Film Review - A Most Violent Year (2014)

Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
Distributor: Icon Film Distribution
Release Date: 23rd January 2015 (UK)
Rating:15
Running Time: 125 mins
Director: J. C. Chandor
Cast: Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, David Oyelowo, Albert Brooks

1981 is on record as statistically being one of the most dangerous years for New York City.  As well as being a dangerous year, it is also my birth year, so I sat down to enjoy this film thinking about those The Year I Was Born books that you got given as ‘original’ gifts as a child, eager to find out about New York City, in the year I was born.

The film follows Abel Morales (Oscar Isaac; Ex Machina, The Two Faces of January) and wife Anna (Jessica Chastain; Interstellar, Zero Dark Thirty) as they try to succeed with their oil trading business in the most violent year.  Business has been up and down for them, someone has been stealing oil from their tankers and they are being threatened with legal action from the DA for various accounts of embezzlement, but they are in the process of purchasing a large warehouse facility to greatly expand their business.

When a film is called A Most Violent Year you’re expecting a level of violence, so I spent a lot of the film waiting for something to happen, which kept me on my toes. However, the film is not about the city and the violent year, the story is more about an immigrant trying to do well in business and life, with crooked business associates, in a crooked business, in a violent city.  The nods to the violent year are achieved by radio snippets about shooting peppered throughout the film.

Jessica Chastain’s performance is standout and the highlight of the film, Anna’s moral compass slightly scewed to get the job done and to do right by the business and her family.  She skirts round questions from her husband about how legally they’ve been working with such class, very much aware that their competitors are just as crooked as they are.

One of the more interesting characters is Julian (Elyes Gabel; Interstellar, Game of Thrones), a driver who early on the film has his oil tanker stolen at gun point. He is then, after much debate, given a gun to protect himself, however he is really not emotionally ready to be back on the road. Abel is too preoccupied with financially concerns to fully sympathise with his employees state of mind, and as a result Julian handles his situation badly.  Girls fans like myself will also be pleased to see Christopher Abbott as one of the hijackers, who puts in a fine and gutsy performance.

A Most Violent Year is a subtle, suspenseful but rather slow moving at times, however an interesting portrayal of a well meaning man trying to do right in a violent and crooked world.  Though entertaining enough, I don’t think the film packs the punch which it promises.

Side Note - For old times sake I just dug out my copy of The Year I Was Born book, which tells me that on my birthday an ex-Trappist monk hijacked a Boeing 737 flying between Dublin and London.  He did this by covering himself in petrol and demanding the plane changed location to Iran, but being a short distance flight, the plane only had enough petrol to go to Paris.  When they landed in Paris, in discussions with the police the ex-monk's demands did not include any financial gain, only that Pope John Paul II make public a series of apocalyptic visions and prophecies called the Third Secret of Fatima.  I hope I’m not the only one thinking that this story would have made a far more interesting movie than A Most Violent Year.

★★★★★

Alice Hubley

DVD Review - Night Moves (2013)

Genre:
Thriller, Drama
Distributor:
Soda Pictures
Rating: 15
DVD/BD Release Date:
12th January 2015 (UK)
Running Time:
112 Minutes
Director:
Kelly Reichardt
Cast:
Jesse Eisenberg, Dakota Fanning, Peter Sarsgaard, Alia Shawkat
Extras:
Interviews With Kelly Reichardt, Jesse Eisenberg, Short Film Trailer
Buy:Night Moves [DVD]
Night Moves, directed by Kelly Reichardt, is not a conventional thriller, yet it remains compelling because of its character-driven, slowly-unfolding nightmare. What stood out most for me in this film was the characterisation and acting; each character was written and casted perfectly.

The film follows Josh (Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network), Dena (Dakota Fanning, Twilight Saga: New Moon) and Harmon (Peter Sarsgaard, Garden State), three eco-activists who blow up a dam that they believe is harming the environment. However, their protest with good intent quickly becomes a dangerous misfortune. After they blow up the dam, and return to their ordinary lives, everything carries on as normal, making the situation eerily real – there are no high-octane police chases or fight scenes – these genre standards are replaced with increasing paranoia, guilt and numbness.

Eisenberg’s character is a subdued version of the actor’s typically awkward film roles, perfectly portraying a temperamental and troubled eco-terrorist. As the film progresses, and the suspense builds, he becomes more and more erratic and threatening, executed outstandingly by the actor. Dakota Fanning provides incredible support, as an edgy and unreadable college dropout, whilst still retaining a young innocence. Sarsgaard’s character, an ex-marine, appears light-hearted at first, with a calmer approach to the act of eco-terrorism. However, the actor’s performance becomes more chilling as Horman slowly becomes desensitised after the event.

The character relationships are subtle and implied rather than thrown in your face, with the first hour, seemingly, dedicated to character development – learning about their backgrounds and personalities which influence their roles in the second hour’s conflict. A key scene shows a wide shot with all three activists sitting in the car they used to escape from the imminent explosion. Each character’s face is extremely telling as they wait for the sudden eruption of their plan coming together. These character building scenes, at first, can seem slightly un-engaging however, they are integral for the ensuing tension.

The accompanying music, composed by Jeff Grace (composer for the Lord of the Rings trilogy), is quiet and subdued, consisting mainly of piano and pan-pipes, but is still eerie and, at times, unsettling as the onscreen action can become very tense. It becomes clear that the label of ‘thriller’ is not because of anything particularly action-packed and grand, but rather because of the guilt eating away at the protagonists, until they all become extremely fearful and unconfident in a unique way.

This is not a film for someone expecting to be immediately gripped and thrilled, as it sometimes lacks the ability to engage, however, Reichardt’s portrayal of three people made victim to their own psychological decay stays with its audience long after watching.

Night Moves is available on DVD from 12th January.

★★★ 1/2
Jenn Spiers

Win Dinosaur 13 On DVD And Poster Courtesy of Dogwoof

Win UK Sci-fi Indie BEYOND on DVD

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DVD Review - Open Grave (2013)

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Film Review - Art of Darkness (2014) - Raindance Film Festival

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Film Review - Palo Alto (2013)

Film Review - Like Sunday, Like Rain (2014, Raindance Film Festival)

Genre:
Music, Drama
Rating: 12A
Screening Status:
UK Premiere
UK Release Date:
TBC
Director:
Frank Whaley
Cast:
Leighton Meester, Julian Shatkin, Billy Joel Armstrong, Debra Messing

After breaking up with her boyfriend and losing her job and home, a desperate Eleanor (Leighton Meester) lies convincingly to land a job as a nanny to a gifted 13-year-old boy named Reggie (Julian Shatkin).  

Eleanor is in her mid 20’s and at a loss, she doesn’t know what to do with herself and takes the nanny job as a stopgap before she figures out her next move.  On first impressions Reggie is a total brat, a spoilt rich kid who isn’t in touch with reality.  However as Reggie and Eleanor’s friendship develops, you see how he is able to help her overcome her break up with musician Dennis (Billy Joe Armstrong, yes the guy from Green Day) and support her, whilst she struggles to deal with her wayward family and her dying father.

Relative unknown Julian Shatkin plays the role of Reggie with remarkable maturity and intelligence for someone of his age.  There is undeniably chemistry between himself and Meester, which for a 20-day shooting schedule, shows the strength of them both as actors. 

Leighton Meester is rather tremendous as Eleanor and if we didn’t know it already, the role shows that she is capable of being much more than Blair Waldorf. Though still on the Upper West Side, we see a different side of her and she plays the role with true class and sincerity.

The big question that everyone will be asking is “can Billy Joe Armstrong act?”  And the answer is, “yes, erm kind of”. Admittedly he is playing a broke, greasy musician type, so all he had to do was learn to act poor, but he definitely didn’t embarrass himself in the process.  Apparently he was really nervous about being in the movie and kept forgetting his lines, which is kinda sweet.  Debra Messing (Will and Grace) is also rather formidable as Reggie’s emotionless mother.

Despite Billy Joel’s acting, no Green Day is featured in the movie, but there is lots of music provided by Reggie’s cello and a score composed by British musician Ed Harcourt. Music also plays a large part in the bonding and discussion of Reggie and Eleanor throughout the movie.

Director/writer Frank Whaley is an actor and probably most recognizable as being Brett in Pulp Fiction, the man who gets ceremoniously killed in the infamous Ezekiel 25:17 scene, he was also in 90’s classics Field of Dreams and The Doors.  This is the fourth film Whaley has directed/written in a 15 year period since 1999’s Joe The King and he is still consistently working as an actor, most recently in bit parts on TV shows Gotham and The Blacklist. 

We were lucky that Whaley was at the screening and he gave a short Q&A after the film. Whaley talked about first meeting Meester, and her really connecting to the role and being very open to him about her upbringing (which has famously been reported on). It seemed that the role really spoke to Meester on a personal level and Whaley instantly wanted her for the role, even though a better-known actress was available.

Whaley also talked about how Harold and Maude was an influence in making the film, in an unlikely friendship with an age gap.  And, yes we know that Meester isn’t 80, but there is a timeless quality to the film, that is reminiscent of the 70’s classic.

This is a consistently good film with a charming plot. It’s intriguing to see the friendship of Eleanor and Reggie play out, the influence they have on each other and the journey both of them take throughout the timeframe of the movie.  I’m not sure what plans there are for a cinema release, however I urge you to seek it out and enjoy it.

Jarmusch Collection Blu-ray Review - Down By Law (1986)

Genre:
Drama, Comedy
Distributor:
Soda Pictures
BD Release Date:
6th October 2014 (UK)
Rating: 18
Director:
Jim Jarmusch
Cast:
Tom Waits, John Lurie, Roberto Benigni
Buy:Jim Jarmusch Box Set [Blu-ray]
Down by Law was Jim Jarmusch’s third film, his best and most popular. It was also recently re-released in the UK cinemas. Jarmusch’s most ambitious film to date, it marked the beginning of a long collaboration with the cinematographer Robby Müller. It’s an absurdist noir black comedy and remains the only film Jarmusch has used “American money” in it’s funding.

The story concerns three different men who are unknown to each other until they are thrown into jail together in New Orleans. Zack (Tom Waits) is a disk jockey, Jack (John Lurie) is a smalltime pimp, and both are innocent of the crimes they are imprisoned for. Their cellmate is Bob (Roberto Benigni), an Italian tourist who is imprisoned for manslaughter. They eventually hatch a plan to escape and end up in the swamps of the New Orleans Bayou.

Tom Waits, who was almost always a bit player, gets a co-lead here and you really get to see how good actor he can be. John Lurie is great as well and it’s a shame he hasn’t done much acting work since the 80s except some work on the TV show OZ, although this is partly down to illness. Benigni, however, steals the film: he gets all the biggest laughs, his character constantly misunderstands his cellmates to hilarious effect.

Robby Müller, one of the world’s best directors of photography from the 1970s to the early 2000s, shot Down By Law. He hasn’t shot a film in over 10 years, but his influence it still felt around the world. Down by Law contains some of Müller’s best work, the scenes in the Bayou are absolutely beautiful. The nearest comparison would be some of the scenes in Tarkovsky’s first film Ivan’s Childhood. He would end up working with Jarmusch on all his features up to and including Ghost Dog, with the exception of Night on Earth.

Almost 30 years after its release, Down By Law remains a high water mark of Independent cinema, and also of Jim Jarmusch’s career. It’s a surreal farcical trip and even on second and third viewings it still works its strange charm on you. It’s also full of great performances and a great soundtrack supplied by Tom Waits and John Lurie.

The film’s transfer onto Blu-Ray, from what I gather, comes from the same masters as the Criterion Blu-Ray. It looks the best I’ve ever seen, it’s crystal clear throughout but regains the right amount of film grain. The disc features a series of phone calls Jarmusch made to the cast for the original Criterion DVD which are funny and insightful regarding the film and their relationship.

★★★★★
Ian Schultz

Jarmusch Colection Blu-ray Review - Stranger Than Paradise (1984)

Genre:
Comedy, Drama
Distributor:
Soda Pictures
BD Release Date:
6th October 2014 (UK)
Rating: 18
Director:
Jim Jarmusch
Cast:
John Lurie, Eszter Balint,Richard Edison
Buy:Jim Jarmusch Box Set [Blu-ray]
Stranger Than Paradise was the film that made Jim Jarmusch’s name, and became one of the first films to come out of Independent film boom of the 80s and 90s. It also has the feel of a first film despite it being Jarmusch’s second feature length film: it’s the first one that is quintessential Jarmusch. It has the characters who are hipper than hip, which are still prevalent in his work—for example in his latest film, Only Lovers Left Alive.

It is a master class in minimalist storytelling, not unlike the minimalism one of Jarmusch’s heroes, Robert Bresson, employed in his work. It’s the story of the New York hipster Wllie (John Lurie) whose Hungarian cousin Eva (Eszter Balint) is visiting but is forced to stay at his place after their Aunt Lotte lands in the hospital. Initially he makes it clear he doesn’t want her to stay, but gradually he starts to enjoy her company. After 10 days she leaves for Cleveland, and the film picks up a year later when Willie and his friend Eddie (Richard Edson) decided to pay Eva a visit.

The film’s performances are naturalistic partly due to all the cast basically playing versions of themselves. Tom DiCillo, who would later be a noted director in his own right with films like Johnny Suede and Living in Oblivion, did the cinematography. It’s shot on leftover film stock, which was supplied by Wim Wenders. Wenders became a friend of Jim Jarmusch’s after watching Permanent Vacation.

The film, despite its obvious limitations and the 30 years that have passed since its release, still is as fresh and exciting when it first came out. It has aged perfectly; it’s a snapshot of a time but at the same time remains timeless, which might be down to the use of black and white. It broke the perceived notion of the independent film as inaccessible artsy crap and made it possible to be entertaining and funny outside the big studio system. It was one of the first micro-budget films that would be a box-office success, something that would be the norm a decade later. It also wound up winning numerous awards, including the Camera D’or at 1984 Cannes film festival.

The film has been restored for this Blu-Ray release and looks as good as the film could possibly ever look due to it’s budget. It includes a silent short “making of,” which was shot by Jim Jarmusch’s brother Tom. It also includes the trailers for Stranger Than Paradise along with trailers for Jarmusch’s other films.

★★★★★
Ian Schultz

Win Horror Film Afflicted On DVD

To celebrate the release of Afflicted, out on DVD 6th October 2014, we are happy to say that we have a copy on DVD up for grabs courtesy of Entertainment One.

Afflicted comes straight from the producer of “Insidious” and “Sinister”, and winner of the Best Afflicted reinvents a familiar horror genre with a smart and stylish combination of pulse-pounding action and bloody terror.

Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay awards at Austin’s prestigious Fantastic Fest,

Afflicted is one of those movies where the less you know about it going in, the greater the reward. Without giving too much away, it takes a familiar horror genre and gives it a dazzling and totally unexpected spin. Co-writers, co-directors and co-stars Derek Lee and Clif Prowse have produced a stunning debut feature, packed with superlative effects, stunts and performances that belie the movie’s indie roots and modest budget.

Available to order on DVD & Blu-ray from 6th October http://amzn.to/1rM9tdg

Best friends Derek and Clif embark on the trip of a lifetime, planning to travel to the ends of the earth, see the world, and live life to the fullest, while documenting their adventures via video footage posted to their website. But things take a dark and bloody turn when, following an amorous encounter with a beautiful woman in Paris, Derek starts to show signs of a mysterious affliction. Now, thousands of miles from home, they must race to uncover the source of Derek’s illness before it consumes him completely.

To win this fantastic film Afflicted please answer the following question....

Q.What UK Film Festival Did Afflicted make it's UK premiere this during the festivals Horror strand this year?

Deadline is Sunday 26th October 2014 (23:59pm),If you haven’t done already Like us and stay with us at our Facebook page (if you are already liking us just share this post on twitter and facebook). Must be 18  or older to enter.

1.The competition is not opened to employees, family, friends of The Peoples Movies, Cinehouse,Manga UK, Entertainment One UK,18 years or older to enter 3.Failure to include any information required to enter could result in your entry been void.  4.automated entries are not allowed and will be disqualified, which could result you been banned, DO NOT INCLUDE telephone numbers as for security reason your entry will be deleted.5.If you are friend or like us at facebook for every competition you enter you get double entry, but you must stay friend/like us all the time,or future entries maybe considered one entry if you are liking us share the post on facebook and re-tweet the post.6.The Peoples Movies, Cinehouse takes no responsibility for delayed, lost, stolen prizes 7.Prizes may take from days to a few months for delivery which is out of our control so please do not complain 8.The winning entries will be picked at random and contacted by email for postal details and will be announced via facebook, sometimes we are unable to confirm winners. Uk & Irish entries only

UK Competitions and Prize Draws at UKwins
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Michael Madsen to attend European premiere of THE NINTH CLOUD at RDFF

THE NINTH CLOUD, Jane Spencer’s dark, philosophical drama, will receive its European Premiere at this year’s Raindance Film festival, on Monday 29 September (8.50pm) at the Vue Piccadilly. The film’s stars will be attending, including Michael Madsen and Leo Gregory. Director Jane Spencer and producer Julia Verdin will also be attending and all will be giving a Q+A after the screening.

Set in 90s London, THE NINTH CLOUD tells the story of Zena (Megan Maczko), who, trying to escape the grief of her family being killed in a plane crash, becomes infatuated with fellow American Bob (Michael Madsen), an enigmatic but failed poet and writer, who has taken up residency in a Hackney squat. Searching for hope through Bob’s artistic visions, whilst clinging on to her fragile grasp of reality, Zena collides and colludes with an array of desperados, angst-ridden IT girls and debauched failed artists. Two men in particular zero in on her: Brett, a narcissistic socialite (Leo Gregory), and Jonny, a drink-drowning musician searching for a way to re-surface (Jean Hughes Anglade). But it is to the unattainable Bob that Zena is mystically drawn to – as if only he holds the answer to the meaning of her life...

Jane Spencer’s tragi-comedy takes us on a journey through the underbelly of 90s London where loss, love and the meaning of existence are given a uniquely surreal twist.

She comments: “The film is about a group of people from all walks of life, trying to find hope in a world full of darkness and tragedy. Zena is a dreamer, who, against all circumstance, is trying to make something good happen in the world - even at a very high personal cost. I grew up watching films from the 1960's 'free cinema' movements and idolised the work of Lindsay Anderson, Tony Richardson, John Schlesinger, and also the philosophical films of that time; the French films of Truffaut, and especially Jacques Rivette. I suppose THE NINTH CLOUD is a 'homage' to those films, in a way”
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Producer Julia Verdin adds: “One of the things that attracted me to this project is that it is a film about escapism. All of the character is their different ways are trying to escape from reality and living in worlds that they have created for themselves and so blocked from moving forward by their own perceptions which i think is something that audiences will identify with.

The screening will take place at The Vue Piccadilly at 8.50pm on Monday 29 September. There is a second screening, also at the Vue Piccadilly, on Tues 30 at 4pm.


Tickets can be bought from: www.myvue.com/Raindance