Review: Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire (2009)

Precious is a story of characters all hoping for something more, but none of them really working to earn anything. There's no denying that they have suffered at the hands of others and that their lives have spiralled far beyond their control but the constant onslew of glamour dreams and impossible hope with no work put towards such achievements results in a weird sense of apathy towards everyone concerned.

The majority of the visuals are grounded in the real world, circa 1987 in the Harlem district of New York. It's a scummy dirty cesspool of a neighbourhood littered with graffiti and gangbangers exploiting the ugly nature of the slum lifestyle and director Lee Daniels pulls no punches in showing just how hard such a life is to live. The real struggle is just getting through a day for Precious (Gabourey Sidibe) as she attempts to juggle her abusive mother, her seemingly pointless school life and frequent molestation at the hands of her father. When one such incestual incident results in Precious finding herself pregnant for the second time at age 16, she's expelled from her public school and directed by her principal towards an alternative education establishment where she learns to write amidst a group of additional social misfits.

Precious' own dream sequences which are littered throughout the experience deliver her own private fantasies in such a stark brightened fashion that contrasts so harshly from the real world that it only really manages to highten the pessimistic tone of the movie when the happiness crashes down at the end of such a sequence. The soundtrack is a mish-mash of hip-hop and r&b popular songs of varying tone which are completely appropriate when considering the setting but rarely feels as if it is influencing the feel of the movie.

Regarding Precious as a character, there's nothing especially likeable about her; she's a course hardened shell on the outside whose lack of intelligence goes beyond her academic skills. Much of her dialogue gives the impression that she is a younger character than she should be and that rather than trying to better herself and rise above her broken home she expects everything to just work out, as a young child often does. Although Precious inevitably undergoes a substantial progression throughout the running time, it rarely feels like she's made any choices herself and for the most part, seems pressured into doing the right thing. Gabourey Sidibe does as good a job with Precious as she could be expected but the real show-stopper is Mo'Nique portraying Precious' mother Mary. Mary's constant abuse is certainly the emotional centrepiece of the movie and the most intelligent depiction of a broken character the film has to offer as a whole.

Although Precious presents a broken home with characters who are convinced they can do better, it's unwillingness to allow any of it's characters to take any real chances results in a movie that has plenty of heart but refuses to introduce any intelligence to the mix. As a result the film trundles along at minimally appropriate pace, relying on it's cast to make any sort of impression at all.

3/5
(originally posted on Screened.com)

Review: Dead Man's Shoes (2006)

In Dead Man's Shoes director Shane Meadows showcases a movie that is all heart but in a fashion so gritty and ugly that it's nigh on impossible to feel sympathetic to almost any of the characters. Measuring the limits of common human decency and exploring how compulsive vengeance can be proves to be an exercise in self control from a viewing perspective as the movie unfolds and the morality of each personality spirals furthur into the abyss.

Taking place exclusively amidst the rural villages of Englands Midlands, Dead Man's Shoes tells the story of Richard (Paddy Considine), a paratrooper who returns home to exact revenge upon the tormentors of his mentally disabled younger brother, Anthony (Toby Kebbell). The extent of Anthony's abuse stems from a group of drug dealers who manipulate him into feeling like an important part of their group before taking advantage of him in an series of increasingly sinister ways. This coersion runs parrallel to the main revenge narrative via a number of grained black and white flashbacks, which early on seemingly lack in subtlety but progressively intensify the hardened tone of the production as a whole. At first, Richard plays mind games with his targets and the film takes it's time to establish who each of the key antagonists are but from the moment first blood is shed, events only continue to darken at a dizzying pace; there's a solid chance that the only reason that Dead Man's Shoes is watchable is because Meadows ramps up the tension with such incessant speed that it becomes difficult to stop absorbing the drama, however brutal.

Most of that brutality comes courtesy of Paddy Considine, putting in a career defining performance as a man so utterly driven that in the heat of his fury it's impossible to imagine how he would have been before the events of the movie. In between these scenes, Richards intimidation techniques influences the tone of a number of early sequences. however, Considine plays the role with a certain sensitivity that can only be associated with such a hardened bastard as Richard. Paddy's remarkable ability to change the whole feel of the movie in a single moment is an aesthetic in and of itself. Kebbell does a more than competent job of portraying Anthony, both in quiet and comfortable moments with Richard as well as in the torturous flashes of sheer humiliation at the hands of the gang he hangs around with.


Meadows shows that he knows how to work a scene throughout the movie, making full use of the British countryside that is rarely shown in such a frequent manner as it is here and managing to seamlessly portray the cramped interiors that make up about half of the movie. He manages the film with a certain balance that keeps the whole production on the right side of razor's edge between raw and silly. The soundtrack for the film, made mostly of acoustic tracks, works wonders at establishing and re-establishing the mood as it radically shifts. The only real gripe would be with the two choir tracks towards the back half of the film, the latter of the two working in conjuncture with the mise-en-scene to achieve a certain sense of awe, but the former seeming slightly pretentious due to the stark contrast with the established setting and method used to set up the story.
Ultimately, although not without it's flaws, Considine and Meadows have provided a dark and fatalistic journey to the heart of evil that can be accessed by anyone, providing they've lost enough to really drive them.

4/5
(originally posted on Screened.com)

Batman: Arkham Asylum (Xbox 360) Review

We've all told stories, joked about and generally shunned the genre of video-games that is 'licensed material' at some point or another, so it would be difficult to blame you for having some doubts about Batman: Arkham Asylum. As well as that when Lego Batman is the best Batman game in approximately 18 years, well, let's face it, you might start getting a little worried about your franchise. However Arkham Asylum does stand on it's own merits. It has a lengthy enough single player campaign for those just looking for the linear experience with an absurd amount of bonus extras and added content waiting to be found by the hardcore Batman fans.

The gameplay is pretty solid across the board, managing to balance action and stealth gameplay more or less 50/50 and putting you in the shoes of Batman, whether you're scoping out a crime scene, engaging in a battle of wits with The Scarecrow and his intense disturbing hallucinogens or praying for dear life when pitted against the monstrous hulks that are Killer Croc and Bane. The freeflow combat is fast and intuitive, whilst the stealth and puzzle mechanics can initially offer puzzles, but never seem to get so complex that they inspire frustration.

The game looks fantastic and just about the only qualm with the experience from a visual perspective is that characters with bare faces don't seem to emote at all (probably as a result of the Unreal Engine being used for the game). The environments are lush and strangely captivating in their darkness, and it makes a slight shame that you'll miss out on so much of the colour as a result of having your Heads Up Display set to Detective vision in order to seek out clues.
The soundtrack is fairly tense and moody, certainly appropriate to the Batman saga, however there's no theme or any piece of music at all which really sweeps you away like any of the tracks produced by Danny Elfman or Hanz Zimmer (The composers to the first two and latest two Batman films) to accompany the character. The voicework, however is way beyond this level of general competency with most of the cast comic directly from The Animated Series from about 15 years ago. It's a fondly remembered series and I think that allowing this cast to return is a smart move. The game is far more mature than the series of old and hearing Mark Hamills Joker screeching with an abundant joy about some very twisted and creepy things certainly makes it feel as if the material has grown alongside it's audience. Hell, if the video-game is considered a part of the Animated Series' canon, then the entire existence of the game may well be a metaphor for just how art can mature along with it's audience.

I had...and am still having an absolute ball with Arkham Asylum. The game is dark, brooding, beautiful, twisted, funny, scary, raw and above all the game is fun. I've had more fun with Arkham Asylum than I have with any other game released this year. I say this not only as a Batman fan but as a fan of videogames in general. I could probably predict that a lot of people will dislike that the game is fairly easy and that everything seems to be handed to you on a plate. But I don't want to predict that. Sure, it would be nice if the game were maybe willing to test my skill a little more, but at the end of the day, it's about the experience of playing through and enjoying the game, more than about showing off how good I am at it. This is a great game and worth your attention.

5/5

Terminator Salvation

Directed by: McG
Starring: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Bryce Dallas Howard, Moon Bloogdgood, Anton Yelchin
Written by: John Bracanto, Michael Ferris
Running Time: 115 mins
Rating (UK): 12A

You've got to be careful if you've been a Terminator fan since childhood. Nostalgia can really blind you and I learnt this firsthand with Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003). Sure, you could easily put my hyperbole down to the fact that I was only 12, but I recall how I genuinely enjoyed T3 in the cinemas and every time since, I've found myself disheartened that it wasn't as good as I remembered. We've all accepted that James Cameron is done with the Terminator franchise and thus I think we've acknowledged that there won't be an installment in the franchise to match either the quality or the innovation of the first two films but hey, there's no harm in hoping that we can at least get a good yarn, right?

Terminator Salvation takes place in 2018, fifteen years after Judgement Day took place and Skynet, the ultra-system running just about every machine on planet earth went batshit crazy and triggered the nuclear apocalypse. Humans now roam in small pockets calling themselves the resistance and Skynet...well, Skynet seems to exist solely to wipe out the Resistance. Machines roam the earth both in humanoid form and in far more diverse iterations such as self-aware motorcycles and aircrafts or as snake-based mechanisms. John Connor (Christian Bale), the now-legendary Resistance leader, however, still has a way to go before he finds himself actually leading the Resistance. Instead he seems to be in charge of a specific squad out in the middle of nowhere in charge of gathering data on Skynet and performing acts of sabotage whilst those with any real level of authority cower in a submarine dishing out orders by radio. Connor seems to be reknowned across the entire planet as their future-saviour and how this news is spread is left a mystery. I suppose we're to assume that he's engaged in a bit of the old self-promotion, or at least dropped hints during what appears to essentially be a motivational podcast that he performs for Resistance fighers within radio-signal distance. Either that or Connors (pregnant?) wife Kate (Bryce Dallas Howard) has been bragging. As much fun as it is to point out the slight inconsistencies, this is actually one of the things I enjoyed most about Terminator Salvation. It would have been far too simplified to have thrown Connor immediately into the position of the "man's-last-hope" archetype and then film a war-epic but forcing Connor to ascend ranks makes sense. To the resistance, he's a recruit and lest we forget, in the last film he was a drug addict so I doubt the moment that responsibility called, he immediately got his shit together.

As mentioned, Connor is not the last hope humankind has, there's also Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington) helping out. In 2003 he was a murderer according to the films prologue. In 2018 he's...well, if you've somehow managed to miss all the trailers and can't figure it out on your own, I refuse to be responsible for killing away your innocence. In any case, after crawling out of a hole, Marcus finds himself in the midst of the apocalypse with his last memory being his own execution. You know the basic premise from here: Marcus wanders the wasteland and eventually his Johns fates become irreversibly entwined. Saying anymore would take away the fun from a film like this because it's all about seeing what will happen next, whether it will be a plot twist or a really cool action sequence. Something to note is that Sam Worthington comes out as the surprise star giving the best performance by a wide margin (aside from an awkward scream towards the sky around 15 minutes in, although that's more a writing issue than a noteable question regarding Worthingtons acting.) Christian Bale is acceptable as John Connor, although a bit too throaty. It's potentially the worst performance Bale has given in at least the last few years and he will come under scrutiny for it if not only because it's so abnormal for an actor of his calibre. Others are more or less the same...Anton Yelchin does a pretty good job with Kyle Reese, but it's nothing you've not seen before and I doubt that there will be anything worth pointing out until we see more or his relationship with Connor in potential sequels. Bryce Dallas Howard isn't quite bad, but is entirely forgettable as Kate Connor. Moon Bloodgood is fairly surprising too, showing that given a role with some screentime, she can really sink her teeth into a part. She's no Oscar Winner, but she's better than most of the cast.
Oh, and there's also Resistance Commander Ashdown portrayed by Michael Ironside essentially playing himself. But that's okay, Michael Ironside is awesome.

So, it wouldn't really be a Terminator film without certain things: Truck chases, an impossible fight against a robot and some science-fiction/philosophical deep thoughts that will last with you for a few days after you've seen the film and then fade into obscurity. Salvation has all of these (and more in homage to the original films) but some themes are presented a lot better than others. The truck chase is fantastic. It's not as good as the Terminator 2 (1991) aquaduct chase but it's the second best in the series after that, with surprisingly scarce CGI work for that segment, as well as surprisingly few actual stunts. It's mostly an exercise in pacing but it sent my heart racing as it took place. The frenzied chaos of escape is perfectly framed and it just looks cool. Although the set up to the chase is large and epic in scope, the actual presentation of it is down to earth and grounded in a way that shows that the film-makers have learnt that bigger isn't always better.
The robot fights are really open to debate and I still haven't made my mind up regarding them. Technically, they're sound and I can understand that using models like in the first Terminator wouldn't work by todays standards at all but as great as the CG Terminators looked I couldn't get past the Uncanny Valley aspect. They looked perfect but because I knew they were fake, I couldn't get over the fluidity of how they moved. Fortunately, this is only an issue in the last Terminator fight, as the first one looks a lot more in sync with what we've seen from the past films, although that really does present for an unfortunately anti-climactic final showdown.
The philosophy is less deep in this film than in the first two (and I'll happily ignore the third in this regard due to it's own shallow nature). Rather than specifically raise it's own issues, it tackles one of the most prominent questions thus far but in a different way: What makes us human. It works, really well in fact but it feels like it functions more as an automatic question raised as opposed to one that was written in on purpose.
Potentially the most annoying thing about Terminator Salvation is its one liners, which are recycled from past films. Kids catching their first Terminator film will no doubt be saying them in the playground already but they feel forced and unnatural. Set up to be followed by an exciting moment, montage or orchestral score. "Come with me if you want to live." and "I'll be back." should mean something but they should also have a fluidity with the rest of the picture, rather than feeling like they were shunted in as fan service. One day soon, I'm going to write a letter to Hollywood explaining that fanboys/girls simply are not that insecure.

It's a new Terminator picture. It's a different Terminator picture and did I like it? Well, yeah, actually I did. Is this wrong? Probably so, it's so different in design from Cameron's Terminators, the ones I love and cherish but it's already been proven that you can't just mimic those films and pass it off as a worthy entry to the series with Terminator 3. I certainly don't love Terminator Salvation, but I had a good time with it and I'd be more than happy to return to this dystopia in a few years time, box office results pending. I see the internet flaming and the hate and it confuses me now, not because I don't see how people can't enjoy Salvation. That much is understandable. What I don't get is that 6 years ago I felt like the only one that didn't want a Terminator film set after Judgement Day. In hindsight, I'm glad they made one anyway.

4/5

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Xbox 360) Review

As developers continuously work on ways to advance games and the different ways to play them, the Beat-em-up genre is one that is surely dieing out. Western Beat-em-ups are practically unheard of nowadays with only a few frenzied Japanese style based Beat-em-ups surviving the genre, along the lines of Devil May Cry and the upcoming Bayonetta but one of the great things about this medium of entertainment is that it's never too late for a ressurection. It's also never too late for a real surprise which is where X-Men Origins: Wolverine comes in. Not only does it stylishly bring a genuinely entertaining button masher back to your consoles but is probably also the best Movie tie-in game since Spider-Man 2. Anyone who follows video games as religiously as I do is either fist pumping right now, or has already played Wolverine and loved it.

Unsurprisingly, Wolverine manages to completely disregard it's movie counterpart apart from a few key plot points but what may prove to be it's biggest weakness is how loosely it plays with the chronology of the comic books. Considering the nature of comic book chronology and the excessive use of retconning that they utilise, this may prove to be a blessing for most players but comic book fanatics may become raged by this. Seriously, though, you won't be bothering with the plot anyway as it's so ridiculous and underplayed that it's worth completely disregarding to focus on the combat. Which is awesome.
You've never been this aggresive in your life. Think about the most badass characters you've ever played as in a game and imagine him with 6 blades sticking out of his hands considering the havoc you can wreak. That is what makes Wolverine so enticing. Combat is essentially broken into light, heavy and airborne attacks, with 4 signature moves which are all brutal to the max. When you attack enemies, their limbs fly off in exessive fashion and blood sprays across the lush vistas with every hit making this the most violent superhero game to date. Even when you're tackling robots, the Wolverine avatar itself moves which such force and power that you can almost feel the rage yourself. It's also worth pointing out that Wolverine himself looks pretty fantastic. What with this technically being an adaptation of the movie, the developers Raven have obviously been able to pull Hugh Jackman in to share his likeness and voice and the result is one of the best looking celeb-scans in recent tie-ins. It looks especially awesome when Wolverine has been blasted to pieces and slowly you see underneath his layers of clothing, flesh and then adamantium skeleton. Even better is the way that as you're playing, without taking damage, Wolverine will begin to heal and all those layers slowly re-materialise. As an aside, environments look pretty cool, especially outdoors. Inside environments still look fine, but it's nothing you've missed in other sci-fi-based games.

The combat is the key selling point but the slight scattering of puzzles and platforming are certainly capable of keeping you entertained for the few sequences that they are vital to keeping the flow going. For the first three-quarters of the game this keeps the game feeling fairly fluid and balanced, but towards the end of the game, a lot of issues become apparent. The combat is still remarkably satisfying but with a lack of new tricks being introduced to you, some of the minor issues begin to become downright frustrating. Occasional lag in the frame-rate, the constant on screen reminder of special attacks, and the very poorly presented boss battles all begin to grate on you towards the end and it really does begin to show just why the Beat-em-up is an obsolete genre nowadays. It would be nice to say that at the last minute, the game saves itself but unfortunately, it won't resonate with you any more than you appreciate the combat. The final battle is as awkward as all the previous boss fights and if you're already tired of the fighting, you'll more than likely be done with Wolverine. I, however, immediately reloaded the game and started again, partially in order to pick up a few loose achievements but mostly to go back to the beginning of the game, more powerful than ever and really savour the violent way that Wolverine should have been depicted as long ago.

4/5

Unbreakable (2000)

It's been so long since I saw Unbreakable, all I could remember was the concept. I've spent a while looking for it online because when I first saw it, I didn't like it and didn't want to waste my money by buying it. When I failed, I cashed out and watched it this morning. I think this film might just manage to get into my Top Ten. It's such a powerful film both in the way it was produced as well as the content.The story was an ambitious one to sell, and it was only going to be after M. Night's first film, The Sixth Sense was a hit that a studio would ever greenlight a film like this. It's very slow, more so than even The Sixth Sense and frankly, although both the leads (Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson) are superbly underplayed for the most part, with a story as slow and different as this, it really requires powerful actors to portray these characters and balance them out.

I'm not a fan of flashbacks, as I've always found that it seems as if the writer has been struggling to tell the past of a character via dialogue and so decided to cross-cut, but here the flashbacks are sparse and do no-more than get a point across that would only drag the film out if the point were told in dialogue.

The story itself isn't anywhere near as 'twisty' as Shyamalans other efforts. The most odd premise is laid out quite early in the film and for the main part, the movie follows the characters progression trying to unravel a mystery and fit a theory to it. For a good part of the film, the plot is on stand-still, but everything shown has an impact on the film as it continues.

My favorite thing about Unbreakable was easily the tech things. Certain unconventional shots that have been used exceptionally well or little techniques that just work well. The use of filming a reflection rather than the actual scene is used a few times and seems to create an essence of distance from the characters as if you're intruding. There are some shots that are particularly effective, such as one very early in the film where the camera is moved so that train seats almost always block one of the two actors who are talking. The music is thrilling and powerful and it truly is the cherry on an already fulfilling cake. It gives an aura of power when it's needed and can really stir up emotion when needed.

I'd completely forgotten just about the entire film and I'm so pleased with it. It's a wonder M. Night Shyamalan only get's recognised for his twists when he can write such great material and translate it to the screen so well.

5/5

Jackass Number Two (2006)

Jackass Number Two brings you more madcap antics and heartfelt stunts from your favourite ‘professionals’ in the business with a couple of special guests.

Soft music plays. The Ecstasy of Gold, taken from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly soundtrack plays to a misty street. There’s something haunting, yet calm about this suburbanite area empty and filled with a powdery smoke. Slowly, shadows form and the smoke starts to swirl and shift. It’s not long before the darkened figures become people and we see the architects of destruction, the common man in over his head, the self sacrificing space monkey; the Jackass Crew.As the full orchestra begins to fade in, the boys’ faces twist and contort, as they push forwards with every fibre of their being. Their mouths wide open push out a silent scream which is eerily echoed by the introduction of a chorus before finally, we see why they’re running. Hot on their heels are a herd of bulls. The music speeds up, the slow-mo dies down and everyone runs for their lives.
This is stupidity at its prime perfection.
This is non-stop pain.
This is Jackass.

The great thing about Jackass Number Two is that it can’t really fail. There’s no such thing as bad acting because it’s all real. The camerawork is beautifully handheld most of the time which means that cinematography is vivid and real. And music? To hell with classical masterpieces. Beethoven’s 5th doesn’t really say much about the pain these guys are feeling now, does it? The only possible way that this film could be crap is if the stunts were rubbish or boring. I think it’s fair to say that they aren’t.

You really couldn’t get cruder if you tried. Rectal bleeding happens at least twice in the first 10 minutes or so and that’s nothing. Prosthetics to make you look old is nothing new in Jackass but wondering around a busy town looking like a naked 75 year old woman sure as hell is. There are a few stunts throughout the film that nobody even has any faith in and if the people who choreographed them only see pain in the future, what else can we anticipate?
With swearing, nudity (real as well as prosthetic) and lots of blood (kudos to Knoxville for the ball pit skit) it’s a fool proof formula. Many of the skits feel increasingly retarded, such as tying midget Wee-Man Acúna to resident fatman Preston Lacy and have Wee-Man jump off a bridge, but no matter what, just about every sketch ends in complete hilarity.

Pulling off a hilarious prank may not be as easy as it seems. Given a moments thought based on the funniest scenes, it’s apparent a lot of careful planning and thought went into this film. The funniest parts are definitely the bits that were given considerable thought as opposed to the improvised public pranks that crop up every now and then. They’re still very funny, but not a patch on the others.

A film (or even the prior show) such as this may be frowned upon by many people (outspoken critics calling it hideous are duly noted) but it’s nice to know that there are some individuals willing to put their health on the line for our entertainment.
On top of that though, one thing that seems insane is that they continue to think up and act out these increasingly painstaking stunts and yet they still manage to draft in celebrities such as Matt Hoffman and Tony to help out. Ok, so they may not be A-list celebrities, but they’re well known throughout their field.
As was evident by the first scene, the crew also aren’t above enlisting the help of animals to achieve the desired effect whether it is hilarity, fear or general shock. Sharks, fish, yak, bulls, leeches, bees, horses and snakes (lots of snakes) are used frequently and just about each and every time, it results in pain.

You have to give kudos to the Jackass crew (not just because of their bravado or ability to continue) but because of the amount of wit that’s used before, after and sometimes during a stunt. Usually, there are jokes made about the lack of trust throughout the group. They may be friends, but it’s only natural that trust is low and diminished. What trust there is feels like too much, given the nature of the crew and their ability to take advantage of each other.

In the end, whilst it’s easy to pass Jackass Number Two off as retarded and juvenile, most of the skits are quite clever and it shows that with a little effort (and a lot of blood) just about most anything can be entertaining.Jackass Number Two may be a film about self torture, but if you like the rest of the crews material, or are new to the idea, it’s certainly worth a chance.

4/5