A Disturbance in the Force: Review of Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Director: Rian Johnson

By Alex Watson

Life in the galaxy rolls on and in the hands of Rian Johnson it still feels thrilling. Keeping the twists and turns coming thick and fast, there is also a heavy emotional core to Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Characters are forced to look inside and make some tough internal choices. Some Star Wars fans might gripe over its feel along with its more humorous and heavy-hearted approach. But you can't deny there is potential here and finally, this new batch of characters are beginning to come into their own.

The Resistance led by General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) is being forced to fall back against the might of the First Order. Low on numbers and morale, the only hope they hold is for Rey (Daisy Ridley) to convince reclusive Jedi Luke Skywalker (Mark Hammill) to return. Meanwhile, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) is also fighting his own personal battle against his own conscience. 

Johnson wastes no time thrusting Star Wars: The Last Jedi into light speed. Starting with a thrilling dogfight which sees hotheaded but heroic Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) take on the First Order fleet and permanent sneer of General Hux (Domnhall Gleeson). This side of the story provides the unpredictable thrills of the story. Dameron along with former First Order trooper Finn (John Boyega)  and newcomer Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) are on a mission to disable an enemy tracking device. Dameron in this story emerges as the new Han Solo in the making- charismatic yet immature and brave yet ballsy. Always drawing the wrath of new commander Vice Admiral Holdo (Laura Dern), Dameron is both indispensable and a wild card all in one. The Kylo Ren/Ben Solo side story also holds its own as the conflicted Jedi is pushed and pulled by Supreme Leader Snook (Andy Serkis once again rocking motion capture) to embrace his evil side. Rey can still feel the human side of him but is he past the point of redemption?

The real heart of this picture comes from the unlikely alliance of Rey and Luke Skywalker. At first glance, this would seem like the movies Achilles heal. Not only does it succeed but it is by far the movies most glorious aspect. After the lightsaber hand over at the end of Force Awakens- Johnson makes this scene an unlikely moment of hilarity. Skywalker wears the ghost's of the past in this flick- scarred by his failure of his nephew Ben he at first stubbornly refuses to help Rey. However, the new protege never backs down and a caring and strong bond forms. As talented as she is with a lightsabre, Luke also greatly fears the influence of the dark side. Also during this time, a mysterious connection arises between Rey and Ren which could potentially alter the course of either life. Johnson during this sequence brings a tender touch which could bring big things in later movies. Of course, who won't enjoy the nostalgia of watching Luke board the Falcon after so many years?

While the Star Wars: The Last Jedi has plenty of ideas that hit, there also some that just fall flat. During an overly long sequence to rich planet Canto Bight, Johnson's movie comes a little unstuck. This whole plot device just feels added to draw out the mileage and becomes little more than a wild goose chase. Was the introduction of Benicio Del Toro's codebreaker DJ really necessary? This trickster comes and goes while making little impact or weight to the story. This is easily the strongest Star Wars effort since Empire Strikes Back, but Johnson is all about the changing of the guard. Seeing Carrie Fisher on screen for the last time will bring a tear to some eyes. Luke Skywalker along with many others are present but by no means are the focal point of the story. Some fans may not like the more jokey side or the almost video game like approach during the battle scenes. But you cannot deny that this franchise is at once with the force again.

Firstly it feels amazing to see Mark Hammill once again holding a lightsabre as Luke Skywalker. Turning in a career-high performance, Hammill reminds us why this character is so special. Playing a more jaded and afraid version of Skywalker, he shows a man unable to let go of the past. Oscar Isaac emerges as the new king of cool for this franchise. Poe Dameron is a man who plays by his own rules but is also the leader the Resistance desperately needs. John Boyega once again is superb as Finn and matches Isaac for strength of character. Daisy Ridley, however, is the real ace in the deck in Johnson's movie. Effortlessly looking cool with a lightsabre, Ridley is the picture's backbone. Able to handle the difficult of upstaging Skywalker, Rey is very much the franchises future Jedi master.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi brings new hope to the galaxy- just a shame Johnson won't be returning for episode 9.

The Golden Arches: Review of The Founder

The Founder

Director: John Lee Hancock

By Alex Watson

Ray Kroc's ascent to the top of the fast food world with McDonald's is given a surprisingly gentle touch by John Lee Hancock. Making the most of Michael Keaton's great performance, The Founder is a tale of a man wanting to win at all costs. Kroc might not be this year's most sympathetic character, but the brains and sheer balls he demonstrates make us admire him. This tale of rags to riches isn't a completely happy one and his usurping of its originators will be tough to swallow.

In 1954, Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton) is a struggling milkshake machine salesman who is having trouble making money. One day when following up on a large order, he travels to San Bernardino, California where he meets restaurant owners Dick and Mac McDonald (Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch). Entranced by their 'speedy system' of delivering orders in 30 seconds and their quality standards, Kroc immediately wants in. Over the years Ray begins to make McDonald's into a household name, all the while alienating the brother's efforts.

The first act of The Founder sets up Kroc's persona nicely as he lives his life on the road. Giving his same cliched 'Chicken and the Egg' speech to a number of uninterested diner owners, he finds himself being continually shown the door. Along the way, he finds himself routinely frustrated by slow service and wrong food being given at a number of drive-in diners. Coming across McDonald's for the first time is like gazing upon an exciting new world. His genuine confusion and amazement as his burger is presented to him within moments will crack a smile, "where do I eat it?" he asks. The brothers are a pair who run their joint like a military operation and are dedicated to quality. Although Ray urges them to franchise, their resistance to change is what sets the rot in this relationship. Ray is a man who is never content with just having enough and his desire to better is what makes us love and hate him in equal measure.

His frustration is what sets about him building an empire. His contract has a slow approval process for anything he suggests and both Dick and Mac's refuse to betray the principles of their beloved restaurant. In the movie's second half he emerges as a ruthless businessman. Realising he will never make the bucks he desires from the brothers, Ray turns to buying land for franchises right under their noses. More than that, he founds another company based on the very company name for whom he has been generating business. Ray looks at himself as the underdog going up against the heavyweights, sad truth is that he fights way dirtier than necessary. Soon he starts enacting his own changes while similar copying the same service standards of the brothers. Dick fumes when he nationally issues powdered milkshakes to all restaurants instead of using ice cream. Ray's ideas are innovative and his success begins to make him believe he is untouchable.

John Lee Hancock treads a fine line with his portrayal of Hancock, presented as a lovable loser in the beginning soon his charm begins to blur the lines. By the movie's climax, we see a cunning and almost psychotic money maker. His dedication comes at the cost his marriage to wife Ethel (a barely used Laura Dern) and he soon catches the eye of singer Joan Smith (Linda Cardellini). In capitalist America, this tale of gaining market ground and branding will ring painfully true. Treating McDonald's like his own personal baby, Ray indeed builds this company from the ground up but only by breaking what he swore to uphold. Dick and Mac's short-sighted approach doesn't make them come off as complete victims. Stubborn to the point of being unreasonable and refusing nationwide exposure to due fear of not controlling their products, it is little wonder Ray goes against them.

Michael Keaton's fine form continues with a bold performance as Ray Kroc. Channelling his own will to dominate along with his everyman charm, this is a winning turn. Since Birdman, Keaton is the process of a big revival and Hancock's movie just proves further how is able to anchor a big movie. Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch also make fine supporting fodder to Keaton. Offerman's almost anal retentive presentation of Dick McDonald makes for perfect resistance to change. Carroll Lynch's turn is perhaps the more devastating as the gentler of the two brothers as the stress mounts from Kroc's offensive campaign. Laura Dern sadly is stranded in a nothing role which gives her nothing to work with. One of the most underrated actresses around, she really deserved a better part.

The Founder is a movie that reminds us that the cost of doing business sometimes involves being underhanded to get ahead.

Coast to Coast: Review of Wild

TIFF EXCLUSIVE 

Wild

Director: Jean-Marc Vallee

By Alex Watson

Numerous times in film we have seen people walking to get somewhere, and there are forever obstacles along the way. Just look at movies such Walkabout, Into The Wild and more recently the Mia Wasikowska starring Tracks. But the individual behind is always seeking a higher purpose and this route they are taking, can often be determining their course in life. French-Canadian director Jean-Marc Vallee has this year brought us a stirring adaptation of Cheryl Strayed's memoir Wild which documents her 1000 mile trek along the Pacific Coast Trail. With Reese Witherspoon on board, this could be a journey of a life time.

After years of reckless behaviour, including a divorce from her husband, Cheryl Strayed (Reese Witherspoon) decides to walk along the 1000 mile trek of the Pacific Coast. Through this she attempts to heal the wounds of her old life and begin to find herself and become the person she had always wanted to be. But she must put up with several difficult obstacles among the desert and mountain terrain before completing her journey.

After his Oscar winning effort, The Dallas Buyers Club, Jean-Marc Vallee scores highly again and Wild proves to be a very prominent and beautiful filmed movie. From the Mojave Desert to the Forests of Oregon, this tale makes use of the immense space that it has to distinguish it from the more recent efforts. Combined with the stunning cinematography of Yves Belanguer, it effortlessly sums up the loneliness and isolation that comes with such a journey and what nerves and suspicions can come from such wide open spaces.

Refreshingly Cheryl isn't a woman who is running away from her problems, she is walking to change them. Vallee and screenwriter Nick Hornby decide against playing out her troubled back story in its entirety and only drip feed us moments of her drug fueled and promiscuous past. These images are presented to us as being like a horrific dream that she is only waking up from. But it's the tragic and premature death of her mother Bobbi (an excellent Laura Dern) that lingers heavily over this movie. Through her anguish and pain, Cheryl lost her way and she is now striving to get back on track to become the woman her mother would have been proud of. This may seem formulaic and awards tailored to some viewers, but Vallee finds a way to make this work and it gives his movie an air of lift towards it, particularly as we view the free spirited yet strong woman that Bobbi once was.

The perils of danger along her journey though are forever hanging on the air, and there are any number of stomach churning encounters such as rattle snakes, snow covered hills, raging rivers and in one frightening sequence, some drunken and frisky hunters in the midst of a large, lonely forest. A slightly nauseating opening sequence sees Cheryl have to remove a septic toe-nail onto top of a high ravine, only to have one of her trusty boots fall helplessly below! Experiencing these problems though only strengthen her resolve and for maybe the first time in life, she begins to come into her own.

Reese Witherspoon, despite being alone for the majority of this film gives a performance that is one of her best in some time. After some missteps following her Oscar win for Walk The Line, Witherspoon demonstrates that she has truly earned her critical praise with a determined yet sensitive turn. She doesn't seek to play Cheryl as an out and out victim of life, more a woman who looking to get back on the rails and begin living again. Whether she will be nominated for the big prizes will remain to be seen, but after this she hasn't certainly earn another shot at glory.

Wild is an adventure movie worth experiencing and gives more light to the talents of both Vallee and his star Witherspoon. This journey, like many before it is not a straight forward one, but it will certainly grab at your heart and refuses to let go.