SWORDFISH

2001

DIRECTOR: Dominic Sena

May Contain Spoilers!

This is a film whose major accolades include the fact that Halle Berry got her boobs out for the first time. Does this sum up this film? To an extent, yes it does.

But it’s better than that. It’s defiantly the first major film to use The Matrix style camera work as so excellently demonstrated in its opening sequence, but that’s about the best of it. Hell, even the poster has a Matrix esthetic about it! The plotting is ridiculous but sharply executed, along with hammy but fun performances from a cast that can do a lot better. But if it’s just entertainment you want, then look no further.

The pacing is fast, the plotting is ludicrous and John Travolta is defiantly on form as the terrorist/patriot. But when you’ve got a scene where Hugh Jackman, a top-notch programmer, is forced to crack the Defence mainframe in 60 seconds whilst receiving a blow job, you kind of find yourself thinking back or forward, since it was made later, to 2004′s Team America: World Police!

And then there’s the scene with Halle Berry standing around gratuitously in her underwear pointing her gun at Hugh, who seems to be thinking that this all quite normal! Oh, and his ex-wife is a porn star who is married to a porn director… need I go on?

The films heart is clear. Crass, cynical and vulgar, from the in your face acting, to the odd music by Christopher Young and Mike Oakenfield?, the obvious and fanatical belief that sex sells. Well, it does, but you need to decide whether you’re making a soft porn film or a mainstream thriller. At least Team America knew that it was comedy.

But having said all that, I like this film. It’s a truly enjoyable romp, dated and reminiscent of a late 1980′s actioner, but made at time when cinema was  moving in a slightly different direction. Recommended for Saturday night viewing ONLY!

THE FOUR FEATHERS (2002)

2002

DIRECTOR: Shekhar Kapur

NOT A PART OF OUR COLLECTION

May Contain Spoilers!

Will we be adding this to our collection?  NO

I first saw this sweeping epic adaptation of A.E.W. Mason’s 1902 novel of the same name back in 2004, and was expecting something modern and yet classical. What I saw and didn’t like much was an old school film done in an old school manner. But on reflection and second viewing, there is more to look at here but not necessarily much  more to enjoy.

The tone is dingey, whether it be the rain-sodden Britain or the dirty and horrendous looking Sudan, which is only saved by the obligatory wide shots of the rolling desert dunes. The idea seems to be to add some level of realism to proceedings, in a similar manner as when he made El1zabeth in 1998, but we just end up with a dour looking epic, swamped by depressing imagery and feeling.

The story, or at least this version of it, it simple and under cooked I think, with little but a contrived and skeletal plot, offering no significant insight into the times or the characters and the tone leaves the actors with no real room to act outside the depressing boundaries that have already being laid before them.

The casting was also at fault here, not least that of Kate Hudson, who besides being able to put on an overbearing British accent, is nothing more than a caricature of an English lady of the times. The ending is also a little confusing but seems to be wrapped up neatly whilst leaving several questions unanswered, but quiet frankly, nobody really cares by that point.

It is sweeping at time and some of the cinematography is stunning, though slow-motion is ridiculously overused, whilst the rest of the film feels derivative, predictable and laboured, but there are worse films out there and this will pass the time quite adequately.

THE KRAYS

1990

DIRECTOR: Peter Medak

May Contain Spoilers!

This brutal portrayal of the infamous Kray twins who operated their gang of organised criminals in the east-end of London during the 50′s and 60′s, does leave something to be desired. Focusing not on the biographical rise and fall of these two gangsters, but instead looking in to the psyche of them and those around them.

The portrayal of gritty post war London, along with a refreshingly female-centric tone, in which The Krays and even their fellow gangsters, have an at times unhealthy respect for the women in their neighbourhoods, whilst others suffer at the hands of their men.

Scenes of Mrs Kray bringing her sons tea and biscuits as they hold top-level meetings up stairs sums up the relationships, as do anecdotes of what women had to suffer during the war years. My only real grip would be a lack of insight into the rise and fall of the brothers, with little in the way explanation as to how these two became gangsters.

The other issues are that there was little exploration of their other brother but it’s the casting of Martin and Gary Kemp as The Krays. I didn’t think that it worked too well. It was okay, with Gary standing out as the more unstable brother, but overall, and even though their was a lot of time given to the fact that these twins had a fascinating way of thinking as a one, and the dark, evil eyes, they seemed to be providing somewhat wooden performances.

Overall though, the tone was good, gritty and insightful which for a gangster film, sets it apart from many others, but I would liked to have seem more of their rise and how they operated, but was left asking too many questions. This is a biopic for those who already know something about the subject and I don’t know much about The Krays at all, besides their names…