The Dictator

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comedy, film, Sacha Baron Cohen, The Dictator

Sacha Baron Cohen’s latest parody comedy, The Dictator is slapstick at its finest. 

If there’s one thing that this movie teaches you it’s that dictators are very funny. They shouldn’t be funny, but they are. Whilst actual dictatorships should not be taken lightly, as their leadership and reign is truly horrific and brutal, but dictators themselves are also hugely eccentric and radical characters, and it is this radical quality that opens up all their actions as a sense of ridicule. Sacha Baron Cohen’s latest flick captures all that ridicule and turns it into 83minutes of grotesque comedy.

Playing General Aladeen of (fictional North African country) Wadiya, The Dictator sees Baron Cohen taking on yet another outrageous persona. However unlike his previous endeavours in Bruno and Borat where the characters were ambiguous to say the least, you always know what you’re going to get from General Aladeen.

But even though it is a predictable and expectant formula, that is not say it isn’t funny. As General Aladeen, Baron Cohen can get away with saying just about anything controversial, and yet surprisingly it’s also done in a non-offensive way. Whether he is convincing America to become a dictatorship, or making sexist comments about women, the dialogue packs several punchlines that make any offensive remarks be washed over in laughter.

What adds to the humour is the choice of soundtrack. When General Aladeen comes to America to address the United Nations, he arrives with a large entourage of girls riding a camel through the streets of New York to the soundtrack of what appears to be the familiar sounds of Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre’s ‘The Next Episode’ only it is entirely in Arabic. The unexpectedness of this change adds to the humour. Scattered throughout the film are other unfamiliar familiarites such as REM’s ‘Everybody Hurts’ and Marvin Gaye’s classic ‘Let’s Get it On’, trust me you have to hear it to believe it.

In light of recent events, The Dictator seems perfectly timed. Without Gaddaffi, Bin Laden and Idi Amin around, it seems that just the right amount of time has passed for the world to laugh at the eccentricities of these grotesque figures. It undermines those personalities and makes the whole idea of a ‘dictator’ seem trivial. Yes, it is purely slapstick comedy but the writing is hilarious and in movies like this, that is all that counts. Whilst Borat was funny because it was a new concept and overtly crude, The Dictator packs more actual jokes, which would even be funny without the outrageous persona. The Dictator can appeal to a much wider audience than Borat or Bruno, it’s not just for the lads and teens, hence this might just be Sacha Baron Cohen’s funniest movie yet. And let’s face it, I don’t think we’re going to see another movie dedicated ‘in loving memory of Kim Jong Il’ anytime soon.

L’Atalante

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1934, BFI, Black & White films, Dita Parlo, films, Jean Dasté, Jean Vigo, L'Atalante, Louis Lefèbvre, Michel Simon

It is still dubbed as one of the greatest films ever made, Jean Vigo’s 1934 quirky masterpiece L’Atalante has been fully restored to continue its reign as a unique cinematic gem.

The BFI invites you to board L’Atalante, and join its newlywed inhabitants as it sails the waterways of France. Straight from the church, with their wedding crowd exchanging celebrations with farewells, Juliette (Dita Parlo) and Jean (Jean Dasté) embark on their new life on board the rickety barge.

Directed by the hugely influential Jean Vigo, despite only releasing four films in his lifetime, L’Atalante was his last and is still largely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made. Vigo is famed for his poetic portrayals, and L’Atalante showcases much of this through the surreal and dreamlike fantasies expressed by its characters. For a film from 1934, L’Atalante is very sensual, with subtly provocative scenes. Though remaining subtle, the relationship between Jean and Juliette is highly charged with eroticism, the emphasis of their love portrayed much more as a physical attraction rather than an emotional connection.

While things seem joyful when they board, Juliette soon starts to feel isolated as her initial hopes that the barge would be her chance to leave village life and see the world soon dissipate. She longs for exotic experiences and is excited about docking, to experience vibrant city life in Paris. Yet, Jean does not take pleasure in these curiosities. As the differences in the couple’s opinions surface, they threaten to perturb their relationship and life on the barge is not as romantic as first thought.

Adding to the tension, the couple does not reside entirely alone, accompanied by the enigmatic bargeman, Père Jules (Michel Simon) and the young mischievous cabin boy (Louis Lefèbvre). Unexpectedly, it is Michel Simon’s engrossing performance as the eccentric bargeman that steals the show. Meanwhile, Père Jules, an experienced traveler whose cabin is a disheveled mix of filth and unique collectibles from around the world, who goes from mindlessly drunk to enthusiastically playing accordion music, is completely captivating. His mysterious charm and oddly jester-like humour does much to add to the film’s appeal.

The context of this renowned film, however, is tainted with tragedy, as Vigo sadly died soon after its release. During filming, Vigo was suffering greatly from tuberculosis, but he was so passionate and determined that he actually directed much of the film from a stretcher. It is with great sadness that he did not get to see his masterpiece receive its praise. The film itself suffered its own dilemmas, as it had been mutilated and severely edited by its many distributors, and it was not until 1989 when a copy of the full original version was found. The film’s restorers insist that they have been ‘as true as possible’ to Vigo’s original intentions, giving viewers the opportunity to do what Vigo himself couldn’t: catch his masterpiece in all it’s glory. Despite all the sadness surrounding L’Atalante’s original composition and distribution, its survival story more than deserves its accolade; its a cinematic gem, and a must see.

Releases on 20th January 2012

This post was originally featured on http://www.thewhatwherewhen.org/events/latalante

The Awakening

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Amanda Hall, Dominic West, east finchley, film, ghost story, Imelda Staunton, Isaac Hampstead Wright, Nick Murphy, phoenix cinema, Rebecca Hall, scary, the awakening

Complete with spooks, chills, and thrills, Nick Murphy’s ‘The Awakening’, starring Rebecca Hall is a carefully crafted ghost story, which is guaranteed to make you jump.

Post-war and post-influenza epidemic, 1921, we are told ‘is a time for ghosts’. With the overwhelming amounts of untimely deaths and the huge sense of loss and grief surrounding this period, it is without a doubt a perfectly chilling setting for a ghost story. Many people believed that they were haunted by their past, and others actively searched for ghosts in hope, seeking to see their loved ones. This is where The Awakening begins. Amongst all these ghost hunters, is a prime ghostbuster, Florence Cathcart (Rebecca Hall), an educated woman who uses her knowledge of science to dispel any notions of ghosts, finding explanations and proof to account for the supposed supernatural experiences.

Florence is a feisty, knowledgeable woman, who is a victim of her sex, as her cynical notions and dominant prowess always seems to strike a nerve with powerful men. Up against the odds due to her sex, pretty soon Cathcart comes across a supernatural case, which cannot be explained. Called to a boy’s boarding school where a child reportedly died of fright, Florence attempts to discover the truth about the strange events. Surrounded by equally eerie looking characters from the war veteran Robert Mallory (Dominic West), to the unreadable maid Maud Hill (Imelda Staunton), alongside a further array of staunchly suspicious caretakers and schoolteachers, and not forgetting the chilling performances from the children, especially Isaac Hampstead Wright who plays the lonely schoolboy Tom, this thriller is full of suspects.

Made by BBC Films, the setting is stunningly recreated like a sumptuous BBC period drama. Coincidently, the 100-year-old vintage Phoenix Cinema also appeared apt for this spooky thriller, with its classic surroundings and archetypal lighting, The Awakening seemed naturally at home with every spine-tingling moment oozing through the auditorium. The film’s setting works as brilliantly uncanny, as on the one hand it is a recognizable period which feels familiar, yet it is also quite distant, and this increasingly adds to the unnerving atmosphere.

Rebecca Hall’s performance is commendable; she performs with an admirable mix of grace and authority and is so much more than a stereotypical helpless female victim. However, in terms of script, admittedly in places it is quite shaky and occasionally hard to follow, yet that does work to its advantage, as overall the outcome is very unpredictable. Director Nick Murphy has clearly taken inspiration from films such as The Others, but that’s not a bad thing as there is still plenty to get you spooked from that formula. It is a film that will catch you unexpectedly and make you jump, but it will also have you on the edge of your seat trying to solve the mystery too. It is a ghost story with a chase, and a surprisingly edgy one at that; it is riveting, eerily chilling and will have you completely absorbed.

This review is featured on http://www.thewhatwherewhen.org/ 

The not so high-”Tower Heist”

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Alan Aida, Ben Stiller, Brett Ratner, Casey Affleck, Eddie Murphy, film, Gabourey Sidibe, Matthew Broderick, Tower Heist

Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy team up to take out a rogue millionaire in this ambitious comedy. 

When you bake a cake (bear with me on this one) you ensure you have all the ingredients and the equipment. You add just the right level of sweetness and make the sure the mixture is of the right consistency, yet sometimes when you bake it, it just doesn’t come out of the oven the way you wanted it to. Well this film is similar to the cake; it has all the right ingredients, a clever storyline, a star-studded cast and a great director, yet it doesn’t live up to all the excited expectations.

Director Brett Ratner, of Rush Hour fame, is no stranger to comedy, and with an all-star line-up led by Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy you’d think the film would have a recipe for comedic perfection. Surprisingly, Eddie Murphy is the film’s only saving grace. Let’s face it, Murphy has in recent times drifted far away from his heyday, after sucking the humour of The Nutty Professor and Dr Doolittle completely dry with their endless sequels, it is nice to finally see Murphy trying something fresh. Tower Heist sees Murphy’s return to form, as his character Slide packs most of the (few available) punch lines.

Albeit dry on the comedy, Tower Heist does have a unique storyline. Based in a luxury condominium building which houses millionaire clients, the building’s workers become swindled out of their retirement funds after being persuaded to invest their money with resident rogue millionaire Arthur Shaw (Alan Aida). Failing to reach help from the law, in an attempt to get their due back, the manager Josh Kovacs (Ben Stilller) bails out the street criminal Slide (Murphy), and enlists many of the Tower’s workers including the front-of-house secretary Charlie (Casey Affleck), the recently bankrupt and evicted resident Mr. Fitzhugh (Matthew Broderick) and the feisty safe cracking maid (Gabourey Sidibe), to steal from Arthur Shaw’s penthouse.

The plotline is incredibly well thought-out, and there are instances during the heist, which are quite witty and manage to generate laughs, but there just aren’t enough of them. Part of the problem is that there is just too much going on, there isn’t space for laughs because so much needs to be explained. Everything feels rushed and disjointed, it is a cake that has been taken out of the oven too soon, that hasn’t been allowed to cook, and it is a real shame. Tower Heist has all the right ingredients, but doesn’t manage to rise high enough, and overall you can’t help but be disappointed.

 

 

 

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

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Benedict Cumberbatch, Colin Firth, film, Gary Oldman, John le Carre, spy, thriller, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Tom Hardy, Tomas Alfredson

Swedish director Tomas Alfredson, tinkers in classic 70’s surroundings, tailors John Le Carré’s novel, and soldiers a brilliant British cast… and possibly spies some awards. 

Undoubtedly, one of the biggest (somewhat British) movies of the year, complete with a stellar line-up featuring the crème de la crème of British male actors, comes an adaptation of British novelist John le Carré’s spy thriller, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. In fact the only thing that’s not British, is the Swedish director, Toomas Alfredson, but that’s not to be held against him, as Alfredson has made masterful use of his British resources, successfully managing to tap into the British mentality.

Set in 1973, during the Cold War, the plot centers around the British Intelligence MI6 building, codenamed ‘The Circus’. However, within the smooth, calculated environment, the head of The Circus – Control (John Hurt) gets word that there may be a mole working for the Soviet intelligence officer Karla, within the Circus’ high ranks. Attention then diverts towards the suspects – Tinker: Percy Allellie (Toby Jones), Tailor: Bill Hayden (Colin Firth), Soldier: Roy Bland (Ciarán Hinds), Poor Man: Toby Esterhase (David Dencik) and rather confusingly both a suspect and the man behind the espionage, Spy: the serious and composed detective ironically named George “Smiley” (Gary Oldman). What ensues is a gripping race to find and dodge the mole; complete with red herrings and unexpected thrills, Tinker Tailor is a complex, yet scintillating experience.

However, complex is an understatement to describe the film; Tinker Tailor requires your full, undivided attention, as many of the events go unspoken and rely on audience assumption. It is cleverly done, but most importantly, Alfredson has made sure that it isn’t overdone; the film is intellectual, yet inviting, which further adds to its brilliance. Much is left unsaid, but it is the thrill of the chase and most importantly, the appeal of the characters that draw you in.

Gary Oldman deserves all the praise that he is receiving for his performance; he is subtle, unreadable and completely absorbing. Just as praiseworthy are the performances of Smiley’s assisting colleague’s Peter Guillam (played by irrefutably charming Benedict Cumberbatch), and Ricki Tarr (played by the equally captivating Tom Hardy). Cumberbatch, from Sherlock fame, ironically plays the Dr. Watson-esque sidekick role in the film, which he takes on with great flair. While Hardy’s character provides the small, but much needed instances of light relief from the heated drama. The film is almost entirely male dominated, but it is a cast of Britain’s finest actors, both young and old, which makes for an array of engrossing and enchanting characters.

Alfredson’s work is also unquestionable; the cinematography is chic, stunningly shot and crafted masterfully to add suspense. Alfredson generates a feel of intensity; the effects are edgy, but also distinctly and beautifully vintage. Classic cars, retro clothes, and cringe-worthy 70’s wallpapers, are the backdrop encapsulating the atmosphere of this film. In fact, the small and classic setting of Everyman’s Cinema in Baker Street was the perfect host for this suave film, adding to the experience, much more than your normal multiplex ever could.

But one thing is for sure, not only does Tinker Tailor have the makings of a masterpiece, by the film’s close, there is a distinct whiff of Awards flanking the air, as it has BAFTA, Golden Globe and Oscar written all over it. The setting is magnificently created, the line-up is outstanding, and all in all, it is an intense, intellectual and brilliantly crafted, gripping thriller which will have you on the edge of your seat, hankering to find the mole as much as Smiley himself.

 

Originally featured on http://www.thewhatwherewhen.org/

Beautiful Lies

Tags

Beautiful Lies, Audrey Tautou, Pierre Salvadori, Sami Bouajila, Nathalie Baye, film, French

Director Pierre Salvadori reteams up with Audrey Tautou to create a tangled web of lies, which escalate into surprisingly hilarious consequences in this quirky French RomCom. 

 

Can a lie ever be considered ‘beautiful’? Even if there are good intentions involved, there’s one fundamental problem with telling a lie: one lie always leads to more. This quirky French film actively confronts and plays with the boundaries between good intent and deep regret, that lies produce. Teaming up with director Pierre Salvadori for the second time since Priceless in 2006, Audrey Tautou of The Da Vinci Code fame, sees herself playing another outspoken female, as Émilie.

 

Audrey Tautau is known to take leading roles in her stride; however, in contrast to her strong female portrayals in Coco avant Chanel and Amélie, Émilie is a far cry from being considered a “heroine”. Émilie meddles with others’ lives only to cause herself the most pain.

 

Émilie is a confused individual caught up between her obligations to her parents, making ends meet in her salon, and her non-existent love life. In order to save her mother, Maddy, from the depression of her impending divorce from her husband (who has impregnated a twenty year old), Émilie copies an anonymous love-letter sent to herself, and sends it to Maddy, with the hope of revitalizing her spirits.

 

However, although the effects of this love-letter prove positive on Maddy, one lie, soon multiplies into several, as Émilie is forced to compose more letters in order to maintain her mother’s happiness. But complications arise with the discovery that the original letter was written by Jean (cue haplessly charming, Sami Bouajila), a Harvard graduate who after being fired from his job as a translator, now works at Émilie’s salon as a handyman. Predictably, Jean falls helplessly in love with Émilie but is unable to reveal it and therefore resorts to anonymous written declarations.

 

Émilie regurgitates his letter and forges a series of more, slowly weaving a tangled web of lies, which makes for a whirlwind of non-stop events, eventually culminating in an intrinsically crafted love triangle between Émilie, Jean, and rather awkwardly, her mother. The result is surprisingly humorous and weirdly addictive. The writing is full of wit and manages to transcend across the translated subtitles. The film’s only downfall is the ending, which is undeniably predictable and feels sourly rushed, but as with most RomComs, the endings are never expected as a strongpoint, yet as RomComs go, this one does possess a certain flair. Audrey Tautou’s performance is the film’s saving grace, and equally impressive is Nathalie Baye’s highly comic performance as Maddy.

 

If you’re looking for something different to view at your regular cinema, ‘Beautiful Lies’ is a welcome variation on a familiar concept. Sure, it’s not a masterpiece, but it sure is a nice time-pass, a perfect light-hearted escape from a chaotic London day.

 

Originally featured on http://www.thewhatwherewhen.org/