'Arrietty' Review

'Arrietty' (dir: Hiromasa Yonebayashi, 2011), Cert: U

Thank the Lord for Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki - The studio that have stuck to their roots for so many years and continue to create effortlessly beautiful and heart-warming features. In a world engulfed by Kevin James 'comedies' and ghastly and unnecessary reboots ('The Smurfs 3D', REALLY?), we are honoured with 'Arrietty'; a heavenly and gentle tale inspired by Mary Norton's 'The Borrowers'. The film has been released in the UK alongside 'Captain America: The First Avenger' and 'Zookeeper' so it's unlikely that this film will gain the attention it deserves, but hopefully one can pursued enough of you to forget Marvel, forget James and immerse yourself in this stupendously brilliant picture...

 Arrietty is a 14 year-old girl who lives with her family underneath another a human family home. The group 'borrow' items they need to survive and love their beautiful and delicate home. However, when a young boy arrives called Shô comes to stay with the family above, Arrietty is accidently spotted by him. Due to fears of human beings seeing and capturing the 'borrowers', the family fear for her safety but Shô is not out to hunt Arrietty, he is fascinated by her and so a bond builds between the pair and breaks the boundaries between human and 'borrower'.

 The film has currently been released in two languages; Japanese and English, but there is also an American version too. The UK version has voice casting from Saoirse Ronan and Mark Strong, whilst the US version stars Will Arnett and Amy Poehler. I saw the Japanese (and 'proper') version which features voices from Mirai Shida and Ryûnosuke Kamiki. If you do decide to take the family along to see 'Arreitty', I'm sure you're local multiplex will be screening the film in English/American. 

 What 'Arreitty' has that so many films lack nowadays is heart - it cares for it's viewer and expresses this with irrevocable beauty. All viewers, young and old will be unable to help being swept up in this animated treasure and taken aside by just how visually, narratively and emotionally stunning it is. 'Arrietty' is the cinematic equivalent of whatever one believes to be the definition of 'beautiful'.

 When watching this picture, the one thought that struck me is, "why on earth do we 'need' 3D when we have this?" Yonebayashi's animation, aided by the legendary Miyazaki swallows the screen in a sea of plush foliage, raindrops and climbing vines making the world in which our heroine is in seem terribly big, but visually dazzling. It amazes me that Ghibli is the only studio still devoted to 2D hand-drawn animation because when it looks THIS good, it's hard to imagine why any animation studio would use any other technique, and this is coming from a Pixar maniac...

Still from 'Arrietty' (dir: Hiromasa Yonebayashi, 2011)

 Every individual item is so intrinsically detailed; from a microscopic teapot, to a leaf swaying in the wind, the artistic nature of 'Arrietty' is a marvel of dedication and effort. To think things like 'My Bed' is called 'art' sends shivers down my spine when something so beautiful, so incredible and so extraordinary is right here for the world to see and embrace. As far as animation goes, this film is amongst the best I have ever seen, and it's certainly the best animated film of the year, no question.

 Furthermore, the film features rounded and wonderful characters, all of whom have an important role to play; narratively and emotionally. Arrietty is a great role model for children, particularly young girls. She cares and wants to support her family, she's strong, hard-working and determined, and above all else, she isn't prejudice. She understands Shô and learns to enjoy his company. Regardless of the reality in all of this, the film's heroine still provides plenty of positive energy and a great moral compass that I believe children will pick up on.

 The film sweeps along in a calm and gentle pace, and although there is limited threat and action, it oozes with charm and magic and is lifted by it's angelic score. An early sequence involving a 'borrow' hunt to attain supplies is incredibly exciting and involving so why would you need tons of mania? 'Arrietty' is a love-letter to childhood enchantment, to that feeling of awe and magic, and the belief in 'another', so bucket loads of action would be inappropriate and pretty pointless anyway. 

 It seems unfair that Ghibli's latest probably will not gain the cinematic release it so truly deserves, but for those who do make the effort to go and see it, you will not only be greatly rewarded, you will be blown away by it's sheer velocity of wonder, craftsmanship and gorgeous storytelling. This will certainly appear on my top 10 films of 2011 - if it doesn't, consider me mad.

It's fellow release-day pictures will still be screening at multiple times this time next week, but 'Arrietty' is unlikely too so grab your family and take them to see this utterly incredible animated feature film - I promise you will not regret it; I cannot recommend it enough.

Sumptuous and marvellous storytelling aided by eye-watering beauty - 'Arrietty' is simply sublime.

By Chris Haydon

Oh Lars!

Lars von Trier has always prided himself with getting under people's skin; from showcasing gratuitous nudity to utterly ridiculous statements about his mental health and phobias, it's fair to say von Trier just likes a laugh, and all the while people moan about it, he's going to continue playing tricks.

 For those who did not hear about his recent stunt at Cannes - during a press conference for 'Melancholia' he was asked about his family heritage in Germany. During this he claimed how he was by default a "Nazi" and felt a slight "sympathy" towards Adolf Hitler because he "understands him". Of course these remarks classified him as a 'persona non grata' and he was forced to leave the festival, even though his picture hadn't even screened yet. He also wasn't able to see Kirsten Dunst collect her Best Actress award for her role in the movie. You can watch the 'dodgy' press conference clip below:

 The stupidity of this whole event is that's it's so painstakingly obvious he is just trying to ruffle some feathers - he doesn't mean anything literally, so in a bizarre way, I actually admire his integrity. Lars has always wanted to keep the industry on it's toes, and fair play to the man. When he and the other Danish filmmakers formed the 'Dogme '95' act, in which films were made under a series of strict rules,they still exploited everything they could use and get away with. It's the same story with 'Antichrist' (2009), he wanted to get a reaction out of the audience during the gruesome and psycho-sexual scenes - the goal is to bother people, and I for one think that's pretty darn brilliant. Just look at this poster for the film; it contains no images, just text.

 I bet he was jumping with joy when this came out, and not because critics actually said they liked it. Oh and no, it's certainly not "The most shocking film in the history of the Cannes Film Festival" - what a stupid thing to say.

 But anyway, the point of all this is that Lars von Trier is a great asset to the industry and although he has made a few duds in his time, his relentless urge to make a scene and spark controversy is a unique and rather impressive way of getting your pictures promoted. Nazism has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with 'Melancholia' but I bet it's does better at the box-office because of it. So well done Cannes for doing him a favour.

Oh, and this is quite possibly the coolest poster I've seen for a while...

'Cars 2' Review

'Cars 2' (dir/s: John Lasseter/Brad Lewis, 2011), Cert: U

For those who do not know, I am a Pixar fanatic; the studio is by far my favourite in the film industry and I have adored and admired their works for years - I even wrote my university dissertation on Lasseter's 'Toy Story' (1995). Since the release of the first fully computer animated feature film, Pixar Animation Studios have enjoyed a string of successes with their films; critics adore them, adults are stunned by them and children are amazed by them, but 2006's 'Cars' was the first movie to split opinions. I think it's a very good film, but it's certainly the weakest Pixar entry. Well in 2011, we have been invited back into the driving seat for the sequel which again has divided the masses leaving many thinking one thought: has the studio actually produced that dreaded 'bad' picture?

After being challenged by Italian Formula 1 car Francesco Bernoulli (voiced by John Turturro), Piston Cup winner Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) teams up with 'Tow' Mater (voiced by Larry the Cable Guy) and heads off to the World Grand Prix; the ultimate race that takes place in Japan, Italy and London. However, behind the scenes is a spy espionage headed by British secret agent Finn McMissile (voiced by Sir Michael Caine) and his new partner Holley Shiftwell (voiced by Emily Mortimer). After some confusion, Mater is mistaken for a spy and now has to team up with McMissile to stop a deadly threat to the car world.

 I'll start by saying this - 'Cars 2' is not vintage Pixar; it lacks the intimacy of 'Up' (2009), the intrigue of 'Wall.E' (2008) and the nostaligic joy of the 'Toy Story' franchise (1995 - 2010). It is not a perfect film by any sense of the word, and joins it's predecessor in the weaker section of the studio's filmography. Having said that, 'Cars 2' is still thrilling and visually extravagant, and it "blows the bloody doors off" the majority of it's animated rivals. 

 The main problem with Pixar's sequel is it seems to slightly forget what the studio preaches oh so often - Lasseter is famous for believing the computer animation is only a tool to make these movies, characters and narrative drive the picture and that's what makes them successful, and this statement is clearly true of the studio; how many memorable characters have their pictures spawned? There's too many to name. But the characterisation in this movie is sadly below par - the majority of Radiator Springs' natives are completely forgotten, the spy storyline puts a barrier between the other vehicles involved, and bizarrely Mater has the majority of the screen time making him the lead and McQueen the supporting, and I can only handle a certain amount of Larry the Cable Guy before he starts to grate on me.

 But it's certainly not all bad, in fact I genuinely believe there are more positives than negatives with this feature; for starters there's the animation. I know the last few DreamWorks entries have gone toe-to-toe with the Luxo Lamps, but 'Cars 2' makes sure they lead the pack once again. The visuals are quite simply phenomenal particularly in the race sequences; the Tokyo footage is beautiful with it's glowing neons that soak the night's sky and the impressive reflections on the racer's bodywork.

Still from 'Cars 2' (dir/s: John Lasseter/Brad Lewis, 2011)

 Then there's the action which again is superb - the film's opening is quite literally explosive, the espionage storyline brings insanely cool gadgets that burst to life in all the mania and the chase sequences look and feel fast-paced. One chase through the tightly-wound Italian streets in certainly amongst the film's high points.

 I do agree with those who have commented on the film's narrative; it does feel a little fragmented and I'm not too sure if it knows what genre it is. I would argue it's more of an Action/Adventure animation rather than a Comedy - there are some laughs involved but not of the same level we're used to, but even though it's not a hilarious trip, it's still a very entertaining one, and indeed a journey I would happily take again.

 The voicing is universally very good, however as I've already mentioned, there's a little too much Mater/Larry for one to stomach. Wilson is great as McQueen and does exactly what he does in the first picture, he's just not as cocky. Caine is great as McMissile and is easily the best character in the film - his gadgets are cool, his action scenes are cool and he is undeniably cool. Mortimer is also a strong casting choice as Shiftwell as is Turturro as the cheesy and over-confident Francesco.

 If you are looking for a family film to see now the children have finished school, 'Cars 2' is a great choice and offers plenty for all to enjoy, but if you're expecting another 'Toy Story 3' or an inner-child exercise, you might be a little disappointed. If you do head to your local multiplex for this, make sure you arrive on time to see the wonderful and hilarious 'Toy Story' short before called 'Hawaiian Vacation' - it's main star is Ken; sheer bliss.

 Although 'Cars 2' doesn't offer the sheer wonder of other Pixar features, it's still a very solid, entertaining and visually impeccable feature that's well worth your time.

By Chris Haydon 

'Inception' - One Year On...

It doesn't seem possible that basically this time last year, I was taking my seat for the film I anticipated the most; the film that people truly doubted the gravity and weight of, the film that was sorely labelled as "similar to 'The Matrix'". In July 2010, Christopher Nolan introduced the world to 'Inception' and nothing has been the same ever since.

 'Inception' married psychology, narrative and art to make the most spectacular screen experience and not one single film has come close to it since it's release. Granted, there has been many a good film in 2011, but no picture has been as ambitious, as rewarding, as demanding as Nolan's epic. Now not every film needs to take this formula; Christ, I love Michael Bay so I know fully 'intellectual' mainstream cinema is still a long way away, but what Nolan has proved is that intelligent blockbusters are a possibility; that audiences want to be challenged and feel involved, and that their effort would be noticed and congratulated, and yet it seems that Nolan is never truly congratulated personally.

 After he was so brutally snubbed at the Academy Awards and not given a Best Director nomination (which is still the biggest travesty in cinema as of recent), it seems all his works are never really appreciated by the heads of the industry. The majority of film fans praise Nolan frequently but the same gratitude is missed out by the big boys of Hollywood. In fact, I think Hollywood fears the British in the film industry because we so frequently show them up. Take a look at what I believe to be amongst the best films of 2011:

• 'Source Code' (dir: Duncan Jones) - Probably the best film of the year so far
• 'Attack the Block' (dir: Joe Cornish)
• 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2' (dir: David Yates)
• 'X-Men: First Class' (dir: Matthew Vaughn)

And so on. It seems if the Americans really want to make a successful Sci-Fi Thriller, they need a Brit, and I'm not saying that's because we are stereotyped to be "more intelligent", I think it's actually because of the limitations in the UK film industry, it causes the imagination to run riot when confronted with American studio money. Do you really think Nolan would have been able to make 'Inception' if he hadn't of made Warner Bros. $1 billion with 'The Dark Knight'? or have made this film with funding from Film 4 and the UK Film Council? I highly doubt it.

 Nolan certainly deserves more praise and recognition from the Academies and the Executives; he's the most consistent British filmmaker working today and I honestly believe he is the Stanley Kubrick of our generation. He's a director whose not afraid to take risks, to try something new, to push the boundaries and break away from the norm. He, just like Kubrick, is a renegade of passion, determination and skill, and it's so clearly obvious he makes films because he loves cinema, not the lovely pay packet at the end of it all. 

 'Inception' was without a doubt the best film of 2010 and probably of the last 5 years. The last film to truly 'blow my mind' apart from 'Inception' was Michael Haneke's masterpiece 'Cache' ('Hidden') in 2005 which stands as my favourite film of all-time alongside Woody Allen's exquisite love-letter 'Manhattan' (1979). 

 I've seen 'Inception' six times now; four at the cinema and twice on Blu-Ray and I love it even more each time I watch it. Like 'Cache', 'Manhattan' and my other favourite films of all time; 'Juno' (2007), 'Toy Story' (1995) and 'Groundhog Day' (1993), I get a huge surge of satisfaction from repeat viewings, and one year on, I'm happy to report that 'Inception' is now amongst my favourite films of all-time.

 It is simply a masterpiece.

Half-Review of the Year 2011

There still hasn't been a film as AMAZING as this...

Ho-Hum.

'Horrible Bosses' Review

'Horrible Bosses' (dir: Seth Gordon, 2011), Cert: 15

Yeah, I'm reviewing a film that's not even technically released yet - I'm moving up in the world. Anyway, so far 2011 has been a pretty slow year for comedy movies; we've had the utterly appalling thanks to 'The Hangover Part 2', the utterly disgusting thanks to 'Just Go With It' and the utterly miserable thanks to 'Hall Pass'. The only universally well-received comedy of this year so far has been 'Bridesmaids' and I still haven't seen it. Don't fret though, I will.

Well now the world has been given 'Horrible Bosses'; the new film from Seth Gordon (the man behind the sensational 'The King of Kong' [2008] and the not-so-sensational 'Four Christmases' [2008]). Ironically, two of the stars in this picture have starred in some of the terrible movies listed above, but let's put the past behind us. After all, this film does star the wonderful Jason Bateman, the perfect Kevin Spacey and the loveable Jamie Foxx, so it's not all bad. However, due to the ghastly comedies as of recent, to say I approached 'Horrible Bosses' with caution is a fair prediction...

Three friends - Nick (Bateman), Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) and Dale (Charlie Day) all have one problem in common; they hate their bosses. Their employers make their daily lives a living hell and cause them consistent torment and stress. Nick's boss, Dave Harken (Spacey) is a psychopathic monster who relishes in his power and hateful behaviour. Kurt's boss, Bobby Pellit (Colin Farrell) is a drug-addict who has major prejudice issues, and Dale's boss, Dr. Julia Harris (Jennifer Aniston) is a nymphomaniac who is desperate to get him to sleep with her and threatens to destroy him if he doesn't. The three friends decide the only way to free themselves is to kill their bosses, but this is no simple task and mayhem ensues at every possible corner.

 Raunchy comedy is not a new thing; enter Judd Apatow, nor is a comedy-crime caper; enter the 'Ocean's' franchise, but what is new is these strange 'event' comedies where a new thing appears every moment to change the narrative direction. Like in 'The Hangover'; (the good one), where at every location, a different threat enters that's linked to a past event. i.e: The church scene and the attack on the car. Well it's a very similar story with 'Horrible Bosses' - rather than a typical linear comedy narrative, this film throws constant twists, turns and shocks, and I am so happy to report that this is a good thing.

 'Loveable Employers' is not a stupid gross-out comedy like 'The Hangover Part 2' or a vulgar entry like 'Just Go With It' and it's certainly not an annoying "guys who should know better" film like 'Hall Pass'. What this film does ever so successfully is to shape it's characters; make them dimensional, make them interesting and consequently, making every single character funny. 

 Gordon's hand at comedy direction is certainly skilled - from documentary to conventional Hollywood filmmaking, he is so aware that comedy only works through a valid script and the delivery from the cast. People screaming "I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING AGAIN!!!" is not funny, nor interesting (and yes, I am still banging on about that completely rubbish film).

 This film, much like many comedies nowadays is uncontrollably crude, but the dirty humour is great because of it's context, and also because it really forces some of the performers out of their comfort zones. There are expletives at every turn, dark humour is smeared across every scenario and Foxx's character even has a swear word for a name. 'Superbad' (2007) is still the best potty-mouthed picture of recent, but this movie is certainly amongst the better 'naughty' comedies.

Still from 'Horrible Bosses' (dir: Seth Gordon, 2011)

 As I mentioned earlier, this film is littered with clever twists that surprise and excite the viewer; there is never a dull moment during the 98 minute running time making 'Pleasant Managers' a very enjoyable ride. I found myself laughing consistently and being generally struck by certain elements, particularly some of Aniston's dialogue. 

 Talking of Aniston, let's get onto the performances; if you didn't know already, I cannot stand Jennifer Aniston. She's been forever haunted by Rachel Green and can never seem to escape her - every time I see her, I can't help but hear canned laughter ringing in my ears. Thankfully, she's actually good in this film, in fact, she's one of the highlights. Her psycho-sexual behaviour is warped, demented and outrageous; it's lovely to see her let loose and become a bit of an animal. For those who, like me, expected her to be terrible, think again. I was genuinely impressed by her performance.

 Bateman is also great which I certainly did expect, and although he still hasn't been as good as he was in 'Juno' (2007, and still the best indie film in years) or 'Arrested Development' (2003-2006), he is still probably the most consistently funny, witty and charming mainstream comedic actor of recent. I can't wait for 'The Change-Up' and yes, I really did just write that. You might need to double-take.

 Sudeikis and Day are entertaining and do the typical maniac behaviour thing with ease. This film was an easy ride for the pair but they don't slack and give entertaining performances. Foxx is very funny too and has a few great gags which I will not spoil. Farrell is also very funny as Bobby but he has limited screen time compared to his fellow 'Nasty Superiors'. 

 However, the film's star as expected is Spacey. Film fans out there will see this movie and think to themselves "Hang on, I'm sure he did the same performance 17 years ago or so in that film 'Swimming with Sharks' right?", well yeah sort of. But Spacey's Hollywood producer in that film was an aggressive and vicious depiction from the cut-throat world of movie-making, but here, he is just generally 'horrible'. Spacey can do both endearing and loathing with ease and he provides the goods here. He steals every scene he is in and I can't help but be instantly thrilled when I see his name attached to a project. Well done Spaceman, well done indeed.

 In a way, 'Despicable Leaders' (I'm running out of ideas now...) is a comedic love-letter to Hitchcock's masterpiece 'Strangers on a Train' (1951) just with less suspense and menace, and although that may seem bizarre, it actually works perfectly. This is a dark and seedy feature that's brightened by memorable performances, quotable dialogue and crafty direction from a director worth praising; I whole-heartedly recommend it.

Currently the year's strongest and most surprising comedy movie thanks to an abundance of zany humour masked with dark undertones. Go see 'Horrible Bosses'. Now.

By Chris Haydon

P.S: 'The Hangover Part 2' sucks.

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