Short Review: Red Riding Trilogy - In the Year of Our Lord 1983 (2009)

1983, the final film in the Red Riding Trilogy is a fitting conclusion to this brilliant story. Set in '83, but predominantly featuring flashbacks to events that took place during the 1974 investigation by Eddie Dunford into the disappearance and murder of three young girls. Instead of viewing it from Dunford's perspective though, we see it from that of Maurice Jobson (David Morrissey), a man that has unwittingly partaken in and very likely implicated in years of corruption and cover-up within the West Yorkshire Police Department, whose guilty conscience has now caught up with him. Having worked on the case years before, and with the stench of corruption still prominent around him, Jobson attempts to make things right. When another young girl goes missing in 1983, eight years since the last case, and with a mentally retarded young man arrested and jailed for the confessed murder of the girl in 1974, questions begin to emerge about his innocence and the possibility of a tortured confession at the hands of the Yorkshire Police. John Piggot (Mark Addy), a local solicitor, is assigned to form an appeal for the man and becomes convinced the man is innocent, as Jobson begins to recount past files to identify the true 'wolf' responsible for these heinous crimes. The final installment works as a sequel to 1974 more than anything, with 1980 focusing more on the Ripper case, and further developing the level of corruption within the department, briefly touching on the missing girls. Once again the bleak cinematography is unforgettable, and the cloudy skies of Yorkshire have never looked more ominous. The fusing together of flashbacks into the present makes it sometimes confusing and difficult to grasp, but with prior viewing of the first two, it all makes sense. Unfortunately it is the least engaging of the three with the poorest direction, but I respect that the atmosphere created and the audio and visual acuteness is maintained through all three films despite different directors, cinematographers and composers working on each. The performances again are excellent, especially Morrissey, whose heart-wrenching regret is painfully prevalent though his face. Ultimately, all loose ends are tied up, making The Red Riding Trilogy one of the supreme British achievements of the decade.

My Rating 3 1/2 Stars

Short Review: The Box (Richard Kelly, 2009)

From Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly, this obscure thriller begins on the right track and creates some genuine suspense and interest for the audience. Diaz and Marsden receive a mysterious box on their doorstep one morning and are given the option by Frank Langella's disfigured ex-mental patient to push the button inside the box and receive one million dollars but end the life of someone they don't know. Following this intriguing idea, the film then turns into a complicated conspiracy, as employees of Langella begin to appear at every turn, and they ultimately have to fight to save not only their own lives, but that of their son. The film begins well, but in the second half there are a handful of sequences that don't seem to fit and makes the plot much more complicated than it needs to be. In saying this, the plot itself is pretty diabolical, not to mention the dialogue. Diaz's performance is mostly horrendous, but Frank Langella is well cast. Kelly, in the tradition of his earlier work, has divulged too far with too many ideas. What is left is an intriguing mess that will leave you discussing key points of the plot after to establish some sort of order in your understanding. I didn't completely hate it, but unlike his far superior Donnie Darko, I won't be watching The Box again.

My Rating: 2 Stars

Short Review: Up (Pete Docter, 2009)

Following 2008's outstanding animation, Wall E, Pixar have once again outdone themselves. Up, rightly receiving a Best Picture nomination, is one of the years best films. Transforming a grumpy 78 year-old pensioner into the films' central hero is a feat in itself, but to surround him with a young explorer-wannabe, a gigantic bird and a talking dog and still keep audiences of all ages interested and absorbed is incredible. The array of mannerisms assigned by the animators to Mr Fredericksen is very impressive, while Russell, irritating to begin with, becomes more likable for the audience as Fredricksen also warms to him. Christopher Plummer provides excellent voice support as an aged adventurer who devotes his life to capturing a rare bird that warms to Russell. I found myself laughing out loud at several scenes, while feeling overcome with sadness in others. The script is so original and witty, and the last half of the film is genuinely exciting. A most heartwarming experience that shows that you aren't too old for anything. Pixar have released another flawless film that has once again broken the boundaries of what is capable with animation and successfully utilized 3D technology.

My Rating: 4 1/2 Stars

Short Review: Red Riding Trilogy - In the Year of Our Lord 1980 (2009)

In the Year of Our Lord: 1980 is the second film in the currently outstanding Red Riding Trilogy (2009), featuring impressive direction from James Marsh. Set in 1980, six years after the events of the first film. Chief Inspector Peter Hunter (Paddy Considine) leads a trio of investigators brought in to assess and assist the Yorkshire Police Department, already revealed but never convicted in the first film, to be a corrupt troupe of violent men, with the inquiry into the Yorkshire Ripper, who is still at large. With his most recent victim taking the unconfirmed number to thirteen and with a public outcry demanding capture, the West Yorkshire Captain brings in the esteemed but unpopular investigator. Before taking leave of absence years earlier, due to his wife’s miscarriage, Hunter had previously worked on the Karachi Club Massacre (featured at the climax of 1974), which left Officer Bob Craven (Sean Harris) and his partner seriously wounded. Craven is now one of the leading investigators on the Ripper case. Hunter sets to work, patiently reviewing the notes on each of the murders. When they discover that one of the more questionable murders may in fact be linked to a copycat killer; and later the off-duty activities of a corrupt detective and the Karachi Club, Hunter begins to question the methods and integrity of the leading officers in the case. Publicly rustling the feathers of these aggressive men, while covering up a secret affair and pregnancy with a colleague, Hunter uncovers a conspiracy linked to years of corruption, but ultimately finds himself an outcast and a target. Like 1974, this is a perfectly paced drama and brilliantly dialogued, with some sickening twists throughout. Shot in 35mm, the cinematography is beautiful and the score brilliantly haunting. It is grim and uncompromising viewing, but remains an extraordinary and totally engaging series. With some of the actors playing recurring roles from the first film, the performances are all spot on. But it is Paddy Considine’s confident demeanor, almost as powerful and memorable as Andrew Garfield’s Eddie Dunford, who completely commands the screen. The heartbreaking conclusion has me geared for the last installment (1983), which promises to provide complete closure, and solidify this trilogy as one of the decades most accomplished British dramas. Unlike 1974 (directed by Julian Jarrold), which can aptly stand alone as a near-masterpiece, 1980 requires you to watch the first film prior, but it works as a brilliant accompaniment.

My Rating: 4 Stars

Short Review: The Messenger (Oren Moverman, 2009)

The Messenger is a powerful, well observed drama that captures the raw human emotions of the relatives of war veterans in various states; ranging from joy at their loved ones returning home from military service as heroes, or aggravating and often difficult-to-watch heartbreak when they are revealed of their deaths in the line of duty. Partnered with fellow officer Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson), William Montgomery (Ben Foster) is assigned to the Army's Casualty Notification Service, whose task is to present the news of the death of a soldier to their next of kin. Overcome with grief, many of the relatives inflict verbal and often violent abuse on the pair, who must relay the information void of personal feeling, contact or retaliation. The script is excellent and there are incredible accomplished performances from Foster (Six Feet Under, 3:10 to Yuma) and Harrelson (most recently No Country for Old Men and Zombieland). These guys really shared some brilliant sequences, and Harrelson rightly was honored with an Oscar nomination. Often questioning the others' passion for the role and it's impact on their sanity and exchanging conflicts at Montgomery's rejection of the established protocol when he falls for a recently widowed mother. They are often at the forefront to the sudden unraveling of people's lives, when they themselves are hanging onto the unraveled decay of their own lives, also as a result of their service in the military. They receive great support from Samantha Morton and Steve Buscemi. This is one of the most poignant emotional dramas of the year, and most certainly the best acted.

My Rating: 4 Stars

Waiting in Anticipation

Here are the trailers for five of this summers most awaited flicks:

Let Me In (Matt Reeves)



The Social Network (David Fincher)



Winter's Bone (Debra Granik)



The American (Anton Corbijn)



The Black Swan (Darren Aronofsky)

Short Review: Red Riding Trilogy - In the Year of Our Lord 1974 (2009)

An outstanding British serial killer mystery sees ambitious young Yorkshire Post journalist, Edward Dunford (Andrew Garfield), investigate the disappearance and presumed rape/murder of three young girls in Northern England at the time of Yorkshire Ripper. When the body of one of the girls is found raped and strangled at the construction site of a local businessman (Sean Bean), it is discovered that he had been bribing members of the Yorkshire Council and Police Force to illegally purchase land and build a mall. Dunford becomes embroiled in a fierce wave of ever-present corruption and senseless brutality within the Northern England Police Force and discovers the extreme lengths powerful lawmen will go to hide the truth. Fueled by a passion for justice and having established a lead on the most recent disappearance, Dunford begins re-inquiring and building an investigation into the cases of two previous victims and assumes a link. Typical of a noir protagonist, Dunford finds himself delving beyond his jurisdiction and finds himself beaten up and threatened with his life to stand down. Bleak, gritty, uncompromising and unsettling, 1974 is the first in the critically acclaimed Red Riding Trilogy (with 1980 and 1983 to follow) a feature-length television adaptation of David Peace's Red Riding Quartet (published between 1999 and 2002). Beautifully shot and directed, the entire cast is excellent. Most notably Garfield (Boy A, The Social Network), who brilliantly captures the romanticism and cocky bravura of a naive and relentless obsessive. A womanizing chain smoker sporting a leather jacket and bell bottoms, in an era of mistrust and paranoia, Eddie Dunford is an inspiring figure thirsty for results in a near-lawless society. With notable influence from films like L.A Confidential and Zodiac, the score is gloriously dramatic and 1974 maintains a heightened tension throughout resulting in an emotionally draining experience and a thoroughly rewarding first installment in what potentially could be one of the most striking British dramas in the last decade.

My Rating: 4 1/2 Stars

Short Review: The Tree (Julie Bertucelli, 2010)

Endowed with beautiful and often soothing visuals, this heartfelt Australian drama about a widow, Dawn (Charlotte Gainsbourg), and her children struggling to stay united following the shock death of their husband/father, falls a bit flat and is ultimately unsatisfying and forgettable. Dawn's daughter Simone finds comfort within the branches of the large fig tree that stands over their house and property, imagining that her father's soul has returned inside the tree allowing her to speak to him when sitting within the branches. She shares this secret with her mother and adorns the tree with family treasures. But amidst her grief, the daily challenge of managing her children and now having to look for income, Dawn struggles to keep her family together. When she meets George and begins working for him at his plumbing store, Simone grows angry at her sudden happiness, and seemingly so does the spirit of her husband. The tree begins to die due to a worsening drought; branches fall off in the night and destroy walls of the house and the roots beneath to burrow beneath the houses foundations. When a fierce cyclone hits their lives are ultimately changed forever. The Tree was filmed in Boonbah in Queensland, Australia and closed the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. It's a nice little film, but the script suffers and never really goes anywhere. I was impressed with the performance of young Morgana Davies, however.

My Rating: 2 1/2 Stars