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Reviews
The Way Back (2010)
Peter Weir goes from ocean to desert
Peter Weir's follow-up to Master & Commander (2003) is the unflinching, stark, & brilliant The Way Back, which takes on the weighty theme of man's struggle for freedom.
At the dawn of WWII, several men escape from a Russian gulag. The film details their perilous & uncertain journey to freedom, as they cross deserts, mountains, & several nations.
The cast is a clever mix of seasoned pros & relative newcomers. Ed Harris, in the role of the sole American, lends his usual gravitas. Colin Farrell borrows from his In Bruges character, but the addition of bad jailhouse tattoos is wildly amusing, & his Russian is quite passable. It's always nice to see Mister Farrell doing serious work, rather than bland fluff like Miami Vice or SWAT. Mark Strong's brief, but plot-essential appearance is joyous.
Jim Sturgess gets a chance to redeem himself from the disastrous flop 21, & does a fine job here, as the central character. & the adolescent Saoirse Ronan belies her extensive & impressive resume with an understated performance that sparkles against the men's terse asperity.
Breathtaking vistas that serve as the backdrop to the cast's efforts lend The Way Back an epic feel, echoed by mature editing, & mavellously restrained use of music.
This is, quite possibly, the most serious film Peter Weir has ever directed, & the result is both thought-provoking & inspiring. We can only hope that it gets a proper release, & is allowed an opportunity to reach its grown-up audience.
Hancock (2008)
A breath of fresh air!
Though the cinematography leaves something to be desired, Hancock is an amazingly original film, the likes of which comes out of Hollywood MAYBE once a decade. It takes a bold, fresh approach to the hackneyed & trite superhero genre and challenges its audience with some truly original and unconventional ideas and plot twists. Its characters are fully fleshed out and not the same old one~dimensional cartoons seen everywhere else; its concepts are unique and interesting; and even its special effects feel more real. The allegory of its story line is applicable to real life, and the relationships it shows are motivated by the same values as real relationships ~ not a single note rings false! Hancock deserves to rule the box office for weeks on end ~ and will, no doubt, do so for the more intelligent audiences of the nation.
Man in the Chair (2007)
Wait for the DVD
Despite a compelling theme, some truly sparkling dialogue, and terrific performances by misters Plummer, Wagner, and Walsh, this film comes across rather uneven. The direction is heavy-handed, at times bordering on trite, the production design doesn't contribute much, and the photography is pretentious and annoying -- more appropriate to a music video, than a heartfelt drama. An older, more experienced DP could've made this infinitely more watchable! The script has a lot of potential, but could have, definitely, used another re-write (or two) and a bit of patching of some truly gaping holes, before going into production. The editing is, likewise, uninspired -- most of the shots linger a couple of beats too long, making the overall pace just tedious enough to lose tension.
You Kill Me (2007)
Love Kills
Stylistically uneven, and a bit rough around the edges, this film still gets points for proposing a rather unusual, and interesting, moral dilemma, sensitively tackling some tough emotional subjects, and marvellous, if somewhat one-dimensional, performances from the entire cast. Particularly notable is Bill Pullman, as a morally corrupt sleazy drunkard realtor. There is some truly great dialogue, though the humour is a bit flat and heavy-handed throughout. It is during the dramatic parts that the film redeems itself, and feels genuine and authentic. The second and third acts are tighter than the first - or, perhaps, one just gets used to the quirkiness of it by then.
Miss Leoni's hair looks especially terrific, and some of the San Francisco shots are quite beautiful.