Ocean Commotion: Review of Aquaman

Aquaman

Director: James Wan

By Alex Watson

While it suffers from a rather lifeless and convoluted plot and some truly awful dialogue, Aquaman has enough thrills to provide satisfaction. The action on screen is a mixture of several surreal, bizarre yet utterly entertaining sequences. While Jason Momoa might not have the acting chops down, it matters little here as he has the presence and charisma to hold things together.

Arthur Curry is the product of a lighthouse keeper father (Temuera Morrison) and the Queen of Atlantis, Atlanna (Nicole Kidman). As a young boy, his mother disappears to keep the peace between the sea and land. In the present day, Arthur is a renowned superhero of the sea's known as Aquaman. His half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) is threatening war between the surface world and Atlantis. To help save the day, Arthur must choose to embrace his past and become the king he was born to be.

While Aquaman, for the most part, is a fun adventure, it clearly doesn't give a damn about giving a plausible story. While James Wan does provide some pretty epic visuals (the entrance into Atlantis is jaw-dropping), he seems to hope that the continuous action and scenery will distract us from the drawn-out and needlessly confusing ocean political battle. Things begin promisingly with the potential for a decent backstory explain the doomed romance of Arthur's parents- sadly Wan seems in a rush to get through this. While its fun to see Atlanna single-handly wiping out a hit squad, a needed sparkle is lost early on. Arthur is very much the ace in the deck in this movie and his slightly hungover, surfer boy feel gives this character a needed realism.

While the threat of war looms throughout this movie, the story is hampered by what seems like endless political chicanery. Orm comes across as the Draco Malfoy of the deep sea, a blonde, petulant man-child who hates humanity and sets about staging a fake submarine attack to win the favour of other tribes. Many of supposedly big threats to planet earth are quickly forgotten- would a Tsunami really be dismissed so quickly? What could have been an interesting side story is let down by a number of one-note characters such as the seahorse riding Nerus (Dolph Lundgren). Worst of all is the tacked on side story of the vengeful pirate Black Mantra (Yahya-Abdul Mateen II) which adds little aside from fisticuffs and slowly destroying a seaside Sicilian town. There is an element of wannabe Shakespeare in this one as both brothers seek to claim the throne. While there is a thrilling battle to the death sequence, most of the action sequences are so out there that it cannot help be entertaining.

Ever seen an Octopus do a drum solo? A boat attack by weird amphibious monsters? Oh, and did we mention an Island filled with pterodactyls? It is almost as if Wan randomly choose the most far-out ideas he could find and put them in the script! This is what gives Aquaman its entertaining feel because even if you have zero idea what is happening you will still be fascinated. The idea of Arthur as a human/fish half-breed who cannot exist between either world is also compelling and his struggle to find his place draw us to him. The tug-o-war romance between him and Orm for mermaid character Mera (Amber Heard) adds little to story despite her being a guide for Arthur. Most bizarre of all, there is barely any mention of his Justice League status! However, maybe this movie all the better from distancing itself and finally giving needed screentime to one of the better finds of this team.

Jason Momoa might never be an acting superstar, but he sure as he has the feel of the character down. Giving Arthur a refreshing everyman quality, he is able to highlight his flaws as well as his natural leadership. Fond of his beer and also not afraid of brawling with armed pirates, Arthur is a conflicted soul who is frequently put down for his heritage. Momoa gives him a likable yet clueless charm which honestly serves this picture well. Patrick Wilson, however, is stranded with a bland and lifeless villain character- a regular collaborator with Wan in the Insidious and The Conjuring franchises, his Orm comes across as little more than a continually smirking jerk. Nicole Kidman aside from a couple of impressive scenes is given precious little as Atlanna which is disappointing because she has a strength which has the potential to define the main character.

Aquaman may not give much hope to the future of Justice League movies, but it is certainly one of the more different blockbusters you will see in 2018.

The Skin I Live In: Review of The Danish Girl

The Danish Girl

Director: Tom Hooper

By Alex Watson

A pair of electric performances from Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander helps keep Tom Hooper's The Danish Girl alive. Although this is likely to secure both leads awards nominations, you can't help but feel this isn't a complete effort. The tale of Lili Elbe is one that is very humane and touching, but the script from Lucinda Coxon doesn't quite sparkle like we hoped. Hooper does well to give us a  powerful look at a person who risked it all to live comfortably in their own skin.

Einar Wegener (Eddie Redmayne) is a success landscape artist living with his wife Gerda (Alicia Vikander) in Copenhagen. Together the pair lives a free-spirited and loving existence as they both paint. When her friend Ulla (Amber Heard) cannot make a sitting, Gerda asks Einar to stand in for her. What begins as an experiment turn into a life-changing experience for both. Soon Einar sheds his own existence and becomes a woman called Lili. From this, he will campaign to become who he was born to be.

The early stages of The Danish Girl have a fine playfulness to them, Einar at first jokingly puts on some tights and ballet shoes. Before long, it becomes like a spiritual awakening and watching him putting on a nurse dress for the first time is like watching him be reunited with an old lover. Gerda initially indulges this fantasy, one scene seems them dressing Einar up and taking him to a ball. His transformation into Lili is where the movie crosses over and what begins as a risque adventure soon becomes strained. Watching her husband kissing the smitten Henrik (Ben Whishaw) is like watch her life fracture before her eyes. "You're different from most girls" Henrik whispers, the irony hanging painfully on the air.

Centrally the inner struggle for Einar to live as himself and Lili is the main firing pin for the movie. Lili is now part of the marriage and Hooper invests equal time in examining the reactions from both sides. Einar tries to effectively get himself into the role, which includes this year's most interesting nude scene (think Ted Levine in Silence of the Lambs). Gerde, however, both flounders and embraces this new side of him. "I want to speak to my husband" she insists when dealing with a fully customed Lili. Rather than pushing her away from us, Hooper highlights her inner strength and understand of the tricky card she has been dealt. Wisely we are given a key supporting presence in Hans Axgil (Matthias Schoenaerts), a former friend/lover of Einar who sparks a mutual attraction for both leads. Hans is the shoulder that bears the burden of the heavier third act.

Despite The Danish Girl being an excellently acted and beautifully made picture, you cannot help but feel there is a something missing. Perhaps it is the rather wayward middle act where the pair heads to Paris? During this sequence, there is perhaps a little too much of Einar's struggle. Gerde emerges as the real lead during this point, but although her feelings for Hans conflict with her love for Lili we get the impression that Hooper is filling time. Although the film struggles to keep up with the fine acting, it does give way to one of the most moving endings. Einar desire to become Lili is realized when he meets a doctor about sex reassignment. Stating he believes his is truly a woman, Gerde responds "I believe it too" Love is proven to survive change because the person underneath counts the most.

Eddie Redmayne gives the boldest and transformative role of his career. Firmly capturing a conflicted soul born in the wrong skin, Redmayne's plays almost a dual role. As Einar he is the man yearning for a difference, Lili is the one who embraces it and becomes his real voice. An assured nominee, Redmayne is a man at the peak of his talents. Alicia Vikander comes away as the real star of the picture. A strong willed and energetic presence, she stubbornly refuses to fall back into the loving wife role. Vikander carries the film where Redmayne cannot and effortlessly comes across as the emotional core of Hooper's film.

Outside of the two outstanding leads, The Danish Girl may not be the awards contender many predicted. This story is still a potent reminder of the difficulty of living a different life and the strength it will take to make a big change.