New Release Review: Compliance (Craig Zobel, 2012)

Written and directed by Craig Zobel, Compliance premiered twelve months ago at the Sundance Film Festival. When a prank caller claiming to be a police officer convinces Sandra (Ann Dowd), a location manager at a fast food chain, that one of her register staff, Becky (Dreama Walker), has stolen money from a customer that evening; she complies with the caller’s requests without question (no matter how unlike protocol and inappropriate). Sandra is initially manipulated into keeping Becky under supervision in the back of the store, confiscating her possessions and ordering a strip search, but as Sandra enlists different supervisors, including her partner Van (Bill Camp), the procedure takes increasingly sinister turns.

What transpires in this film is inspired by true cases – and as the shocking stat reveal at the conclusion claims, not just one – meaning that this film can’t be ignored. Zobel, by bringing these baffling events to the screen, creates a confronting and fascinating experience. He builds a claustrophobic location and mounts tension with some inventive direction. If you know this prior to watching the film then I think it is easier to accept the actions of the characters. If you don’t, then it is very difficult to believe that these events took place and it is even hard to sympathise with the victims. This was my problem.

When I was watching Compliance I had to resist the urge to stop it. I got a sense of what was coming and feared for Becky. This is an extremely unsettling expose about our perception of authoritative hierarchy and how one can lose sight of their morals when their role is required to exceed their jurisdiction. Against better judgment, how far do you accept the orders of a perceived higher authority? With such a distressing moral dilemma at the core, Compliance has haunted audiences and if you have ever worked in customer service, will leave you wondering how you would handle such a situation. I feel I must warn you that this film is far from entertaining and will likely leave you squirming in your seat, and create a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach.

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New Releases (31/01/13)

Thursday 31st Jan. marks the strongest release dates of the year so far - promising three terrific films, each nominated for at least two Academy Awards. Silver Linings Playbook (David O. Russell), Zero Dark Thirty (Kathryn Bigelow) and Flight (Robert Zemeckis) come highly recommended.

Zero Dark Thirty - Maya (Jessica Chastain), a CIA operative recruited out of High School, is assigned to the U.S embassy in Pakistan to lead a hunt for the al-Qaeda leader. She targets men believed to have been one-time acquaintances – couriers and money men – in the hopes that they can shed further insight on important members of his inner circle and ultimately his location. Over the course of the grueling investigation, which involves the torture of detainees for intelligence, until new administration threatens to prosecute any officers involved, and the search for the true identity of Maya’s primary lead, her life is threatened several times. Significant attacks during this period are recreated and despite losing agents and facing dead ends, Maya desperately tries to persuade her superiors to continue funding the investigation. By taking a stance that doesn’t adopt a singular political perspective, Boal and Bigelow rely on facts and chronicle this thrilling manhunt via the experiences of a driven female operative, posing challenging questions along the way. Zero Dark Thirty is as tense as any great thriller, but the drama swelling within the agency creates characters and situations we care about. Overlooking Bigelow for Best Director is a mystery to me. To so convincingly convey a story of this magnitude and importance and keep an audience glued to their seat for the duration is highly commendable work, and is even more impressive than her last film (The Hurt Locker), arguably one of great war films of the last decade.

Silver Linings Playbook - Life doesn't always go according to plan. Pat Solatano (Bradley Cooper) has lost everything -- his house, his job, and his wife. He now finds himself living back with his mother (Jacki Weaver) and father (Robert DeNiro) after spending eight months is a state institution on a plea bargain. Pat is determined to rebuild his life, remain positive and reunite with his wife, despite the challenging circumstances of their separation. All Pat's parents want is for him to get back on his feet-and to share their family's obsession with the Philadelphia Eagles football team. When Pat meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), a mysterious girl with problems of her own, things get complicated. Tiffany offers to help Pat reconnect with his wife, but only if he'll do something very important for her in return. As their deal plays out, an unexpected bond begins to form between them, and silver linings appear in both of their lives.

Flight - An excellent Denzel Washington (a performance thoroughly deserving of his recent Oscar nomination and amongst his career best work) stars as Whip Whitaker, a Navy veteran and airline pilot who we first meet waking up from a big night with a young naked woman in his bed. A tense phone call reveals he has an ex-wife and a misguided son, and the state of the room suggests they are likely battling hangovers. Whip and the young woman (Nadine Velasquez) – revealed to be one of his flight attendants – have a flight in less than two hours and to kick the hangover he does a line of cocaine. During the short flight between Orlando and Atlanta – on which we witness Whip indulge in further beverages – he encounters severe turbulence before the plane begins to seriously malfunction and fall apart. Taking advantage of unexpected adrenalin he manages to invert the plane to stop a nosedive, and then maneuver the gliding airline into a crash land in an empty field. His actions are miraculous and though six people lose their lives, the plane’s faults should have resulted in the death of everyone on board. His heroics are soon challenged when hospital blood tests reveal his intoxication, and with answers sought after an investigation ensues seeking to uncover the cause of the accident.

Weekly Recommendation: All fantastic films. Make 'Zero Dark Thirty' and 'Silver Linings Playbook' the priorities, but 'Flight' is well worth your time too.

2013 Blind Spot Series: Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (F. W Murnau, 1927)

I was first introduced to German auteur F.W Murnau, and some of the great works of silent cinema, when I first watched Nosferatu, a horror masterpiece in every sense of the word, during university film studies. I was in awe, and along with The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Metropolis I briefly fell in love with German Expressionist filmmaking. Since then I have not made the effort to seek out any more of Murnau's feature films, even when my interest in Sunrise: A Song Of Two Humans was piqued when it appeared in the Top 10 of two fellow bloggers' Top 100 Favourite Films lists (I thank James at Cinema Sights and Stevee at Cinematic Paradox for this interest). It immediately registered as an essential. When I was creating my 2013 Blind Spot list it was one of the first I considered.

Having now watched this miracle of silent cinema - and if you're seeking it out, it is available on Youtube, and doesn't lose any of its stunning imagery - I can attest to the claim that it is one of the finest silent films ever made. It is certainly an unforgettable experience and a film you'd swear was not made in 1927. On the recent Sight and Sound poll, Sunrise was voted as the 5th best feature film ever made.

Review: Flight (Robert Zemeckis, 2012)

Just when you thought that Robert Zemeckis’ (Forrest Gump) return to live action cinema (after a decade of performance capture animated features) was going to be a disaster film, it takes a surprising turn following a terrifying and thrilling flight sequence, delving into a complex character study about an alcoholic pilot struggling to redeem himself to match those of his credited professional heroics.

An excellent Denzel Washington (a performance thoroughly deserving of his recent Oscar nomination and amongst his career best work) stars as Whip Whitaker, a Navy veteran and airline pilot who we first meet waking up from a big night with a young naked woman in his bed. A tense phone call reveals he has an ex-wife and a misguided son, and the state of the room suggests they are likely battling hangovers. Whip and the young woman (Nadine Velasquez) – revealed to be one of his flight attendants – have a flight in less than two hours and to kick the hangover he does a line of cocaine.

During the short flight between Orlando and Atlanta – on which we witness Whip indulge in further beverages – he encounters severe turbulence before the plane begins to seriously malfunction and fall apart. Taking advantage of unexpected adrenalin he, with the assistance of his co-pilot and one of his attendants, manages to invert the plane to stop a nosedive, and then maneuver the gliding airline into a crash land in an empty field. His actions are miraculous and though six people lose their lives, the plane’s faults should have resulted in the death of everyone on board. His heroics are soon challenged when hospital blood tests reveal his intoxication, and with answers sought after an investigation ensues seeking to uncover the cause of the accident. He gains support from his forgiving friend (Bruce Greenwood) and confident and capable attorney (Don Cheadle), while succumbing to his demons to a destructive extreme.

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New Release Review: The Impossible (Juan Antonio Bayona, 2012)

The Impossible, director Juan Antonio Bayona’s second feature film following the atmospheric haunted house thriller, The Orphanage (2007), focuses on the tragic Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004 that killed 230,000 people, conveying the ordeal through the experiences of one family.

A husband and wife, Maria (Naomi Watts) and Henry (Ewan McGregor), and their three young sons (Tom Holland, Samuel Joslin and Oaklee Pedergast), have decided to spend Christmas at a beachside resort in Thailand. On Boxing Day they are spending the day at the pool. All of sudden, a faint roar can be heard out at sea, birds can be seen flying in the opposite direction and the ground trembles, signifying the arrival of the Tsunami. The pool dwellers have no time to escape as the wave completely destroys the buildings along the coast and hurtles inland, sweeping up Marie and Lucas (Holland). They reunite after being thrown about for a while in the fierce rapids, and the locals assist in escorting a seriously injured Maria to a nearby hospital. This is unbeknownst to Henry and the two younger sons, who have not given up hope but have been since searching in vain.

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New Releases (24/01/13)

New in cinemas this week: Quentin Tarantino's new film, Django Unchained, a screen recreation of the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami, The Impossible and a road comedy starring Seth Rogen and Barbara Streisand, The Guilt Trip.

Django Unchained - Set in the South two years before the Civil War, Django Unchained stars Jamie Foxx as Django, a slave whose brutal history with his former owners lands him face-to-face with German-born bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz). Schultz is on the trail of the murderous Brittle brothers, and only Django can lead him to his bounty. Honing vital hunting skills, Django remains focused on one goal: finding and rescuing Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), the wife he lost to the slave trade long ago. Django and Schultz's search ultimately leads them to Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio), the proprietor of "Candyland," an infamous plantation. Exploring the compound under false pretenses, Django and Schultz arouse the suspicion of Stephen (Samuel L. Jackson), Candie's trusted house slave.

The Impossible - A husband and wife, Maria (Naomi Watts) and Henry (Ewan McGregor), and their three young sons (Tom Holland, Samuel Joslin and Oaklee Pedergast), have decided to spend Christmas at a beachside resort in Thailand. On Boxing Day they are spending the day at the pool. All of sudden, a faint roar can be heard out at sea, birds can be seen flying in the opposite direction and the ground trembles, signifying the arrival of the Tsunami. The pool dwellers have no time to escape as the wave completely destroys the buildings along the coast and hurtles inland, sweeping up Marie and Lucas (Holland). They reunite after being thrown about for a while in the fierce rapids, and the locals assist in escorting a seriously injured Maria to a nearby hospital. This is unbeknownst to Henry and the two younger sons, who have not given up hope but have been since searching in vain.

The Guilt Trip - Andy (Rogen) invents a new organic cleaning product and he plans a sales trip across America, with a pit stop to visit his widowed mother Joyce (Streisand). Andy can’t resist inviting Joyce on the trip as a means to reunite her with her former love. Let the nagging ensue.

Weekly Recommendation: Django Unchained is essential viewing. It is gleefully funny, brutal, bloody and confronting and features phenomenal performances from Foxx, Waltz, DiCaprio and Jackson. The Impossible, a towering technical feat, and also well performed, is worth your time too.

Upcoming Release Review: Zero Dark Thirty (Kathryn Bigelow, 2012)

Kathryn Bigelow’s follow up to her 2009 multiple Academy Award winner, The Hurt Locker, has sparked plenty of debate following a swift journey from the headlines to the screen. The hunt by the CIA for Osama Bin Laden, the terrorist believed to be the orchestrator of the 9/11 attacks, was a decade-spanning investigation fraught with tragedy, with his death announced less than two years ago. Bigelow has once again teamed up with journalist and screenwriting collaborator Mark Boal, and much like The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty is not structured like most feature films. It is comprised of tightly chronicled episodes; significant individual chapters over the investigated period relayed sequentially and encapsulated by a narrative and fascinating character study.

Expecting less an action film than a tense and evocative procedural/bureaucratic struggle, I left the cinema shaken, and further contemplation has left me assured that it is a remarkable filmmaking achievement worthy of the lofty praise bestowed upon it.

Maya (Jessica Chastain), a CIA operative recruited out of High School, is assigned to the U.S embassy in Pakistan to lead a hunt for the al-Qaeda leader. She targets men believed to have been one-time acquaintances – couriers and moneymen – in the hopes that they can shed further insight on important members of his inner circle and ultimately his location. Over the course of the grueling investigation, which involves the torture of detainees for intelligence, until new administration threatens to prosecute any officers involved, and the search for the true identity of Maya’s primary lead, her life is threatened several times. Significant attacks during this period are recreated and despite losing agents and facing dead ends, Maya desperately tries to persuade her superiors to continue funding the investigation.

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Upcoming Release Review: Django Unchained (Quentin Tarantino, 2012)

A new Quentin Tarantino film is always an exciting addition to the cinema year, and with his latest, Django Unchained, I was once again blown out of my chair. It is further evidence that QT, an unabashed film lover whose screenplays possess some of the sharpest and funniest dialogue to ever grace the screen, is one of the most daring filmmakers in the business. Here he tackles pre-Civil War era America, with racism and slavery at its most despicable, in the style of a Spaghetti Western. Like his 2009 masterpiece, Inglourious Basterds, he re-writes the history books his own way, offering up a canvas equally entertaining and confronting. With stunningly orchestrated and meticulously coordinated set pieces, equipped with hilarious exchanges, bursts of bloody violence and terrific musical accompaniment, Tarantino displays a veteran sense of shrewd consideration and effortless assurance.

We are first introduced to the titular Django (Jamie Foxx) as a male slave being transported across Texas as part of a chain gang. An encounter with Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz), a German travelling dentist-turned-bounty hunter, leads to Django’s freedom and the formation of an agreement between the unlikely pair. Django is to help Schultz search for and identify a trio of ruthless killers, and he in turn will be sent on his way. Their adventures result in Schultz molding Django into his associate, and when Django reveals that his wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), was sold away from him years earlier, they decide to locate her. Schultz creates a guise for the pair as potential purchasers of a Mandingo fighter – slaves forced to fight to their deaths for entertainment and gambling purposes – and devises a plan to free her from her current owner, the charismatic but merciless Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio), proprietor of a thriving plantation known as Candyland.

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