Contagion Blu-Ray Review

Rated PG-13 (Disturbing Content and some Language)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 46 Minutes

Cast-

Matt Damon-Mitch Emhoff

Gwyneth Paltrow-Elizabeth ‘Beth’ Emhoff

Laurence Fishburne-Dr. Ellis Cheever

Kate Winslet-Dr. Erin Mears

Marion Cotillard-Dr. Leonora Orantes

Jude Law-Alan Krumwiede

Jennifer Ehle-Dr. Ally Hextall

Elliott Gould-Dr. Ian Sussman

Chin Han-Sun Feng

Bryan Cranston- RADM Lyle Haggerty, PHSCC

John Hawkes-Roger

Sanaa Lathan-Aubrey Cheever

Anna Jacoby-Heron-Jory Emhoff

Directed by Steven Soderbergh

Matt Damon's Mitch Emhoff finds himself in the midst of a global pandemic in Steven Soderbergh's "Contagion."

Nobody likes getting sick but it happens despite the best of our efforts. I began 2012 on a sour note when I woke up on New Year’s Eve with a sore throat and runny nose but a quick visit to the doctor had me back on my feet in a week’s time. People in their twenties tend to take their health for granted and so I viewed my illness as little more than a pesky nuisance. However, even the most innocent cough can turn deadly with the billions upon billions of germs floating around in the air we breathe, not to mention that our hands are making contact with so many surfaces both consciously and subconsciously. Recent years have brought the SARS outbreak and the H1N1 ‘swine flu’ pandemic, and yet society did not grind to a halt even as health organizations continued to warn the public to be wary and take extra precautions. Hollywood films have often depicted post-apocalyptic futures ravaged by disease but versatile director Steven Soderbergh once again bucks convention with “Contagion,” a thought-provoking film in the same vein of his 2000 Academy Award-winning “Traffic” but instead of the illegal drug trade, it explores how the scientific community and general public would react when faced by a global pandemic. Soderbergh’s stylish editing manages to generate a tense atmosphere of unease thanks to its real world approach and thematic relevance but “Contagion” intentionally keeps its characters at arm’s length, which may limit its appeal among audiences expecting a more straightforward thriller. 

The film opens with a black screen and the sound of a hacking cough. Returning from a business trip in Hong Kong, Elizabeth ‘Beth’ Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow) makes a stop at Chicago to meet up with an old boyfriend named John Neal before returning home to her family and husband Mitch (Matt Damon) in suburban Minneapolis. A montage ensues showing random individuals living in Hong Kong, London, and Tokyo experiencing flu-like symptoms and convulsions before suddenly dying. Back in Minnesota, Beth’s son Clark contracts the same mysterious illness while her condition continues to worsen. Mitch wakes up one morning to find his wife collapsed on the floor and suffering from a severe seizure. He rushes her to the hospital but the doctors are unable to save her and she dies from the unknown virus. Returning home in shock, Mitch discovers that the virus has now taken the life of his son as well. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Dr. Ellis Cheever (Laurence Fishburne) sends an Epidemic Intelligence Service officer named Erin Mears (Kate Winslet) to investigate the virus in Minneapolis. Meanwhile, Dr. Leonora Orantes (Marion Cotillard) of the World Health Organization is sent to Hong Kong to investigate the origins of the virus. Dubbed MEV-1 (Meningoencephalitis Virus One), the virus begins to infect thousands of people around the world as the CDC races to find a vaccine. Internet blogger/journalist Alan Krumwiede (Jude Law) fans the flames of conspiracy by accusing the CDC of withholding the cure at the behest of pharmaceutical companies. He begins to preach that a drug called Forsythia is able to stop MEV-1. Mass rioting and looting ensues as people succumb to panic while MEV-1 continues to infect and kill without discrimination. 

Judging from the initial previews, it wouldn’t be surprising if you mistook “Contagion” as another in a long line of post-apocalyptic films but Soderbergh and writer Scott Z. Burns instead approaches the subject matter as a procedural by focusing on how the world would react when suddenly faced with a global pandemic. The various characters are largely ancillary as the virus is what drives the film’s interconnected subplots forward. What makes the film get under our skin is in how it realistically depicts the loss of social order with desperate people succumbing to mass hysteria and forced to take matters into their own hands in what appears to be a hopeless situation. The camera often lingers on seemingly innocuous objects that we touch everyday to show how easy and quick a disease can spread. A series of disquieting scenes show the world grinding to a halt as garbage and bodies pile up on the streets while buildings either sit abandoned or in a state of disarray due to rampant looting. What’s really shocking is how inefficient the bureaucracy is when it comes to handling a crisis, although given what happened with Hurricane Katrina back in 2005, this should not come as any real surprise. When Mears is setting up an emergency room at a local school in Minnesota, state officials barge in and blatantly ask ‘Is this coming out of your budget or ours?’ Apparently saving money takes precedence over saving lives. These people are even reluctant to shut down public schools in fear of working parents taking off from shopping during Black Friday. Soderbergh and Burns also explore how meaningless protocols prevents people from doing their job such as when Cheever wants to bring Mears back home but is unable to because an infected congressman has become the priority. Those in power keep from revealing information as a way to prevent panic but such tactics are shown to have the complete opposite effect as regular citizens become outraged and look for a scapegoat to blame. Our modern world allows instantaneous communication but it also shows how fast it can all crumble and fall apart at a moment’s notice. Like the virus itself, all this is presented in a clinical and detached manner as characters are killed off without a hint of emotion. When burying the infected bodies, bored workers muse not on the loss of life but the lack of body bags to store them. Even the colors in each frame invoke a sterile tone to reflect the matter-of-fact manner of how bad the situation is. 

However, the worldwide scope does lead to some stumbles as the subplots are presented in an uneven manner with Krumwiede lacking consistency as a character and Orantes disappearing for a large stretch until the final minutes of the film. Initially, Krumwiede is shown to be a hard-line conspiracy theorist but is later revealed to a selfish opportunist who is spreading lies about a miracle core yet his demeanor never seems to reflect that as he appears to genuinely believe in his convictions. In addition, the Orantes subplot is resolved in a rather xenophobic manner, even if it is unintentional. Nonetheless, it does not completely derail “Contagion” from being an effective cautionary tale of how easily our carefully constructed lives can fall apart at something so small that it cannot be seen with the naked eye. 

Soderbergh has gathered an impressive ensemble cast but all of them play unglamorous roles and are used to illustrate the themes of the film. There is no true ‘main’ character but Matt Damon makes for an effective audience stand-in as everyman Mitch Emhoff, providing a human touch to the proceedings even as the world falls apart around him. However, Bryan Cranston and John Hawkes end up being wasted due to the limited screen-time they have. Jude Law tends to lean toward scenery chewing but for the most part, the cast manages to give fairly nuanced performances despite their deliberately underwritten roles. 

“Contagion” was one of the first Blu-Ray releases of 2012 and while it won’t exactly blow anyone away, the video and audio qualities remain impressive. The film has a sharp look since it was shot with the RED MX digital camera with various yellow and blue filters used. Many of the environments come off as sterile in appearance but detail is strong and flesh-tones retain a natural color despite the various filters used. The only vibrant scenes that stand out are the flashbacks taking place in a casino in Hong Kong. On the audio front, the dialogue is handled well with Cliff Martinez’s jazz-techno score slowly ratcheting up the tension with its subtle thumping beats. Special features are slim with only three featurettes lasting from a paltry two to eleven minutes. Not even an audio commentary was included! 

Released on September 9, 2011, “Contagion” received largely positive reviews with 84% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics hailed it as a ‘tense, tightly plotted…exceptionally smart and scary disaster movie’ but audiences weren’t quite as enamored and graded the film a B- according to CinemaScore polling. Despite this supposedly ‘mediocre’ score, the film still managed to earn a solid $175 million worldwide ($76 million domestic) against an estimated $60 million production budget, although I suspect much of this money went toward the A-list cast’s paychecks and various travel expenses. Once again, Soderbergh has taken an unconventional approach to a familiar genre and the result is a stylish film that does not pander to the audience by resorting to meaningless CG spectacle or exposition. “Contagion” has its flaws but it does not diminish its most compelling aspect—the fragility of our modern world.

Final Rating: 4 out of 5

“Someone doesn't have to weaponize the bird flu. The birds are doing that.”

Read More

Haywire Review

Rated R (Some Violence)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 33 Minutes

Cast-

Gina Carano-Mallory Kane

Michael Fassbender-Paul

Ewan McGregor-Kenneth

Channing Tatum-Aaron

Michael Douglas-Oliver Coblenz

Antonio Banderas-Rodrigo

Bill Paxton-John Kane

Michael Angarano-Scott

Mathieu Kassovitz-Studer

Anthony Brandon Wong-Jiang

Directed by Steven Soderbergh

You don't wanna piss Gina Carano off.

Better watch out because it looks like there’s a new action heroine in town and her name’s Gina Carano! For those of you unfamiliar with her, Carano is a retired mixed martial arts fighter who is making her film debut in Steven Soderbergh’s action spy thriller “Haywire.” Soderbergh made a splash at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival in France with his debut film “Sex, Lies, and Videotape” which not only won the prestigious Palme d'Or award but also revolutionized the independent film industry. His varied filmography clearly shows his versatility as a director, easily alternating between mainstream works such as 2001’s “Ocean’s Eleven” to more arthouse fare such as 2009’s “The Girlfriend Experience.” Even when working with familiar genres, Soderbergh often injects his own stylistic flair in a way that makes his films feel fresh and exciting. This is the case with “Haywire,” an action film that manages to rise above its pedestrian story-telling thanks to its impeccable ensemble cast, tight pacing, and brutally realistic fight choreography. 

Opening in media res, a young woman named Mallory Kane (Gina Carano) is sitting in an upstate New York diner when a man suddenly sits down in front of her. She recognizes him as Aaron (Channing Tatum), who orders her to get in his car but Mallory refuses. The two engage in a brutal fistfight with Aaron gaining the upper-hand until a customer named Scott (Michael Angarano) intervenes. Mallory immediately takes Aaron’s gun and knocks him unconscious. Taking Scott hostage, she orders him to give up his keys to his car in order to escape from Aaron. As Scott bandages her wound, Mallory reveals that she was a freelance agent hired by the United States Government for jobs where plausible deniability is required. The film rewinds back to a week earlier in Washington DC where government agent Oliver Coblenz (Michael Douglas) and his Spanish contact Rodrigo (Antonio Banderas) are hashing out the details for a covert rescue operation in Barcelona with Mallory’s superior Kenneth (Ewan McGregor). Coblenz insists on having Mallory take on the job as she is the best operative but Kenneth is initially hesitant. He finally relents and agrees to free up her crowded schedule. In Barcelona, Mallory meets up with her team which includes Aaron. Their goal is to rescue a Chinese political dissident named Jiang (Anthony Brandon Wong), who is currently being held hostage in an apartment building. They recon the area and learn that they have a four minute window where Jiang’s kidnapper leaves the building. The rescue does not go as planned as the kidnapper comes back sooner than expected and sees them leaving. He opens fire and tries to escape but Mallory corners him in an alleyway where she easily beats him into submission. Jiang is handed over to Rodrigo safe and sound. With another job done, Mallory heads home to San Diego with the intention of quitting Kenneth’s company but he offers her one last assignment where she will be paired with a British agent named Paul (Michael Fassbender) and pose as a married couple in Dublin. However, the mission is all a ruse as Mallory eventually discovers that she is being set up, forcing her to go rogue in order to discover the truth. 

As an action spy thriller “Haywire” is straightforward and pedestrian even by Soderbergh’s standards but he maintains a tight pace by stripping the story down to its bare essentials. By presenting the first half as an extended flashback narrated by Mallory, the film is freed from needless exposition or any other extraneous material that can throw off its momentum. Like the main character, the audience is kept in the dark until the very end and this is an effective way of keeping viewers actively engaged without resorting to traditional means of story-telling. The film does struggle when it comes to balancing the plot with the action but writer Lem Dobbs manages to cover up any short-comings by providing enough context rather than letting the fights simply exist as an excuse to showcase Carano’s talents for ass-kicking. While the script is ultimately somewhat derivative and offers few surprises, Soderbergh utilizes an unconventional style that lends “Haywire” an experimental vibe. The cinematography and editing can best be described as erratic but this is intentional and reflects the changing circumstances that Mallory often faces without warning. A shaky handheld camera is used for one scene while certain shots appear as either black-and-white or with the lighting overexposed and the colors de-saturated. Sometimes a seemingly random assortment of shots are edited together in order to emphasize the tension and paranoia that Mallory feels. David Holmes’ addictive score recalls 1970’s action cinema with its jazzy ambience and noir-like overtones. 

Of course, the highlight of the film is the brutal fight scenes and even these are unique because Soderbergh does not try to amp them up with loud music or quick editing. The only sounds heard are the grunts of exertion from the combatants and the camera never becomes an obstacle like in so many glossy Hollywood productions. Even better is the fact there were no digital enhancements, wire-work, or even stunt doubles used. What you see is what you get and this is the way all fight scenes should be: intense but also grounded in reality. However, if you’ve seen your fair share of Hong Kong martial arts films such as the ones staring Donnie Yen or Sammo Hung, than this is nothing new. Seeing Carano trade blows with Michael Fassbender or Ewan McGregor is immensely satisfying and there’s even a bit of a sexual component to how it’s presented, especially when she uses her thighs in a chokehold. Chase scenes are cleanly staged with long-tracking shots of people running from one end to another before cutting to the next frame. Holmes’ jazzy beats accompany the Barcelona chase as Mallory runs in pursuit of Jiang’s kidnapper. Some viewers may find it lacking in excitement but Soderbergh is nothing if not unorthodox even when he is working on what is a mainstream film. 

The large ensemble cast does not allow every actor to really flesh out their characters but their performances are nuanced enough to offset that flaw. Soderbergh relates in an anecdote that he first took notice of Gina Carano while watching mixed martial arts on television after being fired from a film, ‘which happens’ as he dryly noted. For a first timer, Carano is adequate but can come off flat in her line deliveries and you can tell that Soderbergh tries hard to compensate by often pairing her with more experienced actors. She can obviously handle herself in a fight scene and despite being built like an ox, she is still very attractive. As for whether or not her voice was dubbed, Carano admitted that it was ‘tweaked’ in post-production and I did notice something off about the way she sounded but honestly, it is not that big of a deal. Soderbergh remarked in an interview that he wanted her voice ‘to sound different—not like Gina, but like her character, Mallory Kane.’ 

Released on January 20, 2012, “Haywire” has received largely positive reviews with 83% on Rotten Tomatoes as critics hailed it as ‘a fast and spare thriller, with cleanly staged set pieces that immerse you in the action.’ This is unusual given the fact that films released during the first two months of the year rarely garner such a reception. Unfortunately, audiences weren’t as enamored with the film like critics as it has a dismal D+ CinemaScore and flopped during opening weekend with a mere domestic gross of $8.4 million. I am confident that it will earn back its estimated $25 million production budget but just barely. Why did this happen? Audiences are a fickle bunch and do not like to be ‘misled’ as the initial previews seemed to indicate that it had non-stop action. Interestingly, Soderbergh experienced a similar predicament with the 2002 science fiction film “Solaris” based upon Stanisław Lem’s 1961 Polish novel of the same name. Even in his more mainstream efforts, he can’t even seem to catch a break but Soderbergh has never paid much heed to box office earnings as makes films because he’s passionate about them, which says a lot in today’s increasingly commercialized climate in Hollywood. This is one instance where the word-of-mouth is just plain wrong and while it may not reinvent the wheel when it comes to its story, “Haywire” offers up enough style and fisticuffs for those who truly appreciate the way Soderbergh has taken a familiar genre and made it his own.

Final Rating: 4 out of 5

“You can tell me right now why you sold me out, or you can tell me when I have my hands around your throat.”

Read More

Underworld: Awakening 3D Review

Rated R (Strong Violence and Gore, and for some Language)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 28 Minutes

Cast-

Kate Beckinsale-Selene

India Eisley-Eve

Theo James-David

Michael Ealy-Detective Sebastian

Stephen Rea-Dr. Jacob Lane

Charles Dance-Thomas

Kris Holden-Ried-Quint

Sandrine Holt-Lida

Directed by Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein

Kate Beckinsale is back as vampire warrioress Selene in "Underworld: Awakening."

Kate Beckinsale will be hitting forty in two years’ time but she has nothing to worry about if “Underworld Awakening” is anything to go by. Despite earning $10.17 billion in revenue in 2011, the domestic box office was actually down 3.8% from 2010 with tickets sales falling to the lowest level since 1995. There are a number of reasons as to why this is the case but the biggest ones are Hollywood’s continued reliance on franchises and over-saturating the market with lazy 3D releases. Audience attendance continues to shrink as many are just not compelled enough to leave their homes to see films with ridiculous surcharges and sit with people who honestly cannot shut up. Even I sometimes feel that going to the theater isn’t worth it anymore but my duty as an amateur film critic keeps me motivated. A new year always brings a sense of optimism and it did as 2012’s first new release, “The Devil Inside,” earned a whopping $34 million against a measly $1 million production budget but unfortunately, the film was met with universal scorn from both critics and audiences. Still, it’s already a success and when Paramount releases a sequel, audiences will have no one to blame but themselves. January (and February) has been traditionally known to be a ‘dead month’ for film releases but I was looking forward to “Underworld Awakening,” the fourth installment in the “Underworld” franchise and the first to be shot in native 3D. With the exception of a voiceover and the use of archive footage from the first film, Beckinsale did not appear in “Rise of the Lycans” and I was surprised she would return to the role of Selene given that there wasn’t much left to explore after the mediocre “Evolution.” As sexy as Kate Beckinsale is, “Underworld Awakening” amounts to a vapid and soulless entry that ultimately adds nothing new to the mythology. The 3D ends up being wasted but I must admit that I was never bored by the film even if all the action is perfunctory. Granted, the series was never meant to be more than above-average genre fare but I was honestly expecting more. 

Taking place six months after the events of “Underworld Evolution,” former Death Dealer Selene (Kate Beckinsale) and her hybrid lover Michael Corvin (formerly Scott Speedman but now replaced with a body double) find themselves on the run from humans, who has discovered the existence of the Vampires and Lycans. The humans have begun to systematically wipe out both species using weapons designed to exploit their weaknesses to ultraviolet rays and silver. Selene and Michael find their escape plans dashed when they are overwhelmed and captured for experimentation by a biotech pharmaceutical company called Antigen, led by a scientist named Jacob Lane (Stephen Rea). His goal is to develop a vaccine to effectively ‘cure’ both species. Twelve years pass and Selene suddenly finds herself freed from cryogenic suspension by an unknown benefactor. Dazed and confused at the loss of time, she searches for Michael but instead finds a strange young girl named Eve (India Eisley), who turns out to her daughter and the first-born hybrid of her kind. Selene discovers that the remaining vampire covens have retreated into the sewers with the remnants of the Lycan race reduced to little more than feral emaciated beasts. Aided in her search by fellow vampire David (Theo James) and a sympathetic human detective named Sebastian (Michael Ealy), Selene discovers that Antigen has created a monstrosity in their mad quest to eradicate both species. 

No one will mistake the “Underworld” series as film masterpieces but they remain entertaining thanks to its well-developed mythology. However, much of it was presented in a convoluted manner and the first two entries were often overstuffed with expositional dialogue. “Underworld Awakening” has the opposite problem with too little story to even sustain its short eighty-eight minute running time. If one were to take out all the action scenes, what little is left would barely fill three pages as the whole tale could be summed up in one sentence: Selene is searching for Michael and fights many people along the way. Even more surprising is that the script is credited to four people and includes acclaimed writer J. Michael Straczynski. I’m shocked that this is all they could come up with! Not content with being a lost opportunity, “Awakening” only tells half a story and ends on a cliffhanger. The premise of having humans discovering the existence of Vampires and Lycans is intriguing but how this happened is left unexplained despite the fact that both species has lived in secrecy for countless millennia. Character development is virtually nil with only one scene where Selene and Eve actually sit down and talk but it all comes off as contrived. Would it kill you to stop shooting and smile or even hug your daughter after being frozen for the past twelve years? Story-telling was never the “Underworld” series’ strongest suit but the writing here certainly hits a new low. 

The action scenes manage to keep the film from fully sinking with its copious amounts of CG blood and Beckinsale doing all sorts of acrobatics in slow motion. Not a minute goes by when there isn’t something fighting so thankfully, you are never bored by what’s happening but that’s not exactly high praise. “Awakening” maintains the same black-and-blue monochromatic color palette as the previous films but the visual effects aren’t all that impressive considering the bigger production budget the crew was utilizing. The appearance of an ‘Uber-Lycan’ added a nice wrinkle to some of the fights but the creature fails to illicit more than a shrug as he’s just another in a long line of gimmicky CG effects. Following in the footsteps of 2010’s “Resident Evil Afterlife,” another Screen Gems release, the film was shot in native 3D with RED EPIC digital cameras but the end result is underwhelming. The 3D is only apparent when objects are being thrown at the viewer and is barely noticeable for much of its running time. However, it does not suffer from the lowered brightness when wearing the glasses despite the film’s heavy use of shadows and minimal lighting. 

The performances leave much to be desired as the whole supporting cast ends up being wasted in their respective roles. Kate Beckinsale still has an amazing body at age 38 and it’s great to see her back as Selene kicking all kinds of ass in a tight leather costume but sadly, that’s all her character ever amounts to even when the film attempts to shoehorn in some weak ‘drama.’ This film is definitely more physically demanding compared to the previous installments given the non-stop fighting taking place and Beckinsale proves that she is up to the task. As for everyone else, Stephen Rea, Charles Dance, and Michael Ealy sleepwalk their way to another paycheck while Theo James and India Eisley run around hissing through their fangs. Then again, what were you expecting from such a short film? 

Released on January 20, 2012 in 2D, 3D, and IMAX 3D, “Underworld Awakening” was not screened for critics in advance (never a good sign) so reviews have only begun to trickle out today. The film currently has a low 24% on Rotten Tomatoes with the consensus that the ‘whole affair [feels] inconsequential.’ Still, it’ll likely top the weekend box office with $20 to $25 million, which is in line with the previous entries but the production budget is estimated at $70 million so it’ll have to earn back twice that amount to turn a profit, something I do not see happening even with 3D surcharges and foreign grosses factored in. I am also very surprised that it has an A- CinemaScore from audiences but then again, this is the masses we’re talking about and they are not exactly known for having good taste in film. “Underworld Awakening” is not a boring film but that’s the only praise I can give as the whole experience feels rushed and sloppy. Fans should seek out the 2D version and pay matinee price but if you have some patience, I would advise just waiting three to four months for the DVD or Blu-Ray. An even better idea is to just watch Steven Soderbergh's superior “Haywire,” which also stars a female action heroine.

Final Rating: 2 out of 5

“For twelve years I was held captive by the humans. The world I once knew has changed. Vampires and Lycans are now the hunted.”

Read More

In the Land of Blood and Honey Review

Rated R (War Violence and Atrocities including Rape, Sexuality, Nudity and Language)

Running Time: 2 Hours & 7 Minutes

Cast-

Zana Marjanović-Ajla

Goran Kostić-Danijel Vukojević

Rade Šerbedžija-General Nebojša Vukojević

Vanessa Glodjo-Lejla

Nikola Đuričko-Darko

Branko Đurić-Aleksandar

Feđa Štukan-Petar

Dzana Pinjo-Nadja

Boris Ler-Tarik

Directed by Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie makes her directorial debut with "In the Land of Blood and Honey," a drama set against the backdrop of the Bosnian War.

Note: In Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian with English subtitles.

A mere seven months after the official end of World War I which resulted in an unprecedented 35 million military and civilian casualties, French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau made the following remark during his July 1919 Discours de Paix (translated: Speech on Peace) in Verdun, France: ‘It is easier to make war than [to] make peace.’ Despite the destruction that World War I had wrought on the nations of Europe, it was not ‘the war to end all wars’ as President Woodrow Wilson had predicted but merely the beginning. Since then there has been World War II and countless other armed conflicts around the world that has claimed the lives of many, all for some vague ideology or concept of freedom. Niko Bellic, the main character from Rockstar’s open-world video game Grand Theft Auto IV bitterly remarked that ‘war is when the young and stupid are tricked by the old and bitter into killing each other,’ an apt way of describing Angelina Jolie’s directorial debut film, “In the Land of Blood and Honey,” which depicts a love story set during the Bosnian War that lasted from 1992 to 1995. The Bosnian War is one of the most devastating armed conflicts since the end of World War II and was characterized by bitter fighting, systematic mass rape, and genocide. The aftermath left not just cities reduced to rubble and an environment infested with crime but also a painful scar seared into the memories of the survivors and their descendants that continues to be felt even today. A UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador since 2001, Jolie is well-known for her humanitarian work but while “In the Land of Blood and Honey” was made with obvious sincerity, the film never quite comes together as well as it should with its problematic script and underdeveloped characters. There are a number of other issues as well but the film remains an admirable effort as Jolie proves that she has what it takes to be a director. 

Taking place in Sarajevo on the eve of the Bosnian War in 1992, aspiring Muslim painter Ajla (Zana Marjanović) is preparing to go a date with a Serbian police officer named Danijel (Goran Kostić), much to the excitement of her older sister Lejla (Vanessa Glodjo). At the nightclub, Ajla and Danijel are clearly new acquaintances but they hit it off immediately and dance the night away. However, their bliss is short-lived when a bomb blast rips through the club and leaves many either dead or heavily wounded. Ajla comforts a young woman while Danijel helps to evacuate and clear out the rubble. Four months later, Bosnia-Herzegovina is engulfed by war as Serbian soldiers lay siege to Sarajevo while the international community apathetically watches. Families are dragged from their apartments where the men are summarily executed while the women are taken captive to be subjected to physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Ajla is among those taken but through a stroke of fate, she is reunited with Danijel, now a soldier serving in the Serbian army with his father, General Nebojša Vukojević (Rade Šerbedžija). Danijel quietly protects her from the other men with the two meeting often in a private room where they can talk and make love. However, Ajla finds that she cannot excuse Danijel for his complacency in the murder of her people and seeks to escape. Their conflicting feelings on the war soon cause a rift to form between them that may very well put Ajla’s life in danger. 

For a first time director, Angelina Jolie does an excellent job depicting the conflict that engulfed Yugoslavia during the early to mid-1990s in an authentic manner. This is clearly not a vanity project for her and it is obvious in every frame that she cares deeply about the issues that have resulted from the war and wants to raise awareness by shaking people out of their apathy. “In the Land of Blood and Honey” never shies away from showing the brutal acts that were committed but neither does it become exploitative. During the bus ride to the Serbian encampment, Ajla notices a man fleeing on the street suddenly shot dead. This is depicted in a matter-of-fact manner. Once the bus arrives at its destination, the women are brought before a burly Serbian soldier who loudly asks which ones can cook. Some raise their hands and a woman even answers that she can sew or do anything that is asked of her. The soldier steps close to her and asks if she ‘can f*ck’ before dragging her to a table to be raped in front of the others. Later, a group of soldiers take a number of women to a forest in which we assume they are to be killed but this is not the case as they use them as human shields while fighting a skirmish with Muslim guerilla fighters. Benjamin Franklin once said that ‘there is no such thing as a good war’ even when either side believes that they are fighting for an ideal. The minute you take up arms against your fellow man, any ideal has already been corrupted. Despite the estimated $10 million production budget and being shot in Hungary, the film looks like it was made for twice that amount with its scenes of a war-torn land full of rubble, garbage, and bodies. Detractors are free to call Jolie anything but ignorance is certainly not one of them. 

Where “In the Land of Blood and Honey” stumbles is in its script and Jolie should have brought in someone to give it a polish look-over. Some issues are minor as certain characters often inject a bit of a history lesson in their dialogue. It’s meant to show the built-up extreme nationalism ingrained in the Serbians but also to allow audiences to be brought up to speed for those who have forgotten or are not familiar with the conflict. Radio broadcasts (in English) are also heard whenever the film jumps forward in time which comes off as awkward. Why would anyone be listening to English radio broadcasts? The major issues are in the uneven pacing and the underdeveloped characters, specifically Ajla. The middle sections with Ajla falling in with a Bosnian resistance group are glossed over and her return to Danijel as his official painter tend to drag as if Jolie was unsure where to take the story. The film may spend a lot of time with Ajla but I came away learning little about her intentions. It is obvious she feels conflicted about her feelings with Danijel and wants to seek justice for her people but there’s little beyond that. Danijel is the more interesting character as his relationship with Ajla brings up several questions. Does his protection of Ajla mean he really loves her or is it just a pretense to use her sexually under a false façade? The relationship reminds me somewhat of the one depicted in Ang Lee’s 2007 erotic thriller “Lust, Caution” about a young woman in a sexual relationship with a Japanese collaborator in 1940s Japan-occupied Shanghai but in reality, she is part of a plot to assassinate him. However, Lee focused on the inner turmoil of the female character while Jolie has a broader focus. She wants to present the conflicting feelings that both main characters feel and point out the fact that the international community largely turned a blind eye until much of the fighting was already over. The film does not entirely succeed in accomplishing both goals but I admire the effort that Jolie put in and it really says something about her character. Finally, she also plays favorites and depicts the Serbs as largely sadistic and racist brutes while the Muslims come off as a likable ragtag band of guerilla fighters. While it is generally accepted that the Serbs were the aggressors and committed a majority of the war crimes, I do not believe that anyone was innocent in the war and I feel an objective approach would have made the film much more effective. 

The cast is made up of local Bosnian actors and actresses, a wise choice in maintaining a sense of authenticity. Although both English and foreign language versions were made, the former was scrapped leading up to the film’s release in favor of the latter, as it should be but of course, a small minority will still grumble about reading subtitles. The performances from Zana Marjanović and Goran Kostić are uniformly strong across the board, managing to make you feel the conflicting emotions that rage inside them even if the script does not do them as much justice as you would hope. Rade Šerbedžija is largely a one-note character as Danijel’s father, functioning as more of a mouthpiece on the Serbs history and how it has led to the people’s feelings of extreme nationalism. Some may recognize him from the television series “24” as he was one of the antagonists during Season Six. The only other person to have significant screen-time is Vanessa Glodjo as Ajla’s older sister Lejla but again she is underdeveloped and the only memorable scene is when she discovers the fate of her baby. It’s a shocking and powerful moment that will leave you speechless. 

In limited release since December 23, 2011, “In the Land of Blood and Honey” has received mixed reviews from critics with 52% on Rotten Tomatoes. The overall consensus is that the film is definitely well-made but the script has too many problems to ignore, which I agree, but I do not believe that it diminishes the overall message that Jolie wanted to leave for the audience. Initially, I had a hard time finding a theater that was showing the film but luckily, it expanded on the weekend of January 13th, 2012. There was a nice turn-out at the AMC Empire 25 but not enough to fill up all the seats. Box office wise, it has earned an estimated $262,300 which is on the low side but the per-theater average remains high. Still, a film like this will have limited appeal because first, it’s about a topic that many Americans are either ignorant of or only vaguely familiar with, second, it is in a foreign language with subtitles, and third, it is in limited release. For her first outing as a director, Angelina Jolie proves that she has the chops by bravely taking on a controversial topic and films like “In the Land of Blood and Honey” should be made to remind us of the horrible acts that men commit in war but it ultimately succumbs from a wayward script with underdeveloped characters. However, I still recommend this film if only for informative purposes about a conflict that continues to receive little attention in the United States. In an effort to raise awareness, Jolie does succeed.

Final Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (I debated a long time between a 3.5 and a 4 but ultimately went with the former as I could not justify giving that high of a score for what is an admirable but flawed film)

“It is murder…for political gain. But still murder.”

Read More

Shame Review

Rated NC-17 (Some Explicit Sexual Content)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 41 Minutes

Cast-

Michael Fassbender-Brandon Sullivan

Carey Mulligan-Sissy Sullivan

James Badge Dale-David Fisher

Nicole Beharie-Marianne

Elizabeth Masucci-Elizabeth

Directed by Steve McQueen

Michael Fassbender stars in Steve McQueen's "Shame," one of the best films of 2011.

Addiction. Drugs, alcohol, gambling, etc., it matters not what your poison is as the emotions that all addicts suffer through is universal. It gets to the point where there is only the addiction as you spiral out of control into a never-ending cycle of self-hate and loathing until you are left alone with…shame. You know to continue is wrong as your compulsive urges have long ceased to grant you any satisfaction but stopping ultimately becomes a futile effort even if you desperately wanted to. This is “Shame” in a nutshell, the latest film from British auteur Steve McQueen which stars Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan. Fassbender has been on quite a roll in recent years, appearing in no less than four films in 2011 including Cary Fukunaga’s adaptation of the famous 1847 Charlotte Brontë novel “Jane Eyre,” the Marvel Comics prequel “X-Men First Class,” David Cronenberg’s “A Dangerous Method” where he plays world-renowned Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, and now “Shame.” Even more impressive is that all of these films have received critical praise, especially for Fassbender. 2012 looks to be a big year as well as he is set to appear in Steven Soderbergh’s action-packed “Haywire” in January and the highly anticipated “Prometheus” in June, a semi-prequel to 1979’s “Alien” with Ridley Scott back at the helm. Brilliantly shot by McQueen and boasting standout performances from Fassbender and Mulligan, “Shame” is by far one of the best films of 2011 as it plunges audiences into a haunting and harrowing character study of a man consumed by his addiction yet is unable to escape his hellish existence even as his life begins to fall apart around him. 

Brandon Sullivan (Michael Fassbender) is an attractive, successful businessman in his thirties living in New York City but he leads an isolated life in a sterile Manhattan apartment and forms no real connections. Unbeknownst to everyone around him, Brandon suffers from a debilitating addiction to sex where his daily routine consists of masturbating at every opportunity, watching violent pornography on his work computer, interacting with cam girls on his home laptop, and paying for expensive call-girls in a desperate but futile search for human companionship. Sometimes he accompanies his married boss David (James Badge Dale) to bars in order to hook up with women for a one-night stand. Brandon always succeeds with little effort with his quiet yet suave mannerisms while David comes off too strong and obvious in his intentions. Brandon arrives home one night to find his troubled sister, Sissy (Carey Mulligan), a deadbeat jazz singer, with nowhere to go and begging for a place to stay. He reluctantly lets her live with him at his apartment but this arrangement soon wrecks havoc on his structured life as he finds himself recklessly spiraling out of control and plunging into a hell in which he cannot escape from. 

Sex addiction was acknowledged in 1987 as a mental disorder by the American Psychiatric Association and was defined as ‘distress about a pattern of repeated sexual conquests or other forms of non-paraphilic sexual addiction, involving a succession of people who exist only as things to be used’ but this was removed in 2000 and whether it is an actual disorder has remained up for debate. It continues to be treated as little more than a joke in films and television since our brains are hardwired to consider the act of sex and therefore orgasms as pleasurable but “Shame” treats sex addiction as no laughing matter. At first the film appears to tell a fairly conventional narrative but do not be fooled as the film proves the age-old adage that looks can be deceiving. Set to a haunting melodic score from Harry Escott, the opening shot shows Michael Fassbender’s Brandon staring blankly at the camera with the bed sheets rumpled around his bare mid-section. He stands up fully nude and listens to the voice mail of a woman pleading with him to pick-up the phone before getting into the shower and masturbating. This routine is intercut with scenes of Brandon riding the subway to work and staring intently at a pretty woman (Lucy Walters) sitting across from him. She smiles back and flirts by slowly crossing her legs but he continues to stare with the same blank expression from before. The woman leaves when the subway arrives at her stop but not before subtly flashing her engagement ring at Brandon, who desperately tries to follow to no avail. He arrives late to work and finds his computer being hauled away due to a virus infection. Later, Brandon sneaks off into the men’s bathroom to masturbate again. He ends the night by having sex with an expensive call-girl and the cycle continues anew the next day. The interesting thing about these scenes is that very little is actually said and what is ends up being mundane and ultimately inconsequential. However, even though Brandon rarely utters a word, his expression already reveals everything we need to know about him. The opening shot of Brandon is one of depression on the verge of suicide and even when he masturbates, his face is absent of any pleasure, only desperation and even pain. McQueen’s framing is very calculated as he utilizes long takes where his camera lingers for minutes at a time. He depicts New York City as a place of contrasts with upscale yet sterile apartments and grimy streets covered with graffiti. It is a way to symbolize how Brandon presents a clean exterior of normalcy but hides something ugly deep inside him. 

Once Sissy arrives to live with Brandon, that’s when his life starts to unravel. At first, the film does not even reveal that she is his sister and we initially assume that they are estranged lovers given the way they behave around each other until an off-handed comment is made. The two are unperturbed at seeing each other naked and it is implied that they suffered a traumatic event in their childhood but McQueen keeps his cards close to the chest as much is left up to the viewer’s interpretation. Brandon and Sissy are both troubled individuals desperately looking to make an emotional connection but the two go about it in different ways with one seeking it from casual sex and the other by clinging obsessively to anyone who pays attention. We expect Sissy to help Brandon reach redemption and realize that he is leading a hollow existence but this is not that type of film where there is a happy ending. The final third of the film has brother and sister sitting a little too closely and having a tense argument until Brandon gets up to leave and delivers an ultimatum: Sissy has to be out of his apartment by the time he comes back. This is when McQueen delves into darker territory as we find Brandon wandering the streets looking for relief. He is refused entry into a nightclub and walks into a dingy gar bar where a man performs fellatio on him. His face is one of anguish and self-loathing at his addiction. Later, Brandon finds himself in a threesome with two women but as he reaches orgasm, the release gives him no satisfaction and it is apparent that he has become a shell of a man. The final scenes show Brandon displaying at least some measure of care for a human being but it ends where it began at a fork in the road: on the subway staring into the eyes of the same attractive woman. 

What really makes “Shame” such a compelling watch are the powerhouse performances from Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan. The two bare not just their bodies but also their souls. Fassbender succeeds in the incredible feat of making you sympathize with what is essentially a selfish character and the audience is made to wallow in his self-hate and loathing with him. The dialogue appears to be improvised but the most effective scenes are the ones in which he says nothing and this actually wrings quite a lot of suspense as it feels as if an explosion is about to take place. Much of the emotion is below the surface; the only time in which Brandon’s armor cracks is in this powerful moment where he finds himself at a New York pier and screams in anguish at his suffering. Fassbender has given an Academy Awards-worthy performance in every sense of the world and I would be really glad if he took home the golden statuette as no one deserves it more. Carey Mulligan has a less substantial role as the film is filtered through Brandon’s eyes but she also gives an amazing performance. Mulligan has this one scene that encapsulates everything this film is about where she sings Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York and transforms it from a song about celebrating your dreams into longing and regret. McQueen’s camera focuses on her throughout the four minutes with occasional cuts to Brandon, who is deeply affected and even sheds a tear because he knows what she is going through. The two appear fully nude in several instances although it is mainly Fassbender. While it is rated NC-17, the nudity is no more substantial than what you would see in an R-rated film such as David Fincher’s “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” but what did you expect from the MPAA with its puritanical view of sex? It almost feels as if the consumer/ratings organization is ashamed, which I find humorously ironic considering the subject of this review. The sex scenes form an organic part of the story, functioning as a way to delve into Brandon’s mindset and are not meant to arouse. I admire the fact that Fox Searchlight Pictures did not appeal the rating and wore it as a badge of honor. 

In limited release since December 2, 2011, “Shame” has received largely positive reviews with a solid 79% on Rotten Tomatoes. I must admit I was expecting higher considering the glowing praise the film has received and continues to receive. Critics hailed it as ‘a powerful plunge into the mania of addiction affliction.’ The widest release has been 55 theaters so do not expect an expansion. The film has grossed $4.4 million worldwide against an estimated $6.5 million production budget but I doubt a director like McQueen cares about such things. I viewed the film in the morning and audience attendance was middling at best since this will only appeal to a very niche group. “Shame” is not a film one enjoys as it’ll leave you feeling cold and hollow as you leave the theater but it is a powerful piece of cinema with performances that has rivaled everything I have seen so far. I have found my best film of 2011.

Final Rating: 5 out of 5

“We're not bad people. We just come from a bad place.”

Read More

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Review

Rated R (Violence, some Sexuality/Nudity and Language)

Running Time: 2 Hours & 7 Minutes

Cast-

Gary Oldman-George Smiley

Benedict Cumberbatch-Peter Guillam

Colin Firth-Bill Haydon

Ciarán Hinds-Roy Bland

Toby Jones-Percy Alleline

David Dencik-Toby Esterhase

Mark Strong-Jim Prideaux

Tom Hardy-Ricki Tarr

John Hurt-Control

Simon McBurney-Oliver Lacon

Kathy Burke-Connie Sachs

Konstantin Khabenskiy-Polyakov

Svetlana Khodchenkova-Irina

Katrina Vasilieva-Ann Smiley

Directed by Tomas Alfredson

Gary Oldman's George Smiley meets his match when British Secret Intelligence is invaded by a Soviet spy.

For the past five decades, the modern spy genre has been dominated by one name: James Bond and despite the changing times, the long-running franchise (its twenty-third entry, titled “007 Skyfall,” is currently filming as I type this review) continues to be surprisingly relevant among film audiences as each director is unafraid to mold or even outright reinvent the character to reflect the era that he is currently in. However, the series’ formula for high-octane chases, explosive action scenes, beautiful women, and use of exotic locales has remained unchanged even as Bond was rebooted in 2006 with “007 Casino Royale” in an attempt to strip away its sillier aspects and bring the character back to its roots. This move was partially inspired by the successes of both the “Bourne” films and 2005’s “Batman Begins” but despite the genre’s renewed focus on realism, the action-oriented approach has continued to keep Bond and the peers he inspired in the world of pure fantasy and serve as merely entertainment experiences. Think about it: why would a government-sponsored secret agent do such a terrible job of keeping to him or herself by engaging in massive gun battles in full-view of the public while causing millions of dollars of property damage? No, the reality is far more different and would resemble John le Carré’s 1974 novel Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Carré was a French pseudonym (translated: John the Square) used by David Cornwell who served in British Secret Intelligence Services MI5 and MI6 until 1964 when he was betrayed by Kim Philby, a double agent working for the Soviet Union and part of the infamous Cambridge Five. The first in the so-called Karla Trilogy, the novel was previously adapted for television as a seven-part series for the BBC in 1979 and featured Sir Alec Guinness (Obi-Wan Kenobi from the original “Star Wars” trilogy) as the titular British agent George Smiley. “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” the film marks the English-language debut of Swedish director Tomas Alfredson and despite the difficulty in adapting such a densely plotted narrative, he and his writers prove more than up to the task as the result is a richly-layered, suspenseful, and even though-provoking espionage thriller that is bolstered by one of the best ensemble casts ever assembled with each giving a nuanced performance but the most memorable of them all is certainly Gary Oldman. 

During the height of the Cold War in 1973, Jim Prideaux (Mark Strong) meets with the head of British Secret Intelligence, Control (John Hurt), to receive his latest mission: travel to Budapest and meet with an unnamed Hungarian General who is selling information. When Prideaux asks what kind, Control answers that it contains ‘the name of the mole the Russians have implanted in British Intelligence, right at the top.’ However, the mission ends in failure when Prideaux’s cover is blown and is shot dead by Soviet agents. Control and his trusted right-hand man George Smiley (Gary Oldman) are forced into early retirement amidst the international crisis that follows. Already terminally ill, Control soon dies alone in a hospital. The new Chief of British Secret Intelligence (colloquially called the Circus) is Percy Alleline (Toby Jones) with Bill Hayden (Colin Firth) serving as his right-hand man.  Roy Bland (Ciarán Hinds) and Toby Esterhase (David Dencik) form the rest of Percy’s inner circle. Forgoing the usual channels to protect their source within the Soviet Union, Alleline and Bland meet face-to-face with Civil Servant Oliver Lacon (Simon McBurney) to request funding for a top-secret operation dubbed Witchcraft in order to receive highly sensitive Soviet intelligence from his contact within a privately rented townhouse. Given the ‘disaster’ at Budapest, Lacon is reluctant to provide additional funding since in the eyes of the United States, British Secret Intelligence remains a ‘leaky ship.’ After the meeting, Lacon receives a phone call from Ricki Tarr (Tom Hardy), an agent falsely accused of defecting to the Soviet Union, and learns that there is a mole in deep cover hidden within the upper echelons of British Secret Intelligence. He brings Smiley out of forced retirement and asks him to uncover the mole since he is ‘outside the family’ now. Aided by a scalp-hunter named Peter Guillam (Benedict Cumberbatch), Smiley sets to work in finding the mole and discovers that he is matching wits with a secretive, highly intelligent Soviet agent codenamed Karla. 

Both its main strength and its weakness, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” is a very difficult film to follow and requires the utmost attention from its audience which will limit its appeal among the masses. This difficulty arises not because the film is abstract in any way but the fact that there is a large amount of information presented and each line of dialogue represents a key piece of the puzzle that will unravel the central mystery. Now I admit that I have not read Carré’s novel nor seen the 1979 original BBC television series but this fresh perspective actually makes the film more engaging, allowing me to become an active participant in Smiley’s investigation as he analyzed every clue. Writers Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan have done an excellent job in compressing and streamlining the novel into a compact two hours but there is one glaring issue: the use of flashbacks is sometimes not all that apparent and I feel that an audio cue would’ve helped. These scenes contain a large amount of background exposition but it all comes off as organic rather than forced in order to pander to audiences. The music from Spanish composer Alberto Iglesias lends a noir-like vibe to the proceedings with its use of a jazz motif and it fits as all of these British agents are weary and tired of the cat-and-mouse game they must play and the violence that inevitably follows. Much effort has gone into accurately recreating Cold War-era Britain during the 1970’s and the cinematography from Hoyte van Hoytema is often bathed in a gray/brown hue indoors and foggy clouds in establishing shots to mirror the murky world these characters live in. 

The sense of paranoia exudes in every scene but the film is as much a character drama as it is an espionage thriller. Several innocuous scenes of children at play are shown and the most common trait of all children is that they are curious and like to observe. The adults observe as well but it represents a loss of innocence and idealism as their loyalty to their country forces them to betray even their closest friends at the drop of a hat if it is discovered that they work for the enemy. The moral boundaries that initially led them to this profession are not as clear cut as it was and it raises not just the political but also the personal stakes as well since the other side will have no qualms in exploiting any weakness. Smiley gives a brilliant speech on this in the middle of the film when he recalls a meeting in Delhi in 1955 where he attempted to convince Karla to defect to their side. Tired and worn down, he cannot even remember Karla’s face. The dense narrative is certainly not easy to digest immediately upon a first viewing but all the information is there and it is up to you to connect the dots. I enjoy when a film like “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” challenges its audience but this can be a barrier for some people who are simply looking for disposable entertainment so if you are of that crowd, I would not recommend seeing this. There is little in the way of action in the traditional sense and I fear that viewers will complain that nothing ‘happens’ when this is not true. Granted, the revelation of the mole’s identity is understated and presented in a matter-of-fact manner but there is this suspenseful scene in which Guillam is sent in by Smiley to retrieve the duty officer’s log-book back at headquarters and that he will disavow him if he is captured. Violence is sparse as well but there are several shocking scenes in which we witness the aftermath of a disembowelment and a young woman suddenly shot in cold blood. 

Alfredson has assembled an impressive ensemble cast of largely British actors, led by Gary Oldman. As George Smiley, he has a taciturn demeanor and never betrays his emotions except in a rare moment but his cunning and intelligence are never doubted. Despite his quiet and reserved performance, we remain entranced by his investigation and it’s because Oldman has such a silently commanding presence. Benedict Cumberbatch (some will recognize him from the BBC’s television series “Sherlock,” a contemporary reimagining of the famous literary detective) lends a solid performance as the rookie-like Peter Guillam. David Dencik, Colin Firth, Ciarán Hinds, and Toby Jones have supporting roles and while they do not share as much dialogue or screen-time compared to Oldman, their characters are very much central to the story as their veiled smiles and lingering glances throw off alarms, keeping audiences guessing as to who the mole really is. Mark Strong and Tom Hardy (whose career has skyrocketed since appearing in 2010’s “Inception”) are sympathetic soldiers worn down by the sacrifices they make for queen and country. Finally, there’s John Hurt, displaying a stubbornly grizzled weariness as he leads the British Secret Intelligence. As much of the film takes place in backroom conversations and whispers, the presence of such a distinguished cast make something as simple as two men sitting in a room exciting as there is a palpable sense of tension. 

In limited release since December 9, 2011, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” has received largely positive reviews with 85% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics hailed it as ‘a dense puzzle of anxiety, paranoia, and espionage that director Tomas Alfredson pieces together with utmost skill.’ Audience reaction has been mixed as the common complaint is that the film is convoluted and hard to follow. Yes, the narrative is dense and you have to digest a large amount of information in a short amount of time but it is not too much for a film to ask you to think and challenge ourselves. I admit that I did not immediately grasp all the intricacies of its plot but the pieces are all there and it does make sense after sitting down to put it all together. The production budget is an estimated $30 million and the film has managed to earn that back with $36 million worldwide but its niche appeal will keep it from reaching a wider audience as the masses will find it to be an impenetrable experience despite its recent expanded release. Backed up by a number of brilliant performances, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” is a finely-crafted espionage thriller that can best be compared to an onion whose secrets are waiting to be revealed as each layer is methodically peeled back. Such a film of intelligence is a rare thing indeed.

Final Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“We are not so very different, you and I. We've both spent our lives looking for the weaknesses in one another.”

Read More

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans Blu-Ray Review

Rated R (Bloody Violence and some Sexuality)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 32 Minutes

Cast-

Michael Sheen-Lucian

Rhona Mitra-Sonja

Bill Nighy-Viktor

Steven Mackintosh-Andreas Tannis

Kevin Grevioux-Raze

David Aston-Coloman

Elizabeth Hawthorne-Orsova

Tania Nolan-Luka

Shane Brolly (voice)-Kraven

Kate Beckinsale (voice/archive footage only)-Selene

Directed by Patrick Tatopoulos

Bill Nighy's Viktor prepares for war in "Underword: Rise of the Lycans."

Note: Part of the "Underworld Trilogy: The Essential Collection" Blu-Ray set.

As far as genre films go, 2003’s “Underworld” proved to be an entertaining action-horror affair and while it suffered from a lack of originality, the intriguing mythology made up for it even if it was at times too convoluted for its own good. Having the sexy Kate Beckinsale battling werewolves and other nasty monsters in a skintight leather outfit was a plus as well but color me surprised when the film led to the formation of a new franchise. The relatively low production budgets allowed the films to make enough profit from both worldwide box office receipts and DVD sales to warrant new installments despite the harsh drubbing it receives from film critics. After the disappointing “Underworld Evolution,” it seemed as though director Len Wiseman had taken the vampires vs. werewolves concept as far as it could go but lo and behold, a third film was announced back in October 2007 and would serve as a prequel to the previous two entries. The project held promise but having the designer of the creature effects direct the film did not exactly inspire confidence. Thankfully Patrick Tatopoulos does an adequate job emulating Wiseman’s style and while “Underworld Rise of the Lycans” has its fair share of overacting (especially from Bill Nighy) and hammy dialogue, it nonetheless proves to be an entertaining film and accomplishes what a prequel should by illuminating what was only hinted at in the previous installments. 

Taking place hundreds of years before the events of “Underworld” and its sequel in what is assumed to be the Medieval Era, Vampire Elder Viktor (Bill Nighy) discovers a human child born of a feral werewolf. He contemplates killing the baby but hesitates and decides not to. Given the name Lucien (Michael Sheen), this child is the first of a new race of werewolves called Lycans, who can freely transform back-and-forth between their beast and human forms without the aid of the full moon. Viktor uses the Lycans to his advantage to create a new slave race to toil for the vampires, forcing them to wear a special collar with protruding spikes to prevent them from transforming at will. As Lucien grows into an adult, he becomes attracted to Viktor’s only daughter Sonja (Rhona Mitra) and the two eventually fall deeply in love, keeping their relationship a secret for fear of persecution and death. Viktor has a deal with the humans living in the area as he and his Death Dealers protect them from the werewolves roaming the countryside in exchange for slaves (which he uses to create more Lycans) and a tithe. While guarding a group of human nobles on their way to meet with the vampire council, Sonja and the Death Dealers following her are attacked by an unusually large wave of werewolves. Hearing their howls and knowing that Sonja cannot fight them all off, Lucien risks punishment and leaves the confines of the castle to rescue his beloved. He removes his collar using the crude key he made and transforms into his werewolf form with a deafening roar. The feral werewolves immediately stop attacking and retreat back into the forest. Viktor is furious at what has happened and feeling betrayed, punishes Lucien by having him whipped thirty times but this instead unites the enslaved Lycans and inspires them to fight back against their masters. Freeing his brothers, Lucien leads a rebellion against Viktor and escapes the castle but is forced to return upon learning that Sonja has been imprisoned for carrying on a secret affair with him. This sparks the Vampire-Lycan War that lasts the better part of six centuries. 

No one will mistake “Underworld Rise of the Lycans” as Academy Awards material but the film is one of the better prequels I have seen as it fleshes out the back-stories of several supporting characters and avoids the drawn-out scenes of exposition that plagued the previous entries. Its tale of doomed star-crossed lovers and a lowly slave inspiring his brethren to fight for freedom recalls William Shakespeare’s famous play Romeo & Juliet and Stanley Kubrick’s 1960 historical epic-drama “Spartacus”. There’s even a bit of a religious subtext as Lucien is made to resemble Jesus and suffers through several bloody whippings. The fact that he is the first Lycan to be born lends him a sort of messiah-like status. The themes of forbidden love and racial/social segregation are also revisited and while the film does not exactly do anything new with them per se, it still makes for a reasonably compelling watch by putting a new spin on what was a second-rate villain in the first film and turning him into something of a tragic figure. “Underworld” did little to explain why Lucien was so obsessed with mixing the Corvinus bloodlines but the prequel sheds light on his true motivations and that his intent was never as malevolent as audiences were led to believe. “Rise of the Lycans” is by and large still a derivative film but it contains a competent enough script to put it a step above other genre flicks that could care less about its story and characters. 

Unlike the more action-oriented “Underworld Evolution,” the prequel follows in the footsteps of the original and is more dialogue-driven but that does not mean there is no action. Cinematographer Ross Emery retains the stylistic black-and-blue monochromatic look that has come to define the series but newbie director Patrick Tatopoulos seems to have trouble shooting the action scenes as it ends up being a victim of fast blurs and quick edits. The CG is a mixed bag as it does not hold up to close scrutiny and while it is certainly no “Lord of the Rings,” I was impressed at the scale of the final battle considering the crew was working with a low $35 million production budget. Several nicely choreographed sword fights occur but they happen too infrequently to make much of an impression. 

The acting ranges from two extremes with Michael Sheen taking his role as Lucien seriously while Bill Nighy reaches new heights of overacting as the tyrannical Vampire Elder Viktor. Sheen’s sympathetic and tragic portrayal of Lucien is admirable because it shows that even if the film ends up flopping critically, he still puts in his best work possible. However, he is overshadowed by Nighy with his exaggerated mannerisms and dialogue delivery. He knows what type of film he’s in and has fun with the role. Rhona Mitra is attractive but she’s definitely no replacement for Kate Beckinsale. Still, the chemistry she has with Sheen is miles better compared to Selene and Michael. Steven Mackintosh reprises his role as Andreas Tanis who once again does little besides show that he is nothing but a conniving bastard. 

“Underworld Rise of the Lycans” was released as a stand-alone Blu-Ray and as part of a trilogy box set in May 2009. This box set has been re-released with an ornate slipcover under the label “The Essential Collection” as a way to promote the upcoming fourth installment, “Underworld Awakening.” Unless you own none of these films, there is no sense in double-dipping as the set includes the same video/audio transfers as the previous release with the only addition being a series of throwaway anime shorts titled “Underworld Endless War” and the removal of the prequel’s digital copy. Thankfully, “Rise of the Lycans” requires no new encode because it still looks astonishing despite its use of heavy shadows and minimal lighting. Blacks once again have a solid inky depth and textures such as the vampire’s armor look intricate but the heavily-processed image does obscure fine detail in the background. This is a minor gripe and does not keep the video from reaching near-reference quality heights. Things are more subdued on the audio front given the film’s dialogue-heavy nature but the final battle is an aural treat as Lycans roar so loud, your hairs will stand on end. There’s also some nice ambiance with the clinking of armor and sharpening of swords. Special features are presented in high-definition this time and include a picture-in-picture commentary in addition to a traditional audio commentary with director Patrick Tatopoulos, series creator Len Wiseman, executive producer James McQuaide, and producers Richard Wright and Gary Lucchesi. Various featurettes detailing the production design and characters are also included. 

Released on January 23, 2009, “Underworld Rise of the Lycans” unsurprisingly received largely negative reviews with 30% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics found it to be ‘an indistinguishable and unnecessary prequel…despite the best efforts of its competent cast.’ I am in the minority as I highly disagree and honestly feel it is a well-made prequel that finally structures the convoluted mythology into a coherent manner. Box office wise, the film failed to make much of an impression domestically and was surpassed by Kevin James’ comedy “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” during opening weekend. The worldwide total stands at $91 million, which is solid considering the cheap $35 million production budget. “Underworld Rise of the Lycans” is strictly for the fans only as it assumes viewers will have some rudimentary knowledge of the previous films but it is certainly a step-up from its mediocre predecessor. The story and themes may not be original but the world remains as fascinating as ever and I look forward to seeing what happens in the soon-to-be released fourth film.

Final Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Raze: Lucian, it is finished!

Lucian: No, this is just the beginning.

Read More