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Tag Archives: Alan Cumming

Emma

28 Tuesday Jun 2016

Posted by vinnieh in Movie Reviews

≈ 42 Comments

Tags

1990's, Alan Cumming, Comedy, Douglas McGrath, Emma, Ewan McGregor, Greta Scacchi, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jane Austen, Jeremy Northam, Juliet Stevenson, Period Drama, Polly Walker, Romance, Sophie Thompson, Toni Collette

Film Title

Emma

Director

Douglas McGrath

Starring

  • Gwyneth Paltrow as Emma Woodhouse
  • Jeremy Northam as Mr. Knightley
  • Toni Collette as Harriet Smith
  • Ewan McGregor as Frank Churchill
  • Alan Cumming as Mr Elton
  • Polly Walker as Jane Fairfax
  • Juliet Stevenson as Mrs Elton
  • Greta Scacchi as Miss Taylor
  • Sophie Thompson as Miss Bates

A ravishing and witty rendering of Jane Austen’s classic novel, Emma is a fine comedy romance about the errors and misinterpretation when it comes to matters involving the heart. With a delightful performance by Gwyneth Paltrow at the heart of it and an equally compelling cast surrounding her, Emma is one of those films that is almost impossible not to enjoy.

In the English countryside of the early-19th-century, a young woman by the name of Emma Woodhouse lives. Emma Movie PosterA vivacious and charming woman, Emma likes to think of herself as being all-knowing when it comes to setting people up in romantic connections. This notion started after she helped introduce her now former governess Miss Taylor to the man who is now her husband. From then on Emma has made it her goal to unite others, all of it comes from a genuine place but little by little the results get complicated. Her meddling in the affairs of others begins to become a lot more complex when Emma decides to fix her shy best friend Harriet Smith up with the local minister Mr Elton. Though Harriet likes someone else, she is a little naive and instead takes Emma’s advice to pursue Mr Elton. Observing Emma’s meddling ways is family friend Mr. Knightley, who is the one person who understands what Emma is like and warns her not to get involved in other people’s love lives. Emma though is stubborn and genuinely believes she is aiding everyone with her services as Cupid, which she extends to almost everyone she meets. Mr KnightleyThe amusing part of all of it is that while she’s so busy plotting to bring others together, she doesn’t see that love could be in front of her from many men; including the wise Mr. Knightley and the dashing Frank Churchill. Eventually, through all of Emma’s schemes that have been meant to be helpful for her social circle, disastrous results and odd pairings emerge through confusion and Emma’s belief that she is always right when it comes to love. But what of her own experience with love?  Can she truly begin to see that love may be something for her if she’s so busy matching others up? And what of all the matches(or should that be mismatches) that she’s orchestrated from a good place that has gone awry?

Director Douglas McGrath mounts this comic tale with skill and a disarming wit, much in keeping with the Austen source material. He makes scenes flow into the next with a glee that is most delightful, as it captures how much of an impact Emma’s plans have on everyone’s romances and decisions. Emma and HarrietHe also writes the script and delightfully covers the ways of old society and how Emma crucially misinterprets certain bits of information and runs with them, not realizing that something else was meant by the remark. With is direction and screenplay, McGrath makes Emma a class act from start to finish. The device of us hearing Emma’s innermost thoughts is a funny one too, especially when what she’s thinking goes opposite to her facial expressions. I must give a lot of credit to the cinematography of this movie as it contributes a playful and vivacious tone to the piece, much in the same way the eponymous character does in her own mischievous way. An elegant set design is beautifully rendered and compliments the absolutely stunning costumes worn by the characters, in particular the women involved in the story. And particularly of note and worthy of praise is the lush and romantic score from Rachel Portman, that won her a well-earned Oscar.

Embodying the title role with poise, personality and a convincing English accent is Gwyneth Paltrow, in one of her best performances. Showcasing Emma’s misguided belief that she is helping others when in fact a lot of what she does goes wrong, Paltrow finds humour within Emma as well as a core of naughtiness. Gwyneth Paltrow EmmaAlthough Emma is a meddler and schemer, she does it out of kindness and Paltrow is adept at showing how she wants the best intentions for others, but how even she can’t hold sway over the heart and isn’t as skilled at matchmaking as she likes to think. It’s a stunning performance from a radiant Gwyneth Paltrow. The actors and actresses that surround Paltrow are of excellent calibre and ability. The handsome Jeremy Northam excels portraying the smart and very observant Mr. Knightley, who knows what Emma’s up to and warns her of the repercussions. A gentle and sweet performance from Toni Collette as Emma’s friend Harriet is another great part that is well suited to the talents of the very versatile actress. Then we have Ewan McGregor; delightfully charming but slightly uncouth as Frank Churchill, who could be a romantic contender for Emma’s heart. Alan Cumming is rather funny as the local minister who becomes unwittingly part of Emma’s matchmaking and Polly Walker is lovely to behold as the rather shy Jane Fairfax. Snobbery and bitchy lines come courtesy of Julie Stevenson, who is a hoot as the opinionated and stuck up woman who becomes Mr. Elton’s wife and knows how to rub Emma up the wrong way from the get go. Greta Scacchi and Sophie Thompson in small roles are both very appealing in different ways and put real stamps on the characters.

Capturing the observant nature and muddled romantic couplings of Austen’s novel as a result of the title character, Emma emerges as a hugely entertaining and lively period comedy that is topped off with a winning performance from Gwyneth Paltrow.

GoldenEye

03 Tuesday Mar 2015

Posted by vinnieh in 007 thoughts and reviews, Movie Reviews

≈ 45 Comments

Tags

007, 1990's, Alan Cumming, Desmond Llewelyn, Famke Janssen, GoldenEye, Gottfried John, Izabella Scorupco, James Bond, Joe Don Baker, Judi Dench, Martin Campbell, Pierce Brosnan, Robbie Coltrane, Samantha Bond, Sean Bean, Spy

Film Title

GoldenEye

Director

Martin Campbell

Starring

  • Pierce Brosnan as James Bond
  • Sean Bean as Alec Trevelyan
  • Izabella Scorupco as Natalya Simonova
  • Famke Janssen as Xenia Onatopp
  • Joe Don Baker as Jack Wade
  • Gottfried John as General Ourumov
  • Alan Cumming as Boris Grishenko
  • Robbie Coltrane as Valentin Zukovsky
  • Judi Dench as M
  • Desmond Llewelyn as Q
  • Samantha Bond as Moneypenny

After Licence to Kill, the Bond series and producers had many legalities to sort out and these protracted battles extended for years. In 1995, the Bond franchise finally returned after years in the cinematic wilderness with a new man as 007, Pierce Brosnan. The film was GoldenEye and what a return for Bond it was to be. With pulse-pounding action, an interesting plot, eclectic characters and just about everything coming together amazingly, GoldenEye announced that the Bond series was here to stay.

The film begins in 1986 with 007 and Alec Trevelyan (006) infiltrating an illegal Soviet nuclear weapons facility. As they plant explosives, Alec is captured and killed by the corrupt General Ourumov, Bond in typically exciting fashion manages to escape before the place is blown up. Nine years later, Bond is in Monte Carlo investigating a link to the Janus group, a major underground crime syndicate. GoldenEye posterHis first contact with the nefarious group is the sultry but sadistic Xenia Onatopp, a former Soviet fighter pilot and femme fatale who derives sexual pleasure from murdering people with her strong thighs. Onatopp manages to hijack a prominent helicopter and flies it to a Russian bunker called Severnaya, which doubles as a computer station and weapons division. With Bond’s old nemesis General Ourumov, she massacres the staff and arms a device known as the GoldenEye, a satellite with the power of EMP which destroys the bunker. Unbeknownst to them, someone did survive the blast, Natalya Simonova, a talented computer programmer who manages to flee as her name is marked and her life is in danger. There was another survivor in the form of the arrogant computer geek Boris Grishenko, but he is in league with the Janus group and left before the devastation took place. Meanwhile, having been informed of the destruction of Severnaya, the new M sends Bond on the trail of the Janus syndicate and instructs him to discover what they plan to do with the GoldenEye. Bond and Natalya escapeTravelling to Russia, Bond teams with Natalya, who comes in very handy in matters of computers and technology. After being put in touch with an old adversary Valentin Zukovsky, he is lead to the head of the Janus syndicate. To Bond’s dismay, the head is revealed to be his old friend Alec Trevelyan, who faked his death all those years ago and now wants revenge against the United Kingdom for an incident involving his parents years ago. Pitted against a former friend and globe-trotting from the snows of Russia to the heat of Cuba, Bond must do battle with him and his other associates in order to avert financial and economic destruction to the United Kingdom of the highest order.

Bringing the series back to life is the talented Martin Campbell. He balances the espionage thrills with superb action and allows the script to incorporate some interesting themes. The main one is the subject of change, since Bond last had an outing the world around him has changed. The film highlights this by the using the fall of the Soviet Union as a backdrop( one scene takes place in a graveyard of broken down monuments of Soviet times) and casting the role of M as a woman. The question of whether or not Bond is relevant in a modern era is also brought up in a very interesting fashion ( although of course we know the answer is a resounding yes).Bond and Alec Pitting Bond against an old friend who has turned is another successful attribute of GoldenEye’s arsenal of goods, as we watch the friendship disintegrate into hate and hurt as Bond and Alec come to violent blows. Explosive action abounds with the highlights being a chase through the streets of St. Petersburg in which Bond uses an army tank, a flame engulfed train ride and a brutal fight between Bond and his treacherous old friend. Eric Serra provides the often discussed score to GoldenEye, which has divided opinion on its merit since the release of it. I stand in the middle ground, I believe that there are some excellent pieces of music here and that some are wholly out-of-place in the world of 007. The theme sung by Tina Turner is a highlight of the music, with her soulful and sultry vocals belting out the song with gusto. It provides the perfect complement to the title sequence which features women clad in revealing lingerie dancing and destroying Soviet statues.

Stepping into the role of James Bond, Pierce Brosnan is fantastic in his first outing. Combing urbane charm with a streak of menace and ruthlessness, he really brings the character alive and ensures that Bond is a character that will stay in the minds of millions. Sean Bean makes for an interesting nemesis due to Alec’s history with Bond and he successfully plays him with understated skill. The dynamic between the two gives GoldenEye that extra feeling of danger as we watch the inner conflict Bond must face in knowing that he has to kill a former friend. Izabella Scorupco brings cynicism and determination to the role of resourceful Natalya Simonova, while letting the audience glimpse a touching vulnerability beneath the steely surface. Xenia OnatoppFamke Janssen clearly has a blast playing the sadistic Xenia Onatopp, who is looking to put the literal squeeze on Bond for her own twisted and perverse satisfaction. Combing outrageous zeal, extreme sexual aggression and unnerving glee, she makes for a highly charged and unforgettable Bond girl gone bad. Joe Don Baker, returning to the world of Bond after his portrayal of Whitaker in The Living Daylights, is far more successful here as the amusing CIA contact Jack Wade, while Gottfried John gives physical presence and unusual menace to the role of the increasingly corrupt General Ourumov. Alan Cumming embodies the rat like tendencies of the geek Boris and Robbie Coltrane makes for a reluctant but very helpful ally for Bond in the guise of Valentin Zukovsky. In her first performance as M, Judi Dench is a marvel. Not only can she handle herself with great authority but she can put Bond in his place to( Case in point when she refers to him as a “Sexist, misogynist dinosaur”). Series stalwart Desmond Llewelyn is once again on hand for the usual banter in his gadgets lab, while Samantha Bond is great as the witty new Moneypenny, who can match Bond in terms of innuendos.

With a talented cast and excellent direction, GoldenEye proudly takes its place as one of my favourite Bond movies.

X2: X-Men United

26 Saturday Oct 2013

Posted by vinnieh in Movie Reviews

≈ 26 Comments

Tags

2000's, Aaron Stanford, Action, Alan Cumming, Anna Paquin, Brian Cox, Bryan Singer, Famke Janssen, Fantasy, Halle Berry, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, James Marsden, Kelly Hu, Patrick Stewart, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, Shawn Ashmore, X2: X-Men United

Film Title

X2: X-Men United

Director

Bryan Singer

Starring

  • Patrick Stewart as Professor X
  • Hugh Jackman as Logan/Wolverine
  • Ian McKellen as Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto
  • Halle Berry as Ororo Munroe/Storm
  • Famke Janssen as Jean Grey
  • James Marsden as Scott Summers/Cyclops
  • Anna Paquin as Marie/Rogue
  • Rebecca Romijn-Stamos as Mystique
  • Brian Cox as Colonel William Stryker
  • Alan Cumming as Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler
  • Aaron Stanford as John Allerdyce/Pyro
  • Shawn Ashmore as Bobby Drake/Iceman
  • Kelly Hu as Lady Deathstrike

Following on from the groundwork of the first movie, X2: X-Men United is to many including me, a better film than the first. We get more action, character development and an exciting storyline. The first one is a great movie, but for me X2 is a film I hold in higher regard because of its breathless action, special effects and high calibre cast.

X2 X Men United PosterAfter an attempt on the president’s life by a mutant, the prejudice between humans and mutants continues to grow. Professor X initially wonders whether his old friend and now adversary Magneto had anything to do with it. Meanwhile, Wolverine is trying to piece together the pieces of his past but finding it increasingly hard to find answers. Professor X and Cyclops visit Magneto in his prison to find out what he knows, while Jean Grey and Storm track down the mutant who made an attempt on the president’s life. Wolverine is left to watch over the students whilst all of this is going on. The intelligent Professor X soon discovers that it wasn’t Magneto who orchestrated the attack, but the mysterious and sadistic Colonel Stryker, who later captures the Professor and Cyclops and holds the key to Wolverine’s past. Stryker plans to use him to locate the powerful Cerebro, which will enable him to find every mutant in the world and kill them. He sends his forces to Xavier’s academy where they capture several students, many of the others including Rogue, her new boyfriend Bobby/Iceman and John/Pyro manage to escape with Wolverine. After discovering the mutant who attempted to kill the president, his name is Nightcrawler and he can teleport, Storm and Jean realise he was brainwashed to do it by Stryker. The X-Men reluctantly team up with Magneto and his partner the shapeshifter Mystique to bring down Stryker’s plan of mutant extermination.

Whereas in the first movie, Bryan Singer established the characters, certain ones were not given enough screen time. He more than makes up for this with X2, by expanding character arcs and introducing new characters. One thing that is enjoyable about the film is the way it manages to keep our interest by cross-cutting between the different factions of the team as they discover Stryker’s nefarious plan. This clearly shows the breathless scope of Singer’s film as he manages to balance this character development with stunning set pieces and revelations. The script is excellent again, this time focusing on the theme of mutant acceptance into the world and how Professor X peacefully yet forcefully tries to push this idea. It is also interesting to watch Magneto and his band of mutants join forces with the X-Men, as the goals for both are different but in this time of uncertainty they are very much united in bringing the sadistic Stryker down.

The cast of the film is high calibre to say the least. Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen both shine as the strong adversary’s with wit and intelligence. Hugh Jackman continues his role of Wolverine with charm and aggression.  Halle Berry is given a lot more to do as Storm and nails the role with a determination and sexy kick ass attitude. Famke Janssen grows in power as Jean, making her a character you really don’t want to mess with. Unfortunately, James Marsden is given little to do as Cyclops in this movie. On the other hand, Anna Paquin continues to impress as Rogue, portraying her angst and frustration as she begins a relationship but can’t physically connect. Brian Cox is a splendidly evil villain in this and is relishes the despicable nature of his character with glee. Rebecca Romijn-Stamos continues to slink across the screen with a sexy yet dangerous appeal as Mystique. Alan Cumming manages to elicit sympathy for the character of Nightcrawler, showing how he isn’t as bad as people have made him out to be and how he is a god-fearing person. New to the X-Men universe are Aaron Stanford as the fire controlling Pyro and Shawn Ashmore as the Iceman. The two are excellently cast, with Iceman’s revelation to his parents that he is a mutant a particularly moving moment and Pyro considering defecting Magneto’s band of mutants an interesting choice.  Rounding out the cast is Kelly Hu, who provides silent but lethal menace as the claw wielding Lady Deathstrike. Her battle with Wolverine is an action-packed set piece that barely pauses for breath.

Directed with precision by Bryan Singer, X2 emerges as an action-packed follow-up to X-Men that more than capably stands on its own two feet as a great movie.

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