Thursday 23 February 2012

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

If a film deals with a powerful, emotive or disturbing subject it does not, by definition, mean that the film will be any good. Take last week's The Vow, for example. A potentially moving subject (that of a woman trying to fall in love with her husband again) which was treated with all the sensitivity and skill of a toilet brush. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close deals with the September 11th attacks and the grief of a young boy who lost his father. I'd love to say that it does so in a powerful and genuine way but I'm afraid that if I did, it would be like saying Titanic is one of the best films ever made: it's simply not true.

Directed by Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot and The Reader), Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close sees nine-year-old Oskar (Thomas Horn) begin a quest to search the whole of New York for the lock to a key which his father left behind after he died in the World Trade Center on 9/11. His search leads him on a journey of self-discovery, allowing him to sustain his last link with his father and deal with his existential grief and...hang on! Sounds like I'm writing the film's press notes. This is what the producers would like you to think but, in reality, the film doesn't live up to its ambitions. Firstly, the film is half-an-hour too long (it's just under two hours, ten minutes) and lurches along at a pace which would rival your grandma's mobility scooter. The film is unashamedly emotionally-manipulative and throws sentiment at the audience like it's going out of fashion. Now, I'm all in favour of a bit of cinematic manipulation (after all, comedies manipulate you to laugh) but when it's done with as much tact and diplomacy as a visit to China by Prince Philip, it becomes grating and annoying.

There are, however, some fantastic performances, especially from Horn who plays the mildly-autistic Oskar with great energy and drive, something not often seen in actors of his age. His character did get mildly-annoying and was, at times, difficult to empathise with but, on the whole Horn carried it through. Tom Hanks stars as Oskar's father and Sandra Bullock gives a very emotionally-charged performance as his mother. Bullock has really matured and grown as an actress in recent years (her performance in Crash is a personal favourite) and her portrayal of a grief-stricken mother, struggling to deal with the loss of her husband and a challenging son, is first-class. The Clapperboard award for Best Actress, however, has to go to Viola Davis (The Help) who, despite only being on-screen for around fifteen minutes, steals the film. Her seismic on-screen presence is a joy to watch and she, for my money, is the Adele of the film world...just without the voice. The film's cinematography was very striking and crisp, with a perfect balance between Oskar's claustrophobic, isolated feelings and the wide scale of the city.

Having just blasted the film's overt-sentimentality, I have to say that a few – and only a few, mind you – of the ideas and concepts explored within the film were genuinely touching. An exchange between Oskar and his mother (which comes towards the end of the film) was, without giving anything away, very moving and you could have cut the atmosphere in Screen 4 with a knife (had two elderly women remembered to turn their hearing aids on so they didn't have to shout at one another throughout the film). Oskar's attempt to prolong his 'last eight minutes' with his father through embarking on his lock-finding quest was also an interesting idea but, in the end, the film's length and lack of real drive let it down.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is neither a masterpiece nor a failure. It clearly knows what it wants to be but, ultimately, leaves you cold and becomes too wound-up with sentiment to become an engaging and dynamic piece of work. To return to my opening thoughts, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is not damaged by its dealing with one of the worst terrorist attacks in history but its attempt at addressing the issue does not give it any special merit or make the film any more effective. Mr Daldry, I'm afraid it's not enough to hide behind powerful subject matter. Sorry. 

Clapperboard Rating: * * 

Thursday 16 February 2012

The Vow

I always try to go into a film with an open mind, holding no prejudices or prejudgements about what I am going to see. This is, of course, easier said than done and is on a par with trying to not lick your lips whilst eating a doughnut...okay, you get what I mean. It is with this astronomically-open mind that I watched The Vow, starring Rachel McAdams and Channing 'Totem-Pole' Tatum. And oh, what fun I had.

Happily married Paige (McAdams) and Leo (Tatum) have a near-perfect relationship until a car accident leaves Paige with no memory of her life with Leo and leaves the couple in a fractured state of existence, with Leo having to win back Paige's heart and make her fall in love with him all over again. Sounds like an interesting and emotive plot, doesn't it? It wasn't. The main problem here was the script which was, at best, limp and dull with dialogue which felt stilted and had as much life as a dirty washing-up bowl. Although McAdams and Totem-Pole's performances were totally acceptable, any hope of a thoroughly-engaging performance from either actor was lost in a cloud of loved-up trash which spilled out of their mouths. The result was two main characters who I couldn't care less about and who, quite frankly, would have avoided all this mess if they'd worn seatbelts.

My empathy for the characters' situation was not enhanced by the fact that Paige's only problem in life before her accident was her inability to finish a sculpture she was working on. Poor girl. Tatum's character was equally insufferable and was far-too-nice to be even remotely believable. The one thing in this film which will save it from total damnation on Doomsday was the inclusion of a sub-plot which involved Paige's parents. Here lay a moral question of second chances and betrayal (surprising, I know) which provided a slight respite from the sickening dialogue. The film, however, barely scratched its surface. The Only Way is Essex probably does a better job in addressing such issues.

Now, before I get accused of 'not understanding the film's target audience', let me just say that I have seen many a romantic film and believe me, there are far better films of that genre out there. The Vow is so cheesy, so full of schmooze and so unbelievable (ironic for a film 'inspired by true events') that even a sixteen-year old school girl with an obsession for Jennifer Aniston and the idea that opposites do indeed attract, will find this film as enjoyable as a sandpaper bikini wax. The film's pacing is all over the place and for the last forty-five minutes, I found myself studying the auditorium's emergency lighting system which was far more interesting than watching a plot 'revelation' which was far-fetched and too late coming. Whilst the film was proficiently shot and contained some nice visual imagery, this was simply not enough to keep my interest going. Some may argue that the film is what it is, and shouldn't be criticised in its use of predictable and clichéd plots, characters and dialogue. But, I'm afraid, The Vow isn't even what it wants to be: an emotive, involving and thought-provoking film – a great shame as the initial premise of the film could have allowed the director Michael Sucsy to create a genuinely interesting and heart-wrenching film.

The Vow, whilst not on the same level as the vomitous filth that was New Year's Eve, holds little merit and I left the cinema feeling robbed of my £6.20. I should have saved my money to buy a pair of pliers to pull my fingernails out. Would have been more fun. 

Clapperboard Rating: * 

Thursday 9 February 2012

Like Crazy

I have been a very, very bad person. As I was buying my ticket to see Like Crazy at my local multiplex, the woman behind the counter (whose name badge informed me that her name was Kevin and that her favourite film was The Godfather) asked if I was interested in their 'premier seats' which, she said, were 'bigger, more comfortable and offered a better view of the screen'. If I had wanted this privilege, it would have cost me a further £1.10 on top of a ticket price which already could have easily fed a family of four for a month in Outer Mongolia. I declined. However, as I entered the auditorium (which was in complete darkness as the adverts had just finished), I found it impossible to locate the seat which I had been allocated. And so, I did a very bad thing. I sat in a premier seat. Which I hadn't paid for. And you know what, with a headrest which seemed to have been taken from a mortuary examination table and a view which would have been no different if I had been sitting in the foyer, I'm glad I didn't.

Anyway, to the film. Like Crazy is a strange little film. Starring Felicity Jones and Anton Yelchin, the film follows British student Anna (Jones) as she falls in love with American student Jacob (Yelchin) during her time studying in the US. Anna overstays her student visa and, as a result is unable to return to the US and the pair are forced to have a long distance relationship. First off, the performances are universally first-class. Felicity Jones, however, steals the show and I have to say I do have a bit of a soft spot for her...okay...she's amazing. First seen on screen in The Worst Witch (and known to millions of mothers as Emma Grundy in Radio 4's The Archers), Jones is destined to become one of Britain's most promising and dynamic stars. Her talent for simple dialogue delivery, whilst conveying a whole host of emotions is superb and I am sure that, one day, she will make it to the Oscar podium.

There is, however, a problem with the film. Never, ever have I seen a film with a plot which jarred with me to such a great extent. Here we have two characters who seem to fall in and out of love every five minutes, both have other relationships and then decided to marry/separate/get back together as if nothing has happened. The story jumps back and forth between Jacob and Anna, both of whom seem to change their minds about one another more quickly than Lady Gaga changes outfits and no matter how good the performances are (and trust me, they're great), I found it hard to connect with the characters and empathise with their situations. Sure, a long-distance relationship isn't easy and the film tries to address their conflicting emotions and relationships with other people but, in the end, the whole thing seems a bit contrived.

The film was distinctively shot, with jump cuts being the norm. I quite liked this as it gave the film, paradoxically, a more naturalistic feeling. This idea of realism was furthered by the fact that the dialogue in the film was entirely improvised which gave a real sense of naturalistic rhythm to the words and the interactions between the characters. This may put some people off but if you didn't know this prior to seeing it, you'd have never guessed and on an overall level, the effect is charming. The film's ending has caused problems for some but I feel that it does the film a great credit: this isn't idealised romance as seen in so many films of this genre.

Like Crazy is an admirable attempt to go against the trend of romantic films and is shot in a refreshing and energising manner. The improvisation is a treat and totally works within the context of two young lovers trying to work out their personal issues. But it is the plot which, despite having a good premise, ultimately lets the film down and left me shouting at the characters to buck their ideas up. But I don't mind. Like Crazy is the ideal platform to raise Felicity Jones' profile to the level it deserves. She will be a star. Trust me.

Clapperboard Rating: * * *