saeched Reviews

The Entire Universe (2016 TV Movie)

Brilliant, cheesy, entertaining...and informative!

[9/10 · 21 September 2017]

Disclaimer: I currently work as a physics researcher, so perhaps I should be offended when floppy Cox does his inebriated teenager 'guys isn't the universe amazing' shtick, but with this I couldn't help but laugh!

Brian Cox returns with his tuneful pal, Eric Idle of Python fame, plus a host of celebrities to put a musical spin on his usual lecturing style. Peppered throughout the hour of light entertainment are comic songs, informative interludes and a host of performances from many recognisable faces. The program takes on a similar studio/sketch show style to Morecambe and Wise - with these two stars brought back to life by two impersonators - with a live band and all the trimmings.

Although slightly out of place on the cabaret stage, Cox once again proves himself a skilled teacher with his usual insightful explanations. Sure, some of his jokes are cheesy and a bit forced, but he performs around more seasoned actors with surprising skill. He is joined by Monkey Cage collaborator, Robin Ince, who also brings his comic background to the party.

The rest of the cast feature 'old hands' such as Warwick Davis and Hannah Waddingham, who clearly seem to be having a good time with the pieces. Again, there are some jokes that fall flat, but overall the cast pull together a fun and enjoyable evening of physics.

Highly recommended, but don't take it too seriously!

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)

Technically brilliant but lacking narrative.

[5/10 · 12 April 2015]

I will begin with the positives: technically this film is brilliant, the visuals are enchanting and the acting is very strong. Iñárritu's choice of a higher frame rate, larger aspect ratio and very little colour grading combined with the 'tricked' single shot style make this film a masterpiece of cinematography - definitely a film to consider for film schools. These choices pull you into the story and give it a realism usually reserved for action movies - cleverly jarring with the Birdman 'references'. Furthermore the brittle and enigmatic relationships are brilliantly performed and worth watching.

However this film completely falls apart narratively. No characters are likable leaving the viewer uninterested in the plot - despite the gripping visuals. The superhero nature of Birdman is not explained and referenced far too weakly, barely figuring in the story. A few flashbacks jar with the story and the 'big reveal' doesn't carry any weight as I find myself simply uninterested in Keaton's character.

I found the set design and choreography of the camera and actors - changing 'scene' by transitioning around the set - intriguing, especially how the director handled complexity. However there were simply too many threads to the plot, none appropriately explored and too many 'messages' to really handle. Did it deserve the Oscars? Well for screenplay, absolutely not. There were moments of sparkling dialogue but the plot felt far too weak to deserve this Oscar. (Certain brilliant lines were lost by traditional Hollywood mumbling, a shame.) Best director? Again, the control of camera and actor - this choreography - was brilliant. But as a director of dialogue Iñárritu completely failed, many great lines were simply lost - again this was undeserved. Best motion picture? Whiplash and Interstellar to name but two, were more deserving. Best cinematography? It was stunning, full of intriguing artistic choices; but Nightcrawler sticks with me more, so no.

To summarise: 6/10. An interesting idea, technically well executed but let down by a weak narrative. For a truly great 'oner' try Russian Ark.

Nightcrawler (2014)

A future cult classic..?

[8/10 · 11 April 2015]

Think Pulp Fiction meets A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time meets Anchorman. Firstly, cinematography beautifully captures the threatening feel of LA. Neon signs, red and blue police lights and harsh contrast between monitor, day and night beautifully match the troubled character and environment. I'd honestly suggest this film simply for the beauty of these shots. Hand-held footage pulls us into characters, slight shake simply building our adrenaline and leaving car crashes feeling even more real. Editing is slick during moments of action but also allows slow pace to mimic the start-stop nature of the job. But above all this film should be praised for Gyllenhaal. Channeling the autism- spectrum character of A Curious Incident, he is totally believable as the madly driven, manipulative videographer. My only concern lies with the ending - but perhaps this film really does break boundaries here. A film to remember - a future cult classic.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)

A superhero film at best

[5/10 · 18 December 2014]

This final installment of the Hobbit trilogy started strong. As a big Tolkein fan I enjoyed the background in this film - would be interesting to see a supercut of just these parts from each installment. So far: visually stunning, a great experience and a clever film.

However the minute the battle was reached the film fell down. The opening 10 minutes was very 'Lord of the Rings'-esque, brutal fantasy and a the Jackson we came to love. But it lost its way, the following 40minutes of battle was completely confused and lost with little to no dialogue, character development or plot that didn't feel entirely predictable. Heroics and characters became one dimensional superheroes, gratuitous and self indulgent.

In summary: 6/10 for a solid blockbuster but a good LOTR film, cheapened and lacking the class of Jackson's previous real visual effects.

Grand Theft Auto V (2013 Video Game)

Cinematic

[15 November 2014]

This is more than just a game, it is cinema on a dramatic sun-filled LA stage - except this is satire, LA is Los Santos and the drugs, guns and violence are kicked up by steroids and testosterone. Every turn in the wonderfully complex city brings you to new scenes of a dystopia merely a step from our own. Each twist in the story slings you to new corners of an open world stretching from Mediterranean coastline to sun-bleached peaks, desert hamlets to bohemian suburbia.

The story is rounded and well voice-acted with stand out performances from the three leads - especially the deranged Trevor. With everything from fighter jets, to bank heists, to street races this game has everything for the action enthusiast - each textured with stunning visuals and layered with comic relief. However for the more adventurous there lies a wealth of opportunity for exploration in a dynamic world of both high-rise tower blocks and detailed oceans. The added touch of wildlife, individual personalities for resident AI and constant city commotion makes the game immersive and each hour spent thrilling.

However there are flaws. As a game of such magnitude, there are issues with glitches. Sometimes landscapes do not load, characters can appear from nowhere and the controls can feel unyielding and driving sluggish. Furthermore parts of the game can become repetitive, with difficult firefights followed by long, slow drives - I'd recommend you take your time between missions, treating each almost like a weekly TV show to keep them separate enough to feel interesting each time.

In conclusion this is a stunning and ground breaking game, both satire and action. Controversial as it is, it is thrilling fun and as open as ever. Buy it.

Mr. Turner (2014)

Self indulgent yet beautiful.

[7/10 · 15 November 2014]

Mr Turner feels less a movie and more a series of beautifully crafted paintings. Each stunningly framed, the cinematography dialled to perfection with colour and light giving us an idea of how Turner himself would have viewed the world. This is a stunning rendition of the life of an artist, very much through the eyes of the artist.

However the narrative feels sluggish and slow. I have never before checked my watch in a film - here it was 8 times. Perhaps that is simply Leigh's style, but there could have been at least 30minutes cut from this film. Some sequences seem to lead to no pay-off whilst others barely provide any character or plot development. Yet scenes stick in the memory for many days after watching. The interplay between different artists at the Academy both amusing and interesting. Each new character presented - just as famous as the last - provides a sudden rush as we see their infamous work being created before us. Furthermore scenes depicting the growth of natural philosophy both amplify our belief that Turner saw more than the normal man and bring reason to a man seemingly more and more insane.

Despite the lack of narrative, this film is beautiful. Each line of dialogue is crafted to perfection, each idiom and accent perfectly matching the style of the time. Personally though I feel this could have been so much more, a slight cut down on the run time and some more emphasis on Turner's conflict to protect his work for public viewing - central to the Tate Gallery - matched with the beauty already present would have confirmed this as a masterpiece. At the moment it feels sluggish and self indulgent, although performances are stunning. The film left me with more of a sense of the man - and hints that he may have been on the Autism or Aspergers spectrum - and his vision, but not the questions a true piece of film should. For this reason I would recommend this film to any art lover, to witness both Turner's art in cinema and the characters of 19th century fine art; but also any cinephile in search of the best visuals and craft - the lessons in cinematography and stagecraft to be learned here are immense. However the lack of narrative and overly long runtime reduce my score for this beautiful, yet dull film.

And Mr Leigh, please cut your credits. The opening sequence took half the films.