A unit of Jewish American soldiers wage a guerilla campaign in Nazi occupied France while Goring puts on a premiere in Paris, his star tries to woo the venues owner, she plots to burn the place down with the high command there, the British plot to blow it up and a Nazi Officer tries to keep it safe.
The early synopsis of this film promised a Tarantino version of The Dirty Dozen. Such thoughts are swiftly dealt a blow when the film jumps from forming the group to Hitler cursing their success. No training montages here, nor any mad cap adventure sequences for the denouement.
Like most of his other work this film is primarily built upon long sequences of dialogue as the characters try to unravel one anothers motives. And in places this is Tarantino at his best. Time and again tension is steadily ratcheted up as we wait to see whether our Heroes can remain unmasked a little longer. This is also frequently done with great wit. But, like the latter Harry Potter books, the film is hugely flabby and in desperate need of an independent (or more restrained) editor. Many of the good scenes lose their impact by being over extended, tension simply slipping away to be replaced by impatience to move forward. Whole sections serve no purpose at all. It is this constant tapping of fingers that undid the film for me.
The standout part of the film is Michael Fassbender who is outstanding as the Nazi Security Officer nicknamed Jew Hunter. Nothing should appeal about this character at all. We frequently see him do shocking things and yet somehow, thanks to a brilliant actor, we are left sympathetic to him.
It isn't a terrible film but the good bits only serve to highlight that the film as a whole should be better. Less self indulgence next time please Quentin.
Tuesday 25 August 2009
A Map For Saturday
Brook Silva-Braga, a successful video editor in New York has an early life crisis and decides to trade in his job for a year hostelling around the world. While doing so he films himself and interviews those he meets and on return, edits the footage into this film. Which is really more a TV video diary than movie per se.
The film will likely hold interest to those who have tried back packing or are considering it. Its content focuses on the relationships formed in these environments and the sense of freedom engendered by doing just what you please with no thought for others.
What it isn't is a travelogue. The locations he visits are barely touched upon. This is a deliberate choice to focus on his point that these trips are about the people met more than the places gone but will frustrate those looking for better views and more insight on the locales he chooses to stop.
I did enjoy revisiting the back packing experience but be warned, it left me very dissatisfied I would be doing no travel of my own anytime soon. Interesting but not essential.
The film will likely hold interest to those who have tried back packing or are considering it. Its content focuses on the relationships formed in these environments and the sense of freedom engendered by doing just what you please with no thought for others.
What it isn't is a travelogue. The locations he visits are barely touched upon. This is a deliberate choice to focus on his point that these trips are about the people met more than the places gone but will frustrate those looking for better views and more insight on the locales he chooses to stop.
I did enjoy revisiting the back packing experience but be warned, it left me very dissatisfied I would be doing no travel of my own anytime soon. Interesting but not essential.
Thursday 6 August 2009
633 Squadron
As my previous boss used to point out, part of the joy of being relatively uninitiated in the world of cinema is the huge back catalogue of classic films I have yet to discover (to the constant dismay of my cinephile friends). So I've started trying to log these films when they crop up so I can make an effort to broaden the scope of my viewing. I should also log why I thought I should watch them. I can't remember for 633 Squadron but it might be as simple as the classic theme tune.
The film follows a WW2 mosquito bomber squadron as they train for a tricky D-day preparation mission. There are special bombs and a long approach run up a fjord, burgeoning romance and country pub. It feels like so many other British war films you watch on a Sunday afternoon but this is no bad thing since I love them. They do though have this strange ability to rear load the film. We slowly get to know the characters without realising we care for them and then in 10 short minutes of action right at the end you get all the main action in one hit. As pilots are lost in what is very clearly the inspiration for Star Wars' Death Star Trench Run some emotion is finally dredged from these great sacrifices, but in a very stiff upper lip sort of way with no melodrama. If you like a classic war film tale of derring do, this will be for you.
The film follows a WW2 mosquito bomber squadron as they train for a tricky D-day preparation mission. There are special bombs and a long approach run up a fjord, burgeoning romance and country pub. It feels like so many other British war films you watch on a Sunday afternoon but this is no bad thing since I love them. They do though have this strange ability to rear load the film. We slowly get to know the characters without realising we care for them and then in 10 short minutes of action right at the end you get all the main action in one hit. As pilots are lost in what is very clearly the inspiration for Star Wars' Death Star Trench Run some emotion is finally dredged from these great sacrifices, but in a very stiff upper lip sort of way with no melodrama. If you like a classic war film tale of derring do, this will be for you.
Monday 3 August 2009
The Limey
On the face of it this is a classic British gangster film with Terrence Stamp playing Wilson, an ex-con lured to LA by a letter informing him of his daughters death. But it more than this. In very quickly laying out the revenge theme and setting up Wilson as something of an irresistable force, the need for convoluted heists is dispensed with and what unfolds instead is an intimate portrait of a man coming to terms with the consequences of his lifestyle and several terms in jail.
The script is efficient and combined with editing that often has a conversation played out over several locations gives the film a momentum that briskly gathers pace as it whips through it's 85 min runtime. But by keeping to a small cast and focusing on Wilson, brevity does not come at the expense of character development. Also, while clearly being informed by gangster films from both sides of the channel, it achieves a freshness and sense of originality I hadn't expected from the Such staple genre work. While the outcome is never in doubt it doesn't matter too much because getting there is so entertaining.
The script is efficient and combined with editing that often has a conversation played out over several locations gives the film a momentum that briskly gathers pace as it whips through it's 85 min runtime. But by keeping to a small cast and focusing on Wilson, brevity does not come at the expense of character development. Also, while clearly being informed by gangster films from both sides of the channel, it achieves a freshness and sense of originality I hadn't expected from the Such staple genre work. While the outcome is never in doubt it doesn't matter too much because getting there is so entertaining.
Eagle vs. Shark
Unlike the majority of vs. films, this one doesn't pitch mutated titular creatures against each other in a spectacular death match. Instead it is an indie comedy that sits well next to descriptions such as "quirky" and "offbeat". The shark is a never complaining, somewhat naive girl serving burgers waiting expectantly for Jarrod to come in. Jarrod, our Eagle, is focussed on a mission of revenge.
With two losers in the frame, themes of loss, desperation, eagerness to please and childhood hang ups come tumbling out. With Jarrod and Lily though, these episodes are tragically comical, largely thanks to Jared's unbelievable childishness.
Jared is played by Jermaine Clement who you may recognise from Flight of the Conchords. His character here is like a distillation of that characters desperation and child-like stupidity infused with some anger management issues. I spent half the film wodering what he'd be like if he grew up and the other half wodering what I'd be like if I still clung to childhood grievances. Maybe I should do some hard core kung-Fu training and use facebook to look up a nemesis or Two? Perhaps that would improve my prospects?
Lily is a character to root for. She may be a bit simple but she's a "good" person that you insinctively feel deserves better than life has given her. When all she asks for is Jarrod you can't help but feel that it's a small ask. So it's great that Jarrod thinks so much of himself he doesn't doesn't respond with excited gratitude.
Like a lot of indie comedies, this isn't gut bustingly funny. More mirthful generally but a satisfying watch with a good laugh or two along the way.
With two losers in the frame, themes of loss, desperation, eagerness to please and childhood hang ups come tumbling out. With Jarrod and Lily though, these episodes are tragically comical, largely thanks to Jared's unbelievable childishness.
Jared is played by Jermaine Clement who you may recognise from Flight of the Conchords. His character here is like a distillation of that characters desperation and child-like stupidity infused with some anger management issues. I spent half the film wodering what he'd be like if he grew up and the other half wodering what I'd be like if I still clung to childhood grievances. Maybe I should do some hard core kung-Fu training and use facebook to look up a nemesis or Two? Perhaps that would improve my prospects?
Lily is a character to root for. She may be a bit simple but she's a "good" person that you insinctively feel deserves better than life has given her. When all she asks for is Jarrod you can't help but feel that it's a small ask. So it's great that Jarrod thinks so much of himself he doesn't doesn't respond with excited gratitude.
Like a lot of indie comedies, this isn't gut bustingly funny. More mirthful generally but a satisfying watch with a good laugh or two along the way.
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