Captain America: The First Avenger and The Winter Soldier

So in preparation for the Captain America: Civil War release on the 29th and my subsequent viewing of the film on that day - I thought it was about time that I gave the Captain a shot. Technically there have been seven Captain America films to date but I'm only focusing on the latest franchise starring Chris Evans. Evans made his debut as Steve Rogers in 2011 and has since appeared in two The Avengers films, two other Captain America films, Thor and Ant-Man as the same character. The Marvel Comics character (Timely Comics at the time) was conceived and published for the first time in 1941 and was unsurprisingly the most popular comic character during the wartime period. 

Other than The Avengers films, I haven't seen anything or read anything about Captain America. So as I started to watch The First Avenger, I was truly experiencing the story for the first time. Therefore, I cannot judge or comment on how the film's character reflects or compares to its comic counterpart. But, there is no better place to start than the beginning! In The First Avenger we learn who Steve is as a person and how he came to be the Captain. We see his pre-Captain lifestyle and his drastic shift into the public eye after his transition. But this determined soldier could not be held back from fighting the good fight alongside his old friend and some new friends too.

What I love about origin stories is the introduction to these characters. I love the concept that the serum Rogers was injected with amplifies all of his existing traits - something that I'm sure will come into play in the new film. We were also introduced to 'Bucky' - Steve's best friend. As I've jumped on the Captain America band waggon a little late, and have seen the trailers for the new film, I KNOW that Bucky is/was/or soon will be very important. Although, I don't quite know how he could have survived his final scene... The heavy CGI used at the beginning of the film to make Chris Evans appear as a shell of his future self was a little extreme and not the least bit subtle. It was quite distracting during this important first quarter of the film where most of the character development takes place. However, the CGI blends more as the film continues and is significantly less annoying by the closing credits. As for the films love story subplot, the relationship between Rogers and Peggy Carter was sweet. There were references to this relationship during The Avengers films so I unfortunately knew what was in store for the sweet couple before their courtship even began. And secretly, I found myself rooting for the pair regardless! Overall, I felt like The First Avenger was a great introduction to another side of the Marvel universe that I had not yet explored. And considering his character doesn't get explored much in The Avengers - other than learning that he doesn't like bad language - it was interesting to see Captain America's full potential.

The second instalment of the franchise was entitled The Winter Soldier and was released in 2014 after the release of the first The Avengers film in 2012. Because of this there is a lot of character crossover - which I personally think keeps the universe feeling cohesive because characters are interwoven with each other's independent films. This film sees Rogers in the 21st Century joined by Falcon and Black Widow. They are working to uncover a mysterious conspiracy within S.H.E.I.L.D whilst fighting an equally as elusive assassin known as The Winter Soldier. 

Rogers is back and his costume is significantly less corny than it was in the 1940s! (Although he does don his original get up during the final fight scenes) And Peggy is back too! But obviously, she's aged. A lot. So my hopes for the two to triumph together were crushed but an early scene in the film showing the two discussing life and the lessons they've learned was sweet. There love may never be but she's definitely been a huge impact on Roger's development. It's very clear even just one film in, that Steve's character is unlike his Marvel companions. He's pure and honest and an unfaltering loyalty. It's as if he has the mind of an innocent child in a body that grew up too fast - and actually, that's exactly what happened to him.

I felt like this film had a lot more humour than the first. As though the writers were finally comfortable with an established set of characters and felt like they were able to experiment more with the different aspects of their personalities. A lot of the humour is dark and satirical which isn't unusual in modern day actions and superhero films. It appeals to the target market the most. Dark humour has always been a speciality of characters played by Samuel L Jackson and Fury is no exception. After doing a bit of research, Jackson signed a nine film contract so hopefully this wont be the end of seeing Fury on screen!

But now. For the most important OMG moment of the film. BUCKY'S BACK - kind of. The mysterious Winter Soldier is unmasked at the end of a lengthy fight sequence with Captain America. And it's Bucky. Sebastian Stan is back starring as Steve Rogers bestie but this time he's moody, forgetful and quite the dark soul. With a mechanical arm replacing the limb he lost in his accident in the 40s, Bucky is clearly unstable and working for the bad guys. But when Rogers tentatively calls for his friend after he's unmasked, Bucky is Bucky no more. He has no memory of Bucky but as the film continues, small bits and pieces slowly come back to him. Now, I knew Bucky would be back because of the trailers for Civil War but I did not suspect that he was the assassin. I had assumed his return would be solely contained within the new film. But, this way the character has an opportunity for further development and a steadier introduction back into the franchise. 

Having viewed both The First Avenger and The Winter Soldier now, I feel adequately prepared for my viewing of Civil War on Friday. From what the trailers have shown, this new film will be another Avengers fest and will include a further look at Bucky and his friendship with Rogers. I've deliberately avoided spoilers too, so I can be as surprised with any twists and turns as I was about Bucky being the Winter Soldier! 

Sisters

The female comedy dream team is back! Poehler and Fey star in Sisters. A film based on two, you guessed it, sisters as they make the most of their childhood home before their parents sell it. The film opened the same weekend as Star Wars and, obviously didn't match the success of Disney's latest venture into space but, earned a cool $105 million. The film was met by mixed reviews from both critics and general audiences, bringing into question whether or not the chemistry the actresses share is enough to make a good film. I'm actually surprised that Tina and Amy decided to make another film with the two of them as the leads considering how awful their last film, Baby Mama, was. I was massively underwhelmed by Baby Mama and had come to terms with the two appearing together as minor characters or on SNL in the future. But, like I said, they are back and giving it another go!

Before I delve into my analysis of the film's story and my opinion on that, let's discuss one of the benefits of a film like this. When popular comedians/actresses unite for their own film there are bound to be some hilarious and surprising casting decisions. Maya Rudolph joins the cast as a childhood enemy, James Brolin plays the sisters father and in a very surprising decision the film also features John Cena (cue horns). I also always enjoy Brian d'Arcy James in pretty much every role he's ever played so it was nice seeing a glimpse of him. Dianne Wiest plays the girls mother and does so with grace. I find Wiest fits perfectly into maternal roles and I've always enjoyed watching her performances. The casting for any film like this has the scope to be a little more playful. What really comes across in this film is the chemistry amongst the cast. Good on screen chemistry can make up for a multitude of mistakes but the story has to carry itself a little too otherwise the whole film falls flat.

We quickly learn that Fey's character, Kate Ellis, is a bit of a mess. Unable to hold down a job, unable to respond like an adult to unwanted news and unable to Mother her child properly. Poehler plays, Maura Ellis, a nurse who seemingly has her shit together and is the polar opposite of her sibling. This seems to be in reverse compared to their previous film in which Poehler was the mess and Fey was the put together one. Once Kate realises her parents are selling the house - by seeing the not so subtle 'sale' sign in the front yard, her plans of moving to Orlando with her daughter, Hayley, in the hopes of a fresh start are ruined. And surprisingly, Maura doesn't take the news well either having initially thought that the sale was just an idea her parents were considering. After reminiscing whilst reading their childhood diaries, the girls decide to throw a house party so that Maura can finally have 'her night' in the house and so that Kate can relive better days. From here, you can pretty much imagine how the rest of the film unfolds. 

Personally, I think this duo is better off hosting award shows and appearing on SNL. Although the movie was funny and much better than I had expected it to be. Had they skipped Baby Mama and dove straight into this film, I think I would have a lot more faith in the duo's ability to carry a film. There were little twists throughout that were not entirely predictable and the film had a good pace. In fact, although I didn't laugh out loud, the film is probably one of the funniest I have seen in the last five years. It was easy viewing and I don't regret the time I spend watching it. Films like this will never win any awards outside of the MTV network productions but every now and again, you have to embrace trends and embrace what is popular in film. And for the last few years the popular thing is party films. Whether you love them or hate them, they are here to stay.

Zootropolis

Zootropolis or Zootopia as it's known in the states, is Walt Disney Animation Studios newest venture. Premiering in the UK at GFF in February before a general release later in March, the film is already tipped to be as big as Frozen with the critical success of Inside Out. Currently the highest grossing film of 2016, Zootropolis has been praised by the critics and has been well received by the masses. Many audiences noted that the film's topical themes of prejudice and stereotypes are painfully relevant in today's society.

The film centres on a world where animals walk, talk and have jobs like humans. Judy Hopps, a rabbit police officer, is trying to make a name for herself outside of parking duties. With the help of Nick, a fox with a criminal past, Judy begins the search for Otterton. Twists and turns are abundant throughout and include unlikely friendships, a dirty judicial system and a mystical flower causing some unwanted side effects. From there the film is a hilarious, anthropomorphic crime tale which culminates in a happy ending true to Disney's tried and tested format.

The voice actors in Zootropolis were certainly some of the film's best features. Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Octavia Spencer, Shakira and Kirsten Bell are some of the established names who have tackled a furry creature on behalf of Disney. Normally when a cast list is this well established, the film is trying to draw in as large an audience as possible using the celebrities as bait. However, now having seen the film, I believe the actors truly enjoyed the script and wanted to be a part of it.

The script was incredibly well written. Not only did the entire film have an underlying social commentary but it managed to have real moments of comedy genius. In particular, the scene in the DMV with Flash the Sloth had our entire audience in stitches. The film didn't follow typical the typical disney format and managed to maintain the strength and integrity of it's lead female character, Judy. Zootropolis had subplots throughout which made the film and the world in which it was set seem more realistic and well rounded instead of having everything revolving around the main characters for the full hour and a half.

Disney films whether they are animated or not, can often be predictable. With such an array of characters to play with and with a criminal scheme with twists and turns, Zootropolis was far from predictable. I don't think this film was as good or as thought provoking as Inside Out, however, the film has already outsold Deadpool and Batman VS Superman so there might still be time for Zootropolis to snowball into the phenomenon that Frozen has become.

Thelma & Louise

This year I'm working at Glasgow Film Festival. One of the perks that comes with this job is attending and covering special events and screenings. Old favourites screened in new venues with themed events and plenty of surprises. So far I've seen Con Air in a warehouse with the skeleton of a plane and laser quest free to explore next door. I've watched Aidan Moffat and Paul Fegan present Where You're Meant To Be in the Barrowlands followed by a special performance from Moffat and co. And tonight I'm in Glasgow's Grand Ole Opry enjoying Duke Loopin' and his lasso, some line dancing and a screening of Thelma & Louise. 

Directed by Ridley Scott and starring a young Brad Pitt, it's quite surprising that I hadn't yet seen the classic before tonight. I'm a huge Ridley Scott fan and didn't even realise this was one of his. It boasts a cast as strong as it's feminist values and is, on paper, the ideal girls night film. Covering issues such as rape, female empowerment (or lack there of) and female friendship - I thought this film would be harder to swallow. But Scott and, writer, Callie Khouri worked together to create a film that had me laughing throughout.

Thelma and Louise are two best friends who set out on a two day break from their boring lives and Thelma's controlling husband. Whilst stopped for a drink, Thelma is threatened and nearly forced into sex by a man she'd been talking to all night. Louise steps in to save her friend but as the man continues to taunt she shoots him in the chest. The two, suddenly fugitives, head to Mexico to escape the law and their past. Eventually cornered by police the two decide to 'keep going' and drive off the cliff into the Grand Canyon. Quotes that come from this movie have been said in front of me a million times so it's nice to finally recognise the source. I was also impressed by the sheer power of the characters. Even when all hope seems to be lost, Thelma and Louise stand tall together. In particular, I enjoyed the scene in which the two finally get revenge on the sexist and sleazy truck driver that they encounter through the entire film.

The venue and atmosphere was a huge influence on my experience. The audience, mostly of women, hooped and hollered at each appearance of Brad Pitt, every sassy line and every hilarious incident. The Grand Ole Opry was the perfect setting and size for an intimate and friendly screening. The room was lined wall to wall with laughs and smiles during the pre-film entertainment. Duke Loopin', who I gather is a whip and lasso expert, wowed the crowd with an array of tricks before the audience was invited up to do some line dancing. GFT and GFF pulled out all the stops and truly made the night special for fans of the film and for people like me who were viewing Thelma & Louise for the very first time.

Every now and again, if you're given the opportunity to do so, go and see a screening of a classic. The big screen and live audience atmosphere cannot be beat.

Bridge of Spies

Based on the 1960 U-2 incident during the cold war, Bridge of Spies is the story of James B. Donovan and his journey negotiating the release of Francis Gary Powers and Frederic Pryor from the Soviet Union after defending a KGB spy in his trial. He uses KGB Spy prisoner Rudolf Abel as a trade and as a source of bizarre friendship during the film. Written by the Coen brothers and Matt Charman and directed by Steven Spielberg, this film has the basic components for an Oscar winning film. Tom Hanks leads the relatively small core cast and isn't joined on screen by many other Hollywood a-listers. Although having said that, many smaller names such as Jesse Plemons were a welcome surprise to the films cast list even though his screen time was minimal.

The film's story, as I mentioned is based on true events, was gripping. The film flowed nicely from our introduction to Abel, to the court case, to Donovan's time in Germany. I felt the film was paced well and kept audience attention throughout. The setting for most of the film, Berlin, was a creative way of depicting additional international tensions alongside the main storyline revolving the US and the Soviet Union. One of the things that I found to be interesting was the way Abel was treated in the first third of the film. Although perceived to be the enemy, the way Spielberg focused on the nations opinion of Abel and Donovan as influenced by the media, is an insight into society today. We are so quick to judge when we're told the verdict by our 'trusted' media. For example, the drama surrounding the Making a Murderer series on Netflix. Many assume they know right from wrong, guilty from innocence because they've seen one, 10 part docu-series that has publicly acknowledged it's biased content. A nice touch was when the film circled back on itself. The final sequence mimics an earlier one where we first see the public opinion of Donovan and his work. But this time, he's given a polite smile of gratitude before gazing out the window to be reminded of his time in Germany.

Tom Hanks, whom I most recently saw in a Carly Rae Jepson music video, was great. I cannot fault his performance. He certainly stood strong and proud, as I suppose we would wish of any lawyer defending human rights. I think what struck me about his performance was that the role wasn't noteworthy. In fact, the story could be considered lack lustre too. Hanks brings attention to the film because of his existing reputation as an actor and performed well in a role that could have been overlooked had it been differently cast. I think as Hanks grows older, we will continue to see him tackle similar roles. Lawyers, fathers, officials of some capacity. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. 

I enjoyed this film and it's interpretation of the real events. Do I think it was Oscar nomination worthy? Perhaps not. The film was well constructed, acted and its themes were compelling. But what I felt the film lacked was punch. It didn't leave me speechless or, better yet, wanting to talk about it until my throat hurt. Having just seen the Revenant, this felt like it had a more subtle impact. Perhaps my opinion comes down to timing. Had I seen it before DiCaprio's film, I might have felt differently.

Creed

I knew that this review would be hard to write for several reasons. One, I've never seen any Rocky films. Two, I thoroughly dislike the likes of Stallone, Schwarzenegger and Rourke. Not because I think they are bad actors, but because I feel like their time has passed and I feel like they're delusional to believe that they're not a faded, decrepit version of their once great selves. And three, boxing films have never been at the top of my 'must see' list.

All of that aside, I saw the newest Rocky instalment, Creed, today. Happy as I am that the film has taken on a new name despite being an obvious follow on from previous films, I still left feeling entirely unsure. Spin-offs and sequels like this are rarely popular but with the recent success of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, I was willing to give the film the time and energy I would dedicate to any other cinema experience. Directed by Ryan Coogler, who is also the concept creator for the film, Creed follows the life and training of Apollo Creed's son with the help of a very weathered Rocky Balboa. The redeeming qualities within the film were resting on the shoulders of new title character Adonis Johnson Creed portrayed by Michael B. Jordan.

Jordan was the best part of this film. He was dedicated (clearly he worked incredibly hard to get into shape for this film), believable and actually had me enjoying large chunks of a film that I thought I would hate. I didn't think that I'd seen any of Jordan's previous works until it clicked on the way home from the cinema - Friday Night Lights. I binge watched the show last year and fell in love with (several of) the characters. Jordan played Vince, someone who would probably empathise a lot with Adonis. Once I started looking through the rest of his IMDB, I realised that Michael B. Jordan has a history of impressive and compelling work. He's a talented actor and hopefully he won't slip into the trap that action films can sometimes be. I'd love to watch him continue to stretch himself physically and emotionally to become a better and more noteworthy actor. 

The fight scenes, which some would argue is the focus of any good boxing film, were captivating. I was incredibly surprised at how much I loved these scenes, considering my predisposition of disdain towards boxing/fight films. But watching Jordan and his opponents go head to head in clearly, physically demanding, precisely choreographed scenes was hypnotising. My first thought throughout these scenes was that the training for this film must have been exhausting and that it was SO worth it. I'd love to know a little more about the preparation that went into these scenes and how they were shot/directed by Coogler. 

As I mentioned above, I left the cinema unsure. I felt like there were many areas that the film could have succeeded and propelled itself out of the shadows of its predecessors but instead it was almost stagnant. Creed should have developed itself as a step forward and then quickly ditched its attachment to Balboa. It's a horrible thing to wish on someone, even a fictional character, but I felt like Rocky should have died in this film. When he was diagnosed with cancer and initially refused treatment, it was my hope that he would die either just before or just after the fight. It would have been the perfect catalyst for Adonis to fight harder and would have solved the whole Stallone problem. The problem being he felt unnecessary. The film could have succeeded without him in my opinion.

Regardless, I think if Creed is to continue on to a sequel, I'll venture out again into the world of boxing. I did thoroughly enjoy Jordan's performance and his portrayal of this role. So, if you love boxing - go and see it. If you don't - maybe see something else. I can't say for certain whether or not this film was a hit or a miss. 

Room

Emma Donoghue's award winning Room has finally been adapted for film! The 2010 novel won over critics and global readers for it's unusual yet captivating plot told from the perspective of young Jack, a boy born in captivity. Jack and Ma live in the claustrophobic confinement of 'Room' until Ma is able to convince their captor, Old Nick, that Jack is deathly ill. A close escape follows and Jack is able to lead the police back to his mother and the two are freed. From this point onwards, the story focuses on recovery and is quite overwhelming.

The film adaptation follows the novel's storyline nearly exactly, which is to be expected considering Donoghue was the film's screenwriter. Directed by Lenny Abrahamson, the films aesthetics clearly captured Donoghue's vision and her intentions for the visual representation of her world. Abrahamson's previous works are similarly groundbreaking with the focus being primarily independent film. Other than his film Frank, with writers Jon Ronson and Peter Straughan, Room is likely to be his biggest success due to it's existing following since the release of the book.

Starring Brie Larson as Joy 'Ma' Newsome and Jacob Tremblay as Jack, Room has some of the best performances I've seen in some time. Larson in particular is compelling in her role. She truly encapsulates the frustration of the character both inside and outside of 'Room'. In particular, her interactions with Jack are challenging yet confirming in order to help him develop within such a small space. Larson seemed stretched at times when trying to accurately portray the mental struggle of her character, yet prevailed in becoming one of the strongest performances within the film. Her ability to portray such pain and helplessness will no doubt serve her well as she moves on to new productions in 2016.

As for Jacob Tremblay - such a young talent that I'm sure will continue to blossom. Not only has this young actor taken on an incredibly challenging role but is also taking on a role that has been established for the last five years by a top selling novel. Absolutely the shining beacon of light within this film, Tremblay was one hundred percent committed to his role. His interpretation of Jack was hard to watch at times as we witness him grow separately from his mother after they are freed from captivity. To take on the role of a character who has never known the world that Tremblay himself lives in, is challenging. But his performance was everything it needed to be. His soft facial features combined with the soft spoken nature of his character was a wonderful match. He was realistic in his portrayal and didn't overact the part which lead to a seamless transition between pre-world Jack and post-world Jack. 

There is no surprise that this film is gaining the attention of film critics and film lovers worldwide. With a Golden Globe already won, Room is hopefully going to collect a few more accolades as the 2016 award season continues.