If I Were a Rich Man: Review of Brad's Status

Brad's Status

Director: Mike White

By Alex Watson

Ever wondered if your life was worth a damn? Mike White's movie Brad's Status is a picture for anyone going through a crisis. We frequently compare our achievements against those who have greater success. We always want more and curse ourselves for not trying hard enough. White throughout makes us wonder where doing this actually gets us anywhere?

Brad Sloan (Ben Stiller) is a 40-something man who runs a non-profit organization. Even though he has a happy life with life Melanie (Jenna Fischer), he feels like a failure compared to rich buddies Craig Fisher (Michael Sheen), Billy Wearsitter (Jermaine Clement) and Jason Hatfield (Luke Wilson). A trip to Boston for his son Troy's (Austin Abrams) college interviews sparks a voyage of self-realisation.

From the opening of Brad's Status, it becomes clear that the man is at crisis point. His one employee has quit on him because he wanted to make money rather than beg people for it. Very much a man of first world problems, Brad's jealousy as he looks through his friend's social media updates is poorly masked. He questions everything in his life, even wondering if his supportive wife should have pushed him harder? The question of selling out is a big point in White's movie- his friends have all become rich through various ventures while Brad who is trying to help people feels like he is going backwards. When trying to go through a VIP line at the airport he is turned away because he 'only has silver membership'.

Constantly Brad mulls over how things could have been. His jaded view doesn't always make him a pleasant on-screen character. In one moment, he urges a young college student to sell out on her 'for the people' views because it is how people make money. Within seconds he is fighting for control and digging himself a deeper hole. Refreshingly the girl he talks to calls him out on his self-pity and entitlement. White's direction stunts the film's growth in places and he feels the need to map out precisely what Brad feels constantly. Its apparent to the audience due to the frequent voice-over where he bemoans "This is not the life I imagined!" His obliviousness to his superficial friends is at times hilarious because Brad has a life many single men would long for.

Brad's Status is a movie that is well aware of itself and White refuses to let him picture wallow in sadness. We all know there will be a lightbulb moment which helps Brad clue into his worth. His relationship with his son feels slightly underexplored even though his happiness and future are central to Brad. In one scene he panics to his son over his underdog status getting into Harvard and worries about him being a white kid without a sob story. There is also a good intelligence to the story and thankfully it never once urges us to feel any pity for our hero. White might not be the skilled director he wants to be yet, but his writing is always sharp and inviting.

Ben Stiller is on familiar ground in this piece, because of this is able to carve a very natural performance. His Brad is a man wrestling with himself and Stiller is able to make him believable without seeming self-loathing. Michael Sheen is what amounts to a brief cameo is wonderfully arrogant as his frenemy Craig. That one friend who constantly pats himself on the back while oblivious to the needs of other is all too familiar. Sheen does a great job of channelling a man clueless to his own unlikeability. Credit to Austin Abrams too, in an underused role as Brad's son, he has some fine underplayed moments alongside Stiller.

Brad's Status is not the indie darling it so desperately wants to be, but it will help anyone struggling to see the upside of life.

About A Girl: Review of Una

Una

Director: Benedict Andrews

By Alex Watson

There is an undeniably stagey feel to Benedict Andrew's film Una. An adaptation of David Harrower's play 'Blackbird', this movie is a powerful look at how the past can still hurt us. Rooney Mara and Ben Mendelsohn make for a fine central pairing and their back and forth verbal duals make this picture electric to watch. Unfortunately, the movie struggles to fill the gaps where they are urgently needed.

Una (Rooney Mara) finds a picture of her ex-lover Ray in a newspaper. Having not seen him in 15 years, on impulse she travels to his workplace. Ray is less than thrilled to see her and her presence brings us a past that he wants to leave behind. Una however, refuses to be ignored and is intent on discovering why he abandoned her all those years before.

Anyone who sees Una will be shocked to discover early on that this picture deals with a forbidden romance between Ray and a 13-year-old Una. Ray sexually abused her at a young age and the pair were planning to run away together. But one night her supposed lover disappeared leaving Una to pick the pieces. Showing no fear or reluctance about her past- Una confronts him head-on about things. Although Ray openly admits there was a romance, he refuses to admit he abused her. Throughout the pair shows a different acceptance of the past, Ray went to prison but has moved on. He now has a wife and a secure management job. Una on the other hand, refuses to let things lie and demands to know why the man she thought loved her just disappeared? Set mostly within the confines of a warehouse, the pair is literally boxed in and there are no places to run to.

When Una and Ray are on screen, the movie pops with bright colour. At first, Una is very dominant and her aloof and frank approach to calling her abuser is almost seductive. Ray is a man who in brief flurries we feel a pang of sympathy for, especially when he describes his prison experience. Though we must be careful not to become too attach and as past flashback reminds us, it was him who groomed Una. Although he has done his time and wants nothing more than to settle down with his new wife, his former lady feels an injustice as she was still made to suffer afterwards.  Andrew's makes neither character likeable, then again they are not supposed to be. The way Andrews moves between two timelines showing us adult and young Una (an excellent Ruby Stokes) is haunting. Teenage Una is a girl with a sly confidence above her years, which Ray quickly feeds off. We are never shown any of the illicit acts taking place, but the implications are far scarier.

Outside of their rollercoaster of emotions, Una struggles to find a sure footing. Very few supporting characters are given any kind of screen time. Ray's co-worker Paul (a disappointingly underused Riz Ahmed) is one of the few who gets any kind of attention. Unfortunately, the movie cannot shake it stagey feel and as the pair hops from one part of the warehouse to another, there is a little room for the story to move. Also, its lack of a satisfying conclusion is one aspect that will frustrate viewers. Andrews excellently builds up the emotional and sexual tension to a stifling level. Problem is the movie has no way to really release it so we are left with a third act that has a deflated feel. There is one moment which will stick in the memory, we see Una curled up on a child's bed as she remembers being with Ray on a Ferris wheel. At first, the scene starts out as touching and affectionate, but by the end, it borders on seductive and uncomfortable.

Rooney Mara is absolutely excellent as the title character. Making full use her character's longing and pent-up anger, she gives a performance of complex emotions. Still loving and hating this man, Una is a woman who is still stuck in a time warp and unable to move on. Mara is one of Hollywood's most capable talents and she is on fiery form her. Ben Mendelsohn matches his co-star blow for blow and the most impressive aspect of this performance is how measured it is. Ray is undoubtedly a monster and paedophile but is trying to bury his past and become something new. We are given timely reminds of what crime he committed, but Mendelsohn gives an everyman charm. One of the most underrated actors on the planet, hopefully, this year he gets noticed at award season.

Una is a movie is worth seeing for the performances alone. It might not suit all tastes, but its quality of acting cannot be denied.

Jailhouse Rock: Review of Brawl in Cell Block 99

Brawl in Cell Block 99

Director: S. Craig Zahler

By Alex Watson


Vince Vaughn is an actor that many people still disregard. S.Craig Zahler's Brawl in Cell Block 99 might just cast a whole new perspective on this man. Turning a career-best performance, Vaughn shows a newer and tougher side to his persona. Currently going through a career renaissance, the 47-year-old shows he might be casting off the shackles of his comedic past.

Bradley Thomas (Vince Vaughn) is a former tow truck driver turned successful drug runner. When he is arrested in a botched police bust, Thomas refuses to talk and is given seven years in jail. While in a medium-security prison, Thomas is informed by a creepy middleman (Udo Kier) that his former boss has captured his pregnant wife Lauren (Jennifer Carpenter). To erase the debt caused by his imprisonment, he must get transferred to maximum security and kill a man in Cellblock 99.

A quietly ferocious presence throughout, Bradley Thomas from the opening frame shows he is not a man to be messed with. Fired from his job as a tow truck driver- Thomas wordlessly drives home and finds his wife about to leave him. Rather than screaming and shouting, he instead goes to town ripping apart her car. All of his anger and frustration with life are channelled through this bending of metal. Quick to remind people he's called Bradley, not Brad- Thomas is a man who has a 'get her done' attitude which leads to his vast success as a gun runner. Zahler takes his time actually getting Bradley behind bars- remaining loyal to his values is what sees him get in trouble. At first, he gets put in a safer prison and seems content to just do his time and come home to his wife and future child.

The first hour of Brawl in Cell Block 99 trundles along at a steady pace- but when Bradley is given his ultimatum inside the jail, the movie is given a huge shot of adrenaline. At first a placid character, the second half sees our hero becoming a hulking figure of revenge. Informed that his wife has been taken and that his unborn child will be mutilated by an abortionist if doesn't comply, you can almost feel the anger on his lips. Zahler's film becomes a thrill ride from this point and he doesn't hold on back on the gory details. Picking fights with both prisons and guards alike to get closer to this target, Bradley will do whatever it takes. Watching the bones break and the blood spray, audiences will definitely squirm in discomfort.

Getting landed in max proves to be a tricky last step as it lands him in the custody of the slipper Warden Tuggs (a scene-stealing Don Johnson). Tuggs is a man who believes in 'limited freedom' which will become even more limited the more Bradley pisses him off. When he goes past the point of the no-return, our hero never once blinks. His sheer physical presence alone marks him out a real danger. In one scene he cooly beats the seven bells out of a gang of prison yard thugs without breaking a sweat. It becomes clear that he may be fighting a losing battle, but his well-being is the furthest thing from his mind. Zahler takes us the dark region of a desperate man, but it is presented with a gritty cool that makes all the more fascinating.

After impressive turns in Hacksaw Ridge and True Detective, Vaughn has now become a fascinating talent. Effortlessly keep this picture together, Vaughn shows no strain at the physical side of this role. His Bradley Thomas is a one-man machine and although he is going through every person's worst nightmare, he keeps his composure. This picture shows a whole new ability of the man known for his easy money slacker films. You might be expecting Owen Wilson or Ben Stiller to appear at first, but once Vaughn gets going it is impossible to take our eyes off him.

Brawl in Cell Block 99 might not be easy viewing, but it is a tight and tense thriller that showcases the talents of Vaughn and Zahler.

The Happiest Place on Earth: Review of The Florida Project

The Florida Project

Director: Sean Baker

By Alex Watson

A heartbreaking and raw look at the playfulness and naivety of youth, Sean Baker's The Florida Project is bound to break hearts. Previously gathering huge acclaim for his iPhone shot movie Tangerine, Baker emerges as a real indie talent. Set in Orlando, Florida in the shadow of Disneyland, this is one place where dreams and lives go to rot. Willem Dafoe and six-year-old actress Brooklynn Kimberley Prince give performances that will no doubt be given consideration come awards season.

In the run-down Magic Castle Motel, six-year-old Mooney (Brooklynn Kimberly Prince) is a talkative and troublemaking girl who lives with her heavily tattoed and foul-mouthed mother Hailey (Bria Vinaite). Alongside her friends Scootey (Christopher Rivera) and later Jancey (Valeria Cotto), they spend their days getting up to all kinds of mischief. Motel manager Bobby (William Dafoe) is continually concerned about the pair, particularly when it becomes clear Hailey might be up to suspicious activity.

From the very first frame of The Florida Project, there is a grimy yet carefree approach. When we meet Mooney and Scootey, they are cheerfully spitting off the side of a rail onto another person's car below. When caught in the act, they gleefully spirit away. When confronted about her daughter's behaviour, Hailey can only reply with a barely contained smirk. Mooney is a girl full of energy but she is also a bundle of trouble. Living in a roadside motel that looks like a welfare version of the Grand Budapest Hotel, there are numerous abandoned buildings to cause havoc and food places where they scrounge money off locals. Despite her surroundings and obvious poverty, the little girl finds joy and wonder all around. Hailey, on the other hand, is a ticking time bomb. Having a fast mouth and no filter, her aggressive style frequently gets them into trouble. Fired as from her last job, she now seeks to come up with rent money every month. Desperate she hustles and pleads tourists at nicer hotels to buy her knockoff perfume and indulges in some other more... illicit methods.

The side story of Bobby is one that gives the movie a more nurturing side. A man with a calm and rational approach to life, Bobby has a hard time keeping up appearances at this decaying motel. One of the few people to show Hailey any ounce of kindness, Bobby is the father figure Mooney desperately needs. He also a protector of the weak, in one scene he at first kindly then furiously sees off an old paedophile who approaches some kids.  The struggles of the lower class is the most obvious theme of Baker's movie. Hailey is a woman barely getting by and there are no jobs on offer. Even people like the jaded cab driver who drives a bickering couple to the motel is struggling to get paid. Mooney however, thrives in her environment but her lack of discipline soon causes issues. Hailey throughout makes no attempt to correct or punish her daughter and this causes a huge strain with her only friend Ashley (Mela Murder).

Inevitably The Florida Project descends into a heartbreak and tragedy in its final act. All the way you sense that something terrible is building, but we know we are powerless to stop it. Baker includes some moments of pure joy and beauty, one particular scene we see Hailey and Mooney happily messing around during a rainstorm. In this one moment you feel the bond between mother and daughter and it stings us to the core. As a person, her mother is more of a handful than her daughter. But you know her love for Mooney is absolute and she strives to keep a roof over their head no matter what. Bobby is also a man with his own issues as he is regularly forced to evict troublemakers and has a strained relationship with his own son (Caleb Landry Jones). Baker stretches our emotions to the maximum- although the final scene of the movie will draw a more divisive response.

Willem Dafoe gives one of the finest performances of his career as Bobby. One of the movie's more caring figures, Dafoe injects a great deal of warmth into this picture. Young Brooklynn Kimberly Prince is the standout performer as Mooney. A real force of nature on screen, this kid is both extremely sassy but also so adorable and sweet. Prince projects the movies childlike innocence and seeing the world through Mooney's eye is both fascinating and devastating at the same point. Bria Vinaite is also magnificently as the grenade gobbed Hailey. Discovered by Baker on social media, this actress is like a hurricane of destruction throughout. Her performance is one that is wonderfully natural and feels almost like she is a subject of a documentary than a feature film star.

The Florida Project is one of those indie efforts that really knocks you off your feet. Sean Baker is a real talent to watch and we wait for his next movie in anticipation.

Back to the Future: Review of Blade Runner 2049

Blade Runner 2049

Director: Denis Villeneuve

By Alex Watson

After 30 plus years of questions, doubts, delays, and fears, finally, Blade Runner 2049 comes to our screens. Many doubted its credibility and others simply wanted to believe it was a bad idea. In the hands of Denis Villeneuve, we have been given one of the greatest sequels of all time. Still engrossed in the grimy and neon-soaked world that Ridley Scott delivered- this is a picture that has both heart and brains.

In 2049, LAPD officer KD6-3.7 (Ryan Gosling) is assigned with hunting down the obsolete Nexus 8 replicants. However, while investigating on a protein farms, K finds an old box which contains a big secret. The contents of this box could spark a war between human's and replicants and his boss Lt.Joshi (Robin Wright) is keen for it to disappear. While on the hunt for clues, K's investigation will lead him to old Blade Runner Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford).

Villeneuve has stayed true to his source material and the future he shows us is equally as bleak and haunting as the 1991's directors cut version. Veteran Roger Deakins' provides some lush and colourful cinematography which contrasts beautifully with Dennis Gassner's retro set designs. The old Tyrell corporation has gone broke and now visionary Niander Wallace (Jared Leto) creates all 'skin jobs' walking the streets. K as a character is almost like a blank slate- a dutiful officer who does his job without arguments and has a hologram for a girlfriend (Ana De Armas). Subject to hate and scorn by his fellow officers and neighbours for his 'Blade Runner' status, K is just a man doing a job. Watching him undergo a weird 'Voight- Kampff' type test will make your head spin as you hear 'integrated' so many times. His investigation begins with something so innocuous. While investigation old Nexus 8 farmer Sappar Morton (Dave Bautista)  he happens upon an old box containing bones. The secret behind them is truly mind-blowing and any preconceived notions of replicants are blown out of the water.

Anyone in a hurry to get results needs to be patient because this is one investigation that rolls along at a steady pace. Blade Runner 2049 is a movie intent on revealing the puzzle one piece at a time. We understand early on something earth-shattering is coming our way. Wallace, in particular, has his eye's on the big prize and sends his faithful assistant/assassin Luv (an impressive Sylvia Hoeks) out to stake his claim. Visually this is a stunning ride and we see such sights such as a scorched Las Vegas ruin (Deakins photography shines brightly against the neon orange glow) and a derelict orphanage in a junkyard that used to be San Diego which looks like a cross between Oliver meets Dune. Taking us beyond the rainy and snow-swept streets of urban LA, Villeneuve shows us the true decay of planet earth and how those left behind are playing the price.

Smartly the appearance of Deckard is left until almost the final act- giving us time to understand K's mission and his motives for giving chase. Very much a secondary character but still so vital to everything, Deckard still hasn't lost any of the old charms. Possibly the most beautiful looking movie of 2017, it's actually astounding just how much Denis Villeneuve has achieved with this sequel. Subtle nods to the old one are there in droves, but their presentation of life in 2049 makes for a much grittier and bleaker atmosphere. Humanity is on its last legs and is now reduced to using protein farms to avoid famine and death. In this universe, Replicants might just be the way of the future. Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch's score is one that captures the mood and emotions that go with this sequel- while also saluting the legendary Vangelis score that came before it. Few sequels will achieve this level of brilliance in the next few years.

Ryan Gosling is perfectly cast as new Blade Runner K. His air of cool gives his character a much-needed edge. On the surface, he is a barely drawn character, but underneath he is far more complex. Driven to solve this mystery, K fears just what he may find and that he might just be an important cog in the machine. Harrison Ford also boasts his strongest performance in many years. Rather than just showing up, Ford digs deep and shows us a hollowed out wreck of a man who is conflicted about past actions. Ford's screen time is simply electric and but he also stays true to the principles of this character and 30 plus years on- Deckard is still a great character.

Blade Runner 2049 is simply magnificent- Denis Villeneuve has taken this sequel to heights never thought possible. As Gaff said in the original 'They've done a man's job sir!"

All American: Review of American Made

American Made

Director: Doug Liman

By Alex Watson

The second collaboration between Tom Cruise and Doug Liman proves the former Top Gun is still terrific flying a plane. American Made and its subject Barry Seal is the perfect fit for its big star. Throughout we see a man who is always going after the ultimate adrenaline fix. The bigger the danger, the more he thrives on the risk involved. Although it doesn't dig particularly deep, knowing this story is real makes it all the more mindblowing.

Barry Seal (Tom Cruise) is a bored TWA pilot who has a side business smuggling Cuban cigars. Noticing his success, shady CIA agent Schafer (Domnhall Gleason) offers him the chance to 'serve his country'. At first taking reconnaissance photos of Soviet enemies in South America, Seal soon gets an offer from the Medellin cartel to smuggle drugs. Making money and living fast, Seal will begin flying too close to the sun.

American Made feels much like its real-life subject- fast and furious. Constantly running on adrenaline and forever looking to push the envelope, Barry Seal was no ordinary man. Although he has a solid career and a loving wife (Sarah Wright), being ordinary makes him feel restless. Liman fully exploits the wild factor in this movie, both in the air and on the ground. Seal seemingly has no limit to the dangers he will risk. Watching him fly kamikaze style through the trees to make his tiny plane filled with cocaine take off shows his determination. Always on the lookout to up the ante, Barry gets himself into some pretty hairraising situations. Seeing him land in the middle of a suburban street covered in the devil's powder is possibly the most out there moment. When he first meets cartel members Jorge Ochoa (Alejandro Edda) and Pablo Escobar (Mauicio Mejia), there is a wonderful air of subtle menace which carries throughout Liman's film.

The success that Barry attains smuggling is shown as a both blessing and curse. At first, he reveals in the hard living and the cash that flows freely whenever his 'snowbirds' squadron takes the air. With great hilarity we soon learn he is earning so much- he has trouble storing it away. Coming off as an airborne version of Scorcese's 'Casino' soon Seal finds himself getting into all sorts of trouble. Our hero is never shown as a sympathetic figure and his constant need to get his danger fix causes a great strain on his family life. Despite the potential to show a family in turmoil and the stress having a daredevil husband causes, Liman sadly treats his family as a footnote in this outrageous tale. Frustratingly we never really get to fully know Seal as a man. We know he has the business savvy and a distaste to playing by the rules. Outside of seeing the grainy and wiggly home movie tapes, he makes to explain parts of the story- there is no real insight into his motivations.

While American Made flies under the radar when it comes to character development- the thrills it offers make the film soar. There is a sense of impending doom each time Seal embarks on another business venture. What makes us give him respect is how he manages he dodge so many landmines throughout. His Louisiana charm is infectious on many high ranking government officials, lawmen and even Pablo Escobar. When in a tight spot, Seal shows some great brains and quick thinking to get out of trouble. This larger than life tale couldn't have been told any other way. In places, it might feel overblown and we quickly learn that Seal isn't a reliable narrator. Ignore any misgivings and just enjoy the flight.

Tom Cruise has had a rather barren run of form in 2017. Jack Reacher: Never Go Back and his disastrous The Mummy reboot were both poorly received. American Made shows that Cruise still has plenty of pulling power and with the right director, he can be wonderful onscreen. Its unlikely he will be rewarded with a first Oscar, but this is still a highly skilled turn. Barry Seal and Top Gun's Maverick Mitchell would have gotten along just fine.

American Made is a story that is just mindboggling! Doug Liman has the perfect pilot for this flight and Tom Cruise makes it fly smoothly.