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The Host (2013)
The Host
The Host (Andrew Niccol, 2013) 2/5 The Host is a conundrum. Like its frustratingly absurd narrative, the film has seemingly been taken over by alien forces that won't let it be. You can understand why the movie execs are trying to find the next Twilight, a franchise that has made billions of dollars in box office tickets and merchandise, but is continually churning out sub par copycats the way to go? The narrative revolves around an alien race called 'souls' who have decided to inhabit numerous planets and inject themselves into foreign bodies, in our case, humans. Melanie Stryder (Saoirse Ronan), a human, has been taken by the Seeker (Diane Kruger) and infused with a soul called "Wanderer", in order to discover the location of one of the last pockets of non-assimilated humans. As the drama unfolds, Melanie becomes to fight back against her host and Wanderer feels pity for her and takes her to her uncle. Who just so happen to be the head of an underground human resistance group, buried away in the mountains. As she develops bonds with the people, the battle with the seekers ensues.
One of the main problems with this film it its lack of a good villain. Yes, the souls have invaded earth, however, they themselves don't believe in violence. At best, they are like UN peacekeepers and at worst, members of Greenpeace. They dislike the human race for destroying their planet; however they wish them no harm. Excuse me, but if you are going to be a hostile alien force, I need to be terrified of you, not try to understand your views. Another issue is who the film is aimed at. Stephenie Meyer's groupies are mainly teenage girls, so then, why bother to dilute that popularity with trying to butch up the film with guns and a lame car chase? Stick with what works Niccol, give the girls a good love story and a good baddie and this film would have been golden.
If they really wanted to expand the demographic of the film, then they should have aimed for a higher rating than a 12A. I understand that it's all about getting bums on seats, but there needed to be harsher violence and more blood. Indeed, there just needed to be a feeling of impending doom. Instead, all you get is a holed up community terrified of people in white suits, flashy convertibles and helicopters. It doesn't make any sense! The whole resistance group narrative is a thing that has been done to death, and would have worked, if the characters didn't look so clean and the young men hadn't just come out of a Hollister photo shoot. I'm looking at you Max Irons and Jake Abel, who play the two love interests in the freaky love rectangle with Melanie and Wanderer.
All in all, The Host is a weak attempt at Sci-fi that is absurd, tedious and unintentionally funny. In fact if you are a fan of Twilight, go re-watch those films as even though they aren't spectacular, they are far simpler and as such, more enjoyable.
Dans la maison (2012)
In The House
In The House (Francois Ozon, 2012) 4/5 'Home is where the heart is', 'There's no place like home', these and countless other sayings have reverberated throughout cinema's history. Let's face it; there is no film that doesn't feature, in one form or another, a domestic space where all of our characters reside. Francois Ozon's new feature looks to uncover what happens when we peep through the windows of the 'perfect' family unit and deconstruct its very construction. In many ways Ozon is merely continuing his signature style of blending a familial setting with a criminal or dramatic undertone. Films that echo this sentiment include Swimming Pool (2003), Ricky (2009), The Refuge (2009) and Potiche (2010).
The narrative follows a sixteen year old boy Claude Garcia (Ernst Umhauer) who ingratiates himself into the Artole family by befriending and tutoring the only son Rapha (Denis Ménochet). He begins to write stories about their activities and gives these to his teacher, Germaine (Fabrice Luchini), who, along with his wife Jeanne (Kristin Scott Thomas), becomes embroiled in a game of fiction and the very nature of storytelling. The film begins with a very naturalistic style with the focus on mise en scene and performance; however, without quite knowing it, it slowly develops into a self-reflexive take on contemporary families and suburbia. As such, Ozon carefully weaves a story that takes off the veneer of clinical domesticity.
You might say 'hang on a minute; this has been done to death, right?' Well, you'd be right, although, I can assure you; this isn't an episode of Desperate Housewives that spirals into soapy drama. In fact, it verges on both the hysterical claustrophobia of Douglas Sirk and the keen voyeurism of Alfred Hitchcock. Indeed, what we get is a very knowing film that understands what has come before it, but at the same time is trying to create something new and intriguing. The way it does this is that most of the film is constructed around written assignments, where Claude communicates his findings of living with the Artole's for a year. However, as he tries to break the classical convention of the family, which includes a brief fling with troubled mother Esther, his actions, have far greater consequences for Germaine.
The whole style of the film is fresh as Jérôme Alméras's cinematography and Pascaline Chavanne's art direction effortlessly guides us through the trials and tribulations of the characters. Note the fast forward shots at the beginning and the colourful imagery of the finale and you will see that the film becomes bookended. Much like, the books that Germaine wants his students to read for assignments, In The House not only tries to uncover the secrets of the family but also becomes a self-reflexive take on the novel. Indeed, all of the twists and turns of a paperback is conveyed visually through Ozon's willingness to dive straight into the comical, sensual and uneasy character relationships.
The performances from the entire cast are great, with particular standouts being Luchini, Scott Thomas and Umhauer. However, it is Emmanuelle Seigner, who gives the best impression of a contemporary Betty Draper, which steals the show! In fact, in many ways, she embodies the very strict nature of the familial unit and its unwillingness to change. Her character is quietly unravelling; however, with the stabling force of another pregnancy she finds her place yet again as the stereotypical matriarch. As such, in the end, although prodded and poked, the perfect household remains intact, however, as Claude prepares another suburban adventure, there is a sense of the unknown of what he might find out underneath the bricks and mortar of what makes a house a home.
The Paperboy (2012)
The Paperboy
The Paperboy (Lee Daniels, 2012) 3/5 Lee Daniels follow up to his heart wrenching Precious will make you feel dirty. In fact, there are times where you just feel the need to scrub yourself incessantly so you can cope with what is occurring on screen! Based on Peter Dexter's novel of the same name, the narrative follows two investigative journalists - Yardley Acheman and Ward Jansen - who aim to write a story to release convicted murderer Hillary Van Wetter. With the help of nymphomaniac Charlotte Bless, who corresponds with Wetter in prison and Ward's younger brother Jack they soon uncover not everything is what it seems in the sticky heat of the South.
The best way to get your head around is by remembering the exploitation films of the 1970's, where sex, drugs and violence were a staple. If you do this, then you can appreciate what Daniels and his producers were trying to achieve. Indeed, this is one of the films strengths as it pulls no punches at being explicit wherever possible, which garnered extremely mixed reviews when it was screened at Cannes last year.
The acting pedigree of the film is high with Matthew McConaughey and Zac Effron playing the two brothers, with Nicole Kidman excelling in her role as the troubled Miss Bless. However what damages the film is the slow pace and the lack of a proper twist. Generally speaking death-row thrillers have a big reveal at the end or a taut emotional climax. For example A Time to Kill, The Life of David Gale and Dead Man Waking all succeeded because they took the audience right through the investigation. The Paperboy does this to an certain extent; however it glosses over a majority of this in favour of highlighting the sweaty atmosphere of the inhabitants. At times, this becomes so overwhelming that it is difficult to think of anything else, let alone follow the characters as they reveal their dark sides and personal demons. Another issue is casting Macy Gray as the narrator. She might be one of the most annoying maids in film history and, unfortunately, you are stuck with her voice-over for the entire proceedings.
The cinematography is excellent as Roberto Schaefer's camera gets so close to the characters that you can almost smell their body odour in the immense heat. Yes, I told you this film would make you feel dirty. A great example of this is where Charlotte meets Wetter for the first time. They are sat apart in the prison meeting room; Charlotte spread her legs and begins to masturbate. This scene wouldn't have been so bad if they were alone, but Yardley, Ward and Jack are also in the room. Take that as you will
Even though The Paperboy is an uneven thriller, what it excels in is placing the audience in uncomfortable positions. A Haneke film this is not, but by doing this the whole issue of morality and senses in the cinema is raised. As such, Daniels new feature is a sweaty, sexy and visceral experience, which needed to take some more pointers from other more complete films. All in all, you may have to scrub yourself clean, but you won't forget the experience for quite some time.
Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Beasts of the Southern Wild (Benh Zeitlin, 2012) 4/5 Adapted from Lucy Alibar's one act play Juicy and Delicious comes a dramati220px-Beats-of-the-southern-wild-movie-posterc fantasy film all about uncertainty. Set in a Louisiana Bayou community known as the 'Bathtub', a little girl named Hushpuppy and her father live their days surrounded by animals and braving out fierce storms. As the children at school are taught about nature and the prehistoric creatures called 'Aurochs' from the melting ice caps, a storm approaches that flattens their close knit community. Hushpuppy's vivid imagination is set on fire as the personal troubles of her father and the community collide into a realistic adventure.
Zeitlin's film not only produces an analytical account of living in the modern world but also brings out a star turning performance by Quvenzhane Wallis, who has just become the youngest Oscar nominee in the history of the awards. She becomes the beating heart of the small settlement, which actively rejects the mainstream living of those beyond the levee. She holds the entire the narrative together and is visible in nearly every shot of the film, which is further compounded by her commanding voice-over. As she navigates her way through the dangerous terrain and her cluttered shack of a home, we follow her into her imaginative world. This transition is properly dealt with, with Ben Richardson's raw hand-held cinematography, which right from the offset introduces us to a location that is separate from our own reality.
Much of the heart wrenching drama centres on her father's illness and his increasing inability to properly take care of her. However, there is no overt sentimentality her as Wink (her father) tries to train her to be tough and berates her for crying. The impact of these lessons opens up a harsh reality as her future without him is uncertain. As the narrative continues, the Aurochs are getting closer and closer in invading the community. These large creatures, which are coming as a result of global warming, have multiple meanings. These not only represent Hushpuppy's own fear, but also of the outside forces that try to push the inhabitants into shelters. There are strong undercurrents of Hurricane Katrina, which are hard to ignore as houses are swept away and the community are forced to build boats in order to transport their own belongings. With these strong themes it is no wonder that the film has struck a chord with audiences all over the states, and indeed, internationally.
At the poignant climax of the film, even though Hushpuppy, our little leading lady is still so young, through her experiences of living in the bathtub and her resilience, we can be rest assured that it will take more than large Aurochs and storms to make her move away from the place she calls home.
In sum, Zeitlin has created an atmospheric fantasy tale of one girl's navigation of the real world. With a great musical score and realistic production design everything ties together nicely, even though the entire film is shrouded in uncertainty.
Amour (2012)
Armour
Amour (Michael Haneke, 2012) 4/5
Love. This is an emotion that affects us all, where we give it unconditionally to those most dear to us. At its core this is the bedrock of Haneke's new film Amour, as we follow the elderly couple Georges and Anne as they battle with illness, depression and coping with the outside world. The universality of the narratives concept has swept audiences around the world, which has resulted in it attracting a much more mainstream audience. The film has been nominated for 5 academy awards including Best Picture and Best Actress for Emmanuelle Riva, meaning that at 86 on the night; she will become the oldest nominee in the history of the category (Sorry Mrs Tandy).
In classic Haneke fashion everything is stripped away to the bare essentials, including the music, décor and performances. The film becomes an empty canvas where we place our own opinions and value systems onto what is occurring on screen. A knowing reference to this is at the very beginning of the film where the couple are seated in an auditorium waiting for a concert to begin. The camera is situated in front of them, capturing the entire audience, rendering the main characters almost invisible. By placing the apparatus in this position Haneke is reinforcing his most used trope of communication and surveillance. In a sense the audience that is on the screen is us and as such we become embroiled with the action of the screen.
Georges and Anne are the epitome of a loving couple, however when Anne has a stroke and becomes incapacitated, their relationship becomes strained. It is here that we see the power within the performances of Riva and Jean-Louis Trintignant. As Georges helps his wife change her soiled clothes and cut up her food, his love for her fills the screen in an extremely understated way. If we were watching a quintessential Hollywood film, there would be an emotional musical score at every turn. However what Haneke has done has turned mundane activities of the everyday and has turned them into an examination of relationships. There becomes nowhere to hide from the camera as Georges desperation of his wife's condition worsens. The cinematographer Darius Khondji, whose credits include Wimbledon (2004) and Funny Games US (2007), holds the entire film together. The several long takes creates an uncomfortable atmosphere, whereby we become forced to watch Anne's deterioration, which further highlights the raw emotion of the film.
It has to be said that throughout his career, Haneke doesn't make films to entertain; instead he deconstructs the very idea of entertainment and genre forms. In Hidden (2005) it was the thriller, The White Ribbon (2009) the mystery and with Amour, the love story. As such, those wanting a film with set rules and regulations won't find it in his work. As the narrative continues, their actions can make quite uneasy viewing, especially in light of the climax. However as you sit, witnessing their relationship unfold in their darkest hours, the experience will stay with you, forcing you to face the true meaning of amour (love).