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KatherineDeVere
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Reviews
The Zone of Interest (2023)
Dare we ask the same question as we sit with our ice-creams?
© Katherine de Vere 2024
The soundtrack to this film is a vital and innovative element to the narrative. Straight off the bat, director Jonathan Glazer informs the audience of its importance by presenting audio to a blank screen, as if to say, "listen!" (This introduction was deemed too long and unusual for some movie-goers who lost patience and left the theatre, which was a shame.)
The visuals open with an idyllic family setting of a picnic by a river. As the plot unfolds, we realize that the father is Rudolf Hoss, Commandant of Auschwitz - in short, it's a Nazi Family, including the wife, Helga, who are enjoying the summer bliss.
The Hoss family live right by the 'Zone of Interest" - a Nazi euphemism for a concentration camp. The family's domestic life is pleasant and privileged, which is in stark contrast to the horrors taking place next door. Thus, we see a flower garden versus the camp chimneys belching out their ghastly smoke. A children's garden party against the sound of execution. Human teeth in a bright, flowing stream. Cinematographer, Lukasz Zal, captures the precision, the order, the beauty of the Hoss's domestic environment exquisitely. Mica Levi, the composer and sound designer, Maximilian Behrens, evoke terror and horror juxtaposed against this 'picturesqueness' in a way that's truly chilling.
The power in this film is that it poses the question, how can people live cheek by jowl with such horrors and carry their 'normal' life as if were not happening? (Dare we ask ourselves the same question, even as we sit in the cinema with ice creams?)
Actors Christian Friedel and Sandra Huller turn in stellar, unsettling performances as this 'power' couple. As Rudolf, Friedel delivers heart-stopping cruelty alongside an emotional and tender farewell to his beloved horse. Huller as Hedwig, gardens her flowers lovingly, yet she greedily accepts the loot from deceased Jewish victims. She tries on lipstick, a mink coat - all free booty! At first, we think that the Hoss's domestic staff are just servants, until we observe the terror that underlies even their simplest domestic transactions, such as balancing a drink on a drink tray. Witness Helga's callous threat to her maid at breakfast: "I could have my husband spread your ashes across the fields of Babice."
My God, is it effective acting, screenwriting (Martin Amis, Jonathan Glazer,) and editing (Paul Watts). In fact, apples to the entire cast and crew - because this clever film is a masterpiece.
(The story's duality is also presented in the daughter's dramatic sleepwalking sequences - no spoilers here.)
The film ably addresses the sheer logistics and planning that went into exterminating not only Jewish people, but also intellectuals, the physically disabled, ethnic minorities, prisoners of religious or political conscience, sexual orientation, etc. That's the horrific thing, it was state-sanctioned, state-funded, and state-organized murder on a massive scale. (Correlations to any modern-day regimes do with think?) Perhaps that's why it's so relevant now. This film is stark. It's important. Thought-provoking and brilliantly delivered.
It's no surprise that it's been nominated for five Academy Awards.
RATING: FIVE OSCARS.
Argylle (2024)
"Like watching a boat full of leaks, sink..."
Taking my seat, I had my fingers crossed that director Matthew Vaughn (Kingsman,) had resurrected his career with a romping good spy story, set against a cracking soundtrack with some great actors.
The opening, with a red-hot Dua Lupa and Henry Cavil was upbeat, but alas! From the sight of Cavill's haircut onwards, it was all downhill.
The story introduces the pudgy best-selling spy writer, Elly Conway, played by Bryce Dallas Howard, (daughter of Director, Ron Howard). Presented both as an author and later as a special agent, Howard's performance scores low on credibility and high on irritability. Unfortunately, she doesn't have the charisma or range to carry the part, but is it all her fault?
Almost from the opening we're served up the thinnest of premises, that somehow Elly's published novels are 'predictive' and so she's become a target for the secret service. Thus her 'real' life intersects with her fiction - throw in a pet cat and you have a winner, right? Wrong! (The cat-gags might be a high point, but like the film even they wear thin.)
There was a great opportunity here, to contrast the difference between Elly's romanticised fiction and the gritty reality of the spy-world. But there's the problem, by glamming Elly up, and adding in all the 'movie/fiction' spy-effects the story doesn't work. With another director and script this might have been movie gold.
Henry Cavill as Elly's fictional character and foil, Agent Argylle, and the film's namesake, runs himself out of contention for any Bond films. His performance is more wooden than Pinocchio's - and like his haircut, awkward.
As to the plot, it has more holes in it than cheese. Scriptwriter, Jason Fuchs asks the viewer to suspend disbelief so many times that it becomes a lesson in idiocy.
Were they trying to parody the good-old super spy genre with a twist to every twist? Unfortunately, the result is just plain dumb. For example, Pudgy Elly suddenly becomes a crack shot and hyper-fit operative, even though (according the story,) she's spent the last five years sitting on her arse, eating junk food and tapping out vapid novels.
The film uses dance sequences as humour, but mostly they're crudely delivered - a bit like the oil scene, where killer Elly, can suddenly ice-skate through it. (But hang on, wasn't the bit about her being an ice-skater just a memory-plant so how did she get the skills, physically speaking? Yeah, that's right, most of us can execute a quadruple axel on a whim. And...FYI oil is not ice.)
Spy, Aiden Wilde's character should be shot for the stupidity of his dialogue alone; although actor Sam Rockwell, does his best with the appalling material. One wonders what was anyone was thinking? If they were they thinking at all.
Just as in Kingsman got the pace, soundtrack and acting just right, Argylle is the opposite; the music's wrong, the pace is wrong, the acting is embarrassing and the plot is woeful. This was a bit like watching a boat full of leaks, sink - no expense spared and no CGI could save it.
Resisting the strong urge to leave, several times over, I sat this pointless misery out until I could bear no more. Not even veteran actors Richard E Grant, Bryan Cranston and Samuel L Jackson could save this purported 200-million-dollar howler..
Two hours and 19 minutes too long, it's not often that one resents the $35 dollars spent on a premium ticket, but if I could, I'd tap at the box office window and beg for my money back.
Rating: Get a refund before you sit down.
Ferrari (2023)
Worth The Pitstop!
© By Katherine De Vere
Adam Driver takes the lead as Enzo Ferrari, the founder of this famous racing dynasty, who delivers some corking lines, "...dwelling in the perpetual twilight of failure," being one.
The quirky one-liners are a key strength of the movie, and a credit to writer, Troy Kennedy Martin. Expect some laugh out loud moments!
Set in 1957, with all the glamour and pizzazz of Formula One; it's a crises time for Ferrari. It's win or lose-all in the now-banned, treacherous 1,000-mile race through Italy, the Mille Miglia. No spoilers here, but be prepared to grip your seats!
There's much to like about this film which is delivered with a sensitive touch. One scene, set at the opera shows the interplay between the character's memories (as flashbacks,) and their emotional response to the beautiful music; it's masterfully done.
Even non-racing fans can thrill to the red, shiny, zoom and break-neck speeds presented.
Caps off to cinematographer, Erik Messerschmidt, for capturing the eye-popping, engine- roaring glory of racing car-zip. Expect a change in pace, too, because the film includes some breath-taking landscape photography.
Penelope Cruz (Laura Ferrari,) is an engagingly grumpy addition to the cast, and the gun-scene at the family home is just delightful. Cruz as Enzo's wife delivers her role with gleam- in-the-eye gusto which you entertained the whole way through, ditto Ferrari's grandmother, played by Daniela Piperno.
Jack O' Connell gets a shout out as English driver Peter Collins, as well as Patrick Dempsey (McDreamy, Gray's Anatomy, ) as the 'silver fox' champion, Taruffi. Dempsey races in real life, which gives his portrayal the edge.
As the aristocratic, outrageous, Alfonso de Portega, actor Gabrielle Leone's portrayal falls flat. Yes! He's good-looking but more screen charisma was needed to lift a role that could have been sublime. (An opportunity missed?)
Overall, Veteran director Michael Mann's experience tells. He delivers a stylish and witty film that isn't too garish or 'Hollywood'.
It may be that there is something at the heart of the film that falls slightly shy off the mark in terms of emotional impact: Is it in the writing? The character of Enzo? A few scenes that needed re-working? However, there is enough here to say that this is a good film and well worth your time. In racing, as in life, isn't that what counts?
Rating: Worth the pitstop, green flags all the way.
Napoleon (2023)
Cleavage and bedroom scenes withal. (Roll of eyes.)
Hopes were high, Director Ridley Scott was at the helm - could we expect shades of Gladiator? Joaquin Phoenix takes the lead as Napoleon and his nuanced, absorbing performance is a key strength in this film. As one might expect, on a reported 200 million budget, the sets, costumes and locations are luxuriously and lusciously delivered. Most particularly the battle scenes; the vast expanse of Waterloo made the trip to my local big-screen worth it - and grâce à Dieu, the CGI wasn't overdone.
Despite the sometimes-oafish portrayal of 'The Little Corporal' - anyone who knows anything about the history, can't help but admire a man who came from Corsican obscurity to crown himself Emperor, literally - as Wellington himself admitted, Napoleon was the greatest General that ever lived.
It's a pity references to Napoleon's brilliant memory and organizational capabilities aren't a focus; his motto was actually, "Liberty and Public Order". (Was it not Napoleon who introduced law codes, a higher education system, centralized administration and banking, road and sewerage systems?)
This film's portrait, rightly, features his obsession with Josephine (Vanessa Kirby,) and extracts of his famous letters are narrated to good effect; however, so much screen time is given over to the topic that it becomes tiresome - cleavage and bedroom scenes withal. (Roll of eyes.)
Upon what grounds, was the (jaded) Rupert Everett cast as Lord Wellington? Perhaps it was the clipped British accent? Either way he doesn't cut the mustard; this becomes all the more ludicrous when he turns up later on the deck of the HMS Northumberland. (Anyone who's visited HMS Victory in Portsmouth will recognize the set.)
Tne initial energy of the film begins to lag, and the narrative, perhaps like Napoleon's life becomes anti-climactic. Do expect a bit of historical-nonsense and you'll find this an entertaining film - if not the sophisticated, deeply moving epic expected. The real Napoleon, after all, is a hard act to follow. One wonders what the French will make of it?
My Rating: Three bicorns (Napoleon hats,) and a glass of burgundy - raised.
© Katherine De Vere 2023.
Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
How many Close ups of Di Caprio frowning can a person take?
Martin Scorsese directs this screen adaptation of the book by the same name. Essentially, the plot lingers (and I used the term advisedly,) on the Osage Nation murders, where oil was discovered, in the good ol' USA of the 1920's.
Given the long-term collaboration between Scorsese, Di Caprio and De Niro, it's unsurprising that the latter take lead roles as the unlikeable characters, Uncle Hale and his nephew, Ernest Buckhart. Lily Gladstone plays the long-suffering, indigenous wife, Mollie, but her performance drags and becomes a wan, one-note affair.
The film starts well, and for a moment, there's the frisson of anticipation because it might just be a masterpiece? Alas! From then on it's downhill ride, Cowboy.
Essentially, the 'gallant' white-fellas marry the Osage women to get their hands on the oil money, and gradually the Indian women and their relatives are conveniently knocked off.
Di Caprio's performance throughout is parody-Marlonesque, and to be honest, after about an hour his company is wearing - and that includes De Niro. How many Close ups of Di Caprio frowning can a person take? (Actor's or no, after a time, a person's true character starts to show up in their face, and I can't say Scorsese, De Niro or Di Caprio make particularly noble company to spend three hours of your life with. No doubt, I'll be in the minority, here.)
Central themes of this movie might be corruption and racism, or perhaps, stupidity and exploitation? De Niro plays De Niro playing a "caring" patriarch, who in reality is a murderous, greedy villain. Scorsese does his best to redeem the character of Ernest as a love-struck husband, but essentially, he's as thick, greedy and racist as the rest of them. (That is not to say that the film doesn't have some important commentary on American-Indigenous history.)
About half-way through the film, it became clear where it was heading, but given thetime-investment already, there was hope of an ingenious or witty plot twist? Nope. It was as if the conversation went: "Oops film's too long? Let's quickly explain away the end like vintage radio play! Boom! Boom!"
Produced by Apple TV, no doubt Scorsese/Di Caprio/De Niro fans will rave.
MY RATING: 3 hours and 26 minutes of my life I won't get back anytime soon. © Katherine De Vere 2023.
The Princess Bride (1987)
Linear, banal, devoid of wit, facile, simpering and dull - dull - dull
I had not seen this film, until it was set as 'text' by my son's deluded English teacher. This film is OK for the small hours of the morning, if you have very low expectations - but a classic? Give me a break! Shakespeare's a classic, Dickens, Orwell, Steinbeck - all who would have turned in their graves at this abysmal, one-dimensional script writing. A Spanish character, finally enacting long sought-after revenge and what does the writer come up with? "Son of a bitch!" Really! That's the best, wittiest and most memorable line you can come up with? Come back Welles, Kurosawa, Copolla, Ford, Scott, Kubrick, Lang, Bunuel, Capra, Wyler, Curtiz, Weir, etc. SERIOUSLY SUBSTANDARD - STANDARDS ARE SLIPPING, FOLKS.