Emergency Response: Review of The Guilty

The Guilty

Director: Gustav Moller

By Alex Watson

Confining a movie to a single setting can be a sink or swim affair. Danish director Gustav Moller manages to crank the tension up to stifling levels in his remarkable debut thriller The Guilty.  Impressively paced and making good use of the claustrophobic setting, few movies have made being at the end of a phone so nerve-wracking. Jakob Cedergren impresses with a bold yet complex central turn which gives the film layers as a result.

Asger Holm (Jakob Cedergren) is a Copenhagen cop forced to man the emergency service line whilst on administrative suspension. He simply hopes for a quick return to duty after his upcoming disciplinary hearing. That night, Asger receives a call from a distressed woman named Iben (Jessica Dinnage) who claims to have been kidnapped by her ex-husband Michael (Johan Olsen). Keen to play the hero and see this woman returned safely, he resorts to some frantic measures to get the job done.

The scenario of The Guilty isn't an entirely new one, but Moller is able to put a newer and more gripping take on this. Asger is a man who is already suspended under mysterious circumstances and when Iben calls he is able to gradually realise this is no mere call. Her ex-husband has a record of violence and quickly some harrowing facts begin to stack up about the scenario she is in. Stuck in his seat in a darkened room, Asger has to use all the tricks he can to stay ahead. Constantly bugging the North Zealand dispatch operator and his old boss Bo (Jacob Lohman), he is desperate to save this scared woman from an increasingly doomed fate. Partly you can sense he is keen for some good press following some clearly unprofessional prior behaviour.

The frequent close-up camera work by DP Jasper J. Spanning and the fine sound design of Oskar Skriver are the key elements that make Moller's picture tick. Through Spanning we can constantly see the gears of Asger's mind clicking as he attempts to solve the puzzle before him. The continuing silence is the tensest aspect of the film and as we hear the sound of the rain and traffic through the headset, it adds a little more realism. While Asger wishes to end everything peacefully, there's not a guarantee of a pleasant ending. While a brave individual who takes initiative, there is also a sense that his rogue streak may well end in his downfall. Continuously pressuring others to take matters into their own hands and get the job done, the reasons for his suspension soon become very clear.

As the minutes in The Guilty crawl by Moller swiftly turns the audience inside out as some disturbing revelations come forward in the final act. While it may seem implausible to some that Asger could go undetected by his superiors- especially when his shift ended, such quarrels are minor. Mirroring Steven Knight's thriller 'Locke' the suspense gradually builds and Moller makes his audience feel they are in the room along with Asger. Iben and Michael are a pair with a bitter history, but even the most steely-nerved person will be unprepared for the movies startling twist. Moller emerges a new Danish talent to reckoned with- few Hollywood thrillers provide this type of reality and we can expect him to be on the big stage soon.

Jakob Cedergren makes for a wonderful anti-hero in this picture and pulls off a hard-bitten role with bravado. Confined to a single room, the troubled expression on his face speaks loudly and Asger is trying to pull off an impossible task. Cedergren never strives to make this character heroic or likeable, he is just a guy attempting some kind of redemption. Is Asger really a good man or simply dodging a bullet? Through Cedergren there is a wonderful ambiguity to his actions that keep us wondering.

The Guilty is one of those thrillers which makes you sit up and appreciate good European cinema. There will surely be a remake of this film by Hollywood within the next five years- especially since it is a big contender for awards glory.

Freedom Writers: Review of The Kindergarten Teacher

The Kindergarten Teacher

Director: Sara Colangelo

By Alex Watson

There are few actresses that can make an indie darling sparkle like Maggie Gyllenhaal. In Sara Colangelo's Sundance award winner The Kindergarten Teacher, she is able to take a progressively disturbing yet identifiable character and make her engaging. Adapting the original 2014 Israeli film by Navad Lapid, Colangelo chronicles an uninspired 40-something teacher looking for an outlet in life and gives a firm commentary on the mentor-mentee boundaries.

Lisa Spinelli (Maggie Gyllenhaal) is a kindergarten teacher at a crossroads in life. Her husband Grant (Michael Chernus) is sweet but rather oblivious, her teenage children (Daisy Tahan and Sam Jules) barely need her. Attempting a poetry class in her spare time, her work is often greeted with lukewarm praise by teacher Simon (Gael Garcia Bernal). Out of nothing, Lisa finds five-year-old student Jimmy Roy (Parker Sevak) who shows great promise and is adept at waxing lyrical. However, her enthusiasm for him to show his full potential eventually spills over into obsession.

Perhaps the most intriguing part of The Kindergarten Teacher is how Colangelo presents Lisa to the audience. From the outset, the frustration at the banality and predictability of her world is apparent. Lisa simply going through the motions with little to inspire her. Her poetry often falls flat and it is obvious that she has more passion than natural talent. Her marriage is past its sell-by date and her two kids view her presence as an irritation. When she first meets Jimmy, his seemingly inane ramblings to himself are like a comet striking her world. From here, she attempts in more and more desperate ways to insert herself into his world. Colangelo begins to blur the lines and soon the relationship on screen become a source of debate for all concerned.

Lisa at first tries to convince his divorced father to encourage his poetic talents which he adamantly dismisses as he just wants his son to be a normal boy. Then she resorts to stealing his poetry and presenting it as her own which quickly turns her frosty professor's attention. What precisely is her motivation with Jimmy? Colangelo keeps this almost annoyingly ambiguous- is he a creative outlet? Or is something more sinister a play here? Her behaviour becomes increasingly less professional as she begins to contacting and seeking out the boy outside of school hours, waking him during naps times and exhibits a more possessive and unsettling attitude. Her life may lack substance, but there is something fascinating and absorbing about watching this descent into near delusion.

Predictably this character becomes more and more determined for the world to see a young man who doesn't wish to be seen. There is a last-ditch effort which makes us squirm uncontrollably in our chairs. Even so, Colangelo gives this an almost illuminating quality that makes it all the more watchable. Its conclusion itself is hard to define and we are sure precisely what is being hinted at, but it is clear that this young man has been through the wringer. Is Lisa a suitable wannabe mentor for this young man? Or is she simply an overly eager teacher whose crossed a serious line in both work and her personal life? Prepare for some hard questions as the credits roll.

Maggie Gyllenhaal shows just why she is one of Hollywood's most underrated leading ladies. It takes a special type of talent to make a borderline stalker seems engaging and likeable. Gyllenhaal is able to find a warmth and charm where some would struggle greatly. Young actor Parker Sevak also impresses as Jimmy and is able to add some increasingly nervous behaviour as the picture goes on.

The Kindergarten Teacher might be just outside of major awards contention, but its a reminder of how Maggie Gyllenhaal can anchor the smaller films.

We Are All Made of Stars: Review of A Star is Born

A Star is Born

Director: Bradley Cooper

By Alex Watson

Now on its fourth version- A Star is Born feels reborn under the first time direction of Bradley Cooper. One of the rawest yet heartwarming movies of 2018, Cooper and co-star Lady Gaga do much more than provide a great sound. Getting to the heart of two fragile yet painfully real characters, this remake firmly captures the heart and soul of its predecessors.

Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) is a country star who plays to sold-out stadiums, but off-stage he is a drunken wreck who is past his best. One night while out drinking he comes across singer Ally (Lady Gaga) performing in a drag bar. Immediately taken by her talents, the pair soon enters a romantic relationship and quickly her star rises while his begins to fade. Will the pair be able to salvage their love or will fame tear them apart?

Cooper immediately makes the flaws with his lead character obvious. Starting playing to a packed stadium, Jackson drunkenly stumbles on stage and attempts to act the part of a rock star. His addiction already has him in a tailspin and all around people are worried. One scene sees his brother Bobby (Sam Eliott) puts him to bed and warns Ally "You think he drinks a little too much? Sweetie, you have no idea!" Permanently hungover and hazy-eyed, Jackson is barely functioning. When he sees Ally perform a passionate rendition of 'La Vie En Rose' in a drag bar, you can feel the sparks fly. With her stuck on eyebrows, Ally is a woman who has been permanently rejected by the industry due to her looks. While immensely talented and sure of herself, she is unconvinced by Jackson's words of encouragement. However, when they first sing the song 'Shallow' together there is an electricity which would rival any live concert on earth. We can feel Ally's star begin to ascend and there is a crushing inevitability that Jackson will soon be consigned to the past.

Throughout A Star is Born there is a fear that Ally is not equipped neither physically or emotionally to deal with her lovers' descent into the bottom of the bottle. While her face graces billboards across LA and she appears on Saturday Night Live, Jackson is confined to the shadows. Dealing with continuous problems with tinnitus and still emotionally affected by the death of his mother and father, Jackson's pain is as plain as day. Ally's scheming manager (Ravi Gavron) doesn't help matters as he sees her as a hit factory and frequently undermines her husband. While it sounds bleak and depressing, there is a naturalistic feel to this romance and there are moments of levity which makes this all the more memorable. The picture undoubtedly comes alive during its live music scenes and Gaga feels at home during this stretch. Recapturing the vibrancy and show-stopping feel of one of her live shows, credit must go to DP Matthew Libatique here.

As this torrid romance plays out there is a sense that Jackson is a ticking time bomb. Unable to cope with his sudden loss of fame, life in Ally's shadow brings out the worst in this character. A particularly gruesome moment during the Grammy's award is the pinnacle of his downfall. Judy Garland and James Mason had it easy compared to this moment. As a director, Cooper is very much adept at capturing the feel of George Cukor's 1954 effort while also maintaining a subtle nod to Barbara Streisand's 1973 version. Ally might be the star that remains, but Jackson is the star our hearts go out to even though he may not have truly earned them.

Bradley Cooper rings in what could be a career-defining turn as Jackson. Barely recognisable underneath his long dusty hair and swollen face, Cooper brings a realism along with a very recognisable sense of trauma to this character. Lost in a whirlwind of drugs and booze, Jackson is still clinging to what he used to be and is unable to face what he has become. The big question in this movie was could Lady Gaga pull off being the leading lady? The answer is HELL YES! Completely comfortable bring a natural feel along with a raw yet believable emotional pain, Gaga is more than a match for her established co-star. Bring the heat as both singer and actor, this vehicle could pave the way for her to become the triple threat she deserves to be.

A Star is Born proves that sometimes remakes can go above what is expected of them. A surefire candidate for a clutch of Oscar nominations, you will not see a better duo onscreen than Gaga and Cooper.

We Are Venom: Review of Venom

Venom

Director: Ruben Fleischer

By Alex Watson

Despite having one of the standout casts of 2018, Marvel fans are still waiting for a good outing for Spiderman's nemesis. Venom on paper had all the goods but sadly director Ruben Fleischer is never able to find a good blend between action and comedy. The result feels like a limp and wasted opportunity on an intriguing set up. Tom Hardy manages to salvage some pride with a decent performance, but for once he cannot be the sole saviour.

Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) is a TV journalist who ends up losing everything including his job and fiancee Annie (Michelle Williams) after unwisely confronting crooked billionaire Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed). To prove Drake is using homeless people as test subjects for an unknown species, he breaks into his lab to investigate. However, during his time there Eddie merges with a symbiote named Venom which will give his body a new and scarier kind of host.

The main problem with Venom comes from its rather formulaic and generic script. Starting slowly, we see Eddie's world gets turned upside down, his break up with Annie would have been more painful if there were any chemistry between the two leads. A floundering and drunken mess afterwards, he gets thrown a bone when a more sympathetic Drake employee (Jenny Slate) drops the knowledge he is killing innocent people. When he finally crosses with Venom, the result is nowhere near as entertaining as this should have been. As a character, Eddie is a rather blank slate throughout and we are never truly given a chance to understand his motivations or any kind of backstory about Brock himself. Likewise, Carlton Drake, a compelling nemesis in comic form has little impact or threat here outside of just being kind of a dick.

Studio interference has also played a role in the impact of this movie being lessened. Keen to cut this down to a PG-13 rating, the needed dark tone is disappointingly absent. Also, the movie never truly finds its rhythm and there a number of cringing moments. Eddie humiliating himself in front of Annie by jumping in a lobster tank in a restaurant is a prime example.  Given Fleischer's previous effort, Zombieland, the laugh factor should have been a shoe-in. Sadly he opts to do numerous and rather lifeless action sequences which frustrate more than they entertain. This could have another hit in the Deadpool inspired range if Fleischer chose to utilize the hilarious main duo, but there is simply not enough snappy wit to make this work.

Only in the final act does this movie become anywhere near watchable and once Eddie and new buddy begin to bond, some life comes to the movie. While an end credits sequence does provide a burst of excitement for a potential sequel, this first effort is left to rue what might have been.

Normally a movie's ace in the deck, Tom Hardy is easily the standout. Juggling between a more physical yet comedic turn, Hardy is up for the task and gives Eddie Brock a far stronger feel. As his new special friend Venom, his deep and booming voice always sends a chill down our spines. Becoming a capable actor across all cinematic forms, it will be interesting to see what Hardy can do if given the chance to return. Michelle Williams is barely used in what is an underwritten role as Eddie's lost love Annie. Always able to bring her all to even the smallest scenes, Williams has precious little to do here. Riz Ahmed is equally wasted as villain Carlton Drake and is saddled with some truly dull dialogue. An able actor in big films, this movie wastes the talents a fine talent.

Venom should have been an end of year treat for all its patient fans. Tragically, we are still waiting for a definitive outing for one of Marvel's best anti-heroes.

The Book of Life: Review of The Public

The Public

Director: Emilio Estevez

By Alex Watson


As a director, Emilio Estevez movies only come along when he is truly ready. His last picture, the Martin Sheen starring 'The Way' was a touching and authentic story of self-discovery which showed a maturity and a keen eye for humanity. His new effort, The Public is a movie which gives a compelling voice to the homeless and a sharp commentary on the lack of resources that are available. 

Stuart Goodson (Emilio Estevez) is a librarian in Cincinnati, Ohio who each day encounters a number of homeless members such as Jackson (Michael K. Williams). While happy and content in his job, things become more complicated when his superior Mr Anderson (Jeffrey Wright) announces he has been named in a lawsuit against the library. One night a brutal Midwestern cold front is about to hit the city and all the shelters are maximum capacity. What follows will result in a tense stand-off between Detective Bill Ramstead (Alec Baldwin), local D.A Josh Davis (Christian Slater), the staff and the homeless.

While its message might be a little overstated in places, The Public still makes good use of its setting and the sheer quality of performers. Estevez has always a preference for showing the plight of the average person and Stuart Goodson is a weary yet personable library supervisor. Along with his co-worker Myra (Jena Malone), the pair are simply trying to do their jobs without causing a fuss. The homeless who frequent the space are tolerated as this is the only safe place they can go without being hassled or rejected. The library tries to maintain order and give support as best it can, but Estevez shows what a tough role this can be, especially when dealing with patrons with severe mental health disorders. Goodson is a man who is doing his best to be supportive but his hands are tied by bureaucracy.

The cold front hitting Cincinnati has resulted in more and more people freezing to death each night. During this movie, there is a firm statement on the lack of shelters available and many of the homeless are simply trying to keep warm. Stuart himself is dealing with his apartment heating being down, which has him making contact with his attractive apartment manager (Taylor Schilling). When the stand-off occurs, Jackson and the others simply just want a place to send the night. Stuart despite reservations allows this to go ahead and they barricade the doors. Everyone outside the library just wants this to be done with- Ramstead is a negotiator who is also looking for his drug-addicted son. He simply wants everyone to go home and not have to deal with the slimy and corse Davis whose campaign for Mayor is not going to plan.

The final act of The Public might seem formulaic and has a number of slightly cliched moments (complete with quoting the Grapes of Wrath). Plus there are some side stories that perhaps overstay their welcome- particularly Gabrielle Union's vampirish newswoman who portrays Stuart as a kidnapper. However, despite these flaws, there is still a nice sense of authenticity and comradery. While there is a heavy-handedness to Estevez's direction, he is still able to emphasize the struggle the homeless face to be heard. Libraries are increasingly considered to be a safe haven because few places offer them a place to simply be and access services that can help turn their lives around. Stuart desire to help is made clearer during the final act and credit to Estevez for giving this subtle touch. Within the walls of the library, there is a tension building that could potentially give the police a reason to storm. The resolution to this may divide audience members, but it will still leave a smile on our lips.

Emilio Estevez has always been a capable performer as well as director and once more he is on double duty. As Stuart, Estevez conveys a good sense of weariness alongside a fighting spirit. While he may be a reluctant participator, he is also a leader with a sense of compassion. The supporting cast alone elevates this picture and Alec Baldwin gives a fine turn as Ramstead, whose fear for his son's safety is in conflict with his role in attempting to end the stand-off. Christian Slater is also in fine form as the particularly nasty Davis. While this role may see him permanently in one gear, Slater makes full use of his distaste of this tricky situation.

The Public is a movie which gives some much needed focus on the problems the homeless face each day. It might not see much action comes awards time, but Estevez still shows he is a director who makes us think.