At Your Service: Review of Kingsman

Kingsman: The Golden Circle

Director: Matthew Vaughn

By Alex Watson

Kingsman: The Golden Circle is a certainly a movie that provides fun, its just a shame similar focus wasn't given to its story. While Matthew Vaughn's swift style gives the movie a coat of gloss, underneath it feels like an incomplete portrait. Saddled with numerous plot holes and a pretty laughable villain, this second instalment tries too much into one movie. Although it recaptures some of the spirit of its predecessor, Vaughn pushes things a step too far.

Eggsy (Taron Egerton) is now a fully fledged member of the Kingsman. However, one day his entire organisation is literally blown to pieces by drug baroness Poppy Fields (Julianne Moore) leaving only Eggsy and mentor Merlin (Mark Strong) as survivors. Desperate to stay alive they make contact with US affiliate Statesman led by Champagne (Jeff Bridges).

The first Kingsman movie was a retread of a diamond in the rough coming good. Kingsman: The Golden Circle on paper seems like as fun of an experience, but no amount of finesse can disguise the flaws. The main problem seems to come down to the direction of the story. Having this picture as a straight up fight between Golden Circle and Kingsman would have made a more concise effort. Things start heroically with a thrilling duel inside a taxi speeding through London. Sadly Vaughn seems to lose his picture in numerous and unnecessary subplots. The first concerning Eggsy's unconvincing romance with his hookup from the last movie, Princess Tilde (Hanna Alstrom) which just gives the story deadweight. Then there's the return of Harry Hart (Colin Firth)- now an amnesiac who believes he's his former before Kingsmen self. The explanation for his magical reappearance while test even the biggest Kingsmen fan.  His road to recovery should have been one of the main devices, instead, he's left simmer on the back burner.

Including sister agency Statesman (known for their whiskey) adds little to the movie's story. Head honcho Champagne (or Champ to everyone else) is a good ole southern boy but is only wheeled out for group meet and greets. Likewise, Channing Tatum's Tequila who gets precisely zero to do other than a couple of brief scenes. Ginger Ale (Halle Berry) is the US equivalent of Merlin so spends most of her time looking at computer screens. There are some fine scenes with the underrated Pedro Pascal as Whiskey- a lasso carrying agent whose moral compass seems unclear. Vaughn's command of the action sequence is a hit and miss affair. While he does a manage a joyous finale shootout, there is also an overblown and frankly ludicrous scene set on a cable car. This instalment doesn't seem to know where to set the limits, though you can tell Vaughn is having a blast directing this.

The real weak link in Kingsman: The Golden Circle comes from its poor villain. Poppy is a forever peppy international drug dealer who spends the majority of her time behind a counter at her diner styled hideout. Given little presence onscreen other than looking like a drug-dealing version of Martha Stewart, Vaughn invests little in the villain stakes. Elton John in a hilarious extended has far more impact and is given an impressive array of fancy costumes. Plus the idea of Poppy having a pair of murderous robot dogs will make anyone squirm. It's a real mystery how this sequel could have all the ingredients for success but still end up burning the cakes?

Taron Egerton gives things his best shot and as usual, he has the charisma to pull off this character. Asking him to go deeper is where his performance unravels and Egerton struggles to find the romantic side of the character. Colin Firth is completely wasted on his return. So important first time out, in this instalment it feels like a misstep to resurrect this character. The real hero of Golden Circle is Mark Strong's Merlin. Coming off as the real brain of the organization, this time he is given sufficient screen time. In one particularly potent moment, Strong firmly stamps his important on this sequel. A-listers Bridges, Tatum and Moore are all cast in decidedly underwhelming and thankless roles that require little outside of showing up. With all this supporting talent on display, why were they not given meatier roles?

Kingsman: The Golden Circle will go down as one of the more disappointing sequels we will see in 2017. Although I guarantee you will tear up each time you hear 'Country Roads' by John Denver afterwards.

This Mother To You: Review of mother!

mother!

Director: Darren Aronofsky

By Alex Watson

To say, Darren Aronofsky's new feature film mother! has had a polarised reaction is an understatement. Branded 'The Worst Film of the Century' by some movies goers, this is an outing that definitely doesn't cater to all tastes. Aronofsky has never been one to go easy on his audience (who here can easily sit through Noah again?) and his usual narrative trickery once more cause our brains to wander in several different directions. I can safely say this definitely is NOT the worst movie of 2017! Although it will probably prove to be the most frustrating to review.

A young woman, Mother (Jennifer Lawrence) lives in a peaceful and tranquil countryside home with her poet husband Him (Javier Bardem). Keen to finish renovating the house they share, Mother's hope of starting a family are being interfered with by Him's chronic writer's block. Their ideal surroundings are soon threatened by the arrival of a mysterious guest (Ed Harris). After being allowed to stay for the night, his wife (Michelle Pfeiffer) arrives which further concerns Mother. Soon a chain of bizarre events will change the couple forever.

So what precisely is mother! all about? That question I cannot possibly describe in word form, so I will sum it up as best as I can. A story heavy on biblical undertones (Jennifer Lawrence has pretty confirmed the themes here- DO NOT READ UNTIL AFTER VIEWING), Aronofsky shows a paradise which is slowly invaded by serpents. Be prepared to come of this picture with a number of different questions which don't all get the needed answers. Starting with an eerie quiet, you sense this is an existence that is too good to last. For once, Aronofsky opted against a musical score and this choice only makes the silence more disturbing. From the moment that their male guest charms his way into the home, you can feel the first domino hit the ground.

From this point, things slowly spiral into every woman's worst nightmare. Coming off as a bizarre mash-up of Michael Haneke's 'Funny Games' and Polanski's 'Rosemary's Baby', things gradually become more and more hilariously absurd. Him's overly enthusiastic hospitality to their rude and inconsiderate guests is nothing short of maddening to our Mother. With a look of barely concealed frustration, anger, and shock, she simply wants these people out of her home. Aronofsky shows her as a woman trapped in her own personal hell, she is never allowed to leave her home and even when surrounded by beauty all she can feel is isolation. The strain on their relationship is apparent and the couple's arrival does little to bridge that gap. Him comes off as the typically clueless man with saying that are rubbing our heroine the wrong way. The guest's wife plays the role of antagonist ranging from her continual backhanded compliments to outright hostility.

Aronofsky leaves us little red herrings to the eventual fate of mother! which range from bizarre to curious. What is that yellow potion Lawrence keeps drinking? What's with the bleeding floorboards? Just why are their guests so fascinated with the piece of Crystal that Him keeps in his study? However, despite Aronofsky excellently building the suspense and intrigue and some wonderful grainy photography by Matthew Libatique, the movie's third act will divide many many fans. As Him finally achieves his desired fame, the movie descends into complete chaos. Bloody, brutal and horribly mind-jarring, this section almost borders on bad taste as we see just how savage humanity can be. Expect huge crowds, bloodstained floors, cannibalism, random soldiers appearing and a violent crescendo to appear all when you least expect. Then again, any fans of Darren Aronofsky will know he is all about pushing cinematic buttons and ever since the graphic posters were released, you knew this piece was never intended to be easy on the eyes.

Jennifer Lawrence proves that she is an actress who can make a role work, no matter how vague the material might be. Through her wide-eyed horror, she brilliantly conveys a woman drowning in loneliness and despair. Frequently reduced by her husband to play the role of party pooper, Lawrence's growing exasperation is wonderfully performed. She also excels during the movie's difficult finale and she manages to keep her when all around is her collapsing. Javier Bardem is as close as the movie has to a villain, but wisely he is never made out to be one intentionally. As the fame-obsessed writer, throughout he plays closer attention the strangers in his home than to his own wife's needs. Bardem plays his character which such charm that we want to forgive his misdeeds, only he keeps making harder for both us and Mother. Michelle Pfeiffer also gives us a reminder of what great presence she still has and her boozy and confrontational wife frequently lights the fire of hatred within the home.

mother! is an experience that definitely is not for everyone, those who are squeamish or easily startled might want to steer clear. A Darren Aronofsky film is never the same experience as the one before it, who knows what he has in store next time?

Sign O' The Times: Review of Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

TIFF EXCLUSIVE

Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

Director: Martin McDonagh

By Alex Watson

Walking home with the Viewer's Choice prize at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival, Martin McDonagh's Three Billboards outside Ebbing Missouri was a worthy winner. Blending some wicked dark humour with such raw emotion makes this an unforgettable experience. A stand-out cast lead by the amazing Frances McDormand brings this tale of small-town vengeance brilliantly to life.

Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) is a grieving mother whose daughter was previously raped and murdered. Angered at having no arrests made over seven months since the murder, Mildred resorts to a drastic action. She arranges to have three billboards advertising her disgust at the police's lack of effort towards finding the killer. Doing this immediately increases tension in the town, particularly for Chief Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) and dim-witted officer George Dixon (Sam Rockwell).

Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri is an experience so unique that it's difficult to describe. Anyone who has watched McDonagh's first two features 'In Bruges' and 'Seven Psychopaths' will be aware just how skillfully he blends sheer belly laughs with heartbreaking realism. Mildred Hayes is what drives the movies rage, a mother simply out for vengeance in a cruel world. The whole case and the apathy surrounding it has driven her to her last nerve. There was no DNA and no witnesses so the case when cold pretty fast. McDonagh's script is excellently written and those expecting a straightforward affair are in for a surprise. The identity of Angela's killer is the furthest thing on the mind of this film. Channelling her anger into standing up for herself amidst town rage, Mildred is just hoping to keep her daughter's fate in the public eye.

It has to be said, McDonagh is a master when it comes to expressing character flaws. Mildred is our heroine but she never once attempts to play herself as likeable. A cussin', punch throwing and permanently furious woman, messing with her is ill-advised. Then there's the added problem of her abusive ex-hubby Charlie (John Harkes) whose new 20-year-old mistress is a never-ending source of amusement. Willoughby while an honest down to earth man is also nursing an inner torment that will soon become a life and story changing turn. There is a sense of injustice to her targeting this man personally as he cannot physically make her killer appear. However, there is a wonderfully blunt scene in which he confesses his big secret, only to be hilariously shrugged off. Dixon is the movie's ticking time bomb, an incompetent and homophobic officer, the writing is on the wall from the moment we meet him. Constantly harassing local ad-man Red (Caleb Landry Jones), you can sense that soon enough he will do something dumb. Continually browbeaten by his domineering mother, McDonagh superbly switches character arcs midway and turns this dumb cop into an unlikely hero.

Continually throughout Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri we find ourselves questioning what we see. Are the actions Mildred takes really the right ones? Should she just let this one go and leave town? Is George really the big jerk that we imagine? What about the cold and sinister stranger who pays a visit to Mildred's shop? This movie is one where we are never sure whether to laugh or cry, McDonagh invests such a poignant feel in this picture but it also hits upon some bitter truths. Life isn't fair and each character feels they've been hard done by in life. All the petty squabbles to get even only increase the tension and hilarity. What would have happened if Mildred hadn't said her fateful last words to her daughter? Every time we think we know a character, McDonagh smartly blows out the water again. In this town, no one is free from sin but no-one is below settling scores either.

Frances McDormand emerges as the front-runner for the best actress Oscar. After this kind of performance, few others will be able to deny her. A whirlwind of suppressed rage, only McDormand can play angry this brilliantly. Her tongue is so acid it would probably make a Xenomorph from Alien retreat- during one brilliantly acted scene she savagely cuts her local priest down to size. McDormand shows just why she is one of Hollywood's elite talents and this kind of role is her bread and butter. Woody Harrelson equally deserves credit for his quiet brilliance as the frustrated Willoughby. Few actors can stare someone down quite like this man, but it's how he masks his characters inner fears that marks him out. Sam Rockwell is a revelation as the drunken and impulsive George Dixon. A man who truly hates how his life has turned out, Rockwell somehow finds charm among the hostile and casual hate this character spews. His transformation in the movie's final act is nothing short of remarkable.

Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri is one of those films that makes you fall in love with cinema again. Martin McDonagh is a director who never fails to make us sit up and pay attention. It may have beaten I, Tonya and Call Me by Your Name to the big prize but no other film deserved this honor quite as much. 

Insane Clown Posse: Review of It

IT

Director: Andy Muschetti

By Alex Watson

Stephen King has a tendency to disown adaptations of his novels, but there is little doubt that Andy Muschetti's It is one of the stronger ones. Fans are still divided over the hammy miniseries made in 1990 which despite some fine Tim Curry scenery chewing was disappointing. Fear not Pennywise fans, this 2017 version wonderfully captures the dark mystique of a town which is scared stiff. Bill Skarsgard breathes new life in scary clowns and Pennywise is free to haunt us once more. 

In 1989, the town of Derry, Maine has a had a number of children reported missing. A group of seven children including stuttering Bill (Jaeden Lieberher) are haunted by a shape-shifting clown named Pennywise (Bill Skarsgard). All the children are suffering at both the hands of bullies and other curves life has thrown at them. Together they resolve to stop this psychotic menace for good. 

Muschetti seems determined to give It the full big screen treatment and unlike the novel, he has moved the grown up section of the story to its own film. Having a clear focus helps this picture tremendously and heightens the scares these young children face. Beginning with the tragic kidnap of Bill's brother Georgie- Pennywise is a horrifying sight from the very first glace. His whispering voice and mangled Victorian costume would make even the bravest person squirm. Muschetti frequently keeps our nerves jangling and he brings forward the paranoia and terror that fills Derry whenever a new missing child poster goes up. Portrayed as a summer when innocence ends, 

Thankfully we are given sufficient time to get to know our young heroes and the what afflicts them in daily life. Eddie (Jack Dylan Grazer) is browbeaten by his hypochondriac mother, Stan (Wyatt Oleff) is bullied for his Jewish heritage and Beverly (Sophia Lillis) is sexually abused by her father. An added problem rears its head in the shape of sociopathic bully Henry Bowers (Nicholas Hamilton) whose gang rules high school life with an iron fist. These elements are just as haunting as the clown himself and sometimes the scariest onscreen moments comes from moments closer to home. Rather than rushing through, Muschetti invites his audience to get close to these characters. However, Pennywise can sense their fear and their problems make them all the more vulnerable. 

The one vice that hinders It is Muschetti's over-reliance on jump scares. The murky dread that pollutes this picture is uneasy by itself, but despite this Muschetti seems to want to keep the scares coming. When they come, these moments are very well executed. One particularly heart-stopping scare sees Pennywise burst out of a projector screen. Although this is effective in small doses before long this same trick becomes tiring. Despite a couple of slightly dated tricks, this reboot is a fine example of what a Stephen King novel can bring to the screen. A sequel is currently in the development now, the adult actors will have a lot to match up to against these young starlets. 

Bill Skarsgard makes for a terrifying Pennywise and is brilliantly scene stealing throughout. Tim Curry might still win fans hearts, but Skarsgard makes full use of this character. Only used when absolutely needed, Skarsgard always finds new ways to make us twitch in our seats. Credit to the excellent young cast lead by Jaeden Lieberher and Sophia Lillis. Lieberher, in particular, is excellent as the stuttering and emotionally scarred Bill. Affected by the death of his brother, his desire to avenge it makes him the de facto leader of the group. 

In a summer of underwhelming blockbusters, It easily marks itself out from the rest. Be prepared to hear Pennywise's laughter the moment you close your eyes at night.

Rise Again: Review of Stronger

TIFF EXCLUSIVE

Stronger

Director: David Gordon Green

By Alex Watson

While Peter Berg's Patriots Day might have oversold the notion of 'Boston Strong', David Gordon Green's Stronger is a heartfelt picture about one man's struggle. Telling the story of real life Boston Marathon bombing victim Jeff Bauman, Green shows us the pain and psychological torture a person can go through when trying to get their back on track. Jake Gyllenhaal and Tatiana Maslany make for a fine on-screen pairing and the movie's backbone is built around these two performances.

Jeff Bauman (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a good hearted but unreliable young man involved in an on-off relationship with girlfriend Erin (Tatiana Maslany). One day when he fulfills his vow to show up at the finish line of the Boston Marathon- Jeff's world is torn apart. After having both legs amputated and becoming the focal point of media attention- Jeff faces an uphill struggle not helped by his alcoholic mother Patty's (Miranda Richardson) meddling.

The marathon itself and the manhunt that followed is given minimal attention in Stronger. When the bomb detonates we only see the horror's much later in the picture (and boy are they memorable). Green makes it clear that this is Jeff and Erin's story when we first meet the couple they are very much in an 'off' period of the relationship. Continually criticized by her for never showing up, the one day that he makes good- tragedy strikes. This moment is a recurring source of tension that threats to divide the pair. Afterwards, Jeff is thrust into a hellish world of pain, rehabilitation and squabbles between those he loves best. Patty is a never ending issue in his personal life, continually drunk, loud and bickering with Erin- her desire to show her brave son off to the world is a thorn in Jeff's side.

One aspect that Green portrays very well is the difficult burden Jeff carries being a survivor. Seen by many as a hero and a figure of hope, internally he is barely keeping his head above water. In one scene he is wheeled onto the TD Garden ice to wave a flag at a Boston Bruins playoff game. What begins as a celebration of Boston Strong quickly becomes a nightmarish scenario. Forced to keep up appearances, only Erin can see he is suffering. Green refuses to gloss over any minor details of Jeff's recovery and the audience will feel his pain along with him. Watching his leg bandages being removed for the first time guarantees squirms. There are also other struggles which increase our sympathy such as his tricky (and painful) first attempt at using the toilet. Feeling like he has lost his identity as a man, all these challenges and setbacks push him further into depression.

Stronger is not just a story about Jeff's recovery because Erin's own difficulties are also well covered. Forced to give up her life for a man who has let her down so many times causes a big rift in the relationship. Erin is a source of encouragement and support throughout, but due to Jeff's drinking and Patty's interference, she is often forced to butt heads with the man she loves. What is smart about this picture is that Jeff isn't made out to be a completely likable character. Sure, life has dealt him a cruel hand but he is also very stubborn when it comes to his recovery. When things come to a head, the issue of him still not being able to show up is bitterly thrown back in Erin's face "I SHOWED UP FOR YOU!" he yells with gusto. For a couple whose love is absolute, proving it seems to be the hardest part.

Jake Gyllenhaal gives a performance that should rightfully see him nominated come awards season. Few actors could have portrayed this kind of struggle with the right humanity and spirit. Gyllenhaal's performance is refreshingly down to earth and he doesn't seek to glorify Bauman's struggle. Instead, he makes us feel every moment and every inch of discomfort he encounters along the way and his refusal to acknowledge his hero status. Tatiana Maslany is also magnificent as Erin, fans of Canadian TV show Orphan Black will know already the presence she brings to a role. In Green's movie, Maslany is the voice of support but frequently it falls on deaf ears. In her quieter moments, we can feel the heavy load this character bears. Rightfully Maslany deserves as much credit as Gyllenhaal for the film's success.

Stronger is a movie that is uninterested in covering familiar ground and focusing on the struggle two individuals makes this a warmer and more personal ride.