I'm So Excited

When I left a preview screening of Pedro Almodóvar's latest film I'm So Excited, I was accosted by a member of cinema staff who was standing with a group of about four colleagues. “Excuse me darling, have you just come out of Screen 5?” she asked. Worrying that I'd finally been caught for sitting in a Premiere seat without paying for it, I nervously replied “Err, yes. Why?”. “Can I ask what you thought of the film, it's a bit weird isn't it?” came the reply. “It's definitely different” I said and scampered away before she noticed the contraband packet of sweets sticking out of my pocket. I should have just directed her to this blog...

I'm So Excited is a rather odd and, at times, surreal film but the IMDb plot summary for it is even more confusing: “When it appears as though the end is in sight, the pilots, flight crew and passengers of a plane heading to Mexico City look to forget the anguish of the moment and face the greatest danger, which we carry within ourselves”. Yeah, me neither. I'm So Excited focuses on the business class passengers and crew of a flight which encounters a problem with its landing gear, leaving it circling in the sky waiting to make an emergency landing. The cabin crew attempt to keep the passengers calm by entertaining them and the mortality of the passengers is revealed through conversations with loved ones on the ground. The resulting film is sometimes funny, often strange and completely bonkers.

Written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar, arguably one of Spain's most influential and well-known film-makers, I'm So Excited fluctuates between the odd and the very touching. As with much of his work, the film is bold, brash and glossy. The three lead male air stewards are all gay and, in times of trouble, prefer to sing The Pointer Sisters' “I'm So Excited” track to the passengers, rather than go through safety procedures. Rather crazy characters, who feel that sexual pleasure and drugs are the way out of their difficult situation, offered some poignant moments when they attempted to resolve their conflicts with love ones over the phone: conversations which could be heard by the rest of the passengers. The melodramatic feel of of the film was underpinned by the humour which was sometimes laugh-out-loud but most frequently mildly amusing. Almodóvar's script certainly created some vibrant characters, from a drug smuggler with a narcoleptic wife to a psychic with an obsession with death and the characters were, in themselves, quite engaging. Not all of these characters were likeable but under Almodóvar's direction, the comedic and surreal action was rather fun.

I'm So Excited is an uneven affair and not entirely successful. This is, perhaps, due to translation issues with the subtitles – if you're Spanish, the quick verbal humour and pop culture references may work more effectively. Furthermore, the action in the air dragged at certain points and didn't have the energy which drove the film's most successful sequences. Without a doubt, it is one of the strangest comedy/melodramas I have seen in a long time but, should you find yourself on a long-haul flight, it will entertain. Just make sure your fellow passengers don't catch you watching it, otherwise they might think you're getting ideas...

Clapperboard Rating: * * 

I'm So Excited is released 3rd May 

Love Is All You Need

If there was ever a film that looked as though it had been sponsored by Jif lemon juice, Love Is All You Need would be it. Not because it leaves a bitter taste in your mouth but because from the lemon groves of Italy where much of the film takes place, to the colour of our protagonist’s car and her rather garish choice of clothes, lemon yellow invades the screen and leaves the audience with no questions as to its significance. For a film so indebted to lemons (I never thought I'd write that!) Love Is All You Need is, paradoxically, very sweet indeed.

The last time we saw Pierce Brosnan cavorting around a Mediterranean shoreline dressed in smart-casual lounge suits, it was in the infectiously brilliant Mamma Mia!. Yes, you read that correctly: Mamma Mia! is a fantastic film and I'd be quite happy to fight its corner any day. Directed by the Oscar-winning Danish director Susanne Bier, Love Is All You Need follows the story of Ida (Trine Dyrholm), a hairdresser who wears a wig following her battle with cancer. Her daughter, played by Molly Blixt Egelind, is due to marry Pierce Brosnan's son in Italy and she flies out to the wedding having just discovered her husband has been having an affair. The film has an unusual mix of Danish and English dialogue which reflected the quirky narrative and on more than one occasion, Brosnan's pensive character looked as though he were about to burst into song at any moment as in Mamma Mia!. Fortunately, he didn't.

Marketed as a romantic comedy, Love Is All You Need is distinctly lacking in the humour department. Whilst some moments were quite funny, the whole script felt as though it needed an injection of comedic energy to really keep up the pace. This is not to say that it was unfunny, but merely that I could have done with a few more laughs. In contrast, the drama was handled rather well and the story, although ridiculously contrived, had a certain charm to it. If there's one thing to say about the film, it is that it is nicely underplayed, rather low-key and erogenous towards its subject material and its characters.

Brosnan puts in a convincing performance as a high-flier in the fruit and vegetable industry (the man's talents know no bounds) who is brought down-to-earth by his developing relationship with Ida. There's a touching realism to their relationship which develops throughout the film and I felt that their interactions were very believable. More broadly, the film's themes of parenthood, love and familial tensions were, again, approached in an low-key manner. Dyrholm's performance was very impressive and several scenes which could have easily been overplayed were sensitively approached by the director. The death of Brosnan's wife left much to the audience's interpretation; the denouement of the wedding steered clear of sensationalism (actually, I take that back – it was pretty ridiculous); and the film's final scenes dealt with Ida's cancer in a beautifully meaningful way.

So then, all looks pretty good. Why then, does the film only get three stars? For all the pleasantries in the dialogue, the assured performances and the scenery which seemed to promise a melodic Meryl Streep hiding behind every lemon tree, Love Is All You Need all feels rather superficial and uninspiring. It looks nice and plays nice but the lack of laughs was a real problem (and it wasn't just me – barely anyone in the screening was laughing). As a drama, it works. As a romantic comedy, it just doesn't stack up.

Love Is All You Need is a pleasant film with nice characters, a nice backdrop and a nice message. It is one of the most charming films that I've recently seen but this doesn't raise it to the level to which I would have liked to have seen it. Sweet it may be, but I would have loved a bit more sharpness in that lemon. 

Clapperboard Rating: * * *  

Love Is All You Need is released nationwide 19th April 

The Place Beyond the Pines

Derek Cianfrance achieved both critical and box office success with Blue Valentine back in 2010, notable for its forceful portrayal of a young couple's turbulent relationship and starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams. Gosling has acquired an immense following in young cinema audiences: women want to be with him and men want to be him. A year after Blue Valentine, Gosling starred in the crime thriller Drive and cemented himself as both a powerful screen prescence and as a Hollywood heartthrob. In The Place Beyond the Pines, he teams up again with Cianfrance and the result is a film which is powerful, intense and really rather remarkable.

The Place Beyond the Pines – like Drive – locates Gosling's character in isolation. A bike stunt rider who is constantly moving from one town to the next with his show, Luke (Gosling) discovers that he is father to a son whom he never knew existed. Determined to provide for both the child and his mother, Romina (Eva Mendes), Luke turns to robbing banks in desperation to make sure his son doesn't have the childhood that he endured. This decision has fateful and far-reaching consequences for both him, his son and Avery, an ambitious cop played by Bradley Cooper.

Cianfrance's film is epic in its ambition and strives to be intelligent and thrilling. Its script spans some sixteen years and the film's narrative modulates between three distinct acts. What starts as a crime thriller rooted by Gosling develops into a police drama centred on Cooper, culminating in conclusions about family, fatherhood and the legacy of history. These gear changes could quite easily have been as jarring as those on The One Show but Cianfrance's direction and investment in his actors' performances helps to keep the audience on-side. Gosling's portrayal of a tattooed, violent, but well-meaning, biker was mesmerising and for every second he spent on screen, I was fully engaged in the story. Cooper's performance was as impressive as the one he gave in Silver Linings Playbook and together with Gosling, was the main reason for the film's success. A strong supporting cast coupled with an intelligent script really did make for fantastic viewing.

With moments of genuine power and flashes of shocking violence, The Place Beyond the Pines is a hugely atmospheric film. From a confident opening shot, following the anonymous figure of Gosling as he moves through a fairground in preparation for his stunt act to a moving soundtrack from composer Mike Patton, a real sense of emotional power and tenacity was developed which wasn't released until long after the credits rolled. The film's ending may be seen by some as a little too neat, but the strengths of the rest of the narrative do more than enough to make up for this. Its 140 minute run time might seem rather long for a drama which is primarily about fatherhood but every minute felt justifiably included. The ambition and passion of Cianfrance for the script (co-written with Ben Coccio and Darius Marder) is largely responsible for the film's grand scope but this shouldn't be seen as a negative.

Perhaps The Place Beyond the Pines' most impressive achievement is how it handles its changes in tempo and creates some really memorable images. Luke's confident (and rather intimidating) exterior breaking down in church whilst watching his son being held by another man during his baptism; the cautious smile of Avery's son finally accepting his father and the frantic chase sequences between police and criminal, between Luke and Avery, between two men who essentially want the same thing – security for their sons.

It may not be totally perfect, but The Place Beyond the Pines has a beautiful energy under its surface and all its elements (from plot to performances to cinematography) combine to create a film which speaks with dramatic lyricism and uninhibited ambition. It is unsettling, emotive and reassuringly human and, like Cianfrance, can only be applauded. 

Clapperboard Reviews: * * * * *  

Trance

Danny Boyle has become something of a national treasure. His work on the opening ceremony for last year's Olympics won him widespread acclaim and, for many, was one of the highlights of the whole Games. Trance, Boyle's first film since his Olympic triumph, marks a return to the cinema that he loves: kinetic, unrestrained and wildly infectious. It is clear to see that Boyle had a blast making the film and used it as a counterpoint to the sincerity of the Olympics (it was shot at the same time as preparations were underway for the opening ceremony). The result is a crime thriller which oozes Boyle's inimitable energy and which will, most definitely, leave audiences scratching their heads.

Trance is a film about the mind, its manipulation and the influence of memory. When art auctioneer Simon (James McAvoy) agrees to pull an inside job for a criminal gang and steal a valuable painting during its sale, it seems as though the theft will be straight forward. But during the heist, the painting goes missing and Simon is hit on the head, leaving him with memory loss and unable to remember where he hid the painting. The head of the gang (played by Vincent Cassel) is, of course, not best pleased with Simon's amnesia and instructs a hypnotherapist (Rosario Dawson) to explore Simon's mind to try and reclaim his memories. The resulting film is a trippy and psychedelic mind puzzler with plenty of Boyle's cinematic tropes and quirks.

From the opening shots, it is clear that this is a Danny Boyle film. A beating soundtrack accompanies a chaotic mix of fast camera shots and intense colour, as if a stained glass window has been smashed and the resulting fragments caught on film. Suitably energised performances added to the fun and the whole film felt intoxicating and several twists and turns in the plot were exciting, if rather unbelievable. In many ways, Trance is a sordid and grim film and makes no apologies for its violence, sex and sleaziness. The narrative does, however, keep the audience guessing and is – in parts – genuinely thrilling. The denouement was nicely handled and audiences will, I think, feel satisfied by the film's conclusion.

The main joy to be taken from Trance is Boyle's captivating aesthetic approach to film-making. Beautifully composed shots captured the film's themes of fragmented memories and exploitation. Dynamic colours, cinematography and a pounding, hypnotic soundtrack showed once more that there is no director quite like Danny Boyle. Despite the thrilling set pieces and confident performances, there were some fundamental problems which prevented the film from being ranked alongside Boyle's other great works.

Firstly, it was odd to watch a film where all of the characters were about as likeable as a traffic warden working on commission. This lack of empathy, even for McAvoy's character, played down (for me, at least) any real sense of consequence in the film; a shame, given the strength of the cast. Perhaps this was what the script was aiming for: a removed and clinical approach to moral ambiguity and violence. In the end, however, it felt rather disengaging.

Secondly, and more importantly, the film suffered from a lack of depth. Plenty of ideas were thrown around by the script but with little real meat on the bones. For a film which is about delving down into the mind and exploring hidden ideas, it was disappointing to leave the cinema feeling that the whole movie was rather superficial. When placed alongside other films of this genre, Boyle's efforts feel energised, visually-stunning but, ultimately, rather hollow. Indeed, there's a far superior film which deals with similar subjects and does so with more narrative and intellectual tenacity. It's called Inception. 

Clapperboard Rating: * * *

One Mile Away

Switch on any news channel and you'll be left with the impression that Britain is broken, in more ways than one. A stagnant economy, a growing divide between the rich and the poor and Saturday night TV which has never been worse. So, a documentary about Birmingham gangs may not seem like the most enjoyable or upbeat piece of cinema. Penny Woolcock's One Mile Away is, however, a powerful and strangely optimistic affair.

Little White Lies has compared Penny Woolcock to the towering figure of social film-making, Ken Loach. In many ways, this is an apt comparison and her latest documentary One Mile Away, highlights serious social problems which are prevalent in many of Britain's cities. The two gangs in Birmingham are the Johnson Crew (B6) and the Burger Bar Boys (B21) and their intense rivalry often results in stabbings and shootings which, to most, are mere headlines in the press. Separated and defined by their postcodes, the gangs' interactions are severely limited outside the flashpoint of a knife attack and reconciliation seems impossible. It is into this tense arena that Woolcock enters and perceptively constructs a film which is both intelligent and, often, rather shocking.

Her film focuses on repentant gangsters Flash (B21) and Shabba (B6) who attempt to initiate a dialogue between the two gangs and start the beginning of the end for the violence which has seen so many die. These two protagonists are a likeable driving force and guide the film and its exploration of issues which are portrayed with a startling realism and a genuine sense of consequence. Relationships with the police are poor and the film's protagonists articulate their anger through rap songs which are performed straight-to-camera – a novel and interesting technique. The summer riots of 2011 come as an unexpected – but not inexplicable – event in the documentary’s narrative and serve to highlight how the story and events which Woolcock is telling (and to some extent instigating) are not confined to the streets of Birmingham.

One Mile Away is a film driven by the passion of Flash and Shabba and their desire to see genuine change. Despite the 2011 riots offering a national perspective, the film was slightly weak on placing the issues in Birmingham in a wider context but with such dynamic protagonists, the focus rightly remained on the B21 and B6 gangs. Faced by barrier after barrier, the determination of Flash and Shabba was admirable and, it would seem, not effected for the camera. In the screening I was in, a Q&A after the film with the director and the protagonists was very emotionally-charged: the passion to develop links between the gangs and stamp out ill-feeling was clear to see.

As a piece of social film-making, One Mile Away can only be a force for good. With plans to show the documentary to schools and as many youth groups affected by its issues as possible, the film is a very telling and strong piece of work. It's not entirely objective but, then again, it doesn't want to be. Woolcock wants to drive change through educational programmes and through the medium of film. The importance of One Mile Away doesn't lie in the film itself: it is its impact in the future which will ultimately matter. Where we go from here is what matters and, with people like Woolcock, Shabba and Flash instrumenting change, the future is looking a bit brighter for the Johnsons and the Burgers.

One Mile Away has a limited UK release and will be screened on Channel 4 on 11^th April at 11.10pm

Clapperboard Rating: * * * *