Milo_Milosovic Reviews

The Cabin in the Woods (2011)

Smart yet Dumb

[8/10 · 9 April 2014]

OK. Enough of the artsy, fartsy Euro-drama stuff. Time for some good old-fashioned genre cinema of the horror pastiche variety. Whilst this may be directed by Drew Goddard it has the grubby finger-prints of Joss Wheedon all over it. Drenched with more genre in-jokes, post-modern and post-Scream horror references than you could shake a severed hand at Cabin in the Woods plays it's cards close to it's chest but it's love of genre proudly on it's sleeve.

So where do we begin without being suitably spoilerific. The setup is 5 young, dumb and of varying degrees of beautiful college types head off to the eponymous cabin in search of a weekend of fun in the flora and fauna (No, I don't see the attraction either). However, they're being watched before they even get there. There that's all I can say without giving anything away.

So what do we have here? Essentially, this is a live-action feature length episode of Scooby-doo for grown-ups (except without the talking dog. And that's the rub. Everything here is knowingly pastiche and stereotypical. The cast all fulfill fixed roles: the hunky-jock, the babe, the last-girl nerd, the stoner and the geek. The twists are twisty. The jokes are funny. The knowingness is er... knowingy. The scares unfortunately aren't really scary but I'm not sure they're supposed to be.

You see this homage/ pastiche/ parody/ whatever sticks so closely to conventions that it's hard to react to a scare you've seen done a thousand times before. But... and it's a big one... was it entertaining? Yes, big smartly dumb fun which is not a bad return for minimal brain investment.

Melancholia (2011)

One of Von Triers Best

[8/10 · 9 April 2014]

Where do you even begin with Lars von Trier? Exasperating? Enigmatic? Enthralling? Enraging? Or any other adjective beginning with "e" though having said that economical may not apply. So here we are again. Time to sit down and strap ourselves in.

Melancholia open with a sequence of evocative slow-motion dream-scape shots (woman carrying child sinking into a putting green, another woman pondering electricity sparking off her fingers, a bride marching across the screen with ropes attached to her dress - you know the usual stuff). This sequence culminates with the Earth being headbutted by another planet... the titular Melancholia. So, it's the end of the world and it's all downhill from there.

We switch to a wedding. A very posh wedding. Where we find Kirsten Dunst's Justine about to marry. However, all is not well. Familial relations are bordering on toxic and the nuptials unravel as Justine is dragged back into the depths of an apparently on-going depression. Her sister Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg) stoically tries to keep her sister's head above water. However, facing a vitriolic mother, lovable but loveless father and a (unt of a boss Justine resembles a knackered racehorse being whipped to make it across the finishing line (keep that metaphor stored away for when you watch the film).

So what do we have here. Strip aside Von Trier's mixture of art-house and realist technical fireworks and underneath you'll find a surprisingly human and humanist drama. Well drawn and, dare I say it recognisable characters, (believable is bit to much of a stretch for Von Trier) jostle for position and orbit Justine and Claire. It's an existential meditation on depression, the transience of happiness, the inevitability of finality and ultimately a thumping good family drama meets dystopian sci-fi mash-up.

Von Trier's never been short on ideas and once again he puts them front and centre. However, this time he reins himself in. There are none of the pyrotechnic shocks which nobbled Anti-Christ or the teeth-pulling irritation of Breaking the Waves. The ideas work because they are whispered not screamed. Subtle not telegraphed. Of course subtle for Von Trier is still well up the scale for other directors, yet it still somehow works. A rather pleasant surprise. Now it's time to gird my loins for Nymphomaniac Vol I & II. I have a feeling that Melancholia may just be a pleasant bump in the road.

The Lives of Others (2006)

The Lives of Others

[9/10 · 8 April 2014]

Is it possible for a man to be good if he's part of a bad system? This is just one of the many questions raised by the 2006 Oscar Winner for best foreign language film. Set In 1984 East Berlin, Gerd Wiesler is an agent of the Stasi. A good one. So good he conducts lectures on interrogation techniques of enemies of the state. He's tasked with an assignment to monitor Georg Dreyman, an influential playwright with on the surface seems a poster-child of the GDR.

What unfolds is a thoughtful and thought-provoking drama. Wiesler observes not only his target but the nature of the system he works for. His observation, near silent most of the time, reveals not only the complexities of Dreyman's personal life and political beliefs but also the corruption of a system he holds steadfastly to be perfect. It's a beautifully profound human drama that asks suitably profound questions. Can bad acts be legitimised if the perpetrator believes them to be inherently good? Can art be true without the freedom of expression? What are the limits of loyalty? The performances are uniformly excellent. Ulrich Mühe shines as the torn Stasi officer. Playing him as a blank canvas reflecting the world around him yet wrestling with his own loneliness. While Martina Gedeck is excellent as the tragic and trapped actress whose relationship with Dreyman is stretched to breaking point.

The film is subtle, observant and never feels the need to over-state it's key argument about the corruptive and corrosive effect of the Stasi on the GDR. Yet, the historical and political trappings are a framework to a touching human drama that works on almost all levels. Outstanding.

The Avengers (2012)

Avengers Assemble

[7/10 · 7 April 2014]

Well-drawn characters, beautifully shot and fine set-pieces. Anyway, that's enough about The Artist now onto Avengers Assemble. I'm going to start by telling you I should have liked this. I like a good leave brain-at-the-door, popcorn stuffing uber romp as much as the next person. Having grown up reading Marvel comics I have a bit of a soft spot for The Avengers. I should have liked this... a lot. But... but... but.....

For the uninitiated here's the plot: one-eyed Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. (don't ask it gets sillier) assembles a team of disparate superheroes to save the planet from the pan-dimensional pantomime baddie Loki and his army of marauding alien invaders. Yes! Together at last! Mister Blonde, Mister Angry, Mister Smug, Mister Boring, Mister Forgettable and Little Miss Lycra gang up to punch CGI aliens repeatedly in the face whilst Tom Hiddlestone does his best Shere Khan impersonation. Flying battleships? Collapsing buildings? Alien invasion? Rock 'em sock 'em punch ups? Snappy dialogue? Scarlett Johansson in Lycra? Sounds good doesn't it? Well....

Robert Downey Junior does his smart-talking smug thing again. Chris Hemsworth does his blonde bombshell anachronistic demi-God thing again. That dull bloke is that dull Captain America again. The Hulk bounces around in unconvincing CGI destructo mode again. Scarlett Johansson does her pouty, spandexy ass kicking thing again. Again and again and again. You get my point. It's all more of the same. Except multiplied. A running, jumping, punching, flying, exploding, CGI extravaganza. All sound and (Nick) fury but signifying nothing other than an, admittedly, smart director helming some famous faces in front of green screen while a legion of CGI artists beaver away at the rendering. Is this movie making or games design? There are plus points. There is at least an attempt at some character development. Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner has a good line of banter with Tony Stark/ Iron Man. There are some decent gags. Tom Hiddleston is enjoying himself being archly camp as the baddie. But, it's just not enough. As once again the whole thing collapses under the weight of more CGI aliens. Let's be honest I went in with the biggest bag of pop-corn. Brain checked in at the door. Expecting to be entertained. I guess I was but to be honest I don't really remember much as I my primary register was... deep breath... boredom.

Now before I get kicked to death by hordes of Marvel fan-people (look how PC am I?) None of this is the fault of the film. The 13 year old me (whilst being grumpy with the portrayal of Hawkeye) would probably have thought all his Christmases had come at once. Yet, Avengers Assemble has left me teetering on the edge of an existential crisis: I'm just too old for this s**t.

Prisoners (2013)

Missed Opportunity

[7/10 · 29 March 2014]

This is a tricky one. I'm going to try and avoid any form of spoiler so there'll be a certain amount of tip-toeing through the tulips. Denis Villeneuve's 2013 drama was released to widespread popular and critical acclaim.

Hugh Jackman plays Kelly Dover, a survivalist minded yet ultimately decent man committed to protecting family from a hostile world. However, Dover is thrust into impotence when his daughter and her friend go missing. As the pressure mounts on the police to produce results Dover takes matters into his own hands.

So, a great set-up. It looks great. All mute greys and dark brooding realism, but, it is shot by Roger Deakins so we would expect it to be visually fine. The characters are well drawn. The drama unfolds gradually and slowly over the first 90 minutes and is absorbing, gripping with the smack of truth. The performances are good (Maria Bello as the distraught mother and Gyllenhaal as the frustrated lead police investigator in particular). Maybe, it's being a father myself but I found Dover's sense of frustration and impotence at his inability to protect his family engrossing and the film asked some profound questions upon the line we draw for own limits and actions.

However, everything collapses in the last third act as the film decides to get, well.... silly. All the good work done previously is undone as the plot takes a turn to the formulaic. It's as if the film-makers lost confidence in their set-up.

The film switches tone from an engrossing drama into a rather silly police-procedural/ serial killer finale. From fine to formulaic in one movement. At one point I was expecting to hear, "He puts the dog into the basket..." The potential to be great dissolves away and the film becomes merely.... OK. Which is probably more of a crime than being rubbish. Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?

Gravity (2013)

Romping B-Movie with a Budget Ahoy!

[8/10 · 24 March 2014]

Space. It's a bit mental innit? This should be the strap-line for Alfonso Cuarón's multi-award winning SFX- sci-fi extravaganza. Sandra Bullock plays Ryan Stone a medical engineer who's lucked out and landed a plum job as an astronaut inserting her non-specific machine into the Hubble Telescope. Gorgeous George meanwhile plays Matt Kowalski, the grizzled George Clooneyesque veteran astronaut who is looking after her and overseeing her work. However, all's not well in space - things go wrong. Very, very wrong. Indeed. A lot. There. That's the whole 12 minute plot set-up for you.

But what a twelve minutes. One continuous rolling jaw-dropping shot of space, Shuttle, Hubble and insignificant specks of humanity orbiting the Earth. Gravity sets its stall out early. Stunning visuals, combined with superb sound-design and a stripped down b-movie running time make it a thoroughly entertaining experience. Indeed, regarding the much touted visuals you'll spend much of the time saying, "How the f**k did they do that?" Unfortunately, if you think too hard about it you'll also spend much of the time saying, "why the f**k did they do that?" Let's just say the plot is thin to thread-bare. Yes, there are underlying themes of isolation/ loneliness/ rebirth/ survival/ redemption. Yes, there are some nods to other sci-fi epics such as 2001 but ultimately you'll be too busy going, "Wooaaah! to actually care. But, that doesn't matter.

You see, here's the point. Cuarón may try and dress this 90 minutes SFX orgasm up as a metaphysical journey of self-discovery but don't be fooled. If you take Gravity for what it is - an elongated Twilight Zone episode on a cutting-edge technology budget - it's an absolute blast. Be wowed as our heroes repeatedly bounce off satellite debris. Swoon at Gorgeous George's Buzz Light-year impersonation. Marvel as Bullock puffs, gasp, wheezes and "No, no, no, noes" her way from cosmic catastrophe after cosmic calamity. It's all good. Expect more and you'll be disappointed. Top pop-corn actioner of the year.

A Royal Affair (2012)

There really is something rotten in the state of Denmark...

[8/10 · 23 March 2014]

There really is something rotten in the state of Denmark, No, it's not Von Trier's latest in-joke art-fest. Or Reffin's foray into the world of Hollywood pot-boiler. It's something Danish born, bred, and branded.

Nicolaj Arcal's A Royal Affair is essentially based on the true story of young English Princesses doomed marriage to an eccentric King in 18th Century Denmark. So far, so Downton-Dogme. Ineed this is a film I went into with a certain trepidation. The poster is ghastly - resembling, for all the world, a visualisation of a Barabara Cartland novel - it screams costumer-drama tweeness and historical romance schmaltz. Secondly, how interesting could a portrait of 18th Century Danish Royalty be to a Brit proto-Republican? The answer is very. Yes, this is a period-drama. Yes, there is a "forbidden-love" romance. However, there is so much more. The drama and romance are framing devices to big ideas and big themes.

Essentially, this is a portrait of enlightenment thinking versus the feudal establishment. Church, state and the nobility pitching itself against writers, doctors and free-thinking women. Denmark is portrayed as the vanguard of European progressive politics. Voltaire would have been (actually he was) proud.

As a piece of cinema it is terrific. Beautifully shot, it evokes Kubrik's Barry Lyndon at times but actually has a heart and soul. The performances are universally excellent (Mads Mikkelson following up his jaw-dropping role in The Hunt and who is rapidly becoming my favourite screen presence). Most importantly it is bursting with ideas and imagination. Do yourself a favour and get a proper history lesson.

When the Last Sword Is Drawn (2002)

Bit of a let-down

[7/10 · 23 March 2014]

I was drawn to this 2003 Japanese film for a variety of reasons. a) it's director Yôjirô Takita was responsible for one of my favourite films in recent years, Departures (Okuribito) b) It's been mentioned in the same breath as the quite stupendous "Twilight Samurai" (Tasogare Seibei) and c) I'm just a sucker for 19th Century end of the Shogunate/ Rise of the Emperor guff.

All the ingredients are there in the set-up Yoshimura is a lower class Samurai who is struggling to support his wife and children. He abandons them in search of higher pay to support them and joins the notorious Shinsengumi clan. All the usual themes are here. The nature of honour; the conflict between family loyalty and clan loyalty; the passing of an era.

Unfortunately the film is hamstrung by a number of problems. Firstly, there is a level of sentimentality which teeters into the mawkish at times. Secondly, the narrative is framed by a dual character flash-backs which are unconvincing, confusing and jarring. Thirdly, whilst the two lead characters are deliberately set as opposites the performances of the two leads teeter into the realms of Samurai TV soap pastiche. Indeed when you compare them to the Hiroyuki Sanada's poised and subtle performance in the melancholic and restrained Twilight Samurai they fall-down badly.

Having said all that it's entertaining enough. Has some solid set-pieces and a suitably authentic feel. But that's just not enough. Ultimately, it's a major disappointment. The poster's great though.

Vanilla Sky (2001)

Disappointing

[7/10 · 23 March 2014]

Every now and again I stumble across a film on TV and think, "I'll give it a go." Such was the case with Vanilla Sky, Cameron Crowe's 2001 remake of "Abre Los Ojos." Tom Cruise plays David Aames, a money-bags son of a publishing magnet who seems to have inherited it all: Cash, Cameron Diaz as a f**k-buddy, board-room power, a vintage Ferrari, Pete Townsend's smashed guitar in his living room…. you know the usual stuff.

So far – so good – so what? If you hadn't worked it out already David is…well… bit of a c**k - especially when it comes to the ladies. However, exotic Latino dancer Penelope Cruz hoves into view David goes all gooey, puts his c**k away for a minute and feels a "connection." After a night of romantic chat and sofa spooning David skips off into the dawn with a song in his heart and a spring in his step. Cue bad stuff! Extremely bad stuff! David is suddenly accused of a murder, disfigured in a car-accident and plagued by memory-loss, vivid nightmares and an encroaching sense of paranoia. All of this he unloads on the manly shoulders of friendly neighbourhood police psychologist Kurt Russell.

All well and good but we have a problem. I don't care about David. At. All. Tom cruise gives good slime-ball (see Magnolia previously) but in this case it felt like the film's undoing. Are we supposed to have some kind of empathy with this arrogant, breaded, misogynistic t**t? Nope, sorry. Don't care. Emotional investment down the pan. This isn't Cruise's fault, his character is so thinly drawn that the only engagement with him is disengagement. I just didn't care/ To be honest, I just wanted to be rid of his nightmares, flashbacks, murder-charge and incessant whining so I can spend time with supporting cast who seemed a damn sight more interesting.

Ultimately, there's some interesting ideas trying to get out. Is real love transient? The consequence of actions? The power of memory within dreams? But, it all gets lost under a wave of indifference summed up by my mighty, "Meh" at the big reveal. You could say it's a precursor to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind or Inception in scope but that would be bum-bitingly generous. It has neither the ambition, wit or creativity of either. Vanilla indeed

50/50 (2011)

A tale of two halves

[7/10 · 23 March 2014]

Cue voice-over guy: "In a world of ordinariness... Joseph Gorden-Levitt plays Adam: an ordinary guy with an ordinary job with an ordinary girl-friend and an ordinary life. All of this ordinariness collapses when he is diagnosed with a rare form of spinal cancer and hilarity ensues.... That's the unpromising setup for Jonathon Levines 2011 film. Cancer is funny. Hmmm, not promising. Even less promising is the presence of Seth Rogan. Easily the most punch-able face in film. An actor with the range of a table and the charismatic appeal of genital warts. Even less promising.

So, what do we have here? Well, we have a slightly odd mix. Firstly, there's the boysy humour summed up by Adam's profoundly irritating best-mate (played by Rogan) who sees cancer as a terrific opportunity for a sympathy f**k... with hilarious consequences. Sigh. It doesn't work. Not because it's in poor taste. But because it isn't funny. In fact the film is at it's best when it's not trying to be funny. It portrays the social awkwardness of how people's reactions and responses change to a person diagnosed with the big C in all its awkwardness excellently and with great pathos.

Perhaps, unsurprisingly, as the director is using his own experience with the disease this is the heart of the film. Family, friends, partner and colleagues just don't know how to respond to or interact with Adam after his diagnosis and what follows is at times a touching portrayal of facing the mortality of yourself and others. In particular Adam's fractious relationship with Angelica Huston's fussy and over-protective mum will be ring bells with many grown men. The film almost derails itself with lazy depictions of the younger women who are a collection of caricatures: bitch girlfriend? Check. One-night-stand glamour bird? Check. Ditzy yet lovable medic? Check.

Ultimately, if you go in expecting big-laughs you'll be disappointed but there are some nuanced and poignant moments which resonate an air of truth which salvages this film into something of a success despite its obvious flaws.

The Deep Blue Sea (2011)

Hmmmmm......

[7/10 · 23 March 2014]

I've been putting off review The Deep Blue Sea. Terrence Davies' remake of the 1950′s film based on the stage-play is a curious piece which I'm still struggling to get my head around.

It's a strangely polarising beast which split me between annoyance and er enjoyance

Here's the deal. On the one hand. It's a self-consciously old-fashioned portrayal of love and life in 1950′s London. Rachel Weiss plays Hester trapped in a flat and dull marriage she finds physical and emotional release in the arms of Freddie (played by Tom Hiddleston) a magnetic yet damaged WW2 pilot who is struggling to adjust to post-war life. The story is stylistic lavish with intimate set-pieces, evocative lighting and a mood of emotional frustration. What's not is as important as what is not said. There's evocations of Brief Encounter and Powell & Pressburger. An impressive meditation on love in all its forms and the damage it can cause.

On the other hand. It's an out-dated throw-back from a director who is stuck in time with a Britain that never really existed. Pampered hoity-toity, plummy-types (Hester? Freddie? Oh, 'k off!) moping and whining while the salt of the earth "Cor Blimey" types are just busy getting by. Posh types mope. Look out of windows. Smoke. Mope a bit more. Look out of more windows. Have a bit of a row. Cry. Look out of even more windows. Gah! Hester treats her husband like rubbish. Freddie treats Hester like rubbish. Hester treats herself like rubbish. It's so mannered and drenched in stylistic devices and cinematic tropes that they become at best distracting, at worst like a cinema school project with a budget.

So where does that leave us? Nostalgic meditation on love? Or stylised bore-fest of posh-types gagging for it? To be honest I'm still stuck between a rock and a hard place. Between, the devil and the . hmmm hang-on . it's suddenly occurred to me that maybe that's the point. Christ, I think I need to watch something stupid to clear my brain.

The Tree of Life (2011)

Epic and Exasperating?

[8/10 · 23 March 2014]

Where to even begin with The Tree of Life? Any release from Terence Malick is highly anticipated because, let's face it, "prolific" is not exactly his middle-name. Malick's output of 5 Films in the best part of thirty years makes Stanley Kubrick look like a Roger Corman protégé. Ostensibly, The Tree of Life is the story of a young family growing up in 1950′s Texas. Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain are the parents of three boys living the suburban life. Whilst, Sean Penn plays the grown up older son reminiscing over these times. Here is where any attempt to continue with a plot synopsis collapses under the weight of the films impressionistic non-linear structure.

The Tree of life is a fundamentally polarising experience of the highest order. There will be those who view it as a mess. A sentimental, art-farty shambles. A two hour long perfume commercial stuffed with "meaningful" abstract shots and scenes. A melange of whispered preposterous platitudes and pretentious, "meaning of life" and infuriatingly glib sentimentality. They'll think it's rambling, mawkish, misjudged, ill-disciplined, lacking any narrative cohesion and packed with the kind of heavy handed-symbolism best left to a 6th form Emo's poetry. They'll think it's the work of a director who's lost the plot up his own arse and submitted a self-indulgent soufflé of a film that'll stretch their patience to breaking point. They will hate it. And, they'll have a point.

There will be others though who view The Tree of Life as an elegiac meditation on memory and grief. They'll think it's a lyrical and visual poem. They'll see discussions of familial remembrance, the friction between father and son, the birth of morality, the Universe and universal truths. They'll see a beautifully meandering and melancholic ode that eschews traditional narrative for a sumptuous visual lyricism that washes over them. They'll be prepared to lie-back and let it take them to more melancholic and meditative shores. They will love it. And, they'll have a point.

Guess, which side I fell on.

Man of Steel (2013)

Subpar Man

[6/10 · 23 March 2014]

Now, before we get into the meat and drink I'd better confess that a) I'm not particularly big on super-hero films and b) I've always found Superman as a character just, well… dull. I've always struggled to feel any sort of sympathy, interest and most importantly any sense of jeopardy for the caped crusader. He's indestructible. He's nice, and, let's face it he's a bit, well… boring.

All that being said, I went in with my curiosity piqued by a deliberately oblique trailer - all out of focus flashback shots and plinky-plonky soundtrack. For sure Hack Snyder's (see what I did there?) name is in the director's chair but you never know eh?

Well, I guess you do. A frustrating experience all round. A totally redundant prologue drenched in sub Star Trek CGI which involves Russell Crowe trying to keep a straight face undoes any sense of mystery from the off. Let's not go into the final act which involves our hero and General (snigger) Zod punching buildings in the face for about half an hour..

In between this CGI sandwich there is much to like in terms of the origins/ growing pains/ flashback side of things. Michael Shannon camps it up as the baddie. Amy Adams does a feisty Lois Lane. Kevin Costner plays it charmingly straight and Henry Cavill looks er… super in a slightly teak kind of way. However, all the interesting stuff gets crushed under-foot by the CGI money-shot effects, non-jeopardy battles A missed opportunity to do something genuinely interesting.