August Mini Reviews: The Conjuring, The Bling Ring, Frances Ha, Red Obsession and Elysium

The Conjuring (July 18) - This film is very creepy and it takes a skilled director to make some of these now-generic malevolent elements as convincing and fresh as they feel here. I love watching horror films but half way through I was growing terrified of what was to come in The Conjuring, and whether I wanted to endure it that particular day. That's a compliment. This well-acted horror smorgasbord is thankfully more attentive to building character and suspense than James Wan's jump scare-heavy previous film, Insidious, and there are some really well-directed sequences which prove that Wan is a maestro. I really liked the relationship between Farmiga and Wilson, whose investigation into the secrets of an old house confront them with a case from their past. This facet, like the supernatural elements, felt grounded in an acceptable reality. 2013's best horror film so far. ★★★★

The Bling Ring (August 8) - In Sofia Coppola's (Lost in Translation, Somewhere) latest film, a group of vapid, materialistic, selfie-obsessed teenagers who built a claim to fame by robbing the homes of Hollywood's rich and famous (Paris Hilton amongst them, who apparently left the keys to her home under the door, had no security installed, and had so much stuff that she failed to notice anything missing despite the group's repeated returns to her place) are the subjects. Unfortunately, they aren't really the subjects. Their actions are. This disappointingly shallow film doesn't offer much insight into more than the robberies themselves, leaving their friendships, their motivations and the media response in the background. The robbers are eventually brought down, unsurprisingly, by social media gloating, a fallout providing the only real drama. It is strikingly shot, the soundtrack is funky and Emma Watson has some great lines, but it soon gets repetitive and tedious. A pass. Barely. ★★1/2

Frances Ha (August 15) - Greta Gerwig delivers an infectiously warm and bubbly performance in Noah Baumbach’s thoroughly enjoyable New York-set dramedy about a charming hipster stumbling through a directionless mid-20’s life crisis. Always optimistic about her future and determined to continue to purse her modest artistic aspirations, Frances cannot seem to make anything else work. Barely scraping together enough funds to support her living expenses, and unlucky in her romantic pursuits, her series of misadventures are captured in pleasing black and white photography. Fueled by an energetic soundtrack, Gerwig’s klutzy and awkward pratfalls are a consistent source of humour, earning my sympathy in a way I found Lena Dunham’s 'Girls' characters did not. ★★★★

Elysium (August 15) - Neill Blomkamp's anticipated follow-up to the excellent District 9 (2009), opens in stunning style - establishment of the two opposing worlds, the diseased, polluted and slum-riddled future LA and the decadent, luxury excess of the Elysium rich - showing signs that the foundation for an epic struggle for equality and acceptance could be laid out. But Damon's heroic mission, after he discovers that 'he' has everything to lose if he doesn't make the impossible journey from Earth to Elysium, isn't a universal one we ever embrace. There are a couple of exciting, if haphazard, action sequences - the 'data heist' was cool - but they are marred by unforgivable conveniences and the subsequent return of Copely's horrendous villain. While Copely and Foster are distractingly poor, Brazilian actor Wagner Moura is great in an energetic support role. There are inconsistencies, plot holes and unnecessarily nasty things in the muddled screenplay, the film's interesting political ideas swept aside for an action-centered and repetitively sentimental tale more interested in a hero's destiny and his lost love. It really diminished quickly, failing to live up to the potential of Blomkamp's ideas. ★★

Red Obsession (August 15) - From France's Bordeaux region to the Chinese auction houses, Red Obsession is a fascinating insight into the startling economic side of the wine industry. With the rapidly rising prices in response to critical evaluation, and the ensuing decline of quality due to not only irregular climate, but also vastly heightened expectations about Bordeaux's output, we learn about the rise of China as the world's largest new investor in the coveted commodity and the supply/demand strain that this places on France's leading manufacturing region. Filmmakers Warwick Ross and David Roach traverse the globe, exploring the expansion and interviewing winemakers, critics and eccentric collectors - who purchase large volumes of expensive wine not to drink, but as an investment (like stock or gold) to be sold in the future at even higher prices. What also impressed me about this documentary were the cinematic qualities; the striking photography and the brisk narrative structure that covers a lot of territory, offering up shocking revelation after another. Effectively narrated by Russell Crowe, Red Obsession is an accessible, humanist and culturally informative insight into our changing international economy and how an obsession in Shanghai affects the most illustrious vineyards in France. ★★★★

Review: La Playa D.C (Juan Andres Arango Garcia, 2012)

Juan Andres Arango Garcia’s feature film debut, exquisite urban drama La Playa D.C., which screened as part of the Un Certain Regard lineup at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, takes a viewer intimately into the daily struggles of Tomas (Luis Carlos Guevara), an Afro-Colombian teenager who has fled the Pacific coast to live in Bogota.

Through Tomas we understand the difficulties of growing up in a city of exclusion and racism. When his younger brother Jairo (Andres Murillo), a targeted drug addict with a debt, disappears, he shacks up with his newly returned, street-savvy older brother, Chaco (James Solis). Their mother’s no-nonsense partner and a newborn push Tomas onto the streets and rather than catching the first bus out of town he decides to seek out and help Jairo. Tomas and Chaco vow to save up any cash they can earn – the means come from a variety of means; unloading goods at a market, shining the hubcaps of motorists – in preparation for their escape. But, the custom haircut profession immediately attracts Tomas and could offer an opportunity for him to utilize his developing skill set, cultivate an identity and earn a clean living.

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Review: We're The Millers (Rawson Marshall Thurber, 2013)

David Burke (Jason Sudeikis) is a small-time pot dealer whose luck runs out when local punks steal his stash, leaving him in major debt to his ruthless supplier, Brad (Ed Helms). In order to clear it he must smuggle Brad’s latest shipment – a ‘smidge-and a half’ of Marijuana – in from a cartel in Mexico. Needing a guise to serve as a distraction, David convinces his neighbours, a recently-evicted stripper named Rose (Jennifer Anniston), an abandoned teen, Kenny (Will Poulter), and a local street-dweller, Casey (Emma Roberts), to pose with him as ‘The Millers’, a regular family vacationing in an RV for the Fourth of July weekend. Directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber (writer/director of Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story), We’re the Millers is not going to be remembered as a comedy classic, but one can’t deny it has ample laughs.

Whether it is Anniston gripping a blanketed weed-baby when standing opposite border patrol and an aggressive sniffer dog (amusing) or Poulter having his testicle bitten by a hairy tarantula (dumb) this film maintains an erratic energy. Often it is the improvised dialogue – the actors bounce crude insults off one another – that works far better than the staged gags.

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Review: Beyond the Hills (Christian Mungiu, 2013)

Romanian director Christian Mungiu’s previous feature, the 2007 Palme d’Or winner 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days is a stark social realist drama set in Bucharest in 1987 during the final years of the Ceausescu regime. The story follows two roommates, Gabriela Dragut (Laura Vasiliu) and Otilia Mihartescu (Anamaria Marinca), who board together while they complete their university studies. Gabriela is pregnant, and the women have arranged the hire of a surgeon to complete the abortion, illegal under Natalist policy. He has followed up this grim story with another intense, challenging and thought provoking one, this time set closer to the present day. Beyond the Hills tackles themes of abuse and abandonment, religious fervour, collective oppression and a bureaucratic sanctuary with enclosed and morally questionable methods. Mungiu picked up Best Screenplay and Cosimina Stratan and Cristina Flutur shared the award for Best Actress at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. After over a year touring the festival circuit, it has now opened in cinemas on limited release.

Within an isolated Romanian Orthodox convent, Alina (Cristina Flutur) has been reunited with Voichita (Cosimina Stratan) after spending several years abroad working in Germany. The two women have supported each other since meeting as children in an orphanage. Alina wants Voichita to return with her to work in Germany, but Voichita refuses, having found cleansing refuge in faith and a new family amongst the priest and nuns.

Jealous and heartbroken, Alina attempts to win back Voichita’s affection by challenging the priest (Valeriu Andriuta), who claims that Voichita should not surrender to the lures of the West (an attractive waitress position on a boat). Her behaviour provokes suspicion of evil possession and after a short stint in the hospital Alina is included in the routines of the monastery in the hope that she will find her peace. As her health continues to worsen her behaviour becomes damaging and the priest decides to order extreme action – the results of which are conveyed in the harrowing final third.

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New Releases (15/08/13)

In cinemas this week: Elysium, We're the Millers, Frances Ha and Red Obsession.

Elysium - In the year 2154, two classes of people exist: the very wealthy, who live on a pristine man-made space station called Elysium, and the rest, who live on an overpopulated, ruined Earth. The people of Earth are desperate to escape the planet's crime and poverty, and they critically need the state-of-the-art medical care available on Elysium - but some in Elysium will stop at nothing to enforce anti-immigration laws and preserve their citizens' luxurious lifestyle. The only man with the chance bring equality to these worlds is Max (Matt Damon), an ordinary guy in desperate need to get to Elysium. With his life hanging in the balance, he reluctantly takes on a dangerous mission - one that pits him against Elysium's Secretary Delacourt (Jodie Foster) and her hard-line forces - but if he succeeds, he could save not only his own life, but millions of people on Earth as well. Written and directed by Neill Blomkamp (District 9). 

We're the Millers - David Burke (Jason Sudeikis) is a small-time pot dealer whose clientele includes chefs and soccer moms. Preferring to keep a low profile for obvious reasons, he learns the hard way that no good deed goes unpunished when he tries to help out some local teens and winds up getting jumped by a trio of gutter punks. Stealing his stash and his cash, they leave him in major debt to his supplier, Brad (Ed Helms). In order to wipe the slate clean - and maintain a clean bill of health - David must now become a big-time drug smuggler by bringing Brad's latest shipment in from Mexico. Twisting the arms of his neighbors, cynical stripper Rose (Jennifer Aniston) and wannabe customer Kenny (Will Poulter), and the tatted-and-pierced streetwise teen Casey (Emma Roberts), he devises a foolproof plan. One fake wife, two pretend kids and a huge, shiny RV later, the "Millers" are headed south of the border for a Fourth of July weekend. 

Frances Ha - Frances (Greta Gerwig) lives in New York, but she doesn't really have an apartment. Frances is an apprentice for a dance company, but she's not really a dancer. Frances has a best friend named Sophie, but they aren't really speaking anymore. Frances throws herself headlong into her dreams, even as their possible reality dwindles. Frances wants so much more than she has but lives her life with unaccountable joy and lightness. Frances Ha is a modern comic fable that explores New York, friendship, class, ambition, failure, and redemption. Directed by Noah Baumbach (Greenberg, The Squid and the Whale).

Red Obsession - Narrated by Russell Crowe, the film takes us on an extraordinary journey from Bordeaux to Beijing, from the passion and art of the vineyard to the notorious counterfeit wine markets of the Far East and into the homes of billionaire collectors. Red Obsession explores the unlikely love affair between the traditional West and the seductive but unpredictable East. The demand is unprecedented, but the product is finite and this new client wants it all. Will the China market be the bubble that never bursts or the biggest threat to Bordeaux's centuries old reputation? - Review by Damian Straker at Impulse Gamer. 

Weekly Recommendation - I am very much looking forward to both 'Elysium' and 'Red Obsession' this week - thoughts to come in a couple of days. The former hasn't received the same acclaim as 'District 9', which is a little disappointing to hear. It will be hard to top the wonderful 'Frances Ha' this week, though. I was quite surprised by 'We're the Millers', it was consistently entertaining throughout and the cast (led by Sudeikis) did a fine job elevating this familiar material. 

Review: Now You See Me (Louis Letterier, 2013)

Now You See Me, directed by Louis Letterier (The Transporter), and written by Ed Solomon, Boaz Yakin and Edward Ricourt, is a competently executed and entertaining deception thriller with a headline all-star cast. Consistently intriguing and often spectacular and relying on a magician’s deft slight-of-hand, this preposterously elaborate caper perhaps doesn’t hold up particularly well on close scrutiny. But if you surrender yourself to being taken along for a ride and relish in being fooled then this should be quite enjoyable.

Four gifted independent magicians – Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) and Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher) – are mysteriously brought together by an unknown mastermind, teaming up to become ‘The Four Horsemen’. For the grand finale of their first Las Vegas performance they live rob a Parisian bank. The sensational misdirect, with more promised to come in their future acts, leads to an FBI Agent, Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo), leading a thorough investigation. He finds himself partnered with a rookie Interpol Agent (Melanie Laurent).

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New Releases (08/08/13)

In cinemas this week: Now You See Me, The Bling Ring, Beyond the Hills and Pain and Gain. 

Now You See Me - Pits an elite FBI squad in a game of cat and mouse against "The Four Horsemen", a super-team of the world's greatest illusionists. "The Four Horsemen" pull off a series of daring heists against corrupt business leaders during their performances, showering the stolen profits on their audiences while staying one step ahead of the law. Stars Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco and Mark Ruffalo. Review by Blake Howard at Graffiti With Punctuation.

The Bling Ring - Oscar Winning filmmaker Sofia Coppola takes us inside the world of these teens, where their youthful naivete and excitement is amplified by today's culture of celebrity and luxury brand obsession. The members of the Bling Ring introduce us to temptations that any teenager would find hard to resist. And what starts out as youthful fun spins out of control, revealing a sobering view of our modern culture. Review by Nick Brodie at Graffiti With Punctuation.

Pain and Gain - From Michael Bay comes a new action comedy starring Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson and Anthony Mackie. Based on the unbelievable true story of a group of personal trainers in 1990's Miami who, in pursuit of the American Dream, get caught up in a criminal enterprise that goes horribly wrong. Review by Alex Withrow at And So It Begins.

Beyond the Hills - In an isolated Orthodox convent in Romania, Alina has just been reunited with Voichita after spending several years in Germany. The two young women have supported and loved each other since meeting as children in an orphanage. Alina wants Voichita to leave and return with her to Germany, but Voichita has found refuge in faith and a family in the nuns and their priest, and refuses. Alina cannot understand her friend's choice. In her attempt to win back Voichita's affection, she challenges the priest. She is taken to hospital and the people of the monastery start to suspect that she is possessed. When the doctors send her back, Alina is included in the monastic routine in the hope that she will find peace, but her condition begins to worsen. Inspired by the non-fiction novels of Tatiana Niculescu Bran.

Weekly Recommendation: Now You See Me is a competently executed and entertaining deception thriller with a headline all-star cast. Consistently intriguing and often spectacular, and relying on a magician’s deft slight-of-hand, this preposterously elaborate caper perhaps doesn’t hold up particularly well on close scrutiny. But if you surrender yourself to being taken along for a ride and relish in being fooled then this should be quite enjoyable. I have been anticipating the Cannes winner, Beyond the Hills, for quite some time, having adored Romanian director Christian Mungiu's last film, the Palme d'Or winning 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days. I have heard some pretty incredible things about this one too. As an admirer of all of Sofia Coppola's previous films I am also taking some expectations into The Bling Ring. Though there has been a mixed response to the project I remain confident she will deliver again. As much as I enjoyed Now You See Me, the latter pair are my blind recommendations, considering their pedigrees. Stay tuned for my responses later in the week. 

Review: The World's End (Edgar Wright, 2013)

There is a sequence in The World’s End where a desperate man with nothing to lose makes a decision in the face of an imminent threat to finish something that finding a fulfilling life depends on, prompting his former best friend and a man who he has been at odds with the entire night, to realise that he needs his wingman back. The emotion that holds is quite something. Embedded within this pilgrimage of middle-aged inebriation and reminiscence is a moving tale of friendship. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost never lose sight of this dramatic human conflict in their films and with Edgar Wright’s extraordinarily natural abilities as a director, their return to the screen explodes with as much as energy as their preceding cult hits Shaun of the Dead (2004) and Hot Fuzz (2007). The World’s End is the third and final chapter in the team’s ‘Three Colours Cornetto Trilogy’ and is bursting with witty dialogue, full-throttle action and playful genre nods, to the level we have come to expect from the gifted trio.

Gary King (Pegg) is a self-centered man in a state of arrested development. Having recently been in rehabilitation for substance abuse, he becomes obsessed with re-attempting the infamous Newton Haven pub-crawl known as The Golden Mile. Twelve pubs. Five guys. Sixty pints. He resolves to convince his now-estranged childhood friends – Andy (Nick Frost), Steven (Paddy Considine), Oliver (Martin Freeman) and Peter (Eddie Marsan) – to return to their former hometown and join him on the quest they gloriously failed to complete on their final day of school.

While his friends have all built for themselves prosperous adult lives, Gary has not grown up, remaining as crass, impulsive and immature as they remember him. But sensing his desperation they feel concerned for him and agree to come along. After sinking a few ales and meeting up with Oliver’s sister, Sam (Rosamund Pike), they begin to suspect that there is something suspicious about Newton Haven. For one, they are not crowned the prodigal sons, curious news to town legend Gary. As the past and the present collide over the course of the night, it becomes the future that lies in the hands of their successful odyssey. Differences have to be put aside, and if these guys are to make it they have to keep their heads.

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