The Vow

Tags

2010's, Channing Tatum, Jessica Lange, Michael Sucsy, Rachel McAdams, Romance, Sam Neill, Scott Speedman, The Vow

Film Title

The Vow

Director

Michael Sucsy

Starring

• Rachel McAdams as Paige
• Channing Tatum as Leo
• Jessica Lange as Rita Thornton
• Sam Neill as Bill Thornton
• Scott Speedman as Jeremy

The Vow says that it’s inspired by true events, but any hope for something to invest your time in is destroyed by a sappy and schmaltzy approach that hinders just about everything in the film and makes it forgettable. There was a story here, but it just got lost under all of this corniness.

Young married couple Leo and Paige are madly in love and in a very good place where it appears nothing can touch either of them. They are crazy about the other and both are doing well job wise; Leo has recently opened a record studio and Paige, an art student, is currently crafting a sculpture for an important part of her course. But everything takes a sharp turn when they are both injured in a car accident. Leo comes out with only a few bruises, but Paige suffers damage to her brain that she has to be put in a coma. When she does wake up, she can’t remember anything of her time with Leo. It is as if the last five years of her life have been erased and she still believes that she is living in the past. Leo is understandably devastated by this, but being so devoted to Paige he makes it his mission to woo her again. He hopes that this will help her regain her memories and despite the protests from her estranged parents who come back on the scene, he resolves to do whatever he can to get the woman he loves back. This going to be a lot more difficult than he imagined as Paige seems to gravitate more to how she used to be, which includes the reappearance of her ex boyfriend Jeremy. Yet can Leo really win Paige back with his attempts before it is too late for them anymore? Or is any attempt futile for Paige as she is torn between everything she had and what she could have, due to the gaps in her memory?

Michael Sucsy is I’m sure a good director, but his hand isn’t that assured with The Vow. Though having said that, I think most directors would struggle to make this have an ounce of credence. Although inspired by true events, which I’m sure where a lot more dramatic and heartfelt than what was depicted here, The Vow just simply ambles along the rote formula of romance that isn’t the slightest bit credible. If the film makers had kept the film grounded in some feeling of sincere emotion, then The Vow could have been passable. I get that this is a Hollywood version of the story and some of it is bound to be embellished, but I would have preferred a bit more soul to the whole enterprise. Seriously as I’m writing this review, I am struggling to find something memorable in the film, which is proving a losing task as there is nothing really that redeemable. It moves from one cliché to the next within minutes, with barely anything ringing true in my mind. Sure the premise is one that is definitely emotional, but I wasn’t really touched that much by The Vow, only in fleeting moments that I can count on one hand. And it’s so shamelessly manipulative with what it wants you to feel, but even then, it doesn’t induce the misty eyes it strives to elicit. The visuals are bright and glossy which is pleasing enough, but if more attention was given to the story than crass button-pushing, The Vow may have been at least bearable. I found myself wanting something more real and not as predictable as the end result, sticking to the basis of story and not just going for sudsy melodrama might have helped. And not even a sweet score and soundtrack went any way in making this film an easy pill to swallow.

The pairing of Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum is a nice one, despite the fact the characters are like cardboard cutouts more than people. Both of them are too talented for this sort of film, but try to bring something else. Sadly, that doesn’t come out and even though the chemistry is fine, the writing of the characters undoes any of the attempts made by McAdams or Tatum to make this credible. The blame can’t be put at their door as they at least attempt to salvage the mess, yet the tide of mediocrity from The Vow as a whole is too much against both appealing stars. The same sadly goes for Jessica Lange and Sam Neill, who are both given roles that are one-note to say the least, (that note being nasty and manipulative as Paige’s parents.) Once again, both actors are commendable in their endeavors to save this boring film, but are relegated to underused and not at all given an inch to flex their known skills. I mean, if you are going to hire actors of renown at least give them something to do, that isn’t asking for much is it? Scott Speedman, who has been very good in other movies he’s been in, is also stranded with a role that has no scope, that being the asshole ex of Paige.

So I must say The Vow just wasn’t the film for me. I found myself really disconnecting from it as it walked down the trite road to slush fest.  The story had definite potential, but it never went anywhere for me.

The Help

Tags

2010's, Allison Janney, Bryce Dallas Howard, Drama, Emma Stone, Jessica Chastain, Octavia Spencer, Sissy Spacek, Tate Taylor, The Help, Viola Davis

Film Title

The Help

Director

Tate Taylor

Starring

• Emma Stone as Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan
• Viola Davis as Aibileen Clark
• Octavia Spencer as Minny Jackson
• Bryce Dallas Howard as Hilly Holbrook
• Jessica Chastain as Celia Foote
• Allison Janney as Charlotte Phelan
• Sissy Spacek as Mrs. Walters

A big-hearted and stirring movie that tackles racism and the efforts of someone to expose it, The Help provides a poignant and affecting film, aided by a superb cast of talented actresses.

Aibileen Clark is a black maid for a family in 1963 Jackson, Mississippi, who has endured great hardships but has largely kept her emotions under wraps as being maid is the only thing she knows and the only form of work she has. She finds company in her friend and fellow maid Minny Jackson, who is sassy and outspoken in comparison to her, but an excellent cook which is why she finds her employment. A friend of the family Aibileen works for, the young and fresh out of university Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan returns home to pursue a career in writing. Yet in the social circle that Skeeter finds herself in, headed by the utterly vile and extremely racist Hilly Holbrook, she is something of an odd person, mainly due to the fact that she is more interested in writing than finding a boy to marry. After witnessing the prejudice that the black maids suffer on a daily basis from the white families that employ them, Skeeter finds a story to be discovered and written about. She wishes to write something that shows the feelings and opinions of ‘the help’ and expose what they go through. Determined as ever, she first asks Aibileen her thoughts on being a maid, of which Aibileen is apprehensive as she doesn’t want to lose her job for speaking out of turn. Good-natured Skeeter eventually wins Aibileen around with her persuasive tactics as she genuinely cares about what happens and wishes to make some sort of difference to the shocking treatment of black people. But in the climate of racism and prejudice, they must be careful that no one catches on to their plans, especially Hilly. They also recruit Minny, who has a few stories to tell in typically impudent fashion. Their writing and conversations soon lay the ground work for the book, as they skilfully avoid being caught by meeting in secret and quietly getting the opinions of other maids, who were first skeptical about speaking out. As the writing continues, Skeeter’s resolve strengthens until she won’t stop and with growing confidence and support from both Aibileen and Minny, the book is put in successful motion.

Tate Taylor’s direction is well-appointed and rendered with just the right amount of poignancy, that allows the characters to shine brightly and come alive. He does get a bit sidetracked with trying to sometimes be too light, but his direction is handsomely done all the same. There a few times when The Help misses an opportunity to really present the themes it has with more honesty and they get a bit lost in the whole thing, but by and large, it does a pretty commendable job with at least bringing most of it to the attention of viewers. I would have liked a bit more seriousness at various parts in the film, but the largely touching and inspiring story at least made up for that mishap. The Help certainly makes for moving and poignant viewing, as we really feel get to know the characters of Aibileen and Minny and are horrified at the treatment they endure by others, simply because of their skin colour. It is pretty staggering that it wasn’t actually that long ago that things like this happened when you think about it, and even today there is still prejudice in places. Some will say that the film is too glossy to have dramatic impact when it does have significantly moving material that sheds a light on determination to overcome racism. If anything, the bright colours throughout The Help, enable it to be a bit ironic as everything on the surface is nice, but the ugly truth of matters is far from it. The music in The Help is quite a contemplative part of it, with a growing emotion and feeling slowly emerging from the quiet.

Emma Stone is extremely appealing as the heroine and thrust of the narrative. Her Skeeter is a girl of understanding and doggedness, who gradually with gumption takes risks in ensuring that the story is told and recognized as a portrait of the hardships the maids have to deal with. Her bright eyes and quick mouth are also put to good use, with Stone getting some feisty one-liners to dispense to the circle of women she knows and all follow Hilly like loyal sheep. If Stone represents the spirit of the piece, Viola Davis is the beating heart of The Help. Her dignity, integrity and emotions are all projected with such beauty, poise and humanity that you can’t help but be moved and sympathise with. Her face registers so many feelings that dialogue isn’t needed to understand the hardships she has endured and how she has stoically battled away with grace and hope. Davis is a soulful and powerful performer and her work here is nothing short of amazing from start to finish. On scene-stealing form is an Oscar-winning Octavia Spencer, who is delightfully sassy and direct to the point. Her Minny is a character to root for and Spencer’s wit and depth is given fine voice and freedom as Spencer completely owns a lot of the show with her work. Bryce Dallas Howard savours the role of queen bitch Hilly and plays it to the hilt, becoming one nasty piece of work that you just want her to get exactly what she deserves. She reminds one of a cross between a Stepford Wife and a queen bee from high school, all packaged into a horribly vindictive package and realised well by the talented Howard. Jessica Chastain showcases her immense versatility by playing the ditzy but very personable Celia; an ostracized lady who hires Minny and treats her like any normal person would, in a respectful and kind way that isn’t based on prejudice or fear. Chastain imbues the role with a real naive sweetness, along with a complimentary wealth of sadness that makes you want to hug her. Celia is bullied by the disgusting Hilly who sees her as trashy and immature, when in reality she is a lot more likable, open-minded and mature in outlook than anyone thinks. Good support is provided by Allison Janney as Skeeter’s bossy but ill mother and especially Sissy Spacek as the dotty but amusing mother of Hilly.

So while it could have dug deeper into the issues it presents, The Help still ends up being a pleasing and moving drama about taking a chance and growing with courage in letting your voice be heard.

Under the Shadow

Tags

2010's, Avin Manshadi, Babak Anvari, Bobby Naderi, Drama, Foreign Language Film, Horror, Narges Rashidi, Under the Shadow

Film Title

Under the Shadow

Director

Babak Anvari

Starring

• Narges Rashidi as Shideh
• Avin Manshadi as Dorsa
• Bobby Naderi as Iraj

Under the Shadow marks the directing debut of Iranian-born Babak Anvari. Drawing on a number of disparate themes and genre tropes, he crafts this eerie horror-drama set in post-revolution, war-torn Iran.

Shideh is a mother living in Tehran in the 80’s as conflict continues between Iraq and Iran. She has been trying to regain a place at university, but due to her past involvement in protests during the revolution, she is turned away from studying to become a doctor. Her husband Iraj, who himself is a trained doctor, attempts to support her, but Shideh is hurt by the rejection and lives in fear of the conflict that is engulfing her and her daughter Dorsa. Her refusal to adhere to many things in her culture also marks her as different, especially in the way people around her view her. Soon after being told that she can’t study, Iraj is called up to the military to serve as a doctor in a particularly under attack area. His absence leaves Shideh looking after young Dorsa all alone. Yet events take a significant turn, in between the runs to shelter and Dorsa developing a fever, a missile that doesn’t explode lands in one of the apartments, coinciding with the death of one of the tenants. After this strange incident that particularly shakes Shideh, peculiar events occur for her and Dorsa. The biggest one is people in her apartment building, who all slowly leave for safety, speak of a Djinn; a spirit brought forth by the wind, that can latch onto people, usually through the taking of a personal object. Shideh simply puts this down to just superstition, but after her daughter talks of seeing something that has stolen her precious doll, things start to get unnerving. With both the threat of death looming large due to the seemingly never-ending war and the possible presence of something unnatural, the worn out Shideh is pushed to the limit as she starts to feel more isolated by the day. As Dorsa becomes more feverish and testing, Shideh is left to decipher whether or not the Djinn is real and after her. Most cases seem to point to something amiss after the missile struck, but can she be sure? In a desperate fight and clinging to her sanity, she fights to protect her daughter and figure out just what is going on around her before whatever it is closes her in.

Under the Shadow may be his full length feature debut, but there are no first movie nerves shown from Babak Anvari, who also wrote the script. The backdrop of the Iran-Iraq War adds a lot of depth and another example of horror. For all the strange and possibly supernatural things happening, the horror of the everyday and the shock of war are just as realised and plausibly frightening. The most compelling part of Under the Shadow is the ambiguity it has going for it. One can look at the film from multiple angles and interpretations. These appear in both the story and what the film is ultimately about, in terms of genre and thematic value. In one way, the movie could be viewed as a woman’s fears of society shackling her for her free-thinking attitude. Or are these strange events that Shideh thinks are related to the malevolent Djinn, just her feelings of anxiety manifesting onto her young and impressionable daughter? Perhaps the missile that landed in the apartment building did bring something sinister with it. We are never given a definitive answer to these questions, which only deepens the impact of Under the Shadow and leaves the viewer seriously chewing the cud. One of the biggest compliments I can give the movie is that I’m certain it will benefit many viewings, that will no doubt uncover things you may have not noticed the first time around. For me the biggest amount of drama and emotion came from the relationship between mother and daughter. With the obvious stress and terror of the war raging on, tensions run high and Dorsa often clashes with her mother; but there is a deep love there that forms the core of Under the Shadow when it gets into the creepy territory of horror and must fight to save her offspring. There is scarcely a moment of complete silence in this film that enables it to become very chilling extremely quickly. Whether it be the wind wailing, static from the radio or the hum of outside, sound is ever-present and menacing too. There is a definite ghostly hum that simmers away in Under the Shadow to creepy effect, almost from the very start.

The acting of Under the Shadow is superb, largely because of how small it is that we get to watch these people act with well-written roles. The striking Narges Rashidi is extremely convincing , resilient and appropriately nuanced as the struggling and free-thinking Shideh, who battles both opposition from others, the terror of war and the prospect of something otherworldly at work. Her face says a thousand things that words can’t and you do feel her struggles in the face of multiple horrors, even when she is being stubborn and get through everything on her own terms that she thinks are the best. Avin Manshadi, as the young girl who appears to have seen the Djinn, is very impressive for someone so young and we want to help her in this time of horror, whatever kind that may be. The bond between the mother and daughter is undoubtedly believable and palpable due to the performances that completely sell their fears and terror in a situation that is unusual and frightening. Bobby Naderi appears briefly as the husband who is then called up to be of medial assistance, but he makes his part good for what small material he is given.

An unusual blend of mother-daughter drama and ghost story, Under the Shadow succeeds on its own spooky and thought-provoking merits, as well as giving us a glimpse of a place and time many of us may be unfamiliar with.

I’m Back

Tags

I'm Back

I know I have returned a few days earlier than planned, but I’m happy to report that the virus has gone. I appreciate everyone being so understanding of my absence and promise to get back into the swing of things again. All I need was a rest and recuperation to get back to myself again. For an idea of how I’m feeling, I’ll let the picture do the talking.