The Dark

Tags

2000's, Abigail Stone, Horror, John Fawcett, Maria Bello, Maurice Roëves, Sean Bean, Sophie Stuckey, The Dark

Film Title

The Dark

Director

John Fawcett

Starring

• Maria Bello as Adelle
• Sean Bean as James
• Maurice Roëves as Dafydd
• Sophie Stuckey as Sarah
• Abigail Stone as Ebrill

The Dark is a strange little horror film that took me more than a little by surprise. Mixing Welsh mythology, strange occurrences and the levels one is willing to go to bring a child back, it is frightening to say the least. Although the ending becomes way too confusing, The Dark up until then is a generally effective horror flick with eerie, gothic menace.

Adelle brings her teenage daughter Sarah to a remote Welsh farmhouse in order to mend her relationship with both her daughter and estranged husband James. But before any fixing of fractious relationships can begin, a tragedy befalls Adelle and James. Whilst searching the rocks near the cliff side, Sarah vanishes and is presumed dead. Adelle refuses to believe that her daughter is dead, but secretly feels maternal guilt for feeling that she wasn’t there for Sarah. In flashback, we see the broken relationship between the two of them and how it has affected them. Not long after, Adelle finds a young traumatized girl in the old abandoned abattoir, who bears a strong resemblance to her daughter . In the midst of this tragedy, Adelle discovers the strange and disquieting history of the farmhouse from the farm hand Dafydd. The farm was once owned by a minister who believed in ancient folklore. According to Welsh folklore, there is a place called Annwyn, which is the afterlife. He had a sickly daughter by the name of Ebrill, who he gave to the ocean. He then convinced his followers to sacrifice themselves by throwing themselves into the oncoming waves in order to bring his daughter back. She did return, but this time tragic consequences followed as a result. The girl who Adelle found appears to be Ebrill, but James doesn’t believe this at first and thinks Adelle is diving into something she shouldn’t. Adelle becomes convinced that Ebrill has taken Sarah’s place and that her daughter is still alive. This throws her into the realms of folklore and terror as she attempts to find an answer.

John Fawcett creates a creepy atmosphere of tension and ominous warnings by using the Welsh setting and mythology to chilling effect. The cliffs and raging waves that are repeatedly seen add to the strange history of the place and the revelations that Adelle uncovers whilst in mourning for her lost daughter. Some of the scares within The Dark may be cliché, but they don’t half make you jump all the same. Plus, under the grey and melancholy colours that saturate The Dark there is many a startling use of imagery, particularly in two gruesome scenes of trepanning and a menacing flock of sheep that charge without warning. Where The Dark stumbles is its final half, in which the story becomes too confusing and hard to follow. Which is a shame considering the gothic menace and chills it has conjured up before this lapse into uncertainty and confusion.

Maria Bello is great as Adelle, capturing her sense of guilt and belief that her daughter isn’t gone with her moving delivery and intense determination. Sean Bean, though more than a little underused, at least gives his character a touching sensitivity and broken heart as we watch him mourn his daughter, but worry about the actions of his estranged wife. Maurice Roëves is interesting as the farm hand aware of the tragic and sinister history of the farm. While Sophie Stuckey is seen too infrequently as Sarah, Abigail Stone gives the role of the returning Ebrill a haunting menace and sadness.

A generally eerie and menacing horror film, only let down by the baffling ending, The Dark is a good enough movie to give you chills.

Diamonds Are Forever

Tags

007, 1970's, Bernard Lee, Bruce Glover, Charles Gray, Desmond Llewelyn, Diamonds Are Forever, Guy Hamilton, James Bond, Jill St. John, Jimmy Dean, Lana Wood, Lois Maxwell, Putter Smith, Sean Connery, Spy

Film Title

Diamonds Are Forever

Director

Guy Hamilton

Starring

• Sean Connery as James Bond
• Jill St. John as Tiffany Case
• Charles Gray as Blofeld
• Jimmy Dean as Willard Whyte
• Bruce Glover as Mr Wint
• Putter Smith as Mr Kidd
• Lana Wood as Plenty O’Toole
• Desmond Llewelyn as Q
• Bernard Lee as M
• Lois Maxwell as Moneypenny

After critics sniffed at On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, the Bond producers managed to persuade Sean Connery to come back for one more performance as 007. The result is Diamonds Are Forever, one of the weaker entries in the series. But as with all of the Bond movies there are at least things of merit to praise. I mean any Bond is better than no Bond at all, isn’t it?

Diamonds begins with Bond tracking Blofeld for the murder of his wife Tracy. Blofeld has skilfully managed to have people made to resemble him, so it is harder to track the evil mastermind. After duelling with 007, it appears the Bond kills him. After the credits, Bond is given his new mission by M. Bond is to impersonate a diamond smuggler and infiltrate a smuggling ring with mysterious motives. Along the path of this trail he meets the ravishing Tiffany Case, a smuggler not realising what she’s let herself in for. It soon transpires that Blofeld is in fact alive and well. He is armed with a plan to use the smuggled diamonds to construct a satellite that will destroy nuclear power. Coming up against his old nemesis and leading him to Amsterdam and Las Vegas in the process, Bond must also contend with the ruthless killers of Mr Wint and Mr Kidd, who appear to be unlikely killers, but who delight in the art of murder.

I think I’ll get the negatives out of the way first when reviewing Diamonds Are Forever. For starters, the fact that the opening scene has Bond searching for Blofeld after the murder of Tracy is skated over and never mentioned again. In the last film, there was an effort to give Bond heart with him falling for Tracy, but Diamonds Are Forever seems to forget this and proceeds without any thought. Also, the over the top humour that worked in many of the earlier Bond adventures, grows rather tiresome here and becomes more than a little unconvincing. Guy Hamilton, who directed the iconic Goldfinger, doesn’t quite know which direction to go in with Diamonds and this does make it one the weaker movies in the canon. With those negative thoughts out of the way, onto the positives in the picture. The locations are amazing to behold, especially Las Vegas decked out in all its neon glory. Many of the sets are also excellently mounted, including a hotel floor that doubles as an aquarium in which Bond and Tiffany have an amorous encounter while suggestively wrapped in mink. John Barry contributes a lively score of excitement and danger. The highlight has to be the classic title song, sung with seductive prowess by Shirley Bassey. The sensual atmosphere of the song adds to the sexy title sequence of girls draped in shimmering diamonds.

It is good to see Sean Connery give the role of Bond one last go. Diamonds doesn’t feature his best performance as Bond, but Connery has more than enough charm, wit and danger to paper over the cracks. Jill St. John is sexy and flinty as the diamond smuggler Tiffany Case. It is unfortunate that she starts out as independent and hard-edged but then falls into damsel territory. None of this is the fault of St. John who is charming and fetching, but more the writer’s fault. Charles Grey makes for a more funny Blofeld that the incarnations portrayed by Donald Pleasence and Telly Savalas. Yet he still has an air of menace about him as he puts forward his scheme. Jimmy Dean is a hoot as the billionaire kept captive by Blofeld, while Bruce Glover and Putter Smith make for an interestingly morbid duo as Wint and Kidd. Lana Wood, though appealing, is wasted as a gold digger who ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time. Desmond Llewelyn has his moments as gadget guy Q, particularly funny with his device that allows him to win a lot at the slot machines of a casino. Unfortunately, series regulars Bernard Lee and Lois Maxwell are underused as M and Moneypenny.

Certainly one of the weaker Bond movies, Diamonds Are Forever is still enjoyable at times, just not the sum of its parts.

 

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

Tags

007, 1960's, Bernard Lee, Desmond Llewelyn, Diana Rigg, Gabriele Ferzetti, George Lazenby, Ilse Steppat, James Bond, Lois Maxwell, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Peter R. Hunt, Spy, Telly Savalas

Film Title

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

Director

Peter R. Hunt

Starring

• George Lazenby as James Bond
• Diana Rigg as Tracy di Vicenzo
• Telly Savalas as Blofeld
• Gabriele Ferzetti as Draco
• Ilse Steppat as Irma Bunt
• Bernard Lee as M
• Desmond Llewelyn as Q
• Lois Maxwell as Moneypenny

After Sean Connery began to grow tired of the role of 007, he left the series after You Only Live Twice and producers cast George Lazenby in the role. A male model with no training as an actor, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service would be his only venture as Bond. Initially sniffed at upon release, the film has grown over time and there is much to praise in it.

The movie begins with Bond in Portugal. He witnesses a young, beautiful woman walk into the sea in a suicide attempt. The young woman is Teresa ‘Tracy’ di Vicenzo, a countess. Before anything else can happen, Bond is ambushed and Tracy runs off. Entranced by her, Bond is later taken to Draco, the leader of a crime syndicate and Tracy’s father. The charming Draco thinks that Bond would be an ideal husband for his wayward daughter, yet Bond isn’t convinced at first. It turns out that Draco has information on the nefarious Blofeld because of his criminal connections. Agreeing to woo Tracy in exchange for the information, Bond actually begins to fall in love for the first time with this woman. Although M is reluctant to send Bond on the mission to discover what Blofeld’s next plan is, he lets him go eventually after Bond threatens to resign from service. Travelling to the Swiss Alps, Bond encounters Blofeld in a health spa designed to cure allergies of a group of gorgeous girls from around the globe. The cures are a front for his evil plan; he has brainwashed the unwitting women to sterilize the world’s food supply, thus bringing the world to its knees unless his request for amnesty is accepted. Battling to save the world, Bond is aided by the influential Draco and also Tracy, with whom he is now totally in love with. He must face off against Blofeld as well as his loyal henchwoman Irma Bunt if he is to thwart the mastermind’s scheme. Love, excitement, tragedy and thrills collide in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service to create a tense Bond adventure with a human heart.

Although many of the Bond movies are about excitement and thwarting evil plans in outrageous style, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service strips this formula back a little by having Bond fall in love. The script effortlessly twins the excitement and thrilling adventure with this underlying love story that makes this a Bond movie with a difference. Some people may not like that the film has a more serious tone than its predecessors, but I like the change in the formula and the shaking up of the conventions we expect from a Bond movie. Best known as the editor on many of the previous instalments, Peter R. Hunt capably directs the film and gives it a heart-stopping suspense that doesn’t let up but also gives us a chance to delve deeper into the heart of Bond. Many of his innovative editing techniques are present here, especially in the fight scenes. The stunning location of the Swiss Alps is breathtaking and makes for many effective scenes of Bond being menaced by the enemy pursuing him on skis. John Barry provides an evocative yet thrilling music score to underpin the romance between Bond and Tracy and the dangers they both face. The highlight of the music is Louis Armstrong’s “We Have All the Time in the World”, a stunning ballad of strings and powerful vocals that acts as the moving love song for the couple.

He may not be as effective as Sean Connery was in the role of 007, but George Lazenby has his moments and is definitely physically capable in the action scenes. Diana Rigg is wonderful as Tracy, the woman who finally captures Bond’s womanizing heart. Rigg makes Tracy such an interesting and multi-dimensional character; she can be bold and reckless, but vivacious and strong in equal measure. This is why Tracy ranks as one of my favourite Bond girls as you can see why Bond would be so entranced by her character. Telly Savalas makes for an interesting Blofeld, this time around he isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty and personally fight with Bond so he can resume his grand plan of worldwide devastation. Gabriele Ferzetti makes for a likable and charming ally in Draco, whilst Ilse Steppat is perfectly stern and unsmiling as Blofeld’s right hand helper in evil. Bernard Lee is still crusty as ever as M, and we do get a glimpse of his house in this movie and his exchange with 007 is filled with wit and banter. Q is marvellously played by Desmond Llewelyn and Moneypenny is her flirty usual self when it comes to Bond’s affairs.

Thrilling but also quite dramatic, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is an interesting addition to the franchise that isn’t afraid to shake things up a little.

New Look

Tags

New Look

With it being a new year, I thought I would revamp my blog a little. I decided to go with a simple design and a few small changes to bring my blog up to date a little. Hopefully my fellow bloggers like the new design. I just felt like I needed a bit of a change around these parts and a new look seemed to be a good option.

You Only Live Twice

Tags

007, 1960's, Akiko Wakabayashi, Bernard Lee, Desmond Llewelyn, Donald Pleasence, James Bond, Karin Dor, Lewis Gilbert, Lois Maxwell, Mie Hama, Sean Connery, Spy, Teru Shimada, Tetsurō Tamba, You Only Live Twice

Film Title

You Only Live Twice

Director

Lewis Gilbert

Starring

• Sean Connery as James Bond
• Tetsurō Tamba as Tiger Tanaka
• Akiko Wakabayashi as Aki
• Mie Hama as Kissy Suzuki
• Donald Pleasence as Blofeld
• Teru Shimada as Mr Osato
• Karin Dor as Helga Brandt
• Bernard Lee as M
• Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny
• Desmond Llewelyn as Q

The fifth film in the James Bond canon, You Only Live Twice is also one of the most well-known. With the iconic villain of Blofeld, stunning locations and action, it is a great addition to the franchise. Some of it may become a little ridiculous but overall You Only Live Twice is a strong, entertaining and memorable spy movie.

In the opening scenes, James Bond fakes his death while in Hong Kong so that his enemies are less suspecting. After a mock funeral at sea, Bond is informed of his next mission. The mission in question centres around American and Soviet spacecrafts that have disappeared in orbit under mysterious circumstances. With each nation blaming the other and tensions mounting, M dispatches Bond to Tokyo to find the cause of this potentially fatal situation. 007 soon uncovers that SPECTRE is behind this, with the nefarious head Blofeld at the heart of it. He plans to instigate a war between the countries and wreak havoc in the process, all from the security of his lair which is situated under a dormant volcano. Helped by the charming head of Japanese Secret Service Tiger Tanaka, female agent Aki and eventually a student of Tanaka’s Kissy, Bond dives into the sinister plan and hopes to stop nations coming to the brink of war.

You Only Live Twice features some of the best set design in the Bond movies. Under the skilful eye of Ken Adam, the volcano lair that houses Blofeld is amazing to look at and ingenious in its execution, with it still holding up even in today’s age of blockbusters. The same can be said about the beautiful Japanese locations, that paint a thrilling and adventurous picture of the Orient as Bond comes up against his many enemies amongst the blazing sun, mountains and rivers. Lewis Gilbert directs with finesse and makes the film memorable all round with its cocktail of action, scenery and intrigue. The final attack on the volcano lair is exciting and generates thrills and explosions a plenty. It’s also great to finally see Blofeld in person. In other films, he was just a voice, a pair of hands and a purring Persian cat. But in You Only Live Twice, we get a look at the evil mastermind for the very first time and it immediately becomes an iconic scene. Where You Only Live Twice stumbles is in the moments when it falls into the realms of ridiculousness. The main example is Bond being made to look Japanese as part of his cover. The whole idea is needless and doesn’t do anything for the plot as well as being supremely unconvincing. John Barry contributes one of his best scores to the series with a lush and romantic sound featuring prominently as well some suspenseful pieces of composition. Nancy Sinatra’s haunting title song perfectly compliments the beautiful title sequence of Maurice Binder, which incorporates spinning parasols, melancholy geishas and lava flowing.

Despite being disillusioned with the role at the time of filming, Sean Connery is still charming, virile and convincing as James Bond on yet another mission to stop worldwide war. Tetsurō Tamba is charismatic as Tiger Tanaka, Bond’s valuable ally in Japan. The scenes between Connery and Tamba are great as we see that both men are very similar in that they are there to do a dangerous job, but are not above refusing the advances of beautiful women. As the two Bond girls, Akiko Wakabayashi and Mie Hama are beautiful and charming, even though neither is given much in the way of character development. Despite this, both girls are good as willing agents aiding Bond on his mission. Donald Pleasence is creepy and effective as the mastermind Blofeld, his scarred face and Persian cat becoming staples of evil and leading to many imitators. Teru Shimada and Karin Dor are used well enough as enemy agents, scared to fail their menacing boss for fear of a painful death. The MI6 regulars( Bernard Lee, Lois Maxwell and Desmond Llewelyn) are all fine, with Llewelyn especially humorous as Q.

Despite the odd trip into ridiculous and needless strands that don’t make sense, You Only Live Twice is another exciting yarn in the James Bond universe.

 

Thunderball

Tags

007, 1960's, Adolfo Celi, Bernard Lee, Claudine Auger, Desmond Llewelyn, James Bond, Lois Maxwell, Luciana Paluzzi, Martine Beswick, Rik Van Nutter, Sean Connery, Spy, Terence Young, Thunderball

Film Title

Thunderball

Director

Terence Young

Starring

• Sean Connery as James Bond
• Adolfo Celi as Emilio Largo
• Claudine Auger as Domino Derval
• Luciana Paluzzi as Fiona Volpe
• Martine Beswick as Paula Caplan
• Rik Van Nutter as Felix Leiter
• Bernard Lee as M
• Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny
• Desmond Llewelyn as Q

After the success of Goldfinger, the Bond series went well and truly gadget laden with Thunderball, the fourth instalment. While not as thrilling or as effective as its predecessor, Thunderball is enjoyable enough and still a fun Bond movie with a good amount of action.

Thunderball begins with a thrilling pre-title sequence in which Bond grapples with an enemy who has faked his death. The ever so suave 007 escapes due to a nifty jetpack and his loyal Aston Martin. We then move onto Bond’s latest mission, which has him searching for two NATO atomic bombs stolen by the criminal organisation SPECTRE. The evil group plans to hold the world to ransom for £100 million or else they destroy a prominent city in the United States or United Kingdom. M sends Bond to the Bahamas to investigate this plan and comes across Emilio Largo, the eye-patch sporting SPECTRE agent who is the brains behind the fiendish plot. Bond manages to get to the heart of Largo’s plot by becoming acquainted with his mistress Domino Derval, who is more like his kept woman than a loved girlfriend who is watched constantly by Largo’s men. Aided by CIA contact Felix Leiter, fellow MI6 beauty Paula and eventually the caged Domino, Bond attempts to avert a full-scale nuclear war and thwart the insidious plan of SPECTRE.

Although it doesn’t reach the heights of Goldfinger, Thunderball has enough charm and action to keep you watching. The gorgeous location of the Bahamas is captured in all its sun dappled glory and really does feature some breathtaking shots. Terence Young, who helmed Dr.No and From Russia with Love, brings his talents to the screen and spins this yarn well with his assured direction. Out of all the Bond movies, Thunderball is the most aquatic. From the title sequences of silhouetted water girls swimming to the underwater climactic battle, the movie definitely has a marine feel to it. Many of the underwater scenes are excellently handled, yet there are some that do seem to last for ages and drags the length of the film. All in all, the action is handled very well and there are some exciting sequences. But there are times when Thunderball veers towards comic strip rather than spy movie, especially with its occasional overuse of technology. Thankfully, these moments are only few and far between in what is still a great movie. John Barry’s excellent score gives Thunderball a sense of pace and some excellent musical cues; the title song by Tom Jones has a bombast that is infectious and the power with which he sings is extraordinary.

Sean Connery is once again excellent as Bond, exuding masculinity, charm and ruthlessness as he tangles with the villains in his way and romances any woman he wants. Adolfo Celi makes for an interesting adversary for 007 in the form of Emilio Largo; cruel, arrogant and menacing with his eye-patch, sly shark like smile and white hair perfectly complimenting his evil, corrupt nature and possessive streak over Domino. The stunning Claudine Auger manages to inject sympathy and pain into her character of Domino, who is morose from the confined treatment that Largo has inflicted upon her for years. Luciana Paluzzi sizzles across the screen as Fiona Volpe, a siren who is bad to bone but sexy as hell and capable of trapping any man in her web of death. Unfortunately the other girl in Thunderball, Martine Beswick is underused as Bond’s fellow MI6 agent and the same can be said about Rik Van Nutter as another incarnation of Felix Leiter. The series regulars are at least on hand to add magic to their brief scenes; with Bernard Lee strict and taciturn as boss M, Lois Maxwell a delight as the flirtatious Moneypenny always chasing Bond and loyal gadget man Q, played with humour and wisdom by Desmond Llewelyn.

Despite its shortcomings and occasional lag in pace, Thunderball is still a great movie and interesting addition to the Bond canon.

Goldfinger

Tags

007, 1960's, Bernard Lee, Desmond Llewelyn, Gert Frobe, Goldfinger, Guy Hamilton, Harold Sakata, Honor Blackman, James Bond, Lois Maxwell, Sean Connery, Shirley Eaton, Spy

Film Title

Goldfinger

Director

Guy Hamilton

Starring

• Sean Connery as James Bond
• Gert Frobe as Auric Goldfinger
• Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore
• Harold Sakata as Oddjob
• Shirley Eaton as Jill Masterson
• Bernard Lee as M
• Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny
• Desmond Llewelyn as Q

Goldfinger is the third film in the Bond series and the one that represents the iconic formula for enjoyment within the series that has lasted for over 50 years now. With outlandish villains, suggestively named girls, tongue in cheek one-liners and an eccentric plot not to mention some outrageous gadgets that would later become a staple of the movies, Goldfinger still ranks as one of Bond’s best adventures and a quintessential movie in general.

Goldfinger starts with 007 destroying a drugs lab in Latin America, before dispatching of a would be assassin by electrocuting him (leading to the classic line “Shocking, positively shocking”). Vacationing in Miami, Bond is tasked by M with investigating gold magnate Auric Goldfinger, who is suspected of smuggling gold in various countries and has a deep obsession with gold. Bond attempts to infiltrate Goldfinger’s plans and this sends him from Geneva to America. Standing in his way is Goldfinger’s manservant Oddjob, who kills those in his master’s way by throwing his steel-rimmed bowler hat at their neck and the suggestively named Pussy Galore, a stunning woman with shifting loyalties and impressive judo skills. Bond soon uncovers the maniacal plot of the nefarious Goldfinger, which involves an attack on Fort Knox with evil intentions. It is up to Bond to stop Goldfinger from completing his elaborate scheme and an exciting spy romp follows with all the right ingredients for the Bond franchise.

As mentioned earlier, Goldfinger has a whole load of iconic moments that helped define the Bond franchise. From the henchman Oddjob, the first use of the now classic Aston Martin, Bond tied up and nearly killed by a deadly laser and a young woman’s death by being painted head to toe in gold after betraying the main villain, Goldfinger has it all. Guy Hamilton directs with sharp efficiency, carefully balancing the thrilling plot with a more tongue in cheek approach than Dr. No and From Russia With Love. The storyline and nefarious plot of the eponymous villain are gripping and bizarre in equal measure, with each complimenting the other interestingly. What gives Goldfinger that extra oomph is the gadgets that the lovable Q equips Bond with, the ejector seat in his car a humorous and very nifty gadget on Bond’s dangerous ventures. John Barry contributes an entertaining and bombastic score, heavy with the brass section that gives Goldfinger that iconic edge. And not forgetting the title song, sung with gusto and power by Shirley Bassey, with its slinking rhythms and trumpet riff that really adds to the excitement of the piece and compliments the sensual title sequence of lovelies lathered in gold and posing seductively.

Sean Connery turns in what is possibly his best performance as 007, perfectly suave, adroit with the cheeky one-liners and tough he finds the right mix to cement himself as the favourite actor of many to play the spy during its tenure. Gert Frobe makes an impression as the obsessed and unusual villain of the title, whose plan is one that will quench his greedy desire. Honor Blackman is excellent as the seductive Pussy Galore who is tangled up in Goldfinger’s plot, but whose shifting loyalties make an impression on Bond. With her raunchy name and iconic entrance, Honor Blackman’s incarnation of Pussy Galore ranks her highly on my list of favourite Bond girls. Harold Sakata exudes menace as the henchman Oddjob, who is an incredibly strong adversary for Bond and loyal servant to Goldfinger. Shirley Eaton, although only on the screen for a short time playing Goldfinger’s aide who betrays him for Bond, enters the realms of iconic Bond moments with her gold painted death. The usual supporting players are excellent; Bernard Lee as the gruff M, Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny and Desmond Llewelyn as gadget master Q, who supplies Bond with the souped up Aston Martin and wants it back in pristine condition(which of course he doesn’t get).

Effortlessly entertaining, exciting and endlessly thrilling from start to finish, Goldfinger is iconic James Bond at its golden and durable best.

 

Gravity

Tags

2010's, Alfonso Cuarón, George Clooney, Gravity, Sandra Bullock, Science Fiction, Thriller

Film Title

Gravity

Director

Alfonso Cuarón

Starring

• Sandra Bullock as Dr Ryan Stone
• George Clooney as Matt Kowalski

Visually arresting, thrilling and often quite moving, Gravity is one hell of a film to sit through. Under the creative direction of Alfonso Cuarón and a powerful turn by Sandra Bullock, Gravity is an exhilarating thrill ride with an emotional heart about a dramatic race for survival against all odds.

Dr Ryan Stone is a rookie medical engineer on her first spacewalk, partnered with the more experienced astronaut Matt Kowalski, on what is to be his final space mission. They are attempting to fix a problem with the Hubble Telescope. Kowalski is a humorous old veteran of space travel with a multitude of funny stories to tell as they set about fixing Hubble, whereas Ryan is a nervous relative newcomer with a painful incident in her past( the death of her young daughter) that leaves her with emotional scars and uncertainty.Just as they manage to fix the Telescope, they are warned of a planned strike on a defunct Russian satellite, which has caused a cloud of debris to head their way in a chain reaction. Soon enough, the debris arrives with devastating impact and Stone and Kowalski are left tumbling through space and fighting for their lives in a void of darkness. With communications down and oxygen supplies running dangerously low, it is up to Stone and Kowalski to find a way to survive and make it back to Earth. Prepare for a spectacular but intimate movie that throws you into the terrifying reality of being cut off from all communications but also shows the determination we must use if we wish to live on.

The first thing to compliment Gravity on is its visuals which are nothing short of beautiful. The film opens with an uninterrupted shot that circles Stone and Kowalski as they fix the Telescope and reveal the shining Earth below. From this opening shot, you are just in awe of the beauty of it all. When disaster strikes, the use of point of view shots and tracking shots as Stone spins precariously into danger make for tension-filled viewing as we are put in her terrified shoes and made to endure her pain. The claustrophobia of these scenes is palpable and Cuarón perfectly plays them as terrifying by taking us on this dizzying ride of uncertainty as to whether these characters will survive this disaster. Throughout Gravity, Alfonso Cuarón gives masterfully sublime direction, perfectly complimenting the visual scope but also the intimate and emotionally stirring moments that abound underneath the spectacle. He deservedly won the Oscar for Best Director for his stunning work here that gives us a spectacular view of space but a terrifying yet beautiful evocation of the human spirit out of its comfort zone and trying everything to enable it to live on. While Gravity is very much a sci-fi thriller of the highest order, there is at the centre of it a very human drama about the need for survival and letting go of painful memories. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the scene of Stone finding solace in the air lock of another ship and curling up in a balletic fashion into the fetal position in a symbolic rebirth. The evocative score backs up the themes of terror and determination with subtle instinct and ever-growing power, before building to a crescendo of beautiful and heartfelt exhilaration as Stone begins to discover her inner strength.

Sandra Bullock turns in what is to me her best performance to date as Ryan Stone. She carefully imbues her with a fragile vulnerability as she has to contend with fighting for her life whilst also grieving for the daughter she lost back home. It is a physical and emotional performance that gives a human heart to Stone as we watch her use these painful experiences to her advantage and give her the determination to survive whatever is being thrown at her. On screen for the entire duration and for many stretches alone in a desperate fight for survival, Bullock has rarely been better than here and I hope she chooses more roles in the future that show of her excellent range of emotions. George Clooney is in a sense playing himself and adds a light touch to the beginning of the film when he tells his many stories before all hell breaks loose. Clooney though is overshadowed by the excellence of Sandra Bullock’s one-woman show.

Exhilarating, moving and spectacular, Gravity is a film that once seen is never forgotten for its powerful and stirring impact, stunning direction by Alfonso Cuarón and moving performance from Sandra Bullock.

 

The Secret Garden

Tags

1990's, Agnieszka Holland, Andrew Knott, Heydon Prowse, John Lynch, Kate Maberly, Laura Crossley, Maggie Smith, Period Drama, The Secret Garden

Film Title

The Secret Garden

Director

Agnieszka Holland

Starring

• Kate Maberly as Mary Lennox
• Heydon Prowse as Colin Craven
• Andrew Knott as Dickon Sowerby
• Maggie Smith as Mrs Medlock
• John Lynch as Lord Craven
• Laura Crossley as Martha Sowerby

Imaginatively rendered, moving and magical, The Secret Garden is a classic tale of growth, change and awakening. Under the skilful direction of the talented Agnieszka Holland, it becomes a movie that will be enjoyed both by children and adults alike.

In Colonial India, Mary Lennox is the unloved daughter of a general and his wife. Sour and resentful, Mary is left an orphan after her parents are killed in a violent earthquake. Send to England, she is placed under the guardianship of her uncle, the Lord Craven. He lives in Misselthwaite Manor, a large gloomy house on the Yorkshire moors. Mary immediately clashes with the stern housekeeper Mrs Medlock, who tells her not to go wandering around the house and to not make a nuisance of herself. Her uncle is never around and barely ever returns to the manor, owing to the fact that his wife died years before. Life seems dull for lonely Mary, until she finds a mysterious key whilst searching the house one day. The key opens the door to a garden that has been locked away ever since the lady of the house fell off the swing in it and died, casting a melancholy spell over the place. Mary opens the garden and sets about secretly converting it back to life, in the process she changes personally from a resentful little girl to a kind and thoughtful person as the garden blooms around her. Also discovered is her cousin Colin, who is hidden away because everyone believes he is ill. There is in fact nothing wrong with the boy, but everyone surrounding him believes that because of the master’s misfortunes, they will soon be transferred to Colin. Aiding her with the garden is Dickon, a young boy and brother of Mary’s kindly maid Martha, who is constantly surrounded by animals and adept with the knowledge of nature. As the garden blooms and Mary realises that there is hope in a world that always seemed to be against her, prepare to be moved by this lovingly created adaptation of the classic novel as it weaves its heartwarming spell around you.

Agnieszka Holland imbues the film with a heart and maturity that deals with difficult themes of death and neglect, but also on the hope and healing process that can occur in dire situations. In Holland’s skilful hands, The Secret Garden becomes a moving experience that brings a sensitivity to the classic story. The thoughtful screenplay by Caroline Thompson shows us the gradual rebirth of Mary into a sensitive girl after her initial soreness at being neglected by her parents and always feeling alone. The stunning cinematography exudes the dark shadows of the Manor with its gloomy halls and many staircases, that soon give way to brighter surroundings once Mary sets about bringing the garden back to life. An evocative score gives The Secret Garden a beautiful centre with lush strings and heavenly voices capturing the themes of personal growth and the many life lessons that are present in the film.

Kate Maberly is marvellous as Mary, encompassing her sadness of her but also the kind heart that has long been buried underneath her sour and gloomy demeanor. It is through Mary that the story takes focus and we are genuinely moved as she comes to see that she is indeed cared for by many, unlike she originally thought. Heydon Prowse is appropriately anguished and timid as Colin, who has morbid fascination with death owing to the constant worries of those around him. Andrew Knott is sensitive and adventurous as the animal-loving Dickon, whilst Maggie Smith steals all of her scenes as the beastly housekeeper who is constantly in a fuss and clashes with Mary on regular occasions. John Lynch exudes a weary gloom as the Lord of the house and Laura Crossley is likeable as Mary’s servant Martha.

Touching, heartwarming and filled with a human heart, The Secret Garden is a loving adaptation of the book that keeps the spirit of it and gives it a poignant retelling.