Logan

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Cinema, Dafne Keen, Film, Film Review, Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables, Logan, Movie, Movie Review, Patrick Stewart, Prisoners, Professor X, The Prestige, Wolverine, X-Men

via empireonline.com

Hugh Jackman made his name by playing Wolverine in the first “X-Men” film; he wasn’t the studio’s first choice for the role and at the time he was far from a household name. Seventeen years on Jackman has become known as a dependable box office draw as well as a talented actor in his own right, with lead roles in films like “The Prestige”, “Prisoners”, and “Les Misérables” solidifying his position as one of Hollywood’s best. With that in mind “Logan” had a lot riding on it; it was always going to be Jackman’s last turn as Wolverine – his last chance to play the character that made him famous – so it really was a career-defining film for him. Thankfully his performance is filled with heart, soul, emotion, and most importantly a thorough understanding of the character that he helped to create. In this movie we see Hugh Jackman the actor rather than Hugh Jackman the movie star, just as we see Logan rather than Wolverine, and his performance makes it the most powerful film I’ve seen this year.

It’s rare that I leave the cinema completely satisfied; there’s always something that could’ve been better or something that didn’t really work the way that I wanted it to, but in my opinion “Logan” is as good as faultless. It’s not technically perfect because no film ever is, but it’s better than anyone could ever have dreamt it would be, especially given how average the last two standalone Wolverine films were. There’s a sense of clarity in every scene, and there’s a feeling of finality to the whole thing that you can’t help but be captivated by. You want to know what’s going to happen and you don’t want to take your eyes off the screen in case you miss it, which at the end of the day is the art of telling a good story and something that so many filmmakers fail to translate onto the screen.

It helps of course that Wolverine as a character has been well treated in the past – we’ve seen him go through hell and back in the previous “X-Men” movies, and even in the films which didn’t hit their mark he was the shining light, so when we see him stripped back we immediately sympathise with him and want him to succeed. However, this film doesn’t only work because of what has come before it, it works because the story is clear, precise, and directed firmly towards a satisfying conclusion. There are only two options for how the story can end and anyone paying attention knows exactly what they are; either 1) Logan dies a hero; or 2) he gets to live happily ever after. He gets what he wants either way because it’s said throughout the movie that he wants to die, so the only thing left to do as an audience member is to sit back and hope that whichever way the plot goes it does justice to the character – thankfully it does.

The story is magnificent, starting by reducing Logan to a shell of himself and then gradually building him back up into the man that we know he can be. It’s quick to highlight that Logan is still a force to be reckoned with, showing us exactly how vicious he can be and making the most of its R rating in its very first scene, but there’s also a clear indication that he isn’t a well man. In “X-Men” Logan explains to Rogue (Anna Paquin) that it hurts every time his claws come out, and this is graphically displayed to us very early on in this film as the camera pans down to his hands which are covered in blood and puss. The film doesn’t tone itself down at any point; it’s a bleak tale filled with tragedy and pain, pushing the idea that no matter what we achieve in life we’re all heading towards the same destination. For some audience members this won’t mesh neatly with their expectations for what a superhero movie should be, and as such the experience may be slightly jarring for them, but from my perspective the tone that this movie creates makes it feel more significant than any other film in the genre.

My biggest complaint about the genre as a whole is that the end of the world materialises every other week and the heroes seem more interested in spitting out one-liners than fixing the problem, but “Logan” does away with this. It invites the audience to see what it would really be like to be a killer with metal cutting through your hands every time you lose your temper – spoiler alert, it wouldn’t be very nice.

In my opinion “Logan” should be a benchmark rather than an outlier; this is what can be achieved in the superhero genre if filmmakers aren’t held back by studios looking to market towards a pre-teen demographic, and as such it’s not just a great film but an important one as well. You can take a larger-than-life idea and turn it into something real, something that can move people and entertain them without the need to lower the tone, you just have to be brave and make decisions which enhance the movie rather than the contents of your wallet.

Of course, you can have the best intentions in the world but if your film isn’t well made then those intentions are irrelevant. With that in mind, what makes “Logan” great are its lead performances; those of Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, and Dafne Keen respectively. I’ve touched on Jackman already, but it’s worth reiterating that he is fantastic in this film. He knows the character so well and he’s able to express his emotions without ever overacting – he just does everything right from start to finish. Stewart is a brilliant actor and there’s not a lot more to say about him that people don’t already know. In this film he’s given more to work with than he was in the previous “X-Men” films which allows him to make the character seem worthy of the adoration that Logan has for him. He draws every ounce of emotion from the lines that he’s given, and he’s able to create some much needed comic relief in the middle of the film when things become a little overwhelming.

Then there’s Keen in her feature film debut. This was a make or break role, because if Keen had been your typical example of a child actor nervously delivering her lines then “Logan” would’ve fell apart. No matter how good the script or the other actors were the film rested squarely on her diminutive shoulders, because the film is as much about her character (Laura) as it is about Logan. With that said, she held her own with two of the best actors alive today and she stole a number of scenes without even needing to speak. She held herself so well and seemed to understand exactly what was required of her. Her performance is assured and aggressive, fitting her character perfectly, and she deserves as much credit as Jackman for making the film as good as it ended up being.

After gushing about the performances and the narrative it should be pretty obvious what I think of this film. It’s exceptional from start to finish and I was enthralled throughout. The ending was perfect, Jackman was incredible, and I really wouldn’t change a thing about it.

10/10

Room

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Brie Larson, Cinema, Emma Donoghue, Film, Frank, Jacob Tremblay, Lenny Abrahamson, Movie Review, Old Nick, Room, Sean Bridgers, The Oscars

“Room” is a beautiful film about making the best out of viciously dark circumstances. Of all the films that I’ve seen this year “Room” has affected me the most, not because of the situation that Joy (Brie Larson) and Jack (Jacob Tremblay) find themselves in, but because of the message of hope that is put across in spite of that situation. It is truly heart-breaking to watch Joy’s constant struggle to live a normal life, but at the same time Jack’s perspective on the world is so wonderfully sincere and innocent.

It should be clear if you’ve seen the trailer that this film is about a child who is raised inside one room – that room is his world, and in his mind it is in fact the world. For Jack, at the start of the film nothing exists outside of Room, at least nothing that he will ever know – he has always been there and he always will be. The people on the television live on other planets, his mother has always been in Room, and the person who brings them treats on a Sunday gets them by magic. So, for Jack everything inside his tiny universe has a purpose, a personality, and is central to his existence. However, things for Joy (Jack’s mother) are not so awe-inspiring. Joy has created this world for Jack to shield him from the harsh reality of what Room actually is; a garden shed in which she has been imprisoned, beaten, and raped for seven years. That’s the set up – Room is something completely opposite for the two protagonists, and over the course of the film the audience experiences the difficulties that each person faces whilst coping with and ultimately letting go of the world they shared together.

It should also be evident from the trailer that Jack and Joy don’t spend the entirety of this film in Room because, after all, there are scenes in said trailer which don’t take place at that location. Jack explicitly states on the voiceover that he knows ‘everything’ whereas he used to only know some things, implying that he is no longer confined to a universe made up of four walls and a locked door. “Room” is essentially about a mother and her son attempting to live normally in the outside world after escaping captivity, so you shouldn’t go into this film expecting it to take place entirely in one setting.

“Room” revolves around Jack as he attempts to understand the world around him. He appears in almost every scene, and every meaningful interaction that takes place in the film is either about him or involves him. Through Jack we meet Old Nick (Sean Bridgers) for the first time, watching with Jack through the shutters of his wardrobe as Joy placates him and takes him to bed. Although we know exactly what’s going on, this scene is filmed so that the audience attempts to latch onto what Jack might be thinking; I don’t know about everyone else, but I found that incredibly difficult. It’s hard enough to try to imagine what a normal child understands about sex, but to attempt to get inside the mind-set of a child who knows nothing about the outside world or the way that children are conceived is almost impossible.

Having said that, it’s moments like this which really highlight why Jacob Tremblay’s performance in this film is so amazing, and why Lenny Abrahamson’s direction is excellent, because Tremblay conveys confusion and distress subtly, projecting the emotions of the audience whilst also demonstrating that Jack is unaware of why he feels the way he does. As Jack lies silently in his wardrobe, he hears his mother having sex with a man who is seemingly from a whole different world – he doesn’t know what’s physically going on and he isn’t completely sure how it is even possible that Old Nick can exist given that he doesn’t live in Room, but he knows that he isn’t allowed outside of the wardrobe until it’s over. In other words he’s confused, but the more disturbing aspect of this scene is that it still appears as though Jack knows that whatever is going on isn’t right.

He is clearly uncomfortable; he looks sad and helpless as he lays his head down, and you get the feeling that he wants to stop whatever’s happening. Maybe it’s just the connection he has with his mother – she clearly doesn’t like Old Nick that much despite the fact that he brings them food and gifts each week, and she doesn’t sound like she’s happy when he’s around – but I felt as though the intention was to show that a part of Jack knew that something was wrong in spite of his ignorance. Jacob Tremblay is able to convey this to the audience, even though he shouldn’t fully understand how his character is feeling or what is actually happening in the scene, which in my opinion is exceptional; how he hasn’t been nominated for an Academy Award is something that I will never understand.

Brie Larson is equally as good as Joy, as she displays motherly affection with ease and confidence. Her performance is incredibly genuine and sweet, but it’s also soul-destroying because you can see the potential that Joy’s life had before she was kidnapped, and you can also see how much effort she’s putting in just to keep it together. Larson’s eyes are exceptionally expressive, particularly at her most desperate moments, which is only made more apparent by the lack of makeup used whilst the characters are in Room. Larson is just utterly believable throughout; she presents the internal conflict that Joy faces with subtlety, and her relationship with Jacob Tremblay feels completely and utterly authentic.

There’s a lot of depth to “Room” on top of the performances, and I feel as though it really makes the most of its premise. There’s a duality in the story, as it initially appears that Jack is reliant on Joy for his survival, but once the pair are set free it’s clear that that might not be the case. Everyone is scared that Jack won’t be able to adapt to the real world because of his isolation from the rest of humanity, and also because he’s the product of rape and has seen horrific things, but as “Room” progresses Jack really starts to come out of his shell.

Joy, on the other hand, struggles intensely to come to terms with the fact that she is able to simply live. She’s been trying to pretend that everything is fine for so long that she can’t reintegrate into society once she’s free. At this point it’s clear that Joy hasn’t dealt with the situation that she faced in Room as well as she thought she had, at least not psychologically, and that without Jack she may not have been able to last as long as she did. Jack very literally saves her life when the pair manage to escape Old Nick, but in reality he has been doing so his entire life because he gave her a reason to carry on. Joy needed Jack to survive; she needed a reason to get out of bed in the morning. This co-dependency might seem to be the ultimate demonstration of love, and of course there is a beauty to it, but it is the realisation of this fact that ultimately pushes Joy over the edge. She sees that although she’s always tried to protect Jack, she could’ve given him a better life if she had simply asked Old Nick to take him to an orphanage or a hospital when he was still a baby, and that in fact she kept him by her side because without him Room wouldn’t have been a world worth living in – it would’ve just been a shed in the back yard of a monster.

The screenplay was written by Emma Donoghue who also wrote the novel that this film is based on, aptly also called “Room”. I think that in this case that definitely helped the film, because you can tell that the person who penned the script was actively invested in the characters and the story. The way that the pair depend on each other for companionship, and the way that Jack uses language in an unconventional ad hoc way, are brilliantly conveyed and realised on screen, which I feel is down in no small part to Emma Donoghue’s considered take on her own material.

It would be unfair to end this review without first noting that “Room” does have a few plot holes. Why would Old Nick not check to see if Jack was dead? Why would Old Nick allow Joy to keep her child? Why didn’t Joy try to break the skylight? These issues do arise when you think about the story after leaving the cinema, but importantly they don’t matter whilst you’re watching the film – at least they didn’t for me. There’s no such thing as a perfect film and issues are inevitable, but I think that whether or not you can acknowledge them and still find a movie both enjoyable and interesting is what ultimately makes that movie great. I can say with confidence that when I think about “Room” I think about the numerous scenes that captivated and moved me, not the minor issues, which for me is what really matters.

“Room” is one of the best films that I’ve seen in years. It definitely suits my tastes, so I don’t want everyone who reads this review to think that they too will fall in love with it, but I genuinely believe that it is a fantastic movie. From a tick-box standpoint it has everything – brilliant performances, intelligent direction, a great script, first-rate cinematography, and an interesting story – but more importantly it has heart. It’s an isolated story that’s worth telling, and it’s one that resonated with me in a meaningful way.

10/10

Game of Thrones : Season Five, Episode 8 – “Hardhome”

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Aidan Gillen, Alfie Allen, Alliser Thorne, Art Parkinson, Arya Stark, Braavos, Bran Stark, Carice van Houten, Cersei Lannister, Ciaran Hinds, Daenerys Targaryen, Dean-Charles Chapman, Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones, Hardhome, Iain Glen, Ian McElhatton, Isaac Hempstead-Wright, Iwan Rheon, Jaqen H'ghar, John Bradley, Jon Snow, Jorah Mormont, King's Landing, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Littlefinger, Maisie Williams, Margaery Tyrell, Meereen, Melisandre, Natalie Dormer, Owen Teale, Peter Dinklage, Ramsay Bolton, Rickon Stark, Roose Bolton, Samwell Tarly, Sansa Stark, Sophie Turner, Stannis Baratheon, Stephen Dillane, Television, The House of Black and White, The Iron Throne, The Many-Faced God, The Night's King, The Night's Watch, Theon Greyjoy, Tom Wlaschiha, Tommen Baratheon, TV, Tyrion Lannister, Westeros, White Walkers, Wildlings, Winterfell

Up until now “Game of Thrones” has used its fantasy backdrop sparingly; we are treated to dragons a couple of times each season, and from time to time we see Melisandre (Carice van Houten) gaze into the fire, but otherwise we rarely see instances of magic or sorcery on the show. With fantasy on the backburner “Game of Thrones” has managed to create some of the most compelling episodes of television we’re ever likely to see, using political intrigue and a host of deceitful characters to conjure tension and excitement aplenty. “Hardhome” is up there with the best that “Game of Thrones” has had to offer, not because it withholds fantasy, but because it pushes it to the forefront, reaching a level of grandeur that’s almost unthinkable on any show but this.

A lot of attention has been focused on the final twenty minutes of “Hardhome”, and with good reason, because it’s that prolonged action sequence and the immediate moments preceding it which elevate the episode beyond great to fantastic. However, the episode still would’ve been of a very high quality without its epic battle sequence, because every one of the characters involved had a significant moment, and the character interactions were compelling.

In Meereen we got to see Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) and Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) pick each other’s brains, and the two back-and-forth’s they had actually lived up to expectations. After the events of last week it was unclear what Daenerys would make of Tyrion and how she could possibly trust him, given that he’s a Lannister and also that he’s technically a murderer (who isn’t in Westeros?). This week our questions were answered, as Daenerys showcased her kinder side, allowing Tyrion to have his say and also prove his worth.

It was a surprise to me that she came around to the idea of Tyrion advising her so quickly, because he’s part of a family that she loathes and she has no sure-fire way of knowing that he’s telling the truth. Still, I didn’t mind this so much because it was obvious that the show would get to this point, and although events were slightly streamlined, I’d much prefer this rushed approach to a drawn out sequence of events which would ultimately lead to the same conclusion. Also, having to move swiftly onwards is something that “Game of Thrones” needs to do, given that the showrunners only have another two or three seasons planned, with each of those containing the usual ten episodes.

Emilia Clarke and Peter Dinklage are excellent in their scenes together, which is partly due to how well written their lines are, but it also speaks to the fact that these are two of the best actors on the show. They are both incredibly in tune with their characters and they portray their emotions without feeling the need to be overly expressive or aggressive. They have a conversation with one another, and it feels real; it never once seems like these are just two people in a room delivering their lines.

Tyrion’s evaluation of Jorah’s (Iain Glen) return made a lot of sense, although it was sad to see him removed from Daenerys’ side once again. Tyrion used his intelligence and political pedigree to demonstrate his value as an advisor, whilst also keeping Jorah alive; it was so refreshing to see someone in Meereen with a bit of sense! He also placated Daenerys by effectively supporting her decision to banish Jorah in the first place, because the way that he assessed the situation, ruling out both execution and forgiveness, made it seem as though the ruling that Daenerys had initially made was the only logical choice. It was smart on Tyrion’s part and it also felt as though he was correctly analysing the situation, so I enjoyed the scene a lot, particularly when Peter Dinklage expertly delivered the line, “a ruler who kills those devoted to her is not a ruler who inspires devotion”.

In Braavos, Arya’s (Maisie Williams) story finally felt as though it was moving forward, as she was assigned her first true test as a servant of the Many-Faced God. The scene in which she narrated her new persona’s activities was really nice, because it took us away from the bleak interior of The House of Black and White and out into Braavos. For the first time we were able to get a proper look at this world, which was really great; we got an idea of Braavos’ personality, which can only be a good thing if Arya is going to be staying there for the foreseeable future.

In this episode I actually enjoyed the interaction between Arya and Jaqen H’ghar (Tom Wlaschiha). Arya felt like a warrior in training, rather than a slave to the Many-Faced God, which is a much more natural role for her. Jaqen’s attitude towards Arya’s mission put the emphasis on her to do her job properly and to excel, because no one is watching her back in Braavos and nobody will come to her rescue, which makes the stakes that little bit higher.

In this episode Cersei (Lena Headey) sunk lower than ever before. She’s made her bed and now she has to sleep in it, which is satisfying for the audience (because she deserves everything she gets), but the quality of Lena Headey’s performance also manages to make us feel at least a small degree of sympathy for her. Whether or not she manipulates her son, she does so because she thinks she knows what’s best for him and wants to protect him, so the fact that he’s now alone without a mother, a father, a sibling, a wife, or even grandparents, is something that Cersei is going to feel terrible about. This realisation could force Cersei to confess even if malnutrition doesn’t.

Also, I was glad that we heard about Tommen’s (Dean-Charles Chapman) activities rather than having to sit through them, because I don’t think many people really connect with him or care about his plight (I certainly don’t), and he would only be taking up valuable screen time.

At Winterfell, Sansa (Sophie Turner) made a short but meaningful appearance. For weeks now I’ve been internally screaming at my television when she shared the screen with Theon (Alfie Allen), desperately begging the latter to spill the beans about Bran (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) and Rickon (Art Parkinson). In this episode that finally happened, to my relief, and it made everything seem that little bit more hopeful for the eldest of the remaining Starks. Hopefully it will renew her vigour so that she is strong enough to fight against the Boltons and survive Ramsay (Iwan Rheon). However, it’s interesting that Ramsay is now looking to lead some sort of offensive against Stannis (Stephen Dillane), because Sansa picked up a weapon last week that I thought she’d try to use on him, but if he’s leaving soon that might not be possible. If he isn’t there to attack then I don’t know who she is going to try to kill, but it would be really interesting if she managed to murder Roose (Ian McElhatton) because that would make Ramsay the Lord of Winterfell.

Sophie Turner was brilliant this week – I’ve been very impressed with her performances this season, and even though she hasn’t had an abundance of screen time I feel that she’s been great whenever she’s appeared. She portrays a lot of raw emotion, but she does so in a way that’s restrained enough to be believable. When she asks Theon about her brothers she’s loud, she’s sad, and she’s angry, but she doesn’t scream the house down – she gets everything she does just right, and she’s a joy to watch.

Elsewhere, Olly (Brenock O’Connor) is being positioned as a danger for Jon Snow (Kit Harington), and it’s abundantly clear that he’s considering his options. Sam (John Bradley) didn’t seem to realise that, because he probably doesn’t see the child as a threat, but I think if you read between the lines of what Olly is saying in this episode it’s obvious that he’s asking his questions for a reason. He’s mulling something over, and I think that something is probably related to Alliser Thorne (Owen Teale) having a word in his ear. Some of Olly’s dialogue was more for the audience than for Sam, reminding everyone what had happened to him again, making sure no one forgets at a moment when it might come back to bite Jon, but that’s okay because a lot of people probably ignore those moments as Olly isn’t perceived as an ‘important’ player in the game.

The best scenes of this episode clearly took place at Hardhome. I didn’t know what to expect from Jon’s journey, because I wasn’t too sure if the wildlings would be accommodating, but I was glad to see that they are capable of a civilised conversation despite the fact that Mance (Ciaran Hinds) is no longer around. On the trailer there was a fight scene that seemed to take place at Hardhome, which I immediately remembered so that took some of the impact away from what I was seeing, but I didn’t know if the fighting would be between Jon and the White Walkers, or Jon and the Wildlings, so the stakes still felt high during the negotiations.

The scene before the wights appeared was really tense, mainly due to the atmosphere generated by the falling snow and the whirling wind which carried it. It was quiet and calm, but we all knew what was coming. Seeing the White Walkers controlling the violence as they watched from afar on the mountain was really quite awesome, and when the Walker entered the frame to fight Jon it was an amazing moment. It was one of those scenes that makes you turn to the person next to you and say ‘wow’. It changed the focus of the entire series, because now we’re going to want to see more scenes like this and anticipate the White Walker invasion, meaning that we won’t focus entirely on the battle for the Iron Throne.

The effects were fantastic, because in previous seasons the White Walkers have looked slightly off, and I do know people who have mixed feelings about them. I thought the silhouette visuals from the first episode were really interesting, but sometimes they do look a little bit fake (for want of a better word). However, in this episode it looked like the showrunners had gone all out to make sure that the Night’s King was visually menacing and imposing, and the effect of the White Walker shattering like broken glass was much more impressive than the effect we saw when Sam killed the Walker Beyond the Wall.

Jon’s fight with the White Walker was made all the more remarkable by the sound work; the music was fast and high tempo when the pair went at it initially, but that all changed when Jon fell and was fleeing. At that point the sound completely cut out other than whistling wind, adding substantially to the feeling of fear and dread that both he and the audience were feeling.

The scene itself culminated in the Night’s King raising the dead, thereby strengthening his army and displaying his power to Jon, and by extension the rest of the Night’s Watch. This was the White Walker’s way of saying ‘we’re here’ – Winter has arrived and soon it will engulf the entirety of Westeros.

The stakes were significantly raised by the appearance of the White Walkers in this episode, because up until now the focus of the season has been very much on the political side of things. Stannis has been planning his assault on the Boltons, Jon has been struggling with ruling over the Night’s Watch, Margaery (Natalie Dormer) and Cersei have been fighting to control Tommen, and Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen) has been scheming to become Warden of the North.

Those are clearly really important moves for the characters, because they want to be in charge and become victorious in the game of thrones, but the White Walker problem Beyond the Wall buries those issues in the snow as if they were nothing. No matter who comes out on top, no matter who is on the Iron Throne, the Walkers will be waiting, and when they finally arrive no amount of political influence will save the people of Westeros.

This leads me to wonder who can possibly survive if the Walkers make it past The Wall – who has a chance? I look at Sansa, Theon, Littlefinger, Margaery, Tommen, Cersei, Ramsay, and many others and I don’t see them surviving for more than five minutes. The only characters that I think are capable of fighting off the White Walkers are Arya, Bran, Jon, Stannis, and Daenerys – so why should we care about the rest?

The implications of the scenes at Hardhome are clear – Jon knows what he’s facing and he’s going to tell everyone else at The Wall, but as he does this the Wildlings will be alongside him. I worry for him because I don’t think the people at The Wall will listen; they hate the Wildlings and they see them as their enemy, that’s just that. The problem then is that because Jon sees the bigger picture he will be adamant that the Wildlings should stay and fight with the Night’s Watch. If that’s going to be Jon’s position then he won’t be making many friends, and his safety has to be in question.

In conclusion, this episode was immense. Almost all of the main characters were visited, and whilst some of these visits were short, everyone had at least one great moment. Sansa, Arya, Jon and Cersei each had a brilliant scene, and with episode nine fast approaching, I can’t help but be excited to see what will come next. The debate right now is whether or not this is the best episode of the series to date – I’m not sure, but I think it’s definitely up there. It’s hard to separate the best episodes, because they’re great for different reasons, but there are three or four 10/10 episodes I can think of, and “Hardhome” is another to put in that category. Television doesn’t get better than this in terms of acting, writing, spectacle or special effects, so for me it’s perfection.

10/10