Batman Begins

Posted on July 7, 2012 by Craig Micklewright

Viewed – 06 July 2012 Blu-ray

In anticipation of The Dark Knight Rises coming out at the end of the month, I thought it would be a good time to revisit Christopher Nolan’s first of his trilogy, and therefore re-discover the origins of Bruce Wayne and Batman. Christian Bale plays the billionaire playboy and heir to the Wayne empire founded by his parents, and following their murder, goes on a journey of self discovery that leads him to a Tibetan monastery, where he is trained by Liam Neeson to become a force of vengeance and retribution.

Nolan’s movie is immediately grand and beautifully shot with some gorgeous cinematography especially in the opening moments. Here he has returned the Batman franchise to its origins, shedding even the comic-book stylings of the Tim Burton era to create a more realistic and gritty experience. I recall on first seeing this that I felt much of what I had loved about Burton’s movies was gone – the enchantment, the music of Danny Elfman, the gothic architecture and the bizarre characters. Yet on reflection, perhaps I was a little trapped in the past, and now feel I can appreciate what Nolan has brought to the Batman mythos, therefore getting to the heart of what Batman really should be about. This is akin to the graphic novels more than the DC comics back in the day, and even though there is humour and some memorable one-liners, the tone is completely different than what has gone before.

That’s not to say we don’t get what we expect from a Batman movie – there are gadgets, a creepy villain in the shape of Cillian Murphy’s freaky Scarecrow and one killer of a Batmobile. Supporting cast, especially Neeson in a scene-stealing performance, but also Gary Oldman playing against type as the future Commissionaire Gordan, and a brilliantly layered Michael Cain as butler Alfred … are all perfect. But this remains not just Christopher Nolan’s movie but also that of Christian Bale, who delivers the perfect Wayne / Batman and looks the part, plays the part and is the part – troubled, heroic, arrogant and above all else – cool.

For story, casting, action and just plane brilliant film-making – this could be the best Batman movie yet made.

Verdict: 5 /5

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Posted on February 4, 2012 by Craig Micklewright

Viewed – 03 February 2012 Blu-ray

In the run up to the awards season, this has become one of the most talked about movies around. With a heavy weight cast of top British thesps and a gritty cold war storyline, this is the movie many people are putting all their hopes in. Call it this years The King’s Speech, if you like. Adapted from the novel by John LeCarré … Gary Oldman stars as a former M16 agent who is persuaded by an old friend to come out of retirement in order to investigate the possibility of a Russian mole in the organization. The movie jumps back and forth between time lines and shows us the history behind such suspicion after former boss John Hurt sends field agent Mark Strong to Budapest in hope if discovering the identity of the mole from a Russian contact. In the present, Oldman must piece the clues together and line up the suspects, whilst uncovering a wealth of shady dealings.

For such a talked about movie, I admit to finding it extremely difficult to follow. It is told in such a vague and scatter shot way, that I kept hoping for a narration to fill me in on who is who and what’s what. But no, this is the sort of movie where you the viewer are left pretty much in the dark, and everyone on-screen seems much more well-informed. Sometimes people would say things and the other person would look shocked, whilst I would respond with ‘huh?’. I don’t know. Other movies have played the trick of showing you something, making you believe its one way, then later revealing it wasn’t quite what you thought. That can be cool, but here it was simply frustrating. Gary Oldman is very good as the veteran MI6 agent ‘Smiley’ but doesn’t ever really have a moment to stand out, neither does John Hurt, who apart from an acceptable performance, is barely in it. I actually warmed much more to underrated actor Mark Strong, as I felt his story was the most intriguing, but like everything here, it never really delves enough to totally satisfy.

Tomas (Let The Right One In) Alfredson’s direction, on a technical level is sublime and very stylish. He makes the mostly London-set locations look gorgeous, and there’s no doubt he’s a genuine talent. However the material he has been given is confusing, a little too sure of itself and ultimately … boring. Really, when a movie can be summed up as two hours of stiff upper collar British chaps sitting in rooms looking confused, that can’t be good, can it?

Verdict: 2 /5

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – a tribute (jsrealitybites.wordpress.com)
Review: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (vidtalk.wordpress.com)
Win TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY on DVD (geeksyndicate.wordpress.com)

The Fifth Element

Posted on June 12, 2011 by Craig Micklewright

Viewed – 10 June 2011 Blu-ray

Director Luc Besson may be more of a producer these days, responsible for franchises like The Transporter and District 13, but back in the nineties, he was responsible for some of the coolest movies ever made, most notably Leon. Following the success of that thriller that launched the career of Natalie Portman, we have this much hyped sci-fi epic starring Bruce Willis and an at the time unknown Milla Jovovich.