Alice Through the Looking Glass

Overshadowed by Domestic Abuse claims, Alice Through the Looking Glass is bombing, both nationally and internationally. And at this juncture, there is very little Johnny Depp will be able to do to win back fans and draw in an audience for the second installment of this wacky tale. But accusations aside, how does the film stand on its own? Well, the answer is: It stands on two very shaky legs. The first leg being Depp, and his tired interpretation of yet another character that looks and acts like a vast majority of Depp's other roles. The second leg is new director James Bobin. Replacing Tim Burton, Bobin is essentially trying to revive a film that many were happy to see die.

Alice Through The Looking Glass comes six years after its predecessor and follows Alice as she re-enters Underland after leaving three years before. She's met by a large portion of the film's characters and they inform her of the Madhatters extreme behaviour and his belief that his family may still be alive. As with his increase in madness the Hatter's health deteriorates, so Alice sets out to convince Time himself to rework history and save the Hatter's family. This obviously leads to a convoluted journey where Alice tries to right the wrongs in Underland. The tale is more of a clustered mess than Burtons despite both screenplays having been written by the same writer, Linda Woolverton. Woolverton's other works include the animated Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and Mulan along with live action hits like Maleficent.

Beyond the film's core story lines of Hatter and his family; the warring siblings; and Alice's race against time, there were some interesting plot points scattered throughout the film. One of these was seen in Alice's return to the real world shortly before the films climax. Institutionalized with 'female hysteria', Alice is restrained by a male doctor who says he can cure her of her illness. As most people know, Hysteria was originally associated with women and their wild emotional capacity. Thought for years to be the answer to many women who suffered from legitimate mental disorders like postpartum depression. 

Hysteria, as a result, is often used in examples of the changing position of women in society. Once considered so emotionally capable that they must be ill, women are now running companies and families simultaneously. The reason why this interests me is because of the film's overall approach to gender norms and the role of the strong independent woman. It seems entirely fitting that someone of Alice's disposition, in such a time period, would have been considered hysterical. Yet, when young Alice is in Underland she is saving not only men but women too.

The film was as visually stunning as the first, with the usual overuse of CGI in scenes that don't always need digital enhancement, but overall Alice's new adventure fell flat. One of my big pet peeves is when a film uses time travel to, basically, start again - I'm looking at you X-Men. And whilst Underland ended up in sweeter circumstances than the beginning of the film, it felt like the last two hours might as well have not happened. Honestly, what's the point? If your film lacks substance and needs to be carried by few interjected feminist trope in order to pass as noteworthy, then you're not doing it right. I think that Depp's personal issues have ended up being a great excuse for a film that would have flopped regardless.

Eye in the Sky

Gavin Hood, director of Enders Game and X-Men Origins: Wolverine, brings us Eye in the Sky. A film about the application of drones during combat and the ethical fallout of such weaponry. Filmed in South Africa, Eye in the Sky focuses on the local people who are effected by terrorism, and the counterstrikes from Western intelligence agencies. The film premiered at the 2015 Toronto Film Festival and had it's international release in April of 2016. 

This is a suspenseful drama reminiscent of many other war films from the last decade, but Hood sets his aside by taking a step back. Unlike other films of this hard to define genre, Eye in the Sky seems to capture, like the all seeing eye, the action across several continents whilst closely focusing on our mission in Kenya simultaneously. Helen Mirren stars as our woman in charge, Col. Katherine Powell, overseeing operation EGRET. Her mission turns from capture to kill and Alan Rickman, Gen. Frank Benson, agrees. But as they wait for final approval, many characters, including Aaron Paul's Steve Watts, begin to question the change and the potential fall out from an unprovoked attack that will cause civilian casualties. 

The film's editing by Megan Gill is of particular note. Most of the film's well executed tense moments are built by Gill's style. This allowed the film to fully dive into it's 'Thriller' sub genre and keep audiences engaged throughout. Her talents were of course magnified by Haris Zambarloukos' camera work. Creating dimension and contrast through his focus on cold, dark interiors with the bright sun and exteriors.

Rickman's second last feature and it was certainly an excellent performance. His partnership with Mirren on screen was a delight and seemingly the perfect match. The two embodied their characters wholeheartedly which shows clear commitment to the film, their director and their craft. Aaron Paul's appearance in this film was surprising. I haven't given him much thought since the season finale of Breaking Bad in 2013. However, once I was over the initial shock of seeing him again, I was pleasantly overwhelmed by his emotional performance. It seemed like Paul was at the brink of tears throughout his entire time on screen, but it wasn't out of place. I had clearly forgotten how emotive his face is and how brilliant he can be on screen in the right role. 

Overall, I felt like this film was reasonably paced and an appropriate length - any longer and it would have been exhausting. Eye in the Sky undoubtedly raises a lot of questions about the processes and chain of command behind any and all strikes. And whether or not decisions can or should be made by government officials any lower than the Prime Minister and the President themselves. Personally, with a utilitarian view on life, my decision in this scenario would have been made much quicker. But that wouldn't have made an interesting film now would it?

Captain America: Civil War

As I have mentioned in my previous post, I've been working my way towards a deadline this week. That deadline was at 13:40 today as I entered the cinema to watch Captain America: Civil War. I've been catching up on the Captain's last two films to make sure I had all of my Steve Rogers facts straight. With a solid base of knowledge from these films and The Avengers films, I became increasingly more excited about Civil War's release. Other than this knowledge and the new film's trailer - I had no other information about Civil War or its contents. I avoided pre-release spoilers and only watched the film's first trailer.

So as it turns out, Captain America: Civil War is about a new law that changes the way superheroes are viewed, treated and accepted in society. As a result, a rift between The Avengers and their extended friends is made. With Captain America at the head of one side and Tony Stark/Iron Man at the head of the other, the disagreement is heated and becomes personal. The Captain believes that superheroes should be able to continue their work without restraint but Stark agrees with the government in that there was an oversight and that The Avengers should be held more accountable for their actions. Released internationally on the 27th of April, the film was released here in the UK today - April 29th. So I cannot comment on the film's success on opening weekend or it's initial feedback from critics and general audiences. Although, I'm pretty sure fan's will enjoy this one and wont be disappointed.

I've said before that I enjoy the crossover within the Marvel Universe. I feel that the constant appearance of other Marvel characters adds cohesion and helps reinforce the idea that they are all in the same Universe. So I thoroughly enjoyed the inclusion of Black Widow, Falcon, Iron Man, Hawkeye and Ant-Man among many others. The most notable guest in this film was the first appearance of Marvel's Spiderman. I've been waiting patiently to see how Spiderman would be represented in this new Universe and how they (the big bosses down at Disney) would handle his crossover. It's weird to me that they've just 'bought' Spiderman, but hey! it's Disney - they can do whatever they want! However, Spiderman in this film, played by Tom Holland, provided a huge portion of this film's comedy gold moments. His time on screen was limited to one of the major fight scenes between the divided Avenger team. He's an adorable character who has lots of questions. Regularly interrupting the flow of action to praise his opposition. 

This film will clearly go down in the Marvel Universe as very important in the progression of many storylines. In fact, before the next Avengers film is released, many will have to go back and view this film if they haven't already. With the Sokovia Accords and the current status of Captain America and Iron Man's relationship this film has pushed several character storylines forward immensely. The film ends with hints towards a Spiderman film and perhaps a Black Panther one too. I look forward to the former but the latter doesn't interest me. In fact, when the Black Panther first appeared on screen (to fight Bucky whom he believed killed his father during the Sokovia Accords signing), I thought it was Cat Woman. Yes, I realise Cat Woman is DC not Marvel but there was a lot going on on screen and I think I was overwhelmed with love for Bucky who was trying so hard to disappear. 

Anyway, the film was great. The story was interesting and although it didn't have the same shocking twists that the other Captain America film's have had, the plot was still interesting and kept audiences fully engaged throughout. Surely by Monday morning we'll hear that this film has broken opening weekend records and is on it's way to breaking the bank!

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.