Even though this film was slated upon arrival I think I must have been in the right mood because I thoroughly enjoyed it. I even enjoyed it more than Snow White and the Huntsman which is why it deserves the extra half star to Kristen Stewart's real life love triangle. I also didn't pay for it as Love Film are currently trying to woo me with free films so that probably has helped the rating and this review too!
I am not going to describe the plot because, refreshingly, it actually follows the conventions of the original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs fairytale.
Firstly, there are SEVEN dwarfs. Not eight. And they have been played by DWARFS. Not mini versions of British actors in a 'we're not copying the Hobbits' but blatently are style. And these guys rock, completely living up to the expectations of the viewer and providing some lovely comic moments. They aren't called Happy Sleepy Dopey etc but they do have some good names and matching personalities, there is Butcher the butcher (played by a wonderful actor called Martin Klebba who is probably most famous for being in Scrubs), Grimm the teacher, Napoleon who wears a magnificent hat and does makeovers, and my personal favourite Grub who, you know, eats all the time.
Secondly Snow White looks like Snow White. Her hair is black, her skin is white, her lips (after Napoleon dabbles with some fruit juice) are rosy red. She is played by Lily Collins who is far more convincing as Snow than Ms Stewart. This is perhaps unfair as I think I gave her a fairly positive review, but, there was no love triangle in this film (apart from Julia Roberts trying to marry Armie Hammer) so I am already remembering parts of the film fondly rather than wishing I hadn't just witnessed another Twilight film.
Back to Lily, she is great. I loved her in The Blind Side (if you haven't seen it then go, now, Sandra Bullock won an Oscar for this the same year she won a Razzie!), and she doesn't seem overwhelmed by the enormity of being a Princess.
Of course the film isn't burdened on her shoulders alone. Julia Roberts has the fun task of playing the evil step-mother/Queen. And I truly believe she had fun with it. She loses her focus when Armie Hammer's bare chest is on show (well who wouldn't?), has conversations with herself in the Mirror (which I'll come back to), and has a great time making Nathan Lane squirm as her manservant Brighton. It is possibly one of my favourite Julia Robert's performances because she just seems to relish it so much.
I enjoyed that the conversations with the Mirror began with the Queen saying 'Mirror Mirror on the wall' which then turned her mirror into a portal, taking her to a strange hut full of mirrors where she could converse with her reflection in peace. It was intriguing that the Mirror Queen had an American accent where real-life Queen was English, however I imagine that was to highlight that she wasn't simply talking to herself in the mirror.
The film suffers from the same lack of cohesion with accents as the film Penelope does, where you were never quite sure if they were in the USA or the UK but James McAvoy should have been allowed to be Scottish regardless! Snow White was American and her Dad British, the Prince American and his lackey British...perhaps there was a theme of the Brits being evil/slightly rubbish. Ah well, not that it matters, the real Snow White was German so who cares what the accent is as long as there are no subtitles for my tired brain to deal with!
As for the Prince, played with some kind of fierce joy by Armie Hammer (another graduate of that Facebook film I have yet to watch), he was so much fun! He was pompous, funny, gorgeous, and not afraid to play the fool as he attempted to embody 'puppy love'. Actually that reminds me of one of my favourite scenes where he absolutely went puppy crazy over Julia Roberts whose laughter, I am positive, was real.
There are some cracking one-liners in this film - after the sappy declaration that it is about time the Princess did the saving not the Prince, Armie Hammer gets to respond with "No! Its a successful story - there have been focus groups!"
The film differs to the original story on one important point, Snow White is never tricked into eating poison and woken by her Prince. Instead, like the above sappy quote points out, it is the Princess' turn to do the saving. This I didn't mind because it wasn't sticking to the original plot very well, the dwarfs were bandits on stilts rather than diamond miners, but it all worked. Essentially, there was no love triangle to feel awkward about, no Kristen Stewart pulling odd faces at the camera, and I was a fan of the Spice Girls so I don't mind a bit of Girl Power now and then.
Directed by Tarsem Singh, the film had his stamp of being beautiful and colourful. The only other film I have seen of his is The Cell and, although I didn't like it, I found the visuals to be quite stunning. The same is true here, the colours are masterfully put together as the scenes from the village have everyone and everything so grey while Snow White sparkles in gold, and the ballroom scene where only the Queen, the Prince, and Snow White's red lips have any kind of pallor apart from beige.
He also brings his Bollywood influence to the film and it ends on a strange but rather well thought out final song and dance, as Bollywood films are known to do. It also proves that Lily Collins can sing like her Dad, and lets Armie continue to be funny as he awkwardly gets pulled into the dancing.
This film was funny, it was silly, and there were some good actors living up to their characters. You didn't need to take the film seriously, it didn't want you to. It wanted you to laugh, and I did.
Monday 17 September 2012
Thursday 6 September 2012
The Dark Knight Rises ☆☆☆☆☆
First off I'd like to say that if you have seen Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, enjoyed them but are thinking 'I'll wait for the DVD' for this one then DON'T. Catch it while you can on the big screen, it is entirely worth it.
If you haven't seen either but are intrigued I'd recommend the entire series, if only to get to see this final film.
Next I need to point out that I absolutely cannot review this film without spoilers so this should be as far as you read if you have not seen TDKR yet.
So to reiterate: SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
Ahem.
As there are multiple spoilers I will not give the usual run down of the plot, rather just launch in with why I thought it deserved five stars.
Even though it has been four years since the last Batman film there is hardly a difference between the execution or the special effects, and that is because Christopher Nolan rather wisely stayed clear of the pull of 3D. I personally thank him because I cannot watch 3D movies without obtaining a splitting headache, but equally the rest of the world and Batman fans everywhere should thank him for not creating effects for the enjoyment of the 3D audience. I could see if the studio had demanded 3D that the Bat would have flown over our heads, the footballer running from the disintegrating earth would have run into our laps, and Anne Hathaway's boobs would have been in our faces somehow.
The continuation of the story from The Dark Knight was pretty seamless, one can only imagine had Heath Ledger not died then perhaps The Joker would have made a return as Cillian Murphy's scarecrow does, playing the manic Judge, Jury and Executioner that Tom Hardy's bright new world of Gotham demands.
Tom Hardy, what can I say? When I could understand him I was mesmerised by the Sean Connery-esque lilt, and even when I had no idea what he was saying I remained fairly terrified. He was enigmatic (helped by the mask holding his face together) and engaging, a thrilling figure on screen. The bulk of his presence is more than enough proof to the audience that he could kill Batman. Seriously, Hardy has shoulders you could be carried on for weeks. The emotion too that is conveyed by Hardy's eyes is consuming, the tears at the end are almost heartbreaking enough to make you forget he has broken a great many necks in this film.
Marion Cotillard is a convincing femme fatale, the one who seems to be so right for the broken Bruce but instead is his mightiest enemy, the one who gets him killed. I adore Cotillard and am happy she appears to have become a darling of Hollywood as, as much as I love the French language, it is nice to not have to read the screen when she is on it. The back story of Cotillard's Miranda is compelling, and although I thought Bane was not the child of Ra's Al Ghul but actually his protector, I must admit I did not see it coming that Cotillard was that child, despite not being entirely sure of her as a good guy.
As for the actual good guys in this movie I LOVED both Hathaway's Catwoman (who is notably never called so) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Robin (who is only referred to by this name at the end). I was unfortunate to see one of those occasionally hilarious Meme's that revealed who JGL's character really was, but it did not spoil anything really. His performance as Blake, the cop who knows that Bruce Wayne is Batman and still believes in him, is brilliant. He is another actor I cannot get enough of and is ageing ridiculously well, whilst Nolan gives him the roles of his life so far. That final scene of his going up into the Bat Cave was so tantalising as well - you just wanted the film to carry on with Robin, something that no one would have said about Chris O'Donnell's boy wonder.
Anne Hathaway is fantastic as Selina Kyle, the cat burglar who has gotten in with the wrong kind of people. Though the loudmouth next to me in the cinema proclaimed 'she's not as good as Michelle Pfeiffer' I have to vehemently disagree. Pfeiffer was part of Tim Burton's Batman world, a crazy and more fantastical realisation who is rejuvenated by her many cats when she suffers a near fatal accident.
Hathaway embodies the realism of Nolan's vision for Batman, and actually upon further reading on the character her Selina Kyle is the closest to the original comic book creation. If anything could turn a straight girl gay it would probably be seeing Anne Hathaway in that skin tight leather catsuit, Hardy's shoulders were just enough to stop me falling over that line but seriously, that suit was entirely unforgiving and hats off to Hathaway for looking as amazing as she did.
Hathaway kicked serious butt in this movie, and she did it in six inch heels. A fantastic performance and a worthy adversary-come-perfect partner for Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne.
Ah Christian Bale, though out-done on shoulder muscles by Mr Hardy he does still cut a pretty fine figure on screen. A recluse at the start he is reminiscent of an old man shuffling about his mansion in depression. When he finally puts the Batman suit on and comes sweeping in I actually beamed, it was so exciting to see him back. Bale is an incredible actor and manages to balance the gravelly voiced Batman with the broken Billionaire with great skill, you can see him positively light up when Hathaway's Selina makes her first impression upon his life.
The relationship between Bruce and Selina I couldn't get enough of - I wanted more banter and more screen time between the two. Bale and Hathaway matched each other on cock-sure confidence, wit, and emotion. I knew the ending would be of the two of them and the romantic in me beamed yet again as Bruce Wayne finally gets his happy ending with a woman to challenge and excite him without making him feel guilty for his sacrifices.
The recurring characters, apart from Batman of course, are the indomitable figures of Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Gary Oldman. Each carry on the spirit with which they began the trilogy, Caine as the father-figure who has to break Bruce's heart to make him move forward, Freeman the genius who sucks Bruce back into living with more toys for the Batman (including the coolest flying machine ever), and Oldman as Commissioner Gordon who has sacrificed his family the same way Bruce Wayne has sacrificed any chance of having one - by staying remote and on edge with the lies about Harvey Dent.
They are all brilliant, but then men of their stature in Hollywood would not be anything less. Caine is particularly wonderful as the father-figure who can never be as close to the boy he sees as his son as a real father can be.
Now this film is not without its faults. Toward the end there are a series of shots that seem to have been edited together a little hastily so that I was confused at when exactly Cotillard had gone 'missing', how close the Research and Development basement was to the hostages and how Fox and Bruce could get there without incurring more fighting. But these are trivial really in the grand scheme of the film and understandable as the film is a hefty 165 minutes in length already, although I could have easily watched another 30minutes.
Christopher Nolan has done a masterful job in my opinion with the Batman franchise. I have commented before in reviews that I am a Marvel girl through and through, but the Nolan's Batman trilogy could have been invented by the brothers and no one would be any the wiser (Jonathan co-wrote the latter two films). They are so much more than comic book adaptations and have been a strong addition to the DC franchise, making up for the embarrassing previous incarnations of the caped crusader.
Though I do not want to go into heavy detail of why these special effects were exceptional (the sewer bombs were just fantastic and that football field being demolished from below? stunning), I want to make a special mention of The Bat. This vehicle (can I call it a vehicle?) is incredible, it doesn't look like a bat in the slightest, more like one of those flying beetles, but even then you think someone with the time, money, and ingenuity could make something like this work. THAT is the real touch of genius that Nolan and his brother have brought to these films, there is something at the back of your mind that thinks 'yeah, one day, that could happen in Bill Gates' basement'.
Special effects and scenery aside (Gotham looks more like Manhattan film by film), the characters are what make this film worth watching. The dialogue is slick and never cheesy, there is humour and emotion in the words and the performances, and there are more British actors in this than you can shake a stick at, you just have to spot them.
I loved each and every performance. I loved each and every scene. Hathaway and Gordon-Levitt are my stand out stars but they do not steal their scenes...well Hathaway does sometimes.
I had no intention of owning any of the Batman films (let alone Green Lantern or Superman) but I think I may have to rethink my stance on DC. Nolan has certainly convinced me with this final offering that Batman is worth investing your time in, and some shelf space.
If you haven't seen either but are intrigued I'd recommend the entire series, if only to get to see this final film.
Next I need to point out that I absolutely cannot review this film without spoilers so this should be as far as you read if you have not seen TDKR yet.
So to reiterate: SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
Ahem.
As there are multiple spoilers I will not give the usual run down of the plot, rather just launch in with why I thought it deserved five stars.
Even though it has been four years since the last Batman film there is hardly a difference between the execution or the special effects, and that is because Christopher Nolan rather wisely stayed clear of the pull of 3D. I personally thank him because I cannot watch 3D movies without obtaining a splitting headache, but equally the rest of the world and Batman fans everywhere should thank him for not creating effects for the enjoyment of the 3D audience. I could see if the studio had demanded 3D that the Bat would have flown over our heads, the footballer running from the disintegrating earth would have run into our laps, and Anne Hathaway's boobs would have been in our faces somehow.
The continuation of the story from The Dark Knight was pretty seamless, one can only imagine had Heath Ledger not died then perhaps The Joker would have made a return as Cillian Murphy's scarecrow does, playing the manic Judge, Jury and Executioner that Tom Hardy's bright new world of Gotham demands.
Tom Hardy, what can I say? When I could understand him I was mesmerised by the Sean Connery-esque lilt, and even when I had no idea what he was saying I remained fairly terrified. He was enigmatic (helped by the mask holding his face together) and engaging, a thrilling figure on screen. The bulk of his presence is more than enough proof to the audience that he could kill Batman. Seriously, Hardy has shoulders you could be carried on for weeks. The emotion too that is conveyed by Hardy's eyes is consuming, the tears at the end are almost heartbreaking enough to make you forget he has broken a great many necks in this film.
Marion Cotillard is a convincing femme fatale, the one who seems to be so right for the broken Bruce but instead is his mightiest enemy, the one who gets him killed. I adore Cotillard and am happy she appears to have become a darling of Hollywood as, as much as I love the French language, it is nice to not have to read the screen when she is on it. The back story of Cotillard's Miranda is compelling, and although I thought Bane was not the child of Ra's Al Ghul but actually his protector, I must admit I did not see it coming that Cotillard was that child, despite not being entirely sure of her as a good guy.
As for the actual good guys in this movie I LOVED both Hathaway's Catwoman (who is notably never called so) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Robin (who is only referred to by this name at the end). I was unfortunate to see one of those occasionally hilarious Meme's that revealed who JGL's character really was, but it did not spoil anything really. His performance as Blake, the cop who knows that Bruce Wayne is Batman and still believes in him, is brilliant. He is another actor I cannot get enough of and is ageing ridiculously well, whilst Nolan gives him the roles of his life so far. That final scene of his going up into the Bat Cave was so tantalising as well - you just wanted the film to carry on with Robin, something that no one would have said about Chris O'Donnell's boy wonder.
Anne Hathaway is fantastic as Selina Kyle, the cat burglar who has gotten in with the wrong kind of people. Though the loudmouth next to me in the cinema proclaimed 'she's not as good as Michelle Pfeiffer' I have to vehemently disagree. Pfeiffer was part of Tim Burton's Batman world, a crazy and more fantastical realisation who is rejuvenated by her many cats when she suffers a near fatal accident.
Hathaway embodies the realism of Nolan's vision for Batman, and actually upon further reading on the character her Selina Kyle is the closest to the original comic book creation. If anything could turn a straight girl gay it would probably be seeing Anne Hathaway in that skin tight leather catsuit, Hardy's shoulders were just enough to stop me falling over that line but seriously, that suit was entirely unforgiving and hats off to Hathaway for looking as amazing as she did.
Hathaway kicked serious butt in this movie, and she did it in six inch heels. A fantastic performance and a worthy adversary-come-perfect partner for Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne.
Ah Christian Bale, though out-done on shoulder muscles by Mr Hardy he does still cut a pretty fine figure on screen. A recluse at the start he is reminiscent of an old man shuffling about his mansion in depression. When he finally puts the Batman suit on and comes sweeping in I actually beamed, it was so exciting to see him back. Bale is an incredible actor and manages to balance the gravelly voiced Batman with the broken Billionaire with great skill, you can see him positively light up when Hathaway's Selina makes her first impression upon his life.
The relationship between Bruce and Selina I couldn't get enough of - I wanted more banter and more screen time between the two. Bale and Hathaway matched each other on cock-sure confidence, wit, and emotion. I knew the ending would be of the two of them and the romantic in me beamed yet again as Bruce Wayne finally gets his happy ending with a woman to challenge and excite him without making him feel guilty for his sacrifices.
The recurring characters, apart from Batman of course, are the indomitable figures of Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Gary Oldman. Each carry on the spirit with which they began the trilogy, Caine as the father-figure who has to break Bruce's heart to make him move forward, Freeman the genius who sucks Bruce back into living with more toys for the Batman (including the coolest flying machine ever), and Oldman as Commissioner Gordon who has sacrificed his family the same way Bruce Wayne has sacrificed any chance of having one - by staying remote and on edge with the lies about Harvey Dent.
They are all brilliant, but then men of their stature in Hollywood would not be anything less. Caine is particularly wonderful as the father-figure who can never be as close to the boy he sees as his son as a real father can be.
Now this film is not without its faults. Toward the end there are a series of shots that seem to have been edited together a little hastily so that I was confused at when exactly Cotillard had gone 'missing', how close the Research and Development basement was to the hostages and how Fox and Bruce could get there without incurring more fighting. But these are trivial really in the grand scheme of the film and understandable as the film is a hefty 165 minutes in length already, although I could have easily watched another 30minutes.
Christopher Nolan has done a masterful job in my opinion with the Batman franchise. I have commented before in reviews that I am a Marvel girl through and through, but the Nolan's Batman trilogy could have been invented by the brothers and no one would be any the wiser (Jonathan co-wrote the latter two films). They are so much more than comic book adaptations and have been a strong addition to the DC franchise, making up for the embarrassing previous incarnations of the caped crusader.
Though I do not want to go into heavy detail of why these special effects were exceptional (the sewer bombs were just fantastic and that football field being demolished from below? stunning), I want to make a special mention of The Bat. This vehicle (can I call it a vehicle?) is incredible, it doesn't look like a bat in the slightest, more like one of those flying beetles, but even then you think someone with the time, money, and ingenuity could make something like this work. THAT is the real touch of genius that Nolan and his brother have brought to these films, there is something at the back of your mind that thinks 'yeah, one day, that could happen in Bill Gates' basement'.
Special effects and scenery aside (Gotham looks more like Manhattan film by film), the characters are what make this film worth watching. The dialogue is slick and never cheesy, there is humour and emotion in the words and the performances, and there are more British actors in this than you can shake a stick at, you just have to spot them.
I loved each and every performance. I loved each and every scene. Hathaway and Gordon-Levitt are my stand out stars but they do not steal their scenes...well Hathaway does sometimes.
I had no intention of owning any of the Batman films (let alone Green Lantern or Superman) but I think I may have to rethink my stance on DC. Nolan has certainly convinced me with this final offering that Batman is worth investing your time in, and some shelf space.
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