The embelushed, stylised, but at least partially true story of Mark "Chopper" Read.
Tales of psychopaths in prison and following their release are not uncommon but Chopper has stood out in recent years as one of the finer attempts. This comes down to the riveting central performance given by Eric Bana. Generally charismatic, the ease and subtlety with which he reveals paranoia and insecurity and the speed with which these switch to violent sociopathic behaviour is engrossing lending an element of pathos to a character we should by rights be wholly repulsed by.
The film is also shot through with moments of black comedy as a counterpoint to the violence.
Brief and entertaining.
Tuesday 24 November 2009
Tuesday 17 November 2009
The Men Who Stare At Goats
A journalist heading to Iraq meets a jedi warrior who tells him all about a secret group in the US army studying psychic warfare.
Through a road trip in Iraq, events occurr giving our journalist chance to flashback to tales of psychic training he has been told. There is a great deal of humour in these tales, much coming from the playing straight of these credulous characters by some of Hollywoods finest, Clooney, Bridges, Spacey et al. What it doesn't really have is a narrative. For much of the film this doesn't matter but it results in a messy end that is deeply unsatisfying. The result was a film that I enjoyed but felt disappointed by. I did laugh a lot though.
Through a road trip in Iraq, events occurr giving our journalist chance to flashback to tales of psychic training he has been told. There is a great deal of humour in these tales, much coming from the playing straight of these credulous characters by some of Hollywoods finest, Clooney, Bridges, Spacey et al. What it doesn't really have is a narrative. For much of the film this doesn't matter but it results in a messy end that is deeply unsatisfying. The result was a film that I enjoyed but felt disappointed by. I did laugh a lot though.
Thursday 5 November 2009
The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus
A centuries old monk has been gambling with the devil. As the time to collect nears, the travelling Imaginarium struggles to drum up some trade that provides the only hope of salvation.
As people pass through a magic mirror the imaginarium conjures up the contents of their imagination. Life through the mirror is a series of surreal dreamscapes. Others have bemoaned Gilliams switch from physical sets and cartoons to CG for their realisation but that rather misses the point. Since they are inherently imagined, being obviously unreal isn't a problem. For me they were the best part of the film and I wish more time had been spent there. Little is.
The story meanders and feels overlong but contains a moral core that turns it into a modern day fairy tale.
It is well known Heath Ledger died during filming and it is remarkable how naturallly the required changes, where different actors play his role when in the Imaginarium, fit into the tale. It should be noted though, that while Heath's character is prominent, it isnt his film. Christpher Plummer's Parnassus is the centre of the tale.
Far from Gilliam's best work, this still has a surplus of ideas. I think it's worth seeing on it's own merit but if not, it still dares to stand out in a world of endless sequels and should be commended for that.
As people pass through a magic mirror the imaginarium conjures up the contents of their imagination. Life through the mirror is a series of surreal dreamscapes. Others have bemoaned Gilliams switch from physical sets and cartoons to CG for their realisation but that rather misses the point. Since they are inherently imagined, being obviously unreal isn't a problem. For me they were the best part of the film and I wish more time had been spent there. Little is.
The story meanders and feels overlong but contains a moral core that turns it into a modern day fairy tale.
It is well known Heath Ledger died during filming and it is remarkable how naturallly the required changes, where different actors play his role when in the Imaginarium, fit into the tale. It should be noted though, that while Heath's character is prominent, it isnt his film. Christpher Plummer's Parnassus is the centre of the tale.
Far from Gilliam's best work, this still has a surplus of ideas. I think it's worth seeing on it's own merit but if not, it still dares to stand out in a world of endless sequels and should be commended for that.
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