Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.....

If ever there were a movie to get me out of my retirement, due to work commitments, not my absolute love of movies..it is this one..well actually it could have been a few others as well, but let's stick with this one for now.. After much hype, Quentin Tarantino's 9th and dear god I hope not penultimate movie has arrived...and what a move it is. Set in the late 1960's in Hollywood (where else) this is the story of many people, but mainly fictional TV Cowboy actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his best friend and stunt man, Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), and if those two aren't enough to get bums on seats throw in the divine Margot Robbie as the late actor Sharon Tate just for good measure. This is a meandering tale, much more gentle in many ways than other Tarantino movies. I went back a second time to see it because I knew I had just missed too much the first time, mainly due to anticipation of the plot. Rick lives next door to Sharon and her director husband Roman Polanski, who is the latest hot director after Rosemary's Baby. Rick is beginning to feel like a 'has been', he lost his TV show 'Bounty Hunter' because he wanted to pursue a movie career that didn't take off, and Cliff, well Cliff is just happy to drive Rick around since he lost his license, do odd jobs and hang out with his buddy. It is set specifically in 1969, a year notorious in Hollywood for the horrific crime of the murder of an 8 month's pregnant Sharon Tate and three of her friends by the so-called Manson Family, engineered by Charles Manson. To say too much would be taking away so much of the joy of this film. It is much less violent than other Tarantino films, though don't worry fans when it comes it's as bloody as anything that has come before..and less verbose to some extent. Other critics have called it a love letter and that seems an appropriate title. It's still incredibly funny as you would expect. Leo is, as always flawless in his role of the narcissistic, fragile, egotistical and vulnerable Rick, his piercing blue eyes welling up regularly when considering his career and needing constant boosting from his best friend Cliff. It's also wonderful to see him exercising his considerable comedy chops, he is truly hilarious in some scenes and his advertisement in the credits of a long running Tarantino brand is a hoot. Brad Pitt as the laconic, cool and capable Cliff is a revelation.. lurking beneath his gentle and very sweet-natured exterior is a solid steel foundation..I loved that he declined the understandable offers of carnal knowledge from a very beautiful, very underage young girl..I don't care if it was because he didn't want to go to prison, he still said no! There are some incredible scenes, his encounter with Bruce Lee one of many standout moments, as is his ability to not only pull of double denim in the first scene, but double WHITE denim in the final one..legend of the thrall indeed... Margot Robbie had a very hard role, playing an extremely tragic character could have gone either way, but she pulls it off with absolute aplomb and nails the optimism of a woman who's career is rising with the uncertainty of new motherhood beautifully. The relationship between Rick and Cliff is central and crucial and seeing these two together really begs the question, why on earth haven't they worked together before? Their chemistry is nothing short of magical and I would have loved to have seen more of them together, hanging out watching Rick's latest guest starring roles.. The whole films weaves in and out of these people's lives, adding new characters and old favourites, some for only a scene..Al Pacino's understated turn as Rick's agent reminds us of how superb he can be when he's not being shouty..my tip is Brandy for best supporting actor in a female role.. I have always thought of Quentin Tarantino as a real romantic and this movie does nothing to sway me from this view. His love of movies, TV, music, culture and Hollywood are very real in this film, but also his love of people and redemption as well.. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood..the ultimate fairy tale..10/10.

The Great Gatsby

Although I've still been going to the movies once a week at least, I have had a hiatus on blogging reviews due to being hideously busy work and home wise. However, if there is one film that I will come out of my self imposed exile to review, it's this one old sport. Bring out the Baz haters, come one come all to the verbal and personal Luhrmann lynching, and bring your family too to give him a good kicking while he's down..except he's not down because the people have voted with their feet and the theatres are full. I wonder if these nay sayer reviewers have even seen the movie, or understand the book by F Scott Fitzgerald for that matter. Baz Luhrmann is a wonderful director of some genius, who has a certain style, it may not be to everyone's taste, but it is perfect, perfect for The Great Gatsby. I personally adore all of his work except for Australia which was woefully miscast but still had some magical moments. Baz is a story teller in the truest sense of the word. His movies are fairy tales or fantastic fables, not documentaries or word for word transcripts of books. I won't go into the story too much, most of us are very familiar with it. It is an American tragedy as Greek as they come. It's a story of enduring misplaced love, friendship, lust, jealousy, greed, hope, selfishness, singleminded devotion... and carelessness. Sadly, for people as cynical as me, it's a confirmation of all that is wrong with the world. But it's a beautiful story. Seen through the eyes of writer turned banker Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire), it's the tale of Nick's next door neighbour, Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio) a billionaire party thrower who never seems to attend his own events and is illusive in the story and for the first part of the film. Nick has a beautiful cousin, Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan) who is married to a brute of a man, Tom (Joel Edgerton), rich, arrogant and compulsively unfaithful. Nick is thrown into a world he is unfamiliar with, parties and gossip, sex and alcohol. Gatsby slowly befriends Nick and asks to meet Daisy through him, at Nick's house. It turns out, however, that Jay and Daisy know each other from five years before, and so unravels a story so heartbreaking, it will seep into your psyche leaving you with a sense of utter sadness yet with a lingering feeling that perhaps something wonderful may just happen. Much has been made of the fact that the film is too over the top. Well, yes it is, in the parts that it's supposed to be. The parties are an orgy on the senses. As they are in the book. It's an integral part of the story that these gatherings are debauched and wild. It's kind of the point. They are shot beautifully and are such an assault on the senses you feel as if you've gate crashed them yourself. Much criticism has been thrown at Luhrmann for the use of modern music, especially Jay Z's involvement. I'm not a huge fan of that type of music so write honestly when I say that it just fitted in perfectly. There was music from the twenties era too in the film, but bringing more up to date styles ties us to the story in a contemporary way and makes us feel more connected to the movie rather than it feeling like a period piece. Baz has always done this, listen to the music in Moulin Rouge! and I doubt very much whether the band Garbage were around in William Shakespeare's time, but their music was used to devastating effect in Romeo + Juliet. The other parts of the film were not at all over done, unless it was called for as in the scene where Nick and Tom party way too hard with Myrtle and friends. A lot of it was incredibly nuanced and quiet, a perfect and deliberate contrast to the lunacy of the parties. Tobey Maguire has been singled out as being rather bland. I think that's the whole point. He's the anchor, the narrator and is the everyman. Everyone else has large personalities, he is the quiet voice of reason. I thought his performance was heartfelt and set just the right tone. Joel Edgerton as Tom Buchanan was also critiqued as being a 'one note player', I disagree. Joel Edgerton is a well known and respected actor/producer in Australia, and America will be seeing a lot more of him in the future, I predict. The character of Tom Buchanan was only really one note; I have met a few Tom Buchanan's in my time (though sadly not as attractive as Joel) and there wasn't much else to them but the one note, sometimes only a quaver.... Tom does reveal a different side as well towards the end of the film, and is in no way two dimensional. Isla Fisher is superb as Tom's blousy mistress Myrtle Wilson, I would have liked to have seen more of her, as is the again underused Elizabeth Debicki as Jordan Baker, the Art Deco beautiful love interest of Nick. There is even a blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance by the mighty Baz himself. Carey Mulligan would not have been my choice for Daisy. In no way do I mean this disrespectfully or unkindly as she is very lovely... but she is not beautiful. After seeing it though, I have changed my mind, not because I suddenly think she is beautiful, but for two other much more important reasons. Firstly, she is an excellent actress and physically perfect in stature and demeanour. The second reason is thanks to the immense talent of Leonardo DiCaprio. His performance is so convincing as a man in love, that you realise it matters not a jot what you think of her. Jay. Loves. Daisy. I have read no negative comments about Leonardo's performance, but not nearly enough praising it. For the first twenty minutes you barely see DiCaprio. He is a shadow, glimpses here and there, a tantalising side view, a build up of curiosity. And then... against the back drop of a wild party, the music crescendos, fireworks explode and in this orgasmic build up...Jay Gatsby appears...and it's like the sun coming out after an earth shattering storm. His incredible beatific smile lights up the screen, this golden man, full of mystery, life, love and hope. But there are plenty of beautiful men in Hollywood. Leonardo DiCaprio is so much more than that. His performance displays the multi dimensional aspects of a man on the edge. Gatsby's self assuredness melts away whilst waiting in Nick's home for Daisy to arrive, revealing some fabulous physical humour from Leonardo an as yet untapped talent for comedy. The heartbreaking moments when he is just looking at Daisy, it's rare to see an actor so convincingly portray someone so in love, heart and soul. The furtive glances and sideways looks as he's desperate to shield those he cares for from his financial dealings and shady business associates. Jay's desperation as things unravel with Daisy and his unwavering loyalty, innate goodness and singleminded hope for the future. If I was reviewing any other actor I would say it's a career defining role. For Leonardo it's not, all his portrayals are of this calibre. He is without a doubt, the greatest American actor of all time. This is a brilliant heart breaking roller coaster movie, with some truly perfect moments filled with romance and the glamour of the movies. Thank You Baz Luhrmann. A more fitting title for a film I couldn't find. THE GREAT GATSBY: Gatsby. The Great 10/10.

Django Unchained

Imagine the scene, my excitement at sitting in a packed movie, in Leicester Square, London, having had a great night with my oldest and dearest friend, waiting for the start of Quentin Tarantino's much anticipated new movie..having loved most of his work (Grindhouse movies notwithstanding) yes Tarantino's slightly self indulgent, but I love the fact he's always pushing boundaries, testing the depths of cinema and astounding us with his witty heartfelt scripts, meticulously handpicked cast and buckets of cartoon blood. After the marathon three something hours, I left the throngs of people slightly disappointed. Call me dedicated, or slightly obsessive, but I went back today to see if I may have missed something in the first viewing. My love of Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill and my adoration of Inglourious Basterds drove me to it... Django (Academy Award Winner Jamie Foxx) is a slave, unchained by a German dentist turned bounty hunter Dr King Schulz (Double Academy Award winner Christophe Waltz) he needs Django to identify some brothers (fraternal not cultural) so he can kill them, and in return offers him his freedom. After the brothers have been duly sent to hell, Dr Schulz offers Django a deal, to bounty hunt with him, (kill white men for money, what's not to like?) for the Winter, and then he will accompany him to Mississippi to track down his beloved german speaking wife Broomehilda von Schaft ( Von Schaft, really Quentin?), sold to a different slave trader. After the bloody Winter turns to a bloody Spring, Dr King is as good as his word and they track Broomhilda to the delighfully named CandieLand, a cotton plantation run by the cruel and sadistic sister-loving Mandingo-fighting advocate Calvin Candie (Academy Award nominee, nominee, not winner) Leonardo DiCaprio and his right hand man, Stephen (an unrecognisable Samuel L Jackson) an equally cruel and sadistic black slave. Will Django get his wife back? If so, just how will they pull it off? Well, the first thing to say is that the second time around, without the merlot haze clouding my judgement, I'm pleased to report that I really enjoyed this, loved it in fact. The universe is aligned again. But my initial gripes remain valid in my humble opinion but just not quite so vehemently as before. The interiors, costumes and locations are faultless. The scenery is quite spectacular from the magnificence of the mountain ranges to the claustrophobic oppressive elegance of the plantations. There were some beautifully surreal scenes that were worthy of Tarantino's name, standouts were the bag on the head scene with the forerunners of the Ku Klux Klan and any scene with Candie and Stephen. Christophe waltzes around the movie with the words tripping off his tongue as if he were born to speak them. The times when Waltz, DiCaprio or Jackson were on screen was sheer poetry, they are all masters of their craft. It's the first time we've seen Leonardo DiCaprio as a truly evil man, and whilst I'm sure some of the lines were very hard to say, he spits them out with an unctuous, reptilian sensuality which is truly terrifying and more than a little fun to watch. Why the Academy keep overlooking one of the greatest actors, not just of our generation, but in history, is just about beyond me. The dialogue artfully captures the complex, absurd and downright unfathomable relationships between black slaves/freemen and white slave owners. I don't think I've ever seen a film which brings home just ever so slightly as close as I ever want to come to seeing how society behaved in those shocking times. There has been debate that mandingo fighting was not a sport associated with slavery, I actually think that's irrelevant. Plenty of horrendous crimes against humanity happened then, let's not quibble about how people were tortured. The script was not as eloquent or maze like as Inglourious basterds sadly. There were the usual enjoyable in-jokes, Dr King is an advocate of racial equality, Candie's lawyer was happy if you called him Leo, and at the dinner table, Candie's sister asked Dr King to regale them tales of the circus, a nod to his turn as ringmaster in 'Water for Elephants' perhaps? The plot was a little too straighforward for a Tarantino film, and there seemed to be a glaring character disparity that was pivotal to the plot. Towards the end of the film, Dr Schultz makes a life changing decision that redirects the course of everyone's lives. This decision just didn't ring true, his justification was "I just couldn't help myself" but throughout the rest of the film he's portrayed as a calm and reasoned thinker, always one step ahead of the game when others around them are losing their head. He surely would have thought of a much more clever and dynamic way of getting Candie back than the path he chose? Which leads me to my main issue with this otherwise magnificent film, and it's a big issue, which splits into two roads. Quentin Tarantino is a genius at picking the right man for the job. When others wouldn't give him voice over work, he saw the potential in John Travolta and gave him the gift of Vincent Vega. Time and again we've seen it, most recently with Christophe Waltz, catapulting him from European to Hollywood fame and in the process, he rightfully earned himself two supporting actor Oscars. In Django there are a number of actors who crop up who you would never have imagined being cast but who are brilliant. Sadly, Quentin's judgement was clouded (possibly by merlot?) when he cast Jamie Foxx in the titular role of Django. Love them or hate them, Quentin's actors all have one thing in common, charisma or in the words of Dr Schultz, panache. Poor Mr Foxx has neither. I have no idea what he's like in real life, but on screen, he shows not an ounce of humour or flair. Sorry to upset the applecart but there I've said it. I just didn't care enough about his character, Django should have been dynamic, swaggering and not a little tongue in cheek. The others, yes, but him no. In a Tarantino film you don't have to be a brilliant actor, although it helps, but you do have to be in on the joke, Jamie doesn't seem to have been told the punch line here. I would have liked to have seen Don Cheadle in the role, a great actor with professional comedic timing and a twinkle in his eye. Failing Don, what about bringing some unknown talent to the fore? This leads to the my other point, there was just no chemistry between Kerry Washington, who rather insipidly played Broomhilda and Jamie Foxx, the two in what is an essentially very romantic film, mustered up about as much sexual tension as a badger and a book. Candie and his sister had more, now how sick and very Tarantinoesque is that? DJANGO UNCHAINED:Needs to unchain the heart a little 8/10.

Red Riding Hood

A lot of reviews have billed this as a 'Twilight' twihard, due to the fact that werewolves are involved and it's directed by Catherine Hardwick. The Twilight series is much better, and more entertaining. Now that's a sentence I never thought I'd type. Oh, where to begin? This film is set in medieval times, in a highly stylised fairy tale type setting, chocolate box houses, vivid outfits, dirty dancing oh yes, and rap music, which they had a lot of in those days. Valerie (Amanda Seyfried) is a beautiful young lady, with a naughty side, who is in love with Peter (Shiloh Fernandez, who looks a lot like my friend Bob), a bit of a wild card and not her family's choice. She is betrothed to Henry (Max Irons)who is richer but not for her. The village gives regular sacrifices (Babe), to a werewolf to keep him from their door. Valerie's Mum (Virginia Madsden) and scary Grandma (Julie Christie, still beautiful, not much visible work done) have darks pasts but let on little. The werewolf starts a spate of killings, and Gary Oldman as Father Solomon is brought in to help. He brings his two daughters, who we promptly never see again, and a wardrobe of delightful purple robes to the scenario. The werewolf then talks to Valerie it reveals that they know each other, what are the odds? Val is left in a dilemma whether to go with her true love Peter, or to stay and help the village. Then there's the issue of finding out the identity of the hungry wolf, all during a blood moon, so there's the risk if you're bitten that you yourself will turn into one. Sounds convoluted and contrived? Well it is. A dismal film it has to be said. I like fantasy, but it has to be well written. The plot and atmosphere is reminiscent of the vastly superior 'The Village', even down to a suspicious village idiot, although in 'The Village' that idiot was the elegant Adrian Brody, in this film I think he's played by Ron Weasly's little brother. The cast are sound, but so underused it's the script writer that should be sacrifised. It's refreshing to see Gary Oldman, and he does his best to hamm it up, but given his terrible lines, he didn't have much to work with. Although I do love a man in majestic purple and he wears it exceptionally well. Amanda Seyfried is very pretty. The problem is that she looks too angelic to have a devil sitting on her shoulder and though she's not a bad actress, at this stage doesn't have the acting experience to make you believe otherwise. The younger cast are obviously there to showcase attractive young guns. Max Irons incidentally, is the son of Jeremy Irons and Sinead Cusack, he looks more like his Mum. But instead of projecting moody and mysterious, they all deliver stilted, wooden lines and look gormless. The film is produced by 'Appian Way' which is Leonardo DiCaprio's production company. One of the greatest actors of our generation, this man has such a great sense of judgement when it comes to his own film roles, it's suprising that he chose to produce this. Maybe it was a full moon when he read the script. A couple of points of interest, the part of Father Auguste, a pointless character it has to be said, is played by Lukas Haas, the little boy in Witness. I think Witness may have been his finest hour judging by the acting here. The fact that he is Leonardo's mate wouldn't have anything to do with it would it? Nothing wrong with giving a mate a break. Valerie's father is played by Billy Burke who is the father in the Twilight series as well. Badly edited to boot, there is not much to like about this movie, apart from the poor old wolf. RED RIDING HOOD: Oh Grandma, what a big yawn you have. Someone put a silver bullet in me! 3/10