New Release Review: Rise of the Planet of the Apes (Rupert Wyatt, 2011)

Rise of the Planet of the Apes had no right being this good. When I first heard of the premise, I balked a little. It seemed like another attempt to re-charge the franchise following Tim Burton’s lacklustre re-make of the 1968 original, Planet of the Apes. Ever wondered how the world depicted in this franchise came to be? You could watch the similarly premised, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972) or check out this magnificent film. I became intrigued when I heard that the apes were to be created through motion-capture, but the film’s release snuck up on me, equipped with an average trailer and a terrible promotional poster. 

I feel a little bit ashamed, because I didn’t give this film a chance at all. With a title like that, it was difficult. Then came the flood of positive reviews, and I felt I had to see if for myself. For a summer blockbuster it has surprising intelligence, and it is far more compelling than most films I have seen this year. It has it all. Much like another recent release about a chimp (the wonderful documentary, Project Nim) this is an examination of the exploitation of nature for the benefits of science, and in-turn favouring the nurture of a wild animal over is natural upbringing. It also works as a grand prison escape, and an intellectual and calculated mass overthrow of power. It features outstanding visual effects, assured direction from a man with so little experience, a sensational climactic action sequence on the San Francisco Bridge and a stellar performance from Andy Serkis, which is easily one of the best of the year.

My Updated Top 20 Films of 2011

My updated Top 20 (ranked 20-1) Films of 2011 entirely through screenshots:

Classic Throwback: Dawn of the Dead (George A. Romero, 1978)

Dawn of the Dead, the ridiculously gory Zombie film by genre legend George A. Romero, is now an iconic classic of the horror genre. Eleven years after his ultra low-budget debut, Night of the Living Dead, Romero returns with a bigger budget (though it is still modest) and throws in a heap more gore. Following the scenario set up in Romero’s debut, the United States has been devastated by an epidemic of unknown origins, which reanimates recently deceased human beings and turns them into flesh-eating Zombies. Society has all-but collapsed, despite the efforts of the United States Government and local authorities to control the situation. 

The story of the small of group of survivors, including a Philadelphia television producer, Francine (Gaylen Ross), her boyfriend Steven (David Emge), a network traffic helicopter pilot, and a pair of SWAT officers, who seek shelter in a giant shopping complex during a Zombie apocalypse was re-imagined by Zach Snyder in his 2004 film of the same name. It was also the inspiration for the Simon Pegg/Edgar Wright comic parody, Shaun of the Dead.

Right Now I Feel Like This...

I may still be recovering from my Melbourne weekend, but after a couple of busy day shifts over the last two days, I am completely Zombiefied. I was set to trek into the city to watch Rise of the Planet of the Apes tonight but there's no way I'll make it through. Dammit. 

Releases (11/08)

August 11 has been a day I have been looking forward to ever since the 2011 Sydney Film Festival concluded back in June. On the final day I watched Asif Kapadia's mesmerising documentary, Senna, about the tragically shortened racing career of Brazilian Formula One driver Ayrton Senna. It remains my most powerful film experience of 2011. The other films released this week, with the exception of one film (I'm sure) aren't bad either. Jane Eyre is a thoroughly enjoyable period drama, and I have heard some positive feedback about Morgan Spurlock's new doco, POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold. The final film released this week is Green Lantern, which has been a long time coming. There is a reason for that, people.

Senna (*****) - Spanning his years as a Formula One racing driver from 1984 to his untimely death a decade later, Senna explores the life and work of triple world champion Ayrton Senna, his physical and spiritual achievements on the track, his quest for perfection and the mythical status he has since attained. Even if you have no interest in Formula One racing this is an unforgettable experience. It's about a man who transcends his sport, becomes a beloved icon for his country and an inspiration to people worldwide. Considered the greatest driver who ever lived, his compelling story is told here solely through masterfully edited archival footage. You must see this film.

MIFF Review: Drive (Nicholas Winding Refn, 2011)

Drive, which won Danish director Nicholas Winding Refn the Best Director Award at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival and has since received near-unanimous acclaim, is an adaptation of James Sallis’ 2005 novel of the same name. Interestingly, when Ryan Gosling (Half Nelson and Blue Valentine), who plays the film’s unnamed signature character, signed on for the project, he was allowed to choose the director. He picked Refn, who has admitted that his extraordinary film is a dedication to Chilean director, Alejandro Jodorowsky, who became known for the violently surreal images found in his films. 

As an inspired selection for Closing Night of the 2011 Melbourne International Film Festival, Drive sure had viewers rattled, especially those not expecting the kind of extreme violence this film presents. With one of the best opening sequences I have seen this year, and a handful of truly shocking moments, the images from Drive will long remain seared in your consciousness. Disappointingly, on this first viewing, I found most of the characterizations lacked the substance required for me to engage with them as much as I would have liked. Also, the film's pacing is very deliberate, and may turn off a few viewers. But these minor flaws are easy to overlook, and I imagine Refn's decisions will be better understood and appreciated on future viewings, because I can confidently claim that there will be fewer films this cool in cinemas this year. 

MIFF Review: Another Earth (Mike Cahill, 2011)

Rhoda Williams (Brit Marling), a bright young woman recently accepted to MIT’s astrophysics program, is driving back from a party when she notices a mysterious planet on the horizon. Leaning out of her window for a better look, she hits a sedan and kills two members of the family in it. The lone survivor is a college lecturer and composer, John Burroughs (William Mapother), who has just reached the pinnacle of his profession and is about to have a second child with his wife. On the eve of the discovery of a mirror planet of Earth (Earth2, the one Rhoda glimpsed), the lives of these strangers become intertwined, seemingly by chance.

As a result of her negligence, Rhoda is imprisoned for four years, while John enters a coma. They return to the world estranged from the lives they once knew and with their future dreams destroyed. It is discovered (and revealed via television coverage) that the mirror planet, quite incredibly, has human duplicates of everyone on Earth too. An essay contest is held where the winner can ride a spacecraft to visit it. As the planet gradually moves closer to Earth, Rhoda considers the possibility of visiting it to find out what kind of life her mirror self would have led, and enters the contest. 

Trailer: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Tomas Alfredson, 2011)

Wow. An amazing new trailer for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy has been recently released. With a stellar cast headlined by Gary Oldman, Colin Firth and Tom Hardy, and directed by Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In) this could be one of the best films of the year. Check it out: