Virtual Reality: Review of Ready Player One

Ready Player One

Director: Steven Spielberg

By Alex Watson

Adapting the beloved novel Ready Player One by Ernest Cline was no easy job. Few directors were better equipped for the task than Steven Spielberg. In stunning detail, the legendary director captures the virtual paradise that is 'The Oasis' and he stays true to the novel's pop culture references (including several cheeky nods to his own work). While it nails the look and feel of the novel, the characters in this universe feel underdeveloped on screen. The script by Zak Penn and Ernest Cline is well paced but the splicing and dicing of the original story will alienate hardcore fans.

Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) is a teenager living in a decrepit 2045 Columbus, Ohio. With the world in ruins and society having fallen, most people opt to send their entire days inside the virtual reality world 'The Oasis'. This world was the product of innovator James Halliday (Mark Rylance) and Ogden Morrow (Simon Pegg). After Halliday's death, he left an Easter Egg within the game and whoever passes the three challenges required will inherit his entire company. Wade (playing as avatar Parzival) sets out to claim, but his quest will bring into contact notorious gamer Art3mis (Olivia Cooke).

Any fans who have ever wondered how on earth this imaginary world could even be plausible on screen- you will not be disappointed. Seeing this production in 3D is truly awe-inspiring and you will find yourself transfixed. Spielberg gives all kinds of hard to spot popular culture fun like a car race interrupted by T-Rex from Jurassic Park and King Kong and a battle scene featuring the likes of Jason Voorhees and Freddy Kruger. Literally, Spielberg populates his movie with some many little finds (Zemeckis cube anyone), you will find your eyes in a state of cat-like readiness. With it's 80's cheese soundtrack of Van Halen, Hall & Oates and Joan Jett, this world feels like stepping back in time while surrounded by the beautiful future. We never really learn how the world has declined into a people living in stacks, but in this movie, such details are considered irrelevant.

We learn early on that Wade is a 'Gunter' (a person who hunts the easter egg), this quest brings him to Art3mis' path and both emerge as two purists who are well ahead of the game. Their ability to clue into the smallest details while looking back through Halliday's old journals is mind-bending. Of course, sparks fly but his buddy Aech (Lena Waithe) remains sceptical on the subject of digital love. It also set up a hilarious sequence when along with the other gunters they are forced to search through 'The Shining's' Overlook Hotel. The scary old lady in the bathtub takes on a whole new meaning here.  A rival company IOI are looking to claim the egg for themselves. Nolan Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn) is the corporate jerk out to ruin everyone's fun and he has amassed an army of people called 'Sixers' whom he owns through debt. He even sets up 'Loyalty Camps' to ensure anyone and everyone aids him. Sorrento is not a man who wishes to have the keys to the kingdom not because he is skilled at playing the game, but because he just wants to get even richer.

Despite this capturing the feel of Cline's novel, the story itself is left second to the visuals. The backstory of the falling out of Morrow and Halliday feels more like a tidbit here. Also, the actual quest Parzival undertakes is completely changed for the movie. Those who have read the book will be unaffected, but fans will fume. In the novel, Morrow plays a vital role in the potential success of our heroes, here this character barely registers. Although Wade and Art3mis make for a cute couple and they firmly stabilize the story both in and out of the game- the same can't be said for the rest of the supporting cast. Other Gunter's Sho (Philip Zhao) and Toshiro (Win Morisaki) are barely given a look in. The decision to bump up antagonist i-R0k (voiced by T.J Miller) is strange because he barely features in the novel. Spielberg does give us a realistic and utterly believable version of Halliday who in this universe was a shy and conflicted Steve Jobs type. Overall, it hard to complain too much about Spielberg's adaptation and it hard to imagine a better person to bring this world to life.

Tye Sheridan has recently been a young actor with promise through his turn's in Nic Cage's movie 'Joe' and the comedy 'A Scout's Guide to the Apocalypse'. Spielberg has always had a good idea for future and Sheridan is excellent throughout. Channelling the die-hard gamer who wants to save The Oasis from corruption, he has the movie's heart on display. Olivia Cooke who was so excellent in the dark comedy Thoroughbred's adds another impressive performance to her resume. Together these two are a charming pair of romantic leads. Mark Rylance, although very briefly on screen is scene-stealingly brilliant as the terminally awkward Halliday. Ben Mendelsohn however, is once again shortchanged in a big film. His Nolan Sorrento has the potential to be a cunning nemesis. In this universe, he just comes across an egotistical dick with little substance.

Ready Player One is a game that you'll want to play by the movie's end. Keep your eyes peeled though, you will busy spotting different characters.

V For Victory: Review of Darkest Hour

Darkest Hour

Director: Joe Wright

By Alex Watson

Gary Oldman plays an outstanding Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. After the horrific failure of Pan, Joe Wright shows why he is still considered one of Britain's best directors. While it might lack the bite needed, this movie is still a fine against-the-clock drama. It also shows the sheer determination and grit of Churchill himself. During a nail-biting period, he was the one voice who was able to carry Britain through.

As WWII wages on, King George VI (Ben Mendelsohn) looks to Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman) to help turn the tide. Facing a potential Nazi invasion and catastrophic human casualties, many of his subordinates call for peace talks. Despite overwhelming pressure to relent, Churchill vows for his nation to fight on.

People tend to forget what a controversial appointment Churchill was. Darkest Hour shows a bullish, and old-school fighter who wasn't afraid to throw his weight around. His peers including the overlooked Lord Halifax (Stephen Dillane), view him as stubborn and short-sighted. Throughout Wright's film, we see him fail and his rivals simply sharpened their knives in anticipation. Churchill's refuses to give in because he is the one man in the room who believes in the British fighting spirit. This picture doesn't seek to glorify him and he is also shown as an ill-tempered and completely unpredictable human being. Frequently he is a whirlwind, whether he is dictating letters from his bath or butting heads with opponents in a bunker. His wife Clementine (Kristin Scott-Thomas) is one of the few willing to push back and put him in his place.

Wright does a wonderful job of showing the intense threat that Heir Hitler's men posed. Britain is up against the ropes and men such as Halifax are pressuring him to negotiate a truce. While it might stop the war, Churchill is against making peace with such men as Hitler. Frequently we see the how the strain of the war weighs heavily on him. At times we see a very different and less confident side to the old 'British Bulldog' figure British school children were educated about. However, unlike his anxious colleagues, Churchill is a man who likes to stop and think. His determination of character and refusal to be pushed into a potentially disastrous decision is what makes him so endearing. Halifax is frequently a thorn in his side, but Winston simply plucks him out with one genius line, "Will you stop interrupting me, when I am interrupting you!" he growls vigourously in one scene.

In Darkest Hour it also shows how Churchill was the one man in the room who thought about the cost to the British people. His tactics are frequently put under the microscope. In fact, many of his key decisions come while in the toilet before emerging "in a state of nature". Wright shows his man of the people status in one beautifully underplayed scene. He reminds us in the beginning how out of touch he is with modern day things. On impulse, he chooses to ride the London Tube and unlike other politicians, he simply asks ordinary people what they actually want their government to do? There is no uplifting or grandiose feel to this moment but you gain a bigger respect for this man.

Gary Oldman puts in the performance of his life and is absolutely perfect as Winston Churchill. Under heavy prosthetics, Oldman does a phenomenal job is convey his stubborn and blunt-speaking persona. A growling, heavy drinking and often tactless Prime Minister, Oldman portrays a man only concerned with getting the job, not the obstacles around it. A performance of highest calibre, hopefully, the Academy will finally reward one of the best actors of his generation. Stephan Dillane makes for a fine opponent as the cunning Halifax. Great at playing unyielding men, Dillane once again gives great support. Sadly talented stars such as Ben Mendelsohn and Lily James who plays Churchill's aide Elizabeth Layton feel drastically underused.

Darkest Hour is a movie propped up by the talents of Oldman alone. Few performances this year will be better than this one. 

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.

Commence Primary Ignition: Review of Rogue One

Rogue One

Director: Gareth Edwards

By Alex Watson

Venturing into Star Wars spin-off territory seemed like a dangerous thing at first but Rogue One shows us what wonderful nostalgia these tales can bring. Director Gareth Edwards directs this piece with a lot of love and affection and his control of the final act will warm Star Wars fans hearts. Losing none of its magic or its ability to give us characters we deeply care for, having stand-alone pictures could be a glorious thing. Set right before the events A New Hope, the questions fans were dying to find out are superbly brought forward and Edwards brilliantly joins the dots.

Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) is the wayward daughter of Imperial scientist Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen). After learning of an upcoming weapons test, the Rebellion soon learns that their new space station The Death Star is capable of destroying entire planets. Anxious to find the key to destroying this station, Jyn is forced into the path of Rebel Captain Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), Imperial defector Bhodi Rook (Riz Ahmed) and their sharp-tongued robot K2S0 (Alan Tudyk).

Perhaps the strongest element to Rogue One is its premise, early on Jyn sees her mother murdered and father reclaimed by villainous Director Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn). She is not for the rebellion and is just a criminal floating through life. When she is coerced by Mal Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly) to join the Rebellion she begins to see the bigger picture. Originally tasked with convincing Rebel extremist Saw Guerrera (Forest Whitaker) to aid their risky venture- Jyn is trust into the path of Cassian. During this sequence, we see a whole new side to the Rebels. Guerrera is a man who believes in making Imperial cooperators suffer and his approach makes him a feared man. There are no lightsabers drawn (well thats not exactly true but I will avoid spoilers) and most of the battles take place on the ground. Particularly when blind warrior Chirrut Imwe (Donnie Yen) gets involved in a thrilling shoot-out on the planet Jedha. Edwards isn't concerned with stretching the story out and his no-nonsense approach works wonders for Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy's well-paced script.

The new central cast is remarkably likeable, but have their limelight stolen by the hilarious K2SO. Coming off as C-3PO's sardonic relative, his calm and assured tone and clever wit is endlessly hilarious. A reprogrammed Imperial droid, KS20's is blunt and observant with a love of stats, but surprisingly deep in some places. Cassian and Jyn but heads almost immediately as their missions differ on many levels. Jyn merely wants to rescue her beloved father, while the Rebels perceive him as a big threat to their safety. Both have paid the price to get to this point, but neither can succeed without the other. Bhodi is a likeable character, but his risky move to defect from the Empire is not fully explained. Lurking in the shadows, Krennic comes across as a smug overachiever that is desperate to be recognised. The Empire merely views him as a nuisance, but unfortunately, his creation of the Death Star has been key to crushing rebel scum. Gareth Edwards makes the reappearance of Darth Vader a chilling and memorable one. Only on-screen for a matter of minutes, hearing James Earl Jones' iconic voice will send shivers down your spine.

Rogue One's mightiest achievement comes during its beautiful and exhilarating third act which is a love letter to all Star Wars fans everywhere. Stunningly recreating an X-Wing/Tie Fighter dog fighter during the film's climax and the reintroduction of several forgotten characters will have us all punching the air in joy. The effects are a visual treat for the eyes and we are transported back to that happy and joyful feeling we once had watching AT-AT's reigning havoc upon Hoth. All the answers we ever wanted are there and they feel utterly conceivable. While the story might dip in places and the decision to digitally recreate some treasured old characters might not appear particularly wise, we never feel short changed in this saga. Many narrow-minded fans whined about having a female hero, but Jyn feels worthy of anchoring it. Cool under pressure and willing to go the extra mile, she gives Rey a run for her money. truth this one is a team effort and how they combine to repeatedly stump Empire attacks is smartly put together.

As Jyn Felicity Jones shows her blockbuster potential. Before you would never have considered for this type of part, but through a gutsy turn Jones fits well into this universe. Diego Luna is equally impressive as the conflicted Cassian, but this is very much Alan Tudyk's picture. Sporting a brutally honest sense of humour, KS20 provides much more than the comic relief. After his excellent voice work as Sonny in I-Robot, Tudyk should just voice every robot in cinema from now on. Ben Mendelsohn makes for a good villain to play off against and Krennic is like watching a spoiled child in charge of the most powerful weapon in the Galaxy.

Rogue One has produced the best outcome we could wish for in this new era of Star Wars prequels. We now have hope for the upcoming Han Solo picture because if all spin-offs are like this one, we can breathe easy. Start counting the minutes to December 15, 2017 everyone! Episode VIII is coming.

Once Upon a Time in the West: Review of Slow West

Slow West

Director: John Maclean

By Alex Watson

Fans of the western genre will no doubt be delighted with director John MacLean's Slow West. Making fine use of the breathtaking scenery, his American Frontier adventure is one that uses both unexpected surprises and wonderful natural humour. The feel of MacLean's movie is not fast moving, but events never once drag. The Scottish former musician turned director now emerges as a future talent who a keen eye for visual flair.

In 1800's Colorado, young man Jay Cavendish (Kodi Smit-McPhee) has abandoned his life in Scotland to come across to America. Here he is searching for his lost love Rose (Caren Pistorius), whom had to abandon him due a set of unfortunate circumstances. But one particular day, outlaw Silas Selleck (Michael Fassbender) arrives to save Jay from bandits. He agrees to be his guide and to aid him in his quest to find Rose. What Jay doesn't know however, is that there is a bounty on his love and Silas is one of many looking to claim it!

What sets Slow West apart from a typical western affair is that Maclean surrounds things with a slightly surreal feel. Jay is a young man literally walking into a world of danger "A jackrabbit in a land of wolves" as Silas' voice-over denotes. His love for Rose in some ways has made him naive and blind to the risks that he faces. When Silas arrives to save him from being shot by a bandit, his reasons for helping appear dubious. But all throughout Maclean's picture, Silas both deceives and shields him from a bitter a truth.

Along the trail, the story line alternates between the real and the slightly strange. One scene sees Jay conversing in French with three Congolese singers. But as the journey deepens, Jay begins to learn some cold hard facts. Strangers are among the dangers that lurk, such as a German anthropologist who speaks truths such as “in a short time this will be a long time ago” then promptly abandons Jay! The story is also fueled by the flashbacks of the past of his time in Scotland. The young man's unfortunate choice to follow his heart has landed him in a world of trouble and as Silas warns, Rose's heart may not exactly be his.

The third act forgoes the drawn out feel and descends into an epic shootout finale. The presence of trouble making gang leader Payne (Ben Mendelsohn) has been felt throughout. But now him and his band of outlaws are one of many descending upon Rose's family. Asides from the multiple bullets flying, both Silas and Jay face tough decisions. What comes next is an affecting but genuine ending which demonstrates just how hard the human heart can be touched. Also it is note worth for a magnificent reverse sequence by Maclean that will stay with viewers for long after the credits.

Michael Fassbender once more demonstrates his versatility with a fine turn as Silas. Although Maclean's characterization does dip below surface level, Silas is still an engrossing figure. Fassbender smartly plays him as man corrupted by time, but still has a conscience glimmering somewhere beneath. Kodi Smit-McPhee is equally excellent as the love struck Jay and gives a heartfelt yet hardened turn. One of the emerging talents of cinema, it will be fascinating how he brings Nightcrawler to life in X-Men: Apocalypse.

John Maclean is a director worth keeping eyes out for and Slow West emerges as a solid entry in the Western genre. On the strength of two leads alone, this is one picture that is well worth your time.