We're No Angels: Review of First Reformed

First Reformed

Director: Paul Schrader

By Alex Watson

Very few men are able to tap into the dark subconscious of a man like Paul Schrader. His most recent effort First Reformed goes the core of a man riddled with doubts. Like Taxi Driver if Travis Bickle donned religious cloth, the very question of our existence and whether humanity is worthy of redemption surround this movie. Anchored by a stand-out turn from Ethan Hawke, this is a movie that deserves academy consideration.

Father Ernst Toller (Ethan Hawke) is a priest at the run-down Dutch First Reformed church which is soon to celebrate its 250th anniversary. Suffering from cancer and riddled with self-doubt, Toller is a solitary figure who is questioning the faith he used to believe in. Parishioner Mary (Amanda Seyfried) asks him to counsel her activist husband Michael (Philip Ettinger). Soon after, Toller begins to descend into a spiral which could make not just himself fall apart.

Filmed against a stark and wintery upstate New York, First Reformed is a movie which demonstrates the decay of society and how its foundation is crumbling. Often in Schrader's movie, we see imagery of rusted buildings and toxic waste dumps. The intent is clear, the world is being ruined by industrialists and if money talks, it will happen. Toller is a man who frequently expresses his doubts in voiceover. Often sat in dimly lit rooms drinking a glass of whiskey, it becomes clear that he has strayed from the path sometime previously. Still haunted by the death of his son which he may have inadvertently caused, Toller is a man who wonders whether God can forgive the human race. His meeting with the radical Michael seems to set off a dangerous spark within him. Michael believes that his pregnant wife shouldn't bring a child into 'such a fucked up world'.

His stand-off against Pastor Jeffers (an excellent Cedric The Entertainer), the leader of the bigger and more influential church Abundant Life is often pulsating. His church is ridiculed as a 'Souvenir Shop' despite being an important historical landmark. His disgust at their celebration being funded by a major pharmaceutical corporation is plain as day and Jeffers simply wants him to keep quiet. As the tension builds, we see Toller sulking the night like a wolf and the narration gives a window into the soul of a man on the verge of something unclear. The pumping electronic score by Lustmond fills the atmosphere with a dark sense of dread. Frequently Schrader drags his audience to the depths of despair and like our protagonist we are filled with anguish.

Toller is a man taking a one-person stand against society. Frequently he pushes away any sense of comfort- his vicious verbal attack on the kind Esther (Victoria Hill) who has feelings for him is particularly savage. Mary seems to embody the purity of humanity that he feels has been lost to the world. As First Reformed develops, so does the pair's chemistry. While Schrader excellently builds the suspense to stifling levels, the ending is more abrupt than some may expect. While there is a glorious yet baffling sequence set against the hymn 'Leaning on Everlasting Arms' it feels almost deflating after such a chest-tightening ride.

Already one of Hollywood's most underrated leading men- Ethan Hawke gives a career best as the conflicted Toller. Bringing everyone into his conscience and plagued with illness and doubts, Hawke's face frequently tells the whole story. This is the role that he was born to play and Hawke is a powerful force whenever he is on screen and does a masterful job of showing the strain of keeping up appearances. Amanda Seyfried also makes for solid support, but its Cedric the Entertainer (credited here as Cedric Kyles) who makes the most impression. Jeffers is a man who puts the face of the church above morals and Kyles makes for an excellent sparring partner for Hawke.

First Reformed is a welcome to return to cinema for Paul Schrader and shows there are few filmmakers who can show the plight of society better than him.

Finding Neverland: Review of Pan

Pan

Director: Joe Wright

By Alex Watson

You really want to love Joe Wright's movie Pan and on a technical level this is a beautiful adventure that brings the Neverland to life in a way never seen. Tragically underneath the dazzling façade lies a painful and very misguided picture. Wright who so wonderfully entranced in his film-making magic in Anna Karenina and Atonement feels literally all at sea. Despite Hugh Jackman taking large bites out of the scenery, this movie cannot make up for the lack of character depth which sinks this lifeless prequel to the mermaid filled waters below. 

Peter Pan (Levi Miller) is an orphan living in London during the WWI, abandoned by his mother Mary (Amanda Seyfried) he still hopes to reunited with her some day. Snatched from his bed along with other boys by pirates and transported to Neverland. There he discover a land ruled with an iron fist by pirate Blackbeard who forces them to mine the land for fairy dust. Through random events he becomes acquainted with an ambitious miner, James Hook (Garrett Hedlund) and a warrior princess named Tiger Lily (Rooney Mara). 

Possibly the worse crime about Wright's take on JM Barrie's world is that the story in Pan is so torn to pieces we have no idea what we are viewing? Hook in this one feel like a cookie cutter version of Indiana Jones (complete with Fedora hat) who is more of a jerk than a franchise changing villain. Peter Pan comes off as a rather smart mouth street punk. In the opening ten minutes we see Peter taken from London by a flying pirate ship that transports him to land where a crowd singing 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' by Nirvana greets them. Wires become frantically crossed and as annoyed parents stare at the screen is disbelief, your faith in this picture has disappeared before you know it. 

From a cinema perspective the world is gorgeous to look at and the photography by John Mathieson and Seamus McGarvey injects some life into an otherwise dull affair. There are moments that give this movie some fun, Hook in this picture is afraid of crocodiles. Wright seems to have to keep us blind to the wreck that lies beneath the coat of gloss. Story wise there is little to really arouse the mind, although the side plot of why precisely Blackbeard wants the fairy dust so badly so give a darker undertone. Tiger Lilly is given little purpose in this movie and Rooney Mara in a one note role becomes wasted. Her headdress is interesting but they reduce Tiger Lilly to simply acting as a story-teller than a warrior princess. 

This lack of development hinders the film and the splicing and dicing of ideas creates a whole new beast. Wright shows he has taken notes from the Avengers but having a finale based up in the air. After two hours of shifting in our chairs, finally we are given so vague entertainment as Peter leads the fairies in an attack against Blackbeard. Reaching this point takes sheer will power and as you often eye the exit door there is a blessed relief when the credits finally roll. Though your heart does sink when you realize that there will likely be another outing in the pipeline.

Hugh Jackman has a ball playing the theatrical Blackbeard, but sadly he feels so over the top that it feel his lid blew away long before. Although he does giving a decent campy menace, this is not one of Jackman's finest outings. Levi Miller does a good enough job as the young rascal Peter and his youthful sense of wonder enlightens things some. Garrett Hedlund on paper should have made a fine Hook, but his role is one that is criminally underwritten. Hedlund has some great moments of humour but enough to record the save. 

Pan is an effort that wasn't entirely necessary from Joe Wright and despite some clever visuals we are left with a rather embarrassing picture. I can respect his want to bring a new spin on heavily adapted tale, but his jokey and strange approach to this prequel will only alienate hardcore fans.  

Thunderbuddies: Review of Ted 2

Ted 2

Director: Seth MacFarlane

By Alex Watson

Although Seth MacFarlane tries his hardest to recreate the same volume of belly laughs as the original, Ted 2 just doesn't hit the same heights as before. This off-the-wall buddy vehicle still has its charms, but feels a little overly long for what it needs to be. At the centre, the concept is a simple and effective one. A toy bear wants love and to be recognized as human but is denied on both counts. This idea sadly just isn't enough to sustain interest for an entire movie. Despite its best efforts, Macfarlane seems to rely too heavily on the potty mouth humour.

One year on from events from the previous movie, Ted (Seth MacFarlane) has married his sweetheart Tami-Lynn (Jessica Barth) while John's (Mark Wahlberg) marriage has ended in divorce. Immediately the newlyweds are on the rocks and propose having a child to safe their marriage. But any attempts at adopting a child are denied because Ted is not legally recognized as a person by the government. To help gain his rights, the pair enlist the help of newbie lawyer Samantha L Jackson (Amanda Seyfried) to aid their cause.

Ted 2 does have its merits and to MacFarlane's credit he does address some important character issues. John is still recovering from his marriage being dissolved and has little else to do other than smoke pot with his friend. The pair are like a couple of highschoolers still stuck in a time warp. Ted maybe fighting for his rights, but the question remains has he done enough the truly earn them? Watching them head for trial is one area where the movie falls down because although there are laughs such as the pair watching the whipping scene in TV's Roots and Ted saying "That's just like me!" but otherwise it just feels misguided. Ted is like the relative at dinner whom you always wince whenever he talks. Watching him on the stand has that effect as he angrily bursts at the judge "This is just like what you did to the fags!"

The introduction of fellow pot smoking lawyer Samantha is a nice touch but doesn't really add anything new to proceedings. She is basically the polar opposite of everything John's ex wasn't and smokes from a bong shaped like a penis. On a humour level, MacFarlane does provide his usual brand of borderline shocking humour. One scene the gang decides the only way to cheer themselves up is to make sad suggestions at an improv show. Here we get Charlie Hebdo, Robin Williams and 9/11 thrown into the mix, judge for yourself whether to laugh. Also we see re-emergence the of creepy teddy stalker Donny (Giovanni Ribisi- doing what he does best).

Funny cameos also succeed in injecting the film with the zany humor it needs. Watch for a great appearance by Liam Neeson, who could have thought Trix cereal could be hilarious? Tom Brady also stands out in a brief but sidesplitting cameo. Worth its weight purely for code the Boston Police have for the crime. Morgan Freeman plays.... well Morgan Freeman renamed. As a franchise, this movie is most likely going in the right direction and a successful run at the box will definitely see a third round. But Seth MacFarlane has to really think hard about the direction he wants to take this. Because laughs aside, this comedy series is already showing signs of fatigue. Ted and John despite being bad boy 'thunder buddy's' have little else aside of their debauchery. With a few workings, the next installment could be more fitting.

Mark Wahlberg does succeed as John and with his native Boston wit, he handles the foul and crude humor with ease. There may be many people on the fence about the former Marky Mark, but you cannot deny he has presence. Wahlberg is one of the principle reasons this movie has its charm and this guy loves to poke fun at his roots. Seth MacFarlane as a voice only still bounces off his counterpart well. Sounding almost like Family Guy's Peter Griffin, Ted may be an awkward cuddly toy, but is still one who can deliver the laughs.

Chances are that Ted will be definitely be back for a third installment. It's just a shame that Ted 2 doesn't quite build on the promise of what could have been.

The Young & The Restless: Review of While We're Young

TIFF EXCLUSIVE

While We're Young

Director: Noah Baumbach

By Alex Watson

American director, Noah Baumbach is a different breed of film maker. In his movies such as The Squid and the Whale, Greenberg and more recently, Francis Ha, he has proven himself to be a film maker who never gives us characters we completely sympathize with but we are always drawn closer to. At the Toronto International Film Festival, he has brought us his new effort While We're Young which establishes the struggles an older married couple in the face of something new and exciting.

Josh (Ben Stiller) and Cornelia (Naomi Watts) are a forty-something married yet childless couple living in New York. Their lives are soon altered though by the emergence of young and hip duo Jamie (Adam Driver) and his wife Darby (Amanda Seyfried) whose world they becoming increasingly drawn towards. But along the way, the couple begin to lose sight of who they really are and seem to strive to become new people. But amidst their awe and fascination, cracks begin to appear.

While We're Young is another funny and ultimately real offering from Noah Baumback and it efficiently tackles the issue of growing old. The movie begins with a cleverly placed series of lines from Ibsen's 'The Master Builder' where the character Solness expresses concern to his wife about letting a young couple through the front door. This foreshadows the story that follows it and Baumbach succeeds in giving the movie the off-the-wall but depressingly crushing feel of real life and relationships.

In typical fashion, the characters are not easy to warm to as Josh is a once promising documentarian who has wasted over 10 years making his think piece on America and its wars. Cornelia has suffered several miscarriages and is having trouble adapting to her friends all having babies when she feels her opportunity has now disappeared. Josh is a man who takes himself far too seriously, but yet he has a compelling desire to piece his bright future back together. Things are not helped by his strained relationship with acclaimed film maker father in law Leslie (Charles Grodin) whose style he has forever wanted to emulate but has become lost along the way.

The moment that Jamie and Darby enter their world, a bombshell hits as they are loving couple that likes all things retro such as VHS players, typewriters and quirky adventures on old subway lines. In spite of the fact that Josh and Cornelia are dazzled at how full of life they are, they cannot escape the fact that they are acting above their own years. In one scene, Josh attempts at riding a bicycle in a cool fashion, only for his back to give out and him later being informed he has arthritis! Although they begin to live again, the elder couple soon begins to question the world they live in and whether it is something they truly believe in.

Unfortunately although this is a raw and hilarious ride, things begin to go wayward in the movies second half and are not helped by some painful misguided comical moments such as bizarre religious ceremony where people barf out their demons into a bucket. Also Josh's increasing jealousy of Jamie's success making his new film and his desire to prove he is a fraud alienates him from the audience later on. But let's not forget everyone, Baumbach is never one to go easy on his characters in the movie's he makes.

Ben Stiller in his second effort alongside Baumbach does well as Josh. His usual sarcastic wit is very much present and it does prosper the characterization and gives a decent protrayal of a man who is chronically disappointed with wasting his gift. As Cornelia Naomi Watts is solid as usual as a woman almost drowning in her own childless world when all around her seems to be popping out kids! She also thrives on the movies more funny elements which showcase that this girl can be comedic when she needs to be.

Adam Driver firmly stamps his talent as one of Hollywood's new wave, fans of TV show Girls will be familiar with his ability to play hip yet mysterious characters and Jamie has been written just perfectly for him. His upcoming appearance in JJ Abrams' Star Wars movie will be one to look out for.

While We're Young is yet more proof that a Noah Baumbach film is a very different type of experience and will leaving coming out with a ticking brain and a belly full of laughs. In the long run this maybe won't be once of his more memorable efforts, but it will certainly rank as one that is more original.