no plot, yet had environmental leanings. Parts of Malick's film feel very similar, yet he has skillfully measured the grandness of such photography and music alongside a family orientated story of tragedy and happiness and the two together create one of the most strikingly fitting films on the subject of life and death.

On Uncompromising Cinema in A Separation

A Separation is the fifth film from writer director Asghar Farhadi and is the first Iranian film to win the Golden Bear at the Berlin film festival. Within the premise of divorce / manslaughter court cases, Farhadi has crafted an incredibly affecting dramatic piece of work.

The ensemble cast won the major acting awards at Berlin at it is clear why. Each character is brought vividly to life through performances of command and subtlety. Sarina Farhadi as Termeh is especially effective as the young girl trapped in the middle of the adult troubles. The realism and effectiveness of the characters can be attributed to the incredible script. Farhadi has a talent for scripting scenes of incredible power without crossing the line into melodrama. The situation that unfolds throughout the film is extraordinary, but always develops organically. Yet the real achievement here is how the film refuses to comprise. The audience is never offered an easy way out and are forced to make difficult decisions on the events unfolding and the morals of the characters. This is even harder considering the characters all make decisions that seem reasonable and relatable and both right and wrong. In essence, human decisions.

This is surely one of the best films on release at the moment and possibly one of the better of 2011.

On Powerful Cinema with Incendies

Written and directed by French Canadian Denis Villeneuve and based on the play by Wajdi Mouawad, Incendies is cinema at its most powerful. This is the story of a brother and a sister living in Canada who are sent, by letters of request left in their mother’s will, to the Middle East to find the father they thought was dead and a brother they did not know they had. This is high concept cinema and in many hands would descend into melodramatic farce, yet Incendies is a beautiful and powerful film. Villeneuve treats the story with the weight it deserves and draws superb performances from his experienced cast. The film does not shy away from the difficult dramatic scenes, nor does it shy away from addressing the complicated religious war in the area or the violence resulting from this. A scene of terrorism on a bus is particularly harrowing. Yet, Villeneuve has contemporary style to match his ability to handle serious issues. The use of on screen text to highlight people and locations is a nice touch and the soundtrack is surprising yet relevant.

From its commanding opening scene (set to Radiohead) to its unforgettable dénouement, Incendies is necessary viewing.

On a Redeeming Feature with Transformers: Dark of the Moon

The infinite monkey theorem states that, given enough time, a monkey typing at random would, as part of its output, produce one of Shakespeare’s play. That could take thousands of years. Before producing a Hamlet or Othello, the monkey would surely knock out several Transformers films.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon is the third of Michael Bay’s alien robot films, following 2007s Transformers and 2009s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. The former was fun and aware of its 80s roots, willing to poke fun at itself as well as deliver in the action stakes. The latter remains not only one of the most blindly created sequels in history, but one of the worst films of the decade. Dark of the Moon is better than Revenge (most things are), but the compliments go little further.

Bay has attempted to inject the seemingly spontaneous humour that made the first film so engaging, but succeeds sparingly. John Malkovich brings a dash of enjoyment, showing up with a fake tan and white teeth. Frances McDormand and John Turturro fail to do the same (is Bay recruiting in the same place as the Coen’s?) Mostly, Dark of the Moon plods along with some horrendous dialogue and a criminally bad middle act. At 154 minutes it is way too long and if the slow motion was cut would probably make it in on the two-hour mark. The music used in the film is heavy handed and poorly chosen; yet a redeeming feature comes in the original score by Steve Jablonsky. The action scenes would be far less tolerable if it weren’t for the score, which often underlines the action with the right amount of gravitas. This is most evident in the films standout scene where three decepticons pursue some autobots along the highway. Unfortunately, Bay shows his hand as a director by choosing to end this affecting scene with a moment of badly timed and poorly delivered comedy.

Dark of the Moon is more proof that the Transformers franchise should have begun and ended in 2007.