Suffragette

Tags

2010's, Anne-Marie Duff, Ben Whishaw, Brendan Gleeson, Carey Mulligan, Drama, Helena Bonham Carter, Meryl Streep, Sarah Gavron, Suffragette

To celebrate 100 years of women getting the right to the vote in the UK, I decided to review the drama Suffragette.

Film Title

Suffragette

Director

Sarah Gavron

Starring

• Carey Mulligan as Maud Watts
• Helena Bonham Carter as Edith Ellyn
• Anne-Marie Duff as Violet Miller
• Brendan Gleeson as Steed
• Ben Whishaw as Sonny Watts
• Meryl Streep as Emmeline Pankhurst

A deftly done movie that blends fiction and truth, Suffragette charts the rise of the foot soldiers in the fight for women to receive the vote. Well acted and personal, it’s a movie that really strikes to the heart of the cause and what it meant for future generations.

The story begins in 1912, London. Women have for some time peacefully campaigned for the right to vote but their voices have gone unheard. We meet a working class laundress named Maud Watts. She’s had a tough life of abuse and turmoil from men , though she has some comfort at home with her husband Sonny and son George. One day, she is caught up in a demonstration by suffragettes who break all the windows in the West End. Although she doesn’t know it yet, this event and further ones will have a big impact on her. For more demonstrations and talk of women getting the vote takes place, also featuring brutality from the police and the authorities. Having been so downtrodden in her life, Maud gradually aligns herself with the local firebrand Edith Ellyn. After hearing a speech by Suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst, Maud is now fully involved with the cause. This in turn earns the scorn of those closest to her and her husband refuses to let her see their son, but these sacrifices stiffen Maud’s spine and further her desire to fight for the vote. For Maud and the women she marches with are determined to gain equality, no matter what the cost.

There’s a real urgency and immediacy to the direction of Sarah Gavron. She excellently showcases the shared strength of women and employs a camera that always seems to be moving. It captures the whirl of events and the gathering storm of demonstrations that the suffragettes take part in, from smashing windows to hunger strikes and blowing up postboxes. Abi Morgan’s script finely dramatizes the struggles of women at the time and how through actions, they were gearing up to have the same rights as men. The main story is fact-based here and is inspiring as well as important in what it depicts. Suffragette features fictional characters interspersed with real life figures in the movement, such as Emmeline Pankhurst and. The biggest message of Suffragette is how far these brave women were willing to go in order to get the vote and eventually equality. These were women from all walks of life who were united by a common goal and were prepared to go the extra mile to have their voices heard. What they went through was extraordinary and often brutal. We see women beaten, humiliated, force-fed and in the course of Suffragette. It’s not easy to watch, but that’s the idea. Women fighting for the right to vote went through a lot and this movie is a testament to them. This is an important story that needs to be told and in this very way. Alexandre Desplat is the person providing the building score that gains in momentum as events take flight and the fight begins to increase in steam and volume.

Carey Mulligan is the lead in Suffragette and boy does she deliver. She has this ability to be totally unaffected and filled with conviction without resorting to histrionics. Her face, that speaks so many volumes, is a marvel at depicting Maud’s shift from bystander to fighter and makes us feel every beat. Helena Bonham Carter shines as a leading member of the group and one of experience, while Anne-Marie Duff is fine as the forceful and agitator of the suffragettes. Then we have Brendan Gleeson as a police inspector caught in between sympathizing with the women and enforcing the law. Ben Whishaw, finding some depth and unpredictability than some parts he is given, displays both a caring attitude to his wife and then a deep coldness when he feels she has shamed him. It’s something I’m not used to seeing by Whishaw, but damn if he doesn’t do it well. Though I expected to see more of Meryl Streep as Emmeline Pankhurst, her cameo is satisfying and provides a rallying cry to Maud and a whole host of women.

An unflinching and inspiring movie that never sugar coats the brutality and resistance that was met by women campaigning for the right to vote, Suffragette has much to recommend in its reels.

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Paddington

Tags

2010's, Adventure, Ben Whishaw, Comedy, Hugh Bonneville, Imelda Staunton, Jim Broadbent, Julie Walters, Madeleine Harris, Michael Gambon, Nicole Kidman, Paddington, Paul King, Peter Capaldi, Sally Hawkins, Samuel Joslin

Film Title

Paddington

Director

Paul King

Starring

• Ben Whishaw as Paddington Bear
• Hugh Bonneville as Henry Brown
• Sally Hawkins as Mary Brown
• Julie Walters as Mrs. Bird
• Nicole Kidman as Millicent
• Madeleine Harris as Judy Brown
• Samuel Joslin as Jonathan Brown
• Peter Capaldi as Mr. Curry
• Jim Broadbent as Mr. Gruber
• Michael Gambon as Uncle Pastuzo
• Imelda Staunton as Aunt Lucy

A sprightly, adventure-filled and heartwarming take on the classic stories of Michael Bond’s marmalade loving, eponymous bear, Paddington is one of those movies that it’s hard to find fault with. Primarily, this stems from the fact it’s so much fun and an utter delight of comedy, heart and wonder.

We begin in the jungles of Darkest Peru, where we discover an English explorer happening upon two very intelligent bears with a love of marmalade. In time, he teaches them about modern life and even gets them to talk. Before heading back to civilisation he promises them a home in London if they should ever need it. The two bears, named Pastuzo and Lucy, have a nephew with them many years later; a curious and fun-loving bear who shares their taste for marmalade. But their harmony is shattered when an earthquake hits and kills Uncle Pastuzo. Aunt Lucy is getting older and can’t take care of Paddington as she once could. she remembers the explorer’s words of promise about there always being a home in London. Stowing her nephew into a cargo ship, she bids him farewell in the hope he will find a happy, new home. Upon arrival in London, he is met with hostility and all hope for a lovely, caring family to take care of him seems lost. That is until he encounters the Brown Family at Paddington Station. The mother, Mary, gives him the name Paddington and being a kind, considerate person, she offers to house him in her home. Her fussy and killjoy husband Henry, who is obsessed with keeping things risk-free, is completely against the idea of Paddington living with them. The children Judy and Jonathan, are thrilled to have Paddington with them, despite their father’s trepidation. Paddington is most curious to know more about the professor who visited Darkest Peru all those years ago and roping the family into things, he gets them into a whirl of unintentional mischief and laughs. But there is an evil taxidermist by the name of Millicent who has discovered Paddington and will stop at nothing to make him part of her sinister collection, now on his tail. Cue much mayhem, thrills and adventure for the bear and the Brown Family.

Paul King directs with an enormous amount of heart, humour and deeply felt love that explodes from almost every frame. It will take someone with a real damp view of life to not smile or have fun with a movie such as this. King just pushes all the right buttons of raucous humour, heartfelt sentiment and just plain adventure in a way that is spellbinding and an utter delight throughout. sense of magic and feel good factor it has going for it. It’s adventure of the highest level that proves totally sprightly and accessible to all ages. The blending of CGI in the title character and the real-life surroundings, that are continuously colourful, is seamlessly done. On a visual level, Paddington scores major points. The bright as a button colour scheme and adventurous ways of showcasing this zany fable are here in a glorious pot of love. And speaking of love, the film truly gets across the message of accepting people and loving one another beautifully and with clarity. The humour covers a wide spectrum from the mischievous and playful(Paddington accidentally flooding the Brown’s bathroom for starters) to nods and winks to older members of the audience, without missing a beat or getting overstuffed. It’s rare to come across a film such as Paddington that can be a ball for everyone watching. It has a style and care to it that many movies that aim for every age can sometimes miss in the long run. The high-reaching and upbeat score are on full duty; bringing out the simply amazing story and film that it accompanies. Put quite simply, you couldn’t ask for a more enchanting movie than Paddington.

Ben Whishaw beautifully voices the title bear with a childlike adventure and sense of mischief. His relaxing tones and enthusiasm can be heard so well that it’s really difficult to imagine another person voicing Paddington with the same skill as Whishaw has. Hugh Bonneville and Sally Hawkins play well off one another as total opposite mum and dad. Bonneville is staid, careful and unwilling to entertain fancy notions, Hawkins is imaginative, lovely and slightly zany. Both consummate actors invest a lot into their respective roles(which also goes for pretty much the entire cast, who are finely assembled). The ever-dependable Julie Walters has a whole bundle of fun as the elderly relative of the Brown’s, whose quick wit and precision with cleaning ensures things are up to her tidy standards. Nicole Kidman is a dark delight as the villain of the piece; a Cruella like woman who wants to add Paddington to her collection. Kidman is both menacing and tongue in cheek funny, while also embodying something seductively devious too. It’s obvious that she had a really fun time playing this type of character just from the looks on her face. Child actors Madeleine Harris and Samuel Joslin are ideal for the roles of the Brown children who take the bear under their wing. Peter Capaldi is very amusing and slimy as the local nosy neighbour getting in trouble with the evil taxidermist, while Jim Broadbent provides sage as a man who helps point Paddington in the direction of what he seeks. Briefly found voicing Paddington’s relatives in Darkest Peru are Michael Gambon and Imelda Staunton, whose pathos and warmth are felt from the get go, despite only being on the screen for a short duration.

Hilarious, riotously entertaining and aimed at all ages, Paddington takes its place as a firm favourite that will pull you in with its message of family and its massive beating centre that is the lovable bear.

Spectre

Tags

007, 2010's, Andrew Scott, Ben Whishaw, Christoph Waltz, Daniel Craig, Dave Bautista, James Bond, Jesper Christensen, Léa Seydoux, Monica Bellucci, Naomie Harris, Ralph Fiennes, Sam Mendes, Spectre, Spy

Film Title

Spectre

Director

Sam Mendes

Starring

• Daniel Craig as James Bond
• Christoph Waltz as Franz Oberhauser
• Léa Seydoux as Madeleine Swann
• Ben Whishaw as Q
• Naomie Harris as Miss Moneypenny
• Dave Bautista as Mr. Hinx
• Monica Bellucci as Lucia Sciarra
• Ralph Fiennes as M
• Andrew Scott as Max Denbigh
• Jesper Christensen as Mr. White

It was going to be a hard act to follow the phenomenal success and acclaim that Skyfall experienced, but I’m happy to report that Spectre, the 24th Bond movie is excellently done and hugely entertaining on almost every level. Bringing back some of the classic formula that makes the series so enjoyable in the first place, Spectre scores high points.

We begin in Mexico during the Day of the Dead, where Bond is on an unofficial mission as ordered by the former M before her death. He is tracking an international criminal named Marco Sciarra who is planning to blow up a prominent stadium. Before he can do this Bond intervenes in typically bombastic fashion and gives chase to the mafia boss, ending up with the two of them battling it out in a helicopter slowly spinning out of control. Bond overpowers him and manages to claim his ring, which bears a curious octopus symbol. Meanwhile, back in London, the current M is under pressure when Bond returns because his actions play into the hands of ambitious Security Chief Max Denbigh. The cocky upstart has plans to rid MI6 of the 00 section, seeing it as old and outdated. Though disciplined by M to stay and not doing anything rash, Bond, enlisting the covert services of loyal Moneypenny and gadget man Q, travels to Rome to uncover more about the syndicate the Sciarra was part of. Through contact with the forbidden Lucia, who is the widow of Sciarra, he finds the meeting place. It transpires that the organisation is the nefarious SPECTRE, who are behind worldwide acts of chaos and evil. Most alarming of all is the fact that the head of it is someone from Bond’s past known as Franz Oberhauser. Travelling to Austria, where he encounters former enemy Mr White, who is dying and in his last moments gives Bond precious information, Bond is set for a globetrotting adventure that also takes him to Tangier. He is further aided by Mr White’s intelligent daughter Dr Madeleine Swann, as he unearths the full nature of the crime group and confronts his own past in a mission that gets personal and very dangerous.

Sam Mendes successfully returns to the director seat again and works marvels with Spectre. Sprinkling proceedings with humour, action and dangerous elegance, he captures the world of Bond with excitement and panache. I enjoyed seeing Mendes tipping his hat to some of the older movies in the series, specifically From Russia with Love and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Style oozes from the frames of this movie and special mention must go to the dazzling opening sequence. The sweeping nature of the tracking shot that begins the film is stunning and it burns itself deep into the mind for its skill, as well as the rest of the action-packed sequence that begins things with one hell of a bang. And I must give credit to the lovely cinematography that gives each new location on Bond’s journey a sense of dangerous atmosphere and international intrigue. Whether it be the burned oranges of shadowy Rome to the exotic golden sheen of Morocco, Spectre never fails to engage on a visual level. For all the visual grandeur, at least Spectre has a good script and story to go along with too. I liked the reintroduction of humour again and the way it was balanced with suspense. There really are some cracking one liners in here that will raise a chuckle or so within the audience, but there is still a grittiness within that is typical of Craig’s tenure as 007. Spectre feels very much like a Bond movie of old in style and content, though mixed with up to date agendas and technology. Thomas Newman provides a stirring and sweeping score that acts as a an excellent accompaniment to the adventure on screen and is not afraid to break out the outrageous bombast of old. Though the Sam Smith song for the movie has caused an ambivalent response, the orchestra heavy ‘Writing’s On the Wall’ fits stunningly into an unusual title sequence of octopus tentacles crawling over lovely ladies, fiery elementals caressing Bond and flickers of the past in shattered glass.

In his fourth outing as 007, Daniel Craig is excellent and really looks comfortable with the part. He still brings a level of seriousness to the screen, but it’s fun to see him be quick-witted and ruthless with style. In other words, Craig brings a new lease of life to Bond by combining both of these qualities and emerging successful. Largely seen in the shadows for the first half but once unveiled a slimy presence, a superb Christoph Waltz imbues the villain Oberhauser with a sinister charm and quiet sense of being the one pulling a whole lot of strings. Portraying the primary Bond girl Madeleine Swann, Léa Seydoux is sultry, intuitive and well-rounded as we witness her being able to handle dangerous situations and be able to analyse Bond. There is something very layered about the character and through the talents of Seydoux, they shine through. Ben Whishaw is a hoot as Q, given more material and working wonders with some splendidly written scenes with Bond as he risks his job to help him on his mission. Naomie Harris shines as Moneypenny, who also risks her job to help Bond and has a natural sense of humour about her. The hulking and silent credentials of Dave Bautista make for a suitably menacing henchman who tangles with Bond on more than one occasion. In a small but well-played part, the lovely Monica Bellucci plays a mob widow with a sense of melancholy and sexiness to her, who gives Bond some very important information regarding the eponymous group. Ralph Fiennes is great as M, who is not backing down from battling the forces that want to take away what he has worked for all this time. As the slick and brash Denbigh who has big plans and is thoroughly smug and condescending, Andrew Scott does a good job at making him really unlikable. And making a pivotal cameo is Jesper Christensen as former enemy Mr White who while dying after betraying SPECTRE, confides in Bond.

A well-shot, stylish and exciting Bond adventure, Spectre provides thrills and action that will leave you astonished and engrossed. I think it’s fair to say Spectre is a more than worthy follow-up to the amazing Skyfall.

 

Skyfall

Tags

007, 2010's, 50th Anniversary, Action, Adele, Adventure, Albert Finney, Ben Whishaw, Berenice Marlohe, Daniel Craig, James Bond, Javier Bardem, Judi Dench, Naomie Harris, Ola Rapace, Ralph Fiennes, Roger Deakins, Sam Mendes, Skyfall, Spy

Film Title

Skyfall

Director

Sam Mendes

Cast

• Daniel Craig as James Bond
• Javier Bardem as Raoul Silva
• Judi Dench as M
• Ralph Fiennes as Gareth Mallory
• Naomie Harris as Eve
• Berenice Marlohe as Severine
• Ben Whishaw as Q
• Ola Rapace as Patrice
• Albert Finney as Kincade

Skyfall is the 23rd entry into the James Bond series and this year celebrates the 50 years 007 has been on our screens. As many of my followers will know I’m a huge fan of the James Bond series, but I promise I’ll try to make this review as objective as possible. But even if you are not a fan, you can’t ignore the staggering success that the series has attained over it’s 50 year run. Over these years the films have showcased many exciting missions, amazingly beautiful women and maniacal villains, many of which have become a part of popular culture. If there was any doubt that the series couldn’t recover after the underwhelming Quantum Of Solace, then look no further than Skyfall that makes a spectacular return to form on the 50th Anniversary. Anyway, back to my review of the film.

The film starts with Bond and a sexy field agent named Eve, pursuing a mercenary in Istanbul who has a device that contains the identity of NATO agents. Right from the start, the atmosphere is thrilling and gripping, as the chase moves from cars to foot and eventually the top of a train. It is the perfect way to start the film. On the command of M, Eve armed with a sniper shoots intending to hit the target who is grappling with Bond. Instead she hits 007, who in turn falls into the river and is presumed dead. The scene is rounded of as Bond falls into an atmospheric title sequence accompanied by the sound of Adele’s title song, which harks back to the early Bond songs.

As a result of her judgment and command, M is pressured to resign by Government chairman Mallory. Then, MI6 is hacked and a bomb is set off at the headquarters, killing many of the workers. Meanwhile, Bond is “enjoying death” in some corner of the globe, a shadow of his old self. When he hears of the attack, he returns to duty to uncover the source of terror on M. It appears that M made an enemy of a former agent, Raoul Silva, who in turn wants personal and sadistic revenge on his former boss. What ensures is a thrilling, action packed and character driven film that firmly establishes Bond as a force that is here to stay.

What is great upon viewing the film is its neat balance of action and character development. Sam Mendes, best known for directing American Beauty, makes an assured entry into the Bond canon. All of the leading players involved in the film deserve some credit. Daniel Craig’s third movie features a great performance that shows both the vulnerable and tough sides to James Bond.As the flamboyant, sadistic and utterly menacing Silva, Javier Bardem is outstanding in a role that fits him like a glove. In my book, he is sure to go down as a memorable adversary for Bond. Judi Dench gives a commanding performance as M, as she is pivotal to the story and Dench rises to the challenge of having a larger role with ease. We finally get an insight into this commanding woman, both as a person and as the boss. No Bond film would be complete without the women. Naomie Harris provides a sexy presence as a field agent who playfully spars with Bond. Die hard fans should watch for a neat twist involving her character. The other girl, Berenice Marlohe has the smaller role but is equally as sexy and adds mystery to her character of Severine. My only quibble with her character is that it would have been better if her role had been expanded a little more. Sterling support is provided by Ralph Fiennes and Ben Whishaw, who makes an amusing and geeky young Q for this generation of fans. Albert Finney also appears as someone from Bond’s past and steals the scenes that he has.

The cinematography by Roger Deakins is exemplary in the way it captures the mood of the film and accentuates emotions with his use of colour. The locations and set pieces used are also amazing to the eye, such as the scene of Bond grappling with an enemy against a back drop of electric blue jellyfish and an exotic casino equipped with deadly Komodo dragons.

All that I have left to say is this, Skyfall is an exciting, gripping and action packed film with all the right ingredients and references to the early Bond movies. Even if you are not a fan of the series, see it as soon as you can as you won’t regret it.