Snowpiercer

First Hit:  Odd story, interesting scenes, and generally unsatisfying.

Global warming has us (humans) attempting to fix the problem with a pill (sort of speak). We spray stuff into the atmosphere to cool down the planet and we send ourselves into a deep freeze. All but a few hundred people remain, alive, on a perpetual motion train on an endless loop. Odd story – yes.

The train is divided into different sections, by classes, whereas the first class people get real food, alcohol, and have a good life as this train drives around this year long circle. However, the people in the back of the train get blocks of protein to eat, live in squalor and lose their limbs with infractions against the other classes. Wilford (Ed Harris), who is the person in charge of the train, believes that everyone has their place and their duty/job. Cutis (Chris Evans), who lives in the rear of the train wants to get control of the train and create a more equal environment among its passengers.

The film is about a social revolution. Some of the scenes where Mason, (Tilda Swinton) Wilford’s speaker and emissary, speaks to the trains’ passengers are priceless. 

Although many of the characters are interestingly unique like, Namgoong (Kang-ho Song), Tanya (Octavia Spencer) Yona (Ah-sung Ko), and Gilliam (John Hurt) and a number of the battle scenes to overtake the train are of interest, it was generally unsatisfying story and execution of the story.

Harris does a good job of being arrogantly omnipotent yet there was a lack of depth in his performance that took away from the film. Evans did a very good job of carrying his character through this odd story and making it work. Swinton was unique, flamboyant and engaging when on the screen. Song was enigmatically interesting in his role as the one who thinks he knows what is going on outside the train. Spencer was wonderful as the mother and lover of the movement to change the status quo. Ko was incredibly engaging in her role. Hurt was excellent as the knowing old man who was once the partner of Wilford’s. Joon-ho Bong and Kelly Masterson wrote this imaginative and unfathomable story. Bong also directed the film.

Overall:  Although it was an interesting film, I left the theater not thinking much about the experience of watching it.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

First Hit:  For a film labeled “Thriller”, I was not thrilled.

This very plodding overly complex with missing parts rendition of the John le Carre classic novel was, in essence slow to a fault.

However, the period photography, by graining up the film, was excellent.

This movie starts with a killing which takes place during the 15 minute long opening credits. It does set the tone for the film but the  tone is that this is going to be a plodding pragmatic film. There wasn’t one person (character) to care about during the whole thing.

I recall reading the book and finding it engaging but that was mostly because le Carre created something to care about. Here director Tomas Alfredson moves this thing along at the same confusing pace all the way through.

The gaps in the scenes were too large to enjoy putting the film puzzle together. It was at times as if I had to start all over again with each new segment, hold that piece and place it with another piece that might come later or came sometime before this scene. It was too much work for the payoff.

It was generally a flat plane of existence as were the performances by everyone. The stoic faces were suppose to engender intelligence and thought; but for me it only provoked boredom. What was worse was that they kept discussing how this mole was working at the highest places of British Intelligence.

However the mole didn’t seem to be causing much damage. It seem more about saving face (British face).

John Hurt as Control was the most dynamic of all the actors. His tired eyes said something. Gary Oldman as George Smiley (the point of the film) was so reserved that I wanted to reach out and way wake up! This, combined with his being a mindful pragmatic intelligence officer brought out of retirement to find the “spy” was almost unbelievable. Percy Alleline (played by Toby Jones) was one of the more amusing characters as he seemed to suffer from ego issues of being short and being seen. Colin Firth as Bill Haydon (the spy) didn’t do much spying in this film, obviously by design, but it seem hard to find out what he actually gave the Russians that were pissing the British off so much. Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan wrote this script which followed the lines of the book while Alfredson directed this in a cold (war) plodding way.

Overall:  Thrilled? No and for my money there was too much thinking and piecing together required to make this film interesting and fulfilling.

Melancholia

First Hit: Although slow and at times meandering, it stays with you long after it's over and evokes deep feelings of melancholia.

The pacing of this film is known from the get go. It is going to be a slow unwinding piece. At the very beginning we know the outcome, but because it is represented like a smooth ballet, this knowledge is almost forgotten until the very end.

The end of the world may or may not come the way it is depicted here, but the way people react to the end may be far closer in these frames than how other apocalyptic films present the end.

Justine (played by Kristen Dunst) is getting married to Michael (played by Alexander Skarsgard). They are very late on arrival to their wedding festivities in very remote country club. Claire (played by Charlotte Gainsbourg) is Justine’s older sister whose very wealthy husband John (played by Kiefer Sutherland), is paying for this event.

Michael, Claire, and John all seem to be trying to manage Justine as she sways in and out of sadness, hopelessness and sparks of joy. They want her to be happy but the history is etched on their faces as to the futility of this management. Then Justine and Claire’s mom is heard from at the wedding table.

Gaby (played by Charlotte Rampling) is a severe pessimist when it comes to love and happiness. Her look tells you, that she’s disliked, or maybe hated, herself her whole life. However, there is enough going on for the audience to see that Justine’s melancholy is not only based on her upbringing by this mean spirited person. Her innate sensitivities to all that’s around her is probably a large factor in how she thinks, feels and acts.

As everything falls apart, the film's extraordinary cinematography envelops the audience into its fold for the final ride to the end.

Dunst shows us she wants to be taken seriously as an actress and and here she shows why. A very strong performance. Her fluctuations between melancholy and fleeting moments of joy and love towards others were very honest. Skarsgard, was perfect as the guy who hoped he could “save” Justine from her depressions and when he tells her he cannot believe someone so beautiful is with him, he’s right. His nuances of hopefulness and sadness were dead-on. Gainsbourg is an actress that I enjoy watching because I feel that in any moment she will explode, like dynamite. She never does but how she contains the energy in this film of being the smart squared-away sister until she realizes it is all going to end was wonderful to watch. Sutherland as Gainsbourg’s husband fit the role very well. There was enough arrogance and “how dare you” in his character which was rounded out by his obvious love and thoughtfulness towards his son. Rampling was the kicker. Her performance as the sarcastic fatalist was pitch-perfect. John Hurt as Justine and Claire’s father was the optimist in their family but he also liked his own life his way. Lars von Trier wrote and directed this film. He clearly knew how he wanted it to look and feel and he got strong performances from his choice for actors. About one third of the way through the film I thought, “jeez this is slow” and wondered “where this was going”. However, in the end it was very satisfying.

Overall: The images, thoughts about, and contemplations from this this film will stay with you for days after you see it. This is the character of a very strong film.

44 Inch Chest

First Hit: It started off well but faded as the film moved along then ended with a thud.

This strong cast of Ray Winstone (playing Colin Diamond), John Hurt (playing old man peanut), Tom Wilkinson (playing Archie), Ian McShane (playing Meredith), Stephen Dillane (playing Mal), and Dave Legeno (playing Brighton Billy), are close friends gathering together to support one of their own.

Colin has come home to his wife Liz (played by Joanne Whalley) who proceeds to tell him that she has met another man and doesn’t love him any longer. He pleads with her to understand how could this be the case after 21 years and that she is everything to him.

She doesn't relent and in his anger he tries to strangle her. To escape she runs through a sliding glass door window. He contacts Archie, who contacts the others in the group who gather together to help him. This assistance consists of the group kidnapping this man from his job as a waiter in a restaurant and depositing him in a wardrobe cabinet in a deserted building.

Gathered together, they sit Colin in front of the wardrobe expecting him to take his revenge out on this young man. Most of the film centers around how they encourage him with their rants and their own sick ways of viewing the situation. Each person has a different focus, but they are in agreement that Colin must extract his revenge.

However, Colin doesn't know what to do he is so hurt. As brisk as the dialog is at the beginning, it loses steam and the film eventually falls flat.

Winstone has been better (See him in Edge of Darkness). Hurt is ranting and shows little else in and of his character. Wilkinson is the only one who seems to have some character development that is meaningful. The writers, Louis Mellis and David Scinto, had an interesting idea but seem to have gotten lost in creating intense and intense dialogue which kept the film from moving along.

Overall: Where "Glengarry Glen Ross", was filled with intense and competitive dialogue which moved the film along, this film is filled with intense dialogue and which makes the film fizzle out.