Star Wars: Episode VII

Posted on December 23, 2015 by Craig Micklewright

Viewed – 22 December 2015 Cinema

The Force Awakens

So much will already have been said, written and tweeted regarding this much hyped and highly anticipated seventh episode in the once beloved saga, that my opinion will matter little … but hear me out because to say I have been looking forward to this movie all year, is an understatement. It’s one of those movies that surely can’t meet the giddy expectations I and many others have bestowed upon it or recapture that wonder and magic I felt on seeing the classic trilogy as a child. Or can it?

The story follows primarily two characters, that of storm trooper Fin (John Boyega) who has a moment of uncertainty that causes him to flee the first order (the new evil villains in place of the empire), and that of scavenger farm girl Rey (Daisy Ridley – a fantastic find). The two unwittingly get thrown together and stumble upon wonderfully cute and attitude-filled droid, bb-8 who has a map that could lead to an in-hiding Luke Skywalker’s location. New bad guy Kylo Ren is searching for him to prevent any possibility of the Jedi’s turning up and wrecking his plans for galactic domination. Along the way the two would-be heroes find help from two familiar faces, namely Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca.

Now let it be said this movie plays heavy homage to the original three movies, especially the first 1977 classic, with clever in-jokes, subtle nods and a few plot similarities. However it also manages to sprinkle the old with many fresh ideas of it’s own and with a script that has clearly been written with genuine care for it’s characters whilst ensuring it all feels like a Star Wars movie, I came away from this very impressed indeed. New faces Fin & Rey do a perfect job of giving us someone new and interesting to invest our time in whilst leaving them mysterious enough to build on in later sequels. Han Solo, Chewbacca and (formerly Princess now General) Leia (Carrie Fisher) all feel vital to the plot also, with Han especially helping drive the story alongside his younger co-stars. Add to this a villain with real depth in the shape of Darth Vader-wannabe Kylo Ren and all the ingredients are in place. Director J J Abrams has done a stellar job, capturing the correct feel and tone and also filling the movie with spectacular action, yet making sure there was all the depth and believable characterisation that had been (for the most part) missing from the prequels.

I’ll add a few nit picks that are simply that, as this is a movie that does nearly everything right and fixes many issues the prequels (and to an extent) even the original trilogy had – but Supreme Leader Snoke just wasn’t very scary or intimidating and just looked like an out-dated CGI effect (made all the more jarring considering the movie’s otherwise reliance on practical effects). Also, considering the hype surrounding Kylo Ren’s bad-ass three-pronged light sabre in the trailers; this guy is wielding it every chance he gets (even during a couple of tantrums) and so the build up to him actually using it in a duel is watered down due to over-exposure. Also the many nods to A New Hope are a bit too blatant at times (and did we really need another death star?).

But … like I said small things in what is easily the best movie in the franchise since The Empire Strikes Back. The Force truly has awakened.

Verdict: 5 /5

Ex_Machina

Posted on January 31, 2015 by Craig Micklewright

Viewed – 29 January 2015 Cinema

Simply, a single image made me want to see this. A girl’s pretty face but with a transparent neck where a mechanical bone structure and wires were visible within. I love science fiction, but there’s been too many movies that have just been throwaway pop corn fluff with sci-fi wrapping that haven’t really got me thinking about the possibilities of technology and what it could mean for our future. Thankfully this is one such film that really massaged my imagination.

Caleb (Domnhall Gleeson) is a coder at a renowned internet company (think: Google) who wins the chance to spend a week at the home of the company’s reclusive CEO and discover just what he’s been working on behind closed doors. Once there he meets Nathan (Oscar Isaac), who soon tells him he will be involved in a series of tests with an artificial intelligence called ‘Ava’.

I loved this premise, a single albeit beautifully high-tech (homes of the future) setting and three characters all very different and complex. Ava, played by the exquisite Alicia Vikander is a revelation – human but subtly artificial, brought to life by not only Alicia’s vulnerably sexy and nuanced performance but also a ground-breaking special effect – she really does look like half girl / half machine with a stunning design with transparent arms, legs and stomach etc. It harks back to I-Robot with a hint of ‘Hal’ out of 2001 A Space Odyssey and even Hayley Joel Osmet’s performance in A.I. I loved every moment she was on screen. Domnhall’s Caleb is equally complex and fascinating, the kid in the candy store but unaware of just what he’s getting himself into … should he find Ava attractive? Should he really befriend her? What will the tests all mean for her eventually? Isaac’s Nathan is less appealing however – a drunken, somewhat clichéd ‘damaged’ genius who clearly is a bit of a bastard, but his presence still fills the movie with an uncertainty, beings as he’s the only one who really knows what’s going on.

I was puzzled by Caleb’s lack of amazement on first seeing Ava … his reaction to such a technological achievement more ‘ok, that’s cool’ – like he sees such like every day. I’d have also liked to learn more about him too, apart from his parents being in a car crash – what made him really tick? Nathan is also a pretty blank canvas. So that leaves Ava, who thankfully doesn’t need a back story – she’s a robot after all, but probably the strongest light in this very different and at time freaky movie. As a directing debut this is a bold and gripping story from Alex Garland (28 Days Later, Dredd) and shows he’s a voice (and visionary) to really take note of … who has probably delivered one of the best true science fiction tales we’ve seen in a long time.

Verdict: 4 /5

Inside Llewyn Davis

Posted on June 3, 2014 by Craig Micklewright

Viewed – 02 June 2014 pay-per-view

I was apprehensive when I first heard about this, and the only real reason I wanted to give it a go was the fact it was from famed directing siblings Joel & Ethan Coen, who have made some of the best movies I have ever seen, with a couple of missteps along the way, granted (Intolerable Cruelty?). Yet generally I’d say, they can do no wrong even if the subject matter this time, that of the week in the life of a singer during the 60’s folk scene in New York, didn’t appeal at first.

Oscar Isaac plays Llewyn, a guy who just can’t seem to cut a break, as he drifts through day to day life, crashing on various friend’s couches, trying to cope with a girl’s unexpected pregnancy (an eye-catching Carrie Mulligan) and at the same time looking after a cat he just can’t seem to get rid of. It’s quirky and full of oddball characters, something of a Coen trademark and yes we get a great cameo from Coen regular John Goodman as a philosophical passenger during a late night car journey. Yet it’s the star making turn from Isaac that stands out most, clearly a gifted singer in his own right, his lovable charm, even when he’s being disgruntled and obnoxious, shines and I really cared for his journey. Justin Timberlake turns up too as a rather hippy-ish lounge singer, and it’s a site to behold.

The movie is shot with a moody, smog filled noir-ish sheen and at times looked quite beautiful and add to this a collection of enjoyable songs and some emotional and make-you-ponder moments (singing to his dad in the care home, the meaning of the turn off to Akron…), even if this movie doesn’t reveal much or tell you a great deal about the era or the main character – time spent in his company is one I’d firmly recommend.

Verdict: 4 /5