Rambo Review (2008)

The final Rambo movie?

So we are finally at the final film in the franchise. Again I have to ask, why the hell is this film called Rambo? So now we have a Rambo III, a Rambo but still no Rambo II? And Rambo takes place after Rambo III? Ah whats the point in even complaining about this, its just confusing, future generations aren't going to know what came first without doing some research before hand. Another complaint I have is that this films title suggests a reboot or remake, with most films that have been remade keeping the same title as those that came before it. Whatever on to the review.

From the get go I really like the real world approach that this film takes, setting it in Burma, a conflict ridden country even by today's standards and the idea that after Rambo III, in which Rambo finally came full circle, he retired and began to live a life of peace, without violence and without danger. Stallone looks aged now, and I am not sure how I feel about this. Should Rambo still be able to fight and kill at this tired age that he is at, and does this character have to even go back into the action this time around? No. This film was released during what I like to call Stallone's comeback, along with films such as "Rocky Balboa" and "The Expendables." So it has a similar triumphant feeling to it, although how much you enjoy it depends on how much you like the Rambo franchise or how much of a Stallone fan you are.
Rambo's reasoning for returning to fight the good fight this time around is due to a group of aid workers travelling to Burma are captured and taken hostage. This might be considered a good enough reason to go back, but Rambo already warned these people about the situation they were getting into, so why the hell does he go there in the first place? This man is aged and he knows, couple that with the fact that there is a group of mercenaries going in to rescue the aid workers and defeats all reasoning as to why Rambo would go there.

The canon fodder

I know it might feel like I am beating a dead horse here but Rambo of course gets brought back into the action, and at his old age, it doesn't seem like the best idea, surely this guy who fought in Vietnam would be so far past his prime that he wouldn't be able to fight. Lets just see how old Rambo actually is. If he fought in 'Nam which ended in '75 and the original film is set in 1982 and the book of which "First Blood" is based on and follows, states that Rambo was born in 1946 which would make him in his early 30's in the first film. Rambo then fights in the Afghanistan war of the 1980's which takes him to about 40 years of age. Follow onto Rambo which is set in 2008 a full 20 years after Rambo III and that makes John the ripe old age of 60! Would a 60 year old man actually be fighting in a war situation? No of course not and I can only suspend my disbelief so far!

The best end to the series

Now my rant is over, we see Rambo again going back to all the old survival techniques, using a bow and arrow and that excessively long and sharp Bowie knife and for the first time John uses more and more hand to hand techniques, crushing enemies throats and at some points it even gets down right disgusting with the amounts of violence (the film is labelled the goriest film of all time in the Guinness book of world records with over 250 deaths on screen.) I do have to say though that I did end up feeling sorry for the people caught in the midst of this bloody war, all of them mowed down by machine gun fire by the ruthless tyrant of Burma. Those scenes were people are forced to race across mine infested waters really gets to me too and you do have an attachment to them which is more than what can be said for the rest of the supporting cast who are just there to build up the death count and I never really cared about any of them.
I don't care much for the central bad guy in this film, sure he does a lot of bad things, but we aren't given any depth to this guy and I am not even sure that he is named that's how generic he is.

Fatality

Now the best thing about the whole film is the action and it really is awesome. Rambo using his bow with great efficiency and the climactic scene is by far the best in the entire series with a body count higher than anything I have ever seen before. Stallone actually turns in his best performance since "First Blood" with this instalment, showing how to play Rambo ruthless and calculative but also showing that this character has a soft side, with lines tat have meaning, "live for something, or die for nothing" has to be one of the stand out moments of the entire franchise.
I wish there was more to "Rambo" but in all honesty there isn't much else to say, its an action movie and that's all that director Sylvester Stallone wanted it to be, and whilst being a thoroughly entertaining action movie it doesn't have a lot of brain to it, truly a popcorn flick.

Well I did it! I reviewed all movies of the "Rambo" franchise, and whilst not necessarily being the smartest sequel.. or maybe it is, "Rambo" has to be my favourite sequel, and maybe its just me being sick but I really do enjoy this one. So steer clear of "Rambo: First Blood Part II" but the rest are an awesome way to spend your time.

Safety Not Guarenteed Review (2012)

Our central characters

Colin Trevorrow’s “Safety Not Guaranteed” is not a film that I loved, in fact I am not even sure that I enjoyed it all that much, it certainly is not a film that I think I will be in any rush to see again anytime soon. I do find myself thinking about it an awful lot though, the characters, the storyline, and the themes, so what is it that has kept me thinking about Safety Not Guaranteed? I guess I had better tell you.

On the hunt for the time machine!

The storyline is simple in premise; a reporter recruits two interns in an attempt to write an article on an advertisement claiming that time travel is possible. After finding out that the male lead, named Kenneth (played wonderfully by Mark Duplass) might be a little bit crazy, Jeff Schwensen, the leading reporter, decides that the job of attracting a slightly crazed time traveller would be best suited for his female partner, Darius (Audrey Plaza). The story then follows the training that Darius has to go through to not only gain the trust of Kenneth but also to get ready for her journey through time. Without spoiling anything, the film switches gears, becoming both an action film at certain points with the heist of certain pieces of scientific equipment and then following a romance format with Darius realising that she is falling in love with Kenneth. The film of course has it sci-fi elements too; with the whole point of the story being that this man can time travel and is hoping to take someone back with him.

Arnau all pimped out

The themes are an important part of this film. All of our central characters are in search of something, and many of these things are lost in the past. We have Kenneth who is trying to go back in time to get the girlfriend he lost in a terrible accident (or was she his girlfriend?) and then we have Darius who wants to see her mum and save her from dying. Jeff who is played by Jake Johnson is in search of his girlfriend from high school and these are his actual underlying reasons for going back to the coastal town in which the film is set. The second intern Arnau is a little different, as he is in search of something in the present, and that is a girl of which he can lose his virginity with, although like all the other characters he isn’t exactly living in the present trying to perhaps hold onto his childlike innocence. Another central theme is trust, and it is the trust that each of these characters build with their respective relationships that is a focal point of the film. Kenneth eventually begins to trust in Darius, and even though his trust is slightly misplaced, the love that the two characters end up sharing is born from this trust and it is genuine. Jeff places all of his trust in his former girlfriend from high school, and this trust is eventually shattered. Jeff asks her to move back to the big city with him and she rejects him and because of this rejection he loses all faith in her and it seems in love in general. Arnau might have the biggest trust issues out of any character in the whole film. Karan Soni who plays Arnau gives us an insight into Arnau that due to him being anti-social and not having very many friends is reluctant to trust Jeff when it comes time to lose his virginity, thinking that Jeff is just attempting to “embarrass him” and isn’t actually trying to be his friend at all. Jeff then “pimps” Arnau out, and tells him that there is a girl in the next room that really likes him and that he should just go for it, and unlike Jeff, once Arnau places all of his trust into someone it actually pays off. The thing about these characters is that they are in some capacity all socially awkward, for example, Arnau is a virgin and at the age of 22 it might seem strange. Darius of course is a lonely girl, she doesn’t really have any friends and in the beginning of the film she is treated horribly by her boss at the internship. Kenneth of course is just a weird guy, and there is no other way of describing him, he thinks he can time travel and he is socially outcast because of that. Finally this film is above all else about loss and trying to deal with that. Loss is something that everyone can relate to, we all have to deal with it in some capacity and Trevorrow knows this. Showing how people can come to terms with death in a rather fantastical way but it’s still characters dealing with loss and death and of course that still makes it relatable.

Not much chemistry...

In many ways I don’t want to like this film, I didn’t like the ending, and I honestly didn’t find the romance between Kenneth and Darius all that convincing. However I love what Trevorrow has to say about the way we as humans deal with loss and death and how we attempt to deal with it. Everyone at some point has had the fantasy of having a time machine and going back to fix things that we messed up. Trevorrow has his characters live out these fantasies and even though we don’t exactly know what they accomplish by going back, we know that some part of it has to be good. So what kept me thinking about Safety Not Guaranteed? I guess it would have to be the genius of the storyline, the theming, and of course the performances from Duplass and Plaza, and the interesting twists and turns that each of these characters have to go through to get to a happier place in their lives. Despite a flawed ending and a lack of a genuinely believable romance I think this is an indie film that everyone should watch. 

Rambo III Review (1988)

A worthy sequel

Rambo III is something that I have a lot to say about. Let me start by having a good old moan about the title. Why is it Rambo III? We didn't have a Rambo II, did we? Am I missing something? Lets check, we had "First Blood" then came "Rambo: First Blood Part II" and now we are on "Rambo III" so what the hell happened to Rambo II? Ah well I guess its lost forever. Onto the review.

Rambo III opens with John Rambo living out a life of loneliness and violence in a unspecified Asian country when his old commanding officer Colonel Trautman (played again by Richard Crenna and for the last time) pays him a visit. I like how John has this time tried to at least better his life, he isn't all about war this time, he isn't trying to get back into the war fighting business. Rambo is helping monks build their new monastery and even when Trautman comes to Rambo in an attempt to get him to help fight in Afghanistan, he doesn't want to be part of this business anymore, "I put in my time" and "My war is over" are some of the most powerful lines in this film. Rambo is a changed man. I like that.
From the moment this film starts the script is so much better than the film that preceded it. We again get depth with Rambo, and his attempt to, as Trautman put it "Come full circle" and even though we all know Rambo will eventually end up putting on his bandanna and firing a machine gun, its nice to show that the writers and director understand Rambo and know that he wouldn't want to fight anymore.

Back in the action

Trautman of course goes to Afghanistan on his own and is captured by the Soviets that are over there. This situation instead forces Rambo to go behind enemy lines to save the only man he has ever been able to call a friend.
We then move on to Trautman being interrogated by the Soviets and its awesome to see Trautman actually being part of the action for once. Rambo journeys across the deserts of Afghan with his adviser before slowly slinking into enemy territory in his hunt for Colonel Trautman. With Rambo being spotted by enemy militia and helicopters, its not long before things start to go wrong and a simple rescue attempt turns into an all out war with the Soviets.

Trautman and Rambo in action

What I really like about this third instalment is that it takes its time. We open with a great fight scene with John stick fighting with a native before we take the slow approach of having John carefully plan his attacks and rescue with the local rebels. Rambo doesn't go into all out war straight away and he is actually quite methodical in terms of the way he goes about things. The director of this film Peter Macdonald understood that it was the slow burn of "First Blood" that made it so good once the action actually got going, we spend time with our hero before all the bloodshed begins. However I am not going to act as though this movie is anything more than another mindless action flick because it isn't, and all you have to do is watch the films climax to understand that. For whatever reason though, I do really enjoy Rambo III, it has more depth than the second one, we get a more legitimate reason for Rambo actually going back to war this time and overall we actually do come full circle, as Trautman suggests to Rambo in the opening.
I also really enjoyed the acting in this film, Stallone gives a great performance as Rambo that although not on par with his "First Blood" performance is actually rather good. Richard Crenna turns in another credible job as the always lovable Colonel Trautman and its sad to see that this is his last performance in the role even though we still have another movie in this franchise to get through.

The absurd end sequence

My final comments on this film is that although still not as good as the original film, this one is miles ahead of "First Blood: Part II" in almost every way. This time we feel as though Rambo should be going back to fight, and the story is actually more of a sequel to "First Blood" with Trautman saving Rambo in the first part, Rambo repays the favour by saving his old mentor. A lot of comments on this film focus on the anti-communism themes, with the Russians again being portrayed as the big bad, however I don't think it is as noticeable as some people like to point out, and like Stallone's other film in which anti-communism is a theme (Rocky IV) it just adds to the nostalgia each time you sit down and watch it. I might not love Rambo III but I find it hard not to recommend it, simply because it is also a rather good action film itself despite the over the top climax. Well that's 3 down and now onto the reboot/sequel/why is it called Rambo again?

Rambo: First Blood Part II Review (1985)

Whilst I have a lot of praise for the first part of the Rambo series, I don't feel as though I can say the same thing for Part II. They tried the whole, bigger, faster, stronger approach with this one and I don't think it works all that well.

Rambo really shows off his skill

In this sequel we start with Rambo being requested to go on a search in rescue mission for POW's in Vietnam, the place in which he fought before the first film takes place. Richard Crenna returning as Rambo's commanding officer describes it perfectly, "The place you call hell, he calls home." So Rambo returns to Vietnam in an attempt to rescue the POW's and is also under strict orders not to engage the enemy but we all know how that is going to turn out. That's it. Where as the first film had a rather dense, engaging and strong plot about how Rambo has been rejected by the country he fought so hard for, Part II has a wafer thin plot and that's all there is to it.

Just another action flick

This is not to say that Part II is not without its good points. We get to see a bit more into the life of John Rambo and the things that he has had to go through. I especially like how he describes the war in the US of te people against the soldiers returning from war being much harder than the actual war itself. I also really like the idea of Rambo going back to Vietnam because we really get to see him in his element here, all the things that he was attempting to do in America and all the survival tactics we heard him talk about are put into play here. John really is comfortable at war, even this guerilla warfare that requires a one man army. The way he uses that bow and arrow with such proficiency, and throwing blades to silently take out enemies, its smart and the script knows it.
However whilst "First Blood" tried very hard to steer clear of the usual action movie romp, Part II clearly embodies it, throwing in as many explosions and shoot outs as possible, and it almost feels like a betrayal. I don't feel this film has the same smarts and charm as the original, and I was extremely surprised to find that James Cameron, yes that James Cameron had helped to write this wafer thing plot. That's right guys, the man who wrote and directed some of the best sci-fi films of all time, those being "Aliens" and "Terminator 2" helped to create the sloppy second instalment in the Rambo franchise.

Cruel and unusual punishment

Am I being too harsh to this film? Maybe, but it just feels like such a downturn after the initial masterpiece, its quite saddening to think that they could have gone in so many different directions with this sequel, I get that they maybe didn't want to retread old material with this second part, but its such a departure, I would have loved to have spent more time with Rambo in prison, and then maybe him readjusting to civilian life before snapping and going on a rampage or maybe having him then called to return to the army and active duty, or perhaps the ramifications of his actions in the first film on the rest of his life. This film should have been smarter than it is.
The soundtrack like the film before it is something of note, being really strong and it almost feels like it could get you pumped and route for Rambo being put in the horrible situations that he is in. Instead I feel as though this film falls into the category of being "just another 80's action flick" and that is not a good thing, forget the sequel, its not really worth your time.
Also those torture scenes are rather... shocking.

First Blood Review (1982)

Sylvester Stallone is a strange one. He has turned out some cracking performances over his long career, with stand out performances in several films starting with Rocky in the late 70's progressing onto this film and then in later films with Rocky Balboa and the rather stupid but always enjoyable Expendables, but like any actor he has had a lot of doozies too, and in my opinion there are a fair few of these. However I always think back to First Blood when talking about Stallone, as it might just be his best performance.

First Blood

On the surface, First Blood might seem like nothing more than a mindless action flick, a one man show against a relentless army of police officers and swat team members, but I feel it is a lot more than that.
John Rambo is a Vietnam veteran, who is on his way to try and find his war time buddies only to find that his last remaining friend has died from cancer. Rambo then travels to the small town of Hope in Washington. Due to his army style coat and unkempt look with long hair and dirty clothing, Rambo is soon met by the abusive sheriff of the town played by Brian Dennehy, who informs Rambo that the small town of Hope would not take kindly to an ex soldier or "vagrant" as he is often labelled travelling through their town. Rambo by now used to these kind of remarks by this point instead simply asks "Is there somewhere round here I can get something to eat?" leading the sheriff to drive him out of town, after Rambo is vague about where he is going and gets dropped off outside the town. Defying what the sheriff said, Rambo makes his way back towards the town, before the sheriff brings him to the police station.
The next few scenes are brutal and might actually be my favourite part of the whole film. Rambo is tortured and tormented in the police holding cells, with the officers involved cleaning him down with a hose and attempting to shave him with a razor, and this in turn brings back the horrible experiences that he had to go through during 'Nam. Finally breaking loose, Rambo goes to the thing that he knows best, the woods.

"I didn't do anything"

I will leave my details on the plot there, as Rambo really is a film that you have to just watch, and it isn't without its subtext. The whole point of Rambo rebelling against the law of the land is that he has been treated badly ever since he returned from the war he has been treated like "vile crap" and called things such as "baby killer" and due to this, he isn't able to adjust well to the normality of the American lifestyle. Rambo finally has enough of being treated badly by the country he fought so long to protect that he just snaps and he does it in the most awesome way imaginable. He takes the war home, and against the people that have mistreated him.
The thing is that Rambo himself isn't exactly a bad guy. He even tries to warn off the law men that are trying to chase him down, "Don't push it or I will give you a war you won't believe." In fact I actually find myself rooting for John throughout the whole film, even after he has stabbed people and shot them, all he is doing is trying to live his life. Rambo retreats to the wilderness because it is all he knows, it's what he is comfortable with and so he ends up using this to his advantage when the law brings hell down upon him, he is the man that comes out on top.

"Don't push it."

The performances in this film are outstanding. I will go into Stallone in more depth a little later, but Richard Crenna as Colonel Trautman, Rambo's ex military commander who attempts to sympathise with Rambo despite his killings of some innocent civilians, and then being the father figure and friend to Rambo during his grievances of the loss of his comrades and the trauma the war has brought to him. The previously mentioned Brian Dennehy is also great as the sheriff, who you have to love to hate. This guy is a real asshole and its hard to take your eyes off of him when he is on-screen, treating Rambo badly and just being a tool in general, how this guy came to be sheriff of a town I will never know. Stallone himself actually gives his best monologue of his entire career towards the end of this film, pouring all of his heart and soul into the performance, making us really feel for this guy that has been and is still experiencing hell. The first time I watched this I think I actually ended up welling up towards the end and that's a true testament to a great performance.

Perhaps Stallone's best performance

So in the end, this film is a hell of a lot more than a mindless action flick, it has soul, heart and meaning and it really is one of the best performances of Stallone's career. I am going to attempt to review each of the Rambo films and with this one I have actually "Drawn First Blood." So stay tuned for the rest of the reviews which will be along shortly. Check this one out if you haven't already as I am sure there is something here for everyone. First Blood is as good now as it was back then, and there is a lot of stuff I haven't mentioned in this review such as the spectacular climax to Rambo's rampage along with the interesting use of several of his survival skills. So go watch it!

Moonrise Kingdom (2012) Review

The culprit- Wes Anderson on set

I might either be ashamed or happy to say that before this viewing I don't think I had ever sat down and watched a Wes Anderson film. Besides occasionally glancing over a younger relative watching "The Fantastic Mr Fox" or a showing of "Rushmore" on TV, I have never sat down and watched a single one of his films until this.
Whilst this film was enjoyable for the most part, there are a lot of problems that I have with it, both narrativly and several of the decisions made during the production itself. The plot itself is a typical Romeo and Juliet affair, two (very) young lovers fall in love after meeting at a play and both coming from troubled backgrounds. The respective families of the two children then try their hardest to try and get the children back and

separate them after they run off together. Mirroring the Montague's and the Capulet's of Shakespeare's classic. The climax of the film focuses on the two children's last attempt at happiness together escaping into a church during the night of a long and treacherous storm.

In terms of storyline I don't think that Moonrise Kingdom is anything that original or special. As I previously stated I just get the feeling that this film takes the template of Romeo and Juliet and does nothing new with it. There are two young lovers, there are two families that whilst not at war with each other, are certainly not friendly towards one another and there is also the attempted suicides of both the two children and their controversial marriage at such a young age. Now whilst I have a lot of complaints about this film I will talk about the things that I like before that.

The beauty of this film

In terms of style, this film is absolutely amazing. In terms of what we see, it feels as though there is so much happening on screen whilst its actually got quite a simplistic look to it. Let me explain that better, the look of the film is simplistic but there is something happening in every frame of this picture. The colour pallet is clearly hearkening back to the early 60's time period, with a real pastille look to it, those murky dirty yellows and the vibrant greens mixed in with the khaki brown of the aptly named Khaki Scouts uniforms. The realistic settings of the woods and the island itself adds to the feel of a childhood adventure film, very Spielbergian of Wes Anderson. The symmetrical framing of the shots used is in a word, beautiful. Its almost uncanny, everything is perfectly symmetrical, two children walking to meet each other, stopping at an equal distance so that if you put a mirror between them it would look perfectly symmetrical. Couple this with the long tracking shots used, it makes for a truly fluid feel, as if you are watching things happen in real time, such as when Scout Master Ward first wakes up and walks through his camp, we get to see everything he does in one swift fluid movement before examining the absurdly constructed tree house. The sepia tone again adds to the 60's feel of the film, and it adds to that classic home video vibe, in fact it quite reminds me of the home video sections of the horror film "Sinister" but I am a horror fan so I would notice something like that.
Similarly the set design and mise en scene of "Moonrise Kingdom" is again very childlike with houses designed to look like doll houses and formal dress and uniforms that remind me of school, again with the childlike feelings. This world that Wes Anderson brings us into for a little over 90 minutes is beautiful and fantastical and up until a certain point in the film I am living in this world with these characters. Let me reiterate, up until a certain point.

Almost impeccable cast

Now whilst for the most part I love the cast that is in this film, featuring some of my favourite actors with Bruce Willis playing the police Sheriff in charge of trying to hunt down the two children. Then we have the always enjoyable Edward Norton who plays the very child-like Scout Master Ward who despite being a math teacher and well into adulthood decides that he is best to spend his time teaching children survival skills and often acting more like a child than our two central characters. Bill Murray also stars as Suzy's father, giving his signature dry performances that are as enjoyable as always.
Now I am going to delve into the biggest problem that I have with this film. We are giving these two children, Sam Shakusky and Suzy Bishop, played respectively by Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward who were both the age of 12 when the film was in production. Now this wouldn't be a problem, I don't have anything against child actors but due to the content of this film I have to take issue with it.
Not only is there sexual content in this film involving both of the children, but it is also alluded to that they might have committed the act of sexual intercourse. Which means that both of these pre teen children were exposed to this. From this moment on that was all I could focus on.
Wes Anderson, made a film in which it is alluded to that two children have sex. Wow. Should I focus all my dislike in this film on this scene? No of course not, but in all honesty it ruined the film for me. I was really enjoying the whole Spielberg feel to the whole thing, the escapism of feeling like a child again and going on adventures, but what bloody children's adventure film contains sexual content like this!?
Again granted we get a breast feel and that's about it, but did this happen in the Goonies? No. Did it happen in Peter Pan? No. Or even Super 8? Sure there are scenes of kids kissing, but again these kids are at least 14 so I can't complain really.

Now I have the issue of who exactly this film is for. Does it even have an audience? I would say that this film is for kids, it certainly feels like a kids film, one that's fun for the whole family but would I want kids watching two kids touching each other inappropriately and talking about how certain things are "hard" so of course I wouldn't suggest that children watch this film. Is it for adults? Possibly because there is a lot of adult content here, learning about how bodies change, and the acts of violence that Suzy commits. But then again will an adult audience want to sit there and watch two children fall in love and go on a rather strange adventure. Finally I think that this film would be most befitting for adolescents and teenagers. This film is sort of about them, growing up and shrugging off the nonsense that is childhood and taking on the responsibilities of adulthood. Then again with the majority of teenagers today, I could just see them sitting through this film and laughing at the absurdity and inappropriateness of certain scenes.

My overall feelings on this film are mixed. I love the style and initial  premise of the film, children going on an adventure perhaps there last in their pre-teen years, and of course the cast is amazing, with the likes of Ed Norton and Bruce Willis giving great performances like they usually do, and the colour of the film itself are just breath taking. However I do have to take rather a huge issue with this film simply because of its content and the fact that I really can not understand who the hell it is actually for. I might actually be pushed to urge people to watch this film just to see how they feel about it, but how Wes Anderson actually got away with the content of this film is beyond me. Watch it, really, just to see if you get as freaked out as I did.

Trance Review (2013)

The film is about as confusing as its cover

I feel as though Danny Boyle is one of the best directors that the UK has to offer, shocking the world with his film Trainspotting in 1996, a story about drug abuse and the strange effects that it can have on a person. Boyle then reinvigorated the zombie genre in 2002 with his film 28 Days Later, and since then, Boyle has continued to make widely entertaining and strange films ranging from 2008's Slumdog Millionaire to the heart stopping 127 Hours in 2010. However with Boyle's newest film Trance, I have very mixed opinions, perhaps because his previous works overshadow this film, or maybe its because I simply feel like the film is just trying to twist and turn too much to make it a good film.

Trance follows the character of Simon Newton played by James McAvoy a gambler that gets in too deep with the wrong people, in order to repay his debt sets up a painting heist with gangster Franck played by the awesomely evil Vincent Cassel (when is he not the bad guy?) in order to gain the money to repay the debts. However during the heist, Franck knocks Simon unconscious using the butt of his shotgun and this causes Simon to lose a certain part of his memory, namely the part where he hid the painting away from his companions. In the interest of getting painting back, the criminals intend to use hypnosis as a means of getting the painting back contacting the hypnotic Elizabeth Lamb played by Rosario Dawson in order to help them recover the painting. Through various Trance sessions it is revealed that Lamb knows of the painting theft and aims to work with Franck and his band of criminals hoping to accomplish the feat of retrieving the painting for herself through a strange past bond to Simon and a developing relationship with Franck, the blend between reality and Trance becomes ever harder to distinguish between.

Cassel and his band of criminals

Trance is a strange film, both in terms of visuals and narrative structure. Narratively this film is a difficult one to talk about without spoiling it, so minor spoilers will follow. At first glance it seems that James McAvoy is the central character and our primary narrative voice, we follow him through the initial robbery and when he is under the trances so are we, we follow what is happening in his head, the things that he see's are the things that we are also subjected too. Later on in the film it also seems as though Franck is the central character, we are with him in the scenario when it seems like he might drown its from his perspective that we see things happening and after that when he is in his swimming pool and answers the door again it is from the perspective of Franck.
However the real central character is Dr Elizabeth Lamb, the hypnotist. She is the real one behind the missing painting, as she manipulates Simon into stealing and hiding the painting, she is also related to Simon in an interesting way and they both share a past together and without spoiling anything too much, it has a lot of ramifications as to what happens in the last 20 or so minutes of the film.

Dr Elizabeth Lamb

Visuals are also difficult to talk about, due to the fact that at the beginning of the trance sessions, it is clearly quite easy to tell what is real and what isn't, mostly because there is something that is a dead give away, such as an iPad that only has one function or a lot of lense flair during a scene. However as the film progresses it becomes harder to tell what is real and what isn't, such as the scene when Simon goes on a killing spree and then it appears that he awakens from a trance and it is scenes like this that make this film such a confusing one.

One of those confusing Trance scenes

To me it feels like Danny Boyle pulled and M. Night Shamalyan with this film, there are a lot of twists and turns and if you don't keep up with them it becomes difficult to tell what the hell is actually happening. The films first few twists seem interesting, the fact that McAvoy was actually a criminal all along and was working with the thiefs in order to pay off his debts. Then its revealed that McAvoy planned to double cross the criminals in order to give the painting away to someone we don't know of. Then of course there is the twist of Lamb knowing about the painting the whole time and in fact she is the one who wants it, and it all gets to be too much.

In conclusion, Trance is not up to the standard of the majority of Danny Boyle's films. It isn't on par with the majority of his films in fact. However performances from James McAvoy and Rosario Dawson are something of note, the interactions between the two make you feel the whole time that there is something off about them even if you can't quite put your finger on it. The plot itself despite the twists and turns is actually very fun to watch fold out, and its almost a puzzle that you are going to sit through and try to uncover before the film is actually over. Despite its flaws, Trance is a fun film and one I think most will find at least something to enjoy with Danny Boyle's newest flick, even if it is the trance music if you'll pardon the pun.

Drive Review (2011)

Drive has got to be one of the hardest films ever to write a review one. I can not articulate why I like this film so much, it has beautiful cinematography yes. Great acting, yes. Superb story, that too. However I don't think its any of these reasons that I can attribute to my love for this film. Nicolas Winding Refn directing this film and recently also directed "Only God Forgives" which failed in the eyes of many critics so what is it that makes "Drive" work so well?

The opening to "Drive" is in a word, beautiful. Ryan Gosling contacts the people he is working with, telling them they won't be able to contact him on this number again before meeting up with Shannon, played well by Bryan Cranston. Once the Driver has his inconspicuous getaway vehicle, he meets up with his contacts and they embark upon a robbery, and a chase ensues in which the Driver craftily dodges the police until ending up at a Boston Red Sox game and leaving the police in the dust by leaving with the crowd whilst Nightcall by Kavinsky begins to play over the opening credits.

The plot to drive whilst simple on the surface has layers upon layers of themes and subtext. It basically follows the unamed protagonist (I will refer to him as "the Driver" from here onwards) partnering up with a recent convict named Standard, the husband of the Drivers neighbour, Irene. Throughout the film, we see the almost mute Driver try and build a relationship with Irene, and each time we see him get close to something that might resemble a relationship, there is an issue that gets in between them. The first sign of them becoming intimate is when Irene grasps the Drivers hand as they are driving around the city at night. Benicio her son is also an important character but I will talk about hm a little later. The characters of Nino and Bernie serve as the films primary antagonists, using both Standard and the Driver as a means of getting a one million dollars of stolen Mafia money into the city without being part of the blame.

I would love to go into more detail of the plot but I really do think that this film is one that should be experienced to the fullest and in order to allow you to do that I don't want to spoil the plot. I will say however that the film is extremely violent. Utilising Ultra-Violence a hyper realised violence similar to that in films such as Watchmen and 300, there are certain scenes so grotesque that they are almost too hard to watch, but director Nicolas Refn is so stylish in his execution that it keeps your eyes pinned to the screen.
That might be the films highest merit, its style. Combining some of the beautiful slow motion shots with the soundtrack in this film creates an exhilarating experience, breathtaking in fact. As the Driver moves through the city, its an almost calming situation, there are people out there trying to kill him and harm Irene but these scenes take there time to build tension and suspense and.. my god that ending scene might actually be the most tense scene in the whole of cinema history, its that good.

Earlier I spoke of layered subtext in this film and "Drive" is full of little gems, such as when Benicio is watching a cartoon with the Driver, and the Driver asks "are there any good sharks?" to which Benicio reply's "No, just look at him!" We then see the Driver's face drop as he realises that he is a shark, he is one of the bad guys. Drive is one of those films that is much more than meets the eye, it isn't an action movie as the trailer or newspaper reviews might have you believe. It is a crime drama, but its also a highly stylised, ultra violent, entertaining romp that will satisfy a lot of people.

This is a hard review to write because whilst I do not want to spoil a film like this, it is hard to articulate why I do like Drive without delving into all the tiny intricate details, its just something that you absolutely have to watch. Outstanding performances from Bryan Cranston, Ron Pearlman, Carey Mulligan and of course Ryan Gosling are something of note, without these actors I doubt the characters would have been as memorable or would have had the same impact on the story.

Stop sitting here reading this review, go and watch Drive, believe me you will not regret it.