FILMS ... with Michael Dalton
Hanna (M)
Director: Joe Wright
Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett, Eric Bana & Jessica Barden.
Rating: 4/5
Running time: 111 minutes.
Director: Joe Wright
Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett, Eric Bana & Jessica Barden.
Rating: 4/5
Running time: 111 minutes.
Watching films about assassins and secret agents chasing each other murderously and firing bullets with abandon makes me wonder: what they do when they’re not doing that. Do they occasionally take the night off and rent a movie, hang up their revolver, and catch up with friends?
I’ve just seen Hanna,a hot new thriller starring Cate Blanchett and my curiosity has been quelled. Here’s at least one secret agent who does nothing but work.
In of all things an action role, Blanchett, as Marissa, does her best work in years. We get lots of wide-eyed close-ups as she ruthlessly circles her targets, calmly adding a silencer to her shiny weapon, and showing no mercy. Fitted out in winter colours and sporting an auburn wig that makes her look like a homicidal auntie, she comes on in a chilling style.
Her targets are expert assassins Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) and her “father” Erik (a flat Eric Bana), two fugitives the “agency” have all but forgotten about until one day Hanna tells him she wants to return to civilisation (she’s been in isolation since birth it would seem). All hell breaks loose when they do and before they know it, they’re dodging bullets, running, shooting, spying and circling, all to an exhilarating score by The Chemical Brothers.
Director Joe Wright maintains an even sense of control over the action, notably in the scenes with Hanna and her new friend Sophie, played by the engaging Jessica Barden who stole all her scenes as a starstruck mischief-maker in Tamara Drewe. She does it again here, wisecracking and wide-eyed, and intuitive enough a performer to know where the humour is.
Despite its modern stylings, there’s something disarmingly old-fashioned about this flick. Skip the penguins and robots currently frying everyone’s brains. This is Fast and Fun.
Hard keeping up with Jones's
Captain America: The New Avenger (M)
Director: Joe Johnston
Stars: Chris Evans, Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving
Rating: 3/5
125 minutes
The superhero genre just seems unstoppable but for every exciting step forward, we take a step back, or in the case of Captain America: The First Avenger, a pause. The setting is so right. After the colourful galactic adventures in Thor, here we’re earthbound in the richly detailed retro stylings of the early 1940s.
Applying the technology used in The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) starts off dwarfed by all. Such is his lack of confidence, he’s hopeless with girls, bullied, and constantly denied a passport to his dream of becoming a soldier and defending his country.
Then one day Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) asks him to take part in a secret experiment that sees him transformed into a muscleman. He becomes a celebrity, appearing at benefits and promoting national pride but soon after, he’s off to the front lines.
Along the way Steve sort of falls in love with the stiff, bland Peggy Carter (a dreadful Hayley Atwell) and does battle with an evil eyebrow-arching Nazi (Hugo Weaving).
Stealing all his scenes is Tommy Lee Jones as Colonel Chester Phillips who expertly tosses one-liners into the rather dull war zone where most of the film takes place; Jones is slumming as he adds a touch of class and at times must have wondered how he made it to here.
But Captain America is missing a heart. Perhaps that’s why the Spiderman movies were so successful. Sam Raimi never lost sight of “the ordinary mortal” angle, even when his hero was zooming around the metropolis.
Here, after a death-defying rescue mission, the captors cheer their new champion on with an expectant hooray and he grins goofily, yet it doesn’t feel as if the kudos is earned. This is a movie you’re expected to like.
THE BINGE
Compiled by Tim Milfull
Something to fry the brain wit
Our regular reviewer is Tim Milfull is on study leave although he did lave his books long enought o compile this issue’s Binge.Lovers of droll punnery and intelligent comedy will be overjoyed to learn that the first three seasons of the BBC’s QI are now available on DVD.
Chaired by the extraordinary intellect of Stephen Fry, and supported by the much-maligned regular panellist, Alan Davies, each episode of QI features guest comedians competing on teams for points awarded for answers to questions focusing on general ignorance. Viewers unamused by QI must surely not have a sense of humour.
Finally, Julia Bacha’s astonishing documentary, Budrus is finally available on DVD. Named for a contested village in the Gaza strip, Bacha’s film follows the experiences of Palestinian leader, Ayed Morrar, who decides to use peaceful resistance to protest Israel’s efforts to extend their monstrous “Separation Barrier” further into Palestinian territory.
As the bulldozers crawl closer, Morrar’s daughter Iltezam enters the fray, along with an amazing collection of Israeli supporters who prompt the Palestinians to reassess their perception of Israel. This astonishing and powerful story reminds us of the power of peaceful protest.
In of all things an action role, Blanchett, as Marissa, does her best work in years. We get lots of wide-eyed close-ups as she ruthlessly circles her targets, calmly adding a silencer to her shiny weapon, and showing no mercy. Fitted out in winter colours and sporting an auburn wig that makes her look like a homicidal auntie, she comes on in a chilling style.
Her targets are expert assassins Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) and her “father” Erik (a flat Eric Bana), two fugitives the “agency” have all but forgotten about until one day Hanna tells him she wants to return to civilisation (she’s been in isolation since birth it would seem). All hell breaks loose when they do and before they know it, they’re dodging bullets, running, shooting, spying and circling, all to an exhilarating score by The Chemical Brothers.
Director Joe Wright maintains an even sense of control over the action, notably in the scenes with Hanna and her new friend Sophie, played by the engaging Jessica Barden who stole all her scenes as a starstruck mischief-maker in Tamara Drewe. She does it again here, wisecracking and wide-eyed, and intuitive enough a performer to know where the humour is.
Despite its modern stylings, there’s something disarmingly old-fashioned about this flick. Skip the penguins and robots currently frying everyone’s brains. This is Fast and Fun.
Hard keeping up with Jones's
Captain America: The New Avenger (M)
Director: Joe Johnston
Stars: Chris Evans, Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving
Rating: 3/5
125 minutes
The superhero genre just seems unstoppable but for every exciting step forward, we take a step back, or in the case of Captain America: The First Avenger, a pause. The setting is so right. After the colourful galactic adventures in Thor, here we’re earthbound in the richly detailed retro stylings of the early 1940s.
Applying the technology used in The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) starts off dwarfed by all. Such is his lack of confidence, he’s hopeless with girls, bullied, and constantly denied a passport to his dream of becoming a soldier and defending his country.
Then one day Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) asks him to take part in a secret experiment that sees him transformed into a muscleman. He becomes a celebrity, appearing at benefits and promoting national pride but soon after, he’s off to the front lines.
Along the way Steve sort of falls in love with the stiff, bland Peggy Carter (a dreadful Hayley Atwell) and does battle with an evil eyebrow-arching Nazi (Hugo Weaving).
Stealing all his scenes is Tommy Lee Jones as Colonel Chester Phillips who expertly tosses one-liners into the rather dull war zone where most of the film takes place; Jones is slumming as he adds a touch of class and at times must have wondered how he made it to here.
But Captain America is missing a heart. Perhaps that’s why the Spiderman movies were so successful. Sam Raimi never lost sight of “the ordinary mortal” angle, even when his hero was zooming around the metropolis.
Here, after a death-defying rescue mission, the captors cheer their new champion on with an expectant hooray and he grins goofily, yet it doesn’t feel as if the kudos is earned. This is a movie you’re expected to like.
THE BINGE
Compiled by Tim Milfull
Something to fry the brain wit
Our regular reviewer is Tim Milfull is on study leave although he did lave his books long enought o compile this issue’s Binge.Lovers of droll punnery and intelligent comedy will be overjoyed to learn that the first three seasons of the BBC’s QI are now available on DVD.
Chaired by the extraordinary intellect of Stephen Fry, and supported by the much-maligned regular panellist, Alan Davies, each episode of QI features guest comedians competing on teams for points awarded for answers to questions focusing on general ignorance. Viewers unamused by QI must surely not have a sense of humour.
Finally, Julia Bacha’s astonishing documentary, Budrus is finally available on DVD. Named for a contested village in the Gaza strip, Bacha’s film follows the experiences of Palestinian leader, Ayed Morrar, who decides to use peaceful resistance to protest Israel’s efforts to extend their monstrous “Separation Barrier” further into Palestinian territory.
As the bulldozers crawl closer, Morrar’s daughter Iltezam enters the fray, along with an amazing collection of Israeli supporters who prompt the Palestinians to reassess their perception of Israel. This astonishing and powerful story reminds us of the power of peaceful protest.
