The Mule

Tags

2010's, Alison Eastwood, Andy Garcia, Based on a true story, Bradley Cooper, Clint Eastwood, Crime, Dianne Wiest, Drama, Laurence Fishburne, Michael Peña, Taissa Farmiga, The Mule

Director

Clint Eastwood

Starring

• Clint Eastwood as Earl Stone
• Dianne Wiest as Mary
• Bradley Cooper as Colin Bates
• Michael Peña as Trevino
• Laurence Fishburne as Head of DEA
• Taissa Farmiga as Ginny
• Alison Eastwood as Iris
• Andy Garcia as Laton

Clint Eastwood directs and steps in front of the camera once more with The Mule, which takes basis from a true story of an elderly man who was an unlikely drugs mule for a cartel. With it being Eastwood there is undoubtedly talent here and good spots. The trouble is The Mule stumbles in the mid section and I can’t help but feel it could have been better than it was.

Earl Stone is a 90-year-old horticulturist who has seen better days. He’s become bitter and out of sync with society. His business is approaching foreclosure and after being so neglectful of his family, most of them have shunned him and his wife Mary has divorced him. His granddaughter Ginny hasn’t turned her back on him and invites him to her engagement party. It’s at the party that someone gives Earl a tip-off of a job where all he needs to do is drive. Desperate, Earl accepts, little realising that he’s becoming a drugs mule. Even when he does discover what he’s transporting, he asks no questions as he is so in need of the cash. With the money he gets from each job, he tries to make amends with people he’s wronged in the past and attempts to build more bridges with his estranged family. This goes very well and his efficiency in the job earns him some respect in the cartel community, particularly the head honcho. But the DEA is trying to crack down on drug smuggling and a transportation in Illinois and as headed by the purposeful Colin Bates, they aren’t going to stop until they reach the source of the illegal acts. Earl keeps going with the job, slowly coming to see the darkness he has put himself in. Yet as the DEA closes in and the cartel start to fight amongst each other, Earl is stuck firmly in the middle of what could be a very dangerous situation.

Clint Eastwood brings his usual professional sheen to the film and focuses on characters, primarily Earl. Character development of the titular mule is what this film does well. I especially though there was poignancy to the fact that Earl feels so out-of-place in a technical, modern world that he doesn’t understand. That was one thing that came through loud and clear when watching The Mule. Not all of Eastwood’s decision behind the camera pay off, for starters the film runs too long and falters in the middle part. But his sophistication and handling of the main narrative is excellent and provides at least some emotional tie. If anything’s to blame for The Mule not being an overall excellent movie, it’s the script. Although it does bring out moments of dramatic worth, I need felt it all came together clearly or pleasingly enough. Having the other story of the DEA dragged a lot and didn’t feel not nearly as compelling as watching Earl slowly make attempts at redemption while he goes along on this dangerous ride . And though The Mule has its share of humour and lightness, the middle part where Earl sees the corrupt but intriguing wealth of drug dealers doesn’t quite sit right with the rest of the film. It only is really there to show what while he’s old, he’s still got some rascal about him with the ladies and can still have a good time. This isn’t to say that The Mule is a terrible movie( it’s actually quite good but flawed in execution), I just expected a bit more from it. I’m firmly on the fence with this offering from Eastwood, but his undeniable talent is still alive which I’m grateful for. Once seriousness kicks in, the last half of The Mule redeems quite a number of the foibles that so ruined the earlier parts. It’s here when we get the weight and emotional heft of a man coming to terms with what he’s done and these are the best moments. Eastwood’s love of jazz is prevalent too, using any opportunity he can to indulge us with melodies.

Clint Eastwood can do the grumpy, old guy act in his sleep and he portrays something akin to that here. But being Eastwood, it’s not just cut and dry. He inserts charm, humour and sadness into the character often with just a look or movement of eyes. The character is morally complex and flawed, which Eastwood is adept at bringing forth here and throughout his career. And credit to the guy, he’s 88 and still going strong, even if he’s made to look more frail and weathered here than he actually is. He’s one of the biggest assets going in The Mule and of the best things in it. In yer,s of acting, Eastwood is given the most to do. Dianne Wiest makes the most of her role as the ex-wife who still can’t shake him, despite vehement arguments that she is fine alone. Her scenes with Eastwood really have an emotional hook to them that both play beautifully. On the other hand Bradley Cooper, Michael Peña and Laurence Fishburne are all underused as DEA agents closing on the cartel. All three are great actors, but they aren’t provided with sufficient meat to savour on and make them memorable in this flick. Taissa Farmiga does what she can with her role as the only person who seems to see the good in her flawed Grandfather, while Alison Eastwood(Clint’s actual daughter) has her moments reconnecting with her estranged father that hit hard. In a brief part, Andy Garcia is highly entertaining as the cartel boss with flamboyant style.

Immensely uneven but definitely watchable, The Mule is a mixed offering from Clint Eastwood. I’m firmly in the middle in my opinion, but I can’t deny that Eastwood’s still got it, even when the work is minor and not quite a pitch on his more successful films.

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American Horror Story: Coven

Tags

2010's, American Horror Story, American Horror Story: Coven, Angela Bassett, Denis O'Hare, Emma Roberts, Evan Peters, Frances Conroy, Gabourey Sidibe, Jamie Brewer, Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, Lily Rabe, Sarah Paulson, Taissa Farmiga

I decided to go back to American Horror Story again to catch up as I felt I’d fallen behind. This will be my review of Season 3, subtitled Coven. While still as chilling and weirdly perverse as Murder House and Asylum, I just feel like there’s something missing from it to make it a better entry. Not that the season is bad, in fact its far from it with excellent acting, chills and atmosphere, it just slightly pales in comparison with its predecessors. Be warned, spoilers will follow in this review.

Coven is set in modern-day New Orleans. Zoe Benson( Taissa Farmiga) is a young girl whose life appears pretty normal, until a strange and tragic incident reveals that she is in fact a witch. Her power is that when anyone comes into sexually contact with anyone they will die horribly. Feeling alone and afraid, she is bundled off to Miss Robichaux’s Academy that doubles as a haven for witches to harness their powers and survive intolerance thrown at them. The school is watched over by the demure Cordelia Foxx( Sarah Paulson), whose mother Fiona Goode( Jessica Lange) is the reigning Supreme ( in other words the most powerful witch). Fiona has been out-of-town on a personal vanity trip to find a way to restore her waning youth. She returns and takes charge of the school, much to the chagrin of her estranged daughter. Fiona is still obsessed with retaining youth and her position as Supreme and no one is going to stand in her way, even if it includes murdering the next in line. Fiona’s integrity and less than perfect rise to being the Supreme is constantly questioned by the council, specifically Myrtle Snow( Frances Conroy), her most sworn enemy. Little by little, we see how devious she can be and how only Spalding( Denis O’Hare), the mute butler of the Academy knows of her past misdeeds. Meanwhile Zoe befriends fellow witches Madison Montgomery( Emma Roberts), the catty movie star who is telekinetic, Queenie( Gabourey Sidibe), an African-American girl who can inflict pain on other much like a voodoo doll and the wise clairvoyant and telepathic Nan( Jamie Brewer). As the series progresses the witches come under attack from outside forces. A long truce between witches and voodoo practitioners comes to a bitter end when Fiona over steps the mark when searching for eternal beauty and angers priestess Marie Laveau( Angela Bassett) with harrowing results. We also have Delphine LaLaurie( Kathy Bates), a wealthy women who murdered slaves in the 19th Century and was cursed with immortal life by Laveau resurfacing again after Fiona finds her unmarked grave. She’s not the only person returning as we have Misty Day( Lily Rabe) a nature loving witch with the power of resurrection who dwells in the swamps after being burned at the stake for her gift by the zealously religious community . Zoe meets nice guy Kyle Spencer( Evan Peters) at a party and takes a liking to him. But when his frat brothers rape Madison, the movie star gains revenge by flipping over their bus and killing them. Zoe is devastated that Kyle is dead because he was innocent and Madison, who is clearly more confident with magic makes a bargain with her. Through dark powers and an assembling of assorted body parts in the morgue, they resurrect Kyle again but their experiment turns him into a Frankenstein like being of immensely violent and unpredictable rage. Intolerance from the outside world and unrest among the girls also threatens to sneak in as they must not only band together, but ultimately eliminate the others to rise to being the new Supreme.

I think I’ll start by talking about the main things that didn’t work for me first. While I know that subtlety is not what American Horror Story is all about, I just felt that Coven overdid it with the sheer outrageousness this time around. And while the campy humour and crackling dialogue is often a Godsend on this show, it really went overboard. Hopefully when I get to the next season, this can be a bit more controlled and not as disjointed as it is here in Coven. Also, I felt certain plot elements( such as almost a million resurrections) were used repetitively and thus became a little stale. I mean in the beginning the resurrection thing is interesting for certain characters like Misty and Myrtle, but then when it shifts to other it becomes a little dull. Many of the episodes feel disjointed and this does have a negative impact on this season.

And now onto the good stuff of this flawed but still watchable season, of which there is a lot. I really liked the whole arc of witchcraft and voodoo clashing and the history of it. It also introduces in various ways the subject of prejudice and intolerance. It can be seen with the young girls of the academy as they are shielded away to avoid abuse and the racism of the past that still lingers on. Coven delivers the horror in spades, with little nods here and there to films that populate the genre and a few new spins. Like most of the seasons, I don’t think anyone will find it easy to sleep after watching the horrifying and brutal episodes that abound. I mean just listing some of the things that happen doesn’t do it justice: we’ve got killer zombies, rituals, cascades of dripping blood, necromancy, beheading. You named it, Coven’s got it. And I can’t do a review without mentioning yet another sinister title sequence. This time we have stark black and white images of fire, tarot cards, witchcraft rituals, a Minotaur and plenty more disturbing imagery that is designed to disturb.

The music throughout is spine-chilling with an intense electronic pulse that seems to predict the gloom that will inevitably come once the war breaks out. Unusual camera angles and strange jump cuts only add to the effect of the season and capture the alienation that is felt primarily by Zoe because of her gift. The location of New Orleans offers a Southern Gothic atmosphere that is palpable and memorable. From the swamps to the cemeteries, it has such a mystical and mysterious aura surrounding it.

Once again, we have many amazingly written and played female roles on display here, which is one of the show’s biggest strengths. Jessica Lange is at her glorious best in the role of Fiona, a powerful witch and a ruthless bitch. Lange successfully embodies the fabulous personality of her, while showing us that as despicable as Fiona is, there is a heart in there somewhere beneath the hard exterior. The talented Lange is at her best when delivering catty lines, going to extreme methods to stop her from being usurped and exuding menace as the vanity obsessed Fiona, which gives the show that something else. Kathy Bates is an excellent addition to the show, bringing her always high calibre skills to the role. She portrays Delphine as initially remorseless for her cruel and twisted actions in the past. Yet Bates goes beneath this and shows that is remorse in there and injects the character with eccentricity and mordant humour as she has the tables turned on her by having immortality and struggling to accept the modern world. The fact that she strikes up an unusual friendship with Queenie( an excellent Gabourey Sidibe) shows a different side to Delphine. Angela Bassett rounds out this trio of excellent women with her fierce performance of the voodoo queen Marie Laveau. Bassett exudes rage, a sense of mystery and unquestionable power as she declares war on the coven. It’s safe to say that the combined talents of these three amazing actresses, armed with one-liners and put downs, ensures that Coven is watchable, despite a few flaws.

The rest of the cast is none too shabby either. Taissa Farmiga is superb at getting under the skin of isolated Zoe who discovers the extent of witchcraft along the way. Sarah Paulson ably charts the emergence of Cordelia from her insular and demure facade to powerful witch who is not to be trifled with. A lot of this change comes when she is blinded by acid, by this she gains the power to see the true nature of people and sends her on the way to battle. Emma Roberts obviously is relishing the role of Madison, who is trashy, flashy and bitchy. Roberts brings this seemingly stock character who is criminally underwritten to life with verve and tongue in cheek delivery. Jamie Brewer and Gabourey Sidibe both turn in great work as two of the witches of the coven that befriend Zoe, while the always reliable Denis O’Hare gives the role of the silent butler Spalding menace and intrigue. Lily Rabe is ethereal and dreamlike as the nature-loving, Stevie Nicks fangirl and very strong Misty. Rabe just radiates this glow that is hard to describe but you just can’t take your eyes off when she appears on screen. Frances Conroy stole whatever scenes she was in as the determined, wildly dressed and ostentatious Myrtle Snow. While Evan Peters did a credible job as the resurrected Kyle, I personally felt he wasn’t given enough to do in comparison with the characters he has played in the past.

Flawed it may be and probably the series of the show that so far I didn’t fully enjoy, Coven is far from unwatchable thanks to a game cast and overall craziness.

American Horror Story: Murder House

Tags

2010's, Alexandra Breckenridge, American Horror Story, American Horror Story: Murder House, Connie Britton, Denis O'Hare, Dylan McDermott, Evan Peters, Frances Conroy, Jessica Lange, Taissa Farmiga

I thought it was about time I got back to reviewing some television, after the success of my posts on that topic. This time I will be reviewing the creepy American Horror Story, which has become one of my favourite TV shows as of late. From the first time I watched it I was gripped by the nature of it and how each season changes characters and settings in line with an anthology. Horror is easily one of my favourite genres and American Horror Story delivers it in spades and then some. So without further ado, here is my review of the first season, subtitled Murder House. Please be aware that spoilers will follow in this review.

Psychiatrist Ben Harmon(Dylan McDermott), his wife Vivien(Connie Britton) and their unhappy teenage daughter Violet(Taissa Farmiga) move into an old mansion in Los Angeles. The move has come about after Vivien caught Ben cheating with one of his students and her painful miscarriage. Ben hopes the move can repair the deep void left in their marriage. The mansion itself has quite an alarming history of murder and scandal since its opening in the 1920’s, with the last owners allegedly being killed in a murder/suicide. As the Harmon family settles in, strange and mysterious events soon take hold as the house is a haunted plane for the deceased who can’t let go of the house, although the family are initially unaware of this fact until later on. A housekeeper by the name of Moira O’Hara(Frances Conroy/Alexandra Breckenridge) appears and in a strange turn of events appears old and peculiar to women, but seductive and nubile to men. A horribly scarred man named Larry Harvey(Denis O’Hare) warns Ben of the house and that it drove him to kill his family by torching the place. A strange creature lives in the basement and on more than one occasion unleashes fury on the unfortunate. Matters aren’t helped by the intrusion of Constance(Jessica Lange), a bitchy but intelligent neighbour who knows a lot about the house but only drops hints on the sinister nature of it and her daughter Addie, who has some sort of personal link to the creepy house. Vivien becomes pregnant after sleeping with a figure in a gimp suit who she believes is Ben( in actual fact, Ben was downstairs sleep walking when this act happened) and begins to believe there is something unholy about the baby she is carrying inside of her. Ben’s former flame Hayden shows up with unexpected news that leads to tragic consequences.Add to this, the increasingly troubled Tate(Evan Peters), one of Ben’s patients who takes an interest in troubled  Violet and horror begins to engulf all who step foot in the house and refuses to let go. Twists and turns a plenty unravel in this disturbing yet gripping series of television that will make you shiver with fear and plague your dreams with its mixture of sex, death and all things horrific.

Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk have created a series that takes old clichés and breathes new life into them. Everyone has seen the haunted house formula been done in movies, but having it on TV adds another dimension as tragedy and horror unfold. American Horror Story is not afraid to push the envelope either, with copious amounts of sex, twisted crimes such as copycat murders and psychiatry all coming under the spotlight. The intense visual style contributes to the feeling of uneasiness as the house reveals its sinister nature, the jittery cuts back and forth give the show a creepy edge. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the title sequence, which in itself acts as a mini mystery as it travels through the basement of the house and reveals the mutilated body parts from botched experiments and melancholy old-fashioned photographs to the sound of distorted instruments.

The structure of the episodes deserves praise as it features flashbacks to the past traumas of the house, then in the present shows the repercussions of them in terrifying fashion. The most frightening of these traumas and travesties is that of an ether addicted doctor, Charles Montgomery and his nervy socialite wife Nora, who performed backstreet abortions in the 20’s. After a girl secretly had one of the procedures, her boyfriend found out about it and took revenge by snatching the couple’s beloved baby son. The boy was later found horribly mutilated. The crazed doctor began to fashion body parts from various creatures in order to bring his son back, but instead created a Frankenstein like beast that now resides in the basement.  The ghosts of the couple still haunt the house, with Nora still searching for her baby. The music of the series is an eerie mix of old-fashioned strings and ominous percussion, perfectly  capturing the clash between the old ghosts who populate the house and the new residents.

A game cast of talented actors give life to these characters, even if a lot of them are unlikable people. Dylan McDermott embodies the selfish ways of Ben who has cheated on his wife and wants to rebuild their relationship, but whose demons and the ominous house stop him from doing so. Connie Britton is sympathetic and quietly strong as Vivien, the wife terrified of not just the house but the baby growing inside of her. Out of the characters in this series, Vivien is the one who you root for the most. Taissa Farmiga is suitably gloomy and filled with angst as Violet who falls into a strange relationship with the disturbed Tate. The two have a creepy and morose chemistry with one another which highlights how dangerous Tate can be. He is played with sly menace by Evan Peters, who also manages to delve into the vulnerable side of this disturbed soul as his past is eerily revealed to us. The almost perverse relationship forms a creepy story arc that slowly descends into unspeakable terror. Stealing the show has to be Jessica Lange as the intrusive Constance. With her Southern accent, penchant for stealing and subtle hints about the past of the mansion, she is riveting to watch. She delivers some great one liners with a diva like authority and also gets to show the hidden depths of this intelligent woman who isn’t to be trifled with. Frances Conroy is caring and insightful as the benevolent spirit Moira, who has a history with Constance. While she is kind and knowing, her other face is the opposite. Played by the gorgeous Alexandra Breckenridge, the young Moira is a seductive tease who tempts Ben with her innuendo filled lines and skimpy French maid outfit. Her presence adds to the sexual side to the series as well as the creepy atmosphere of horror. Rounding out the cast is Denis O’Hare as the scarred Larry, who is menacing and mysterious in equal measure, whilst providing some dark humour to the disturbing proceedings.

Not for the faint of heart, but twisted and disturbingly enthralling throughout, the first season of American Horror Story really has me excited for the next season and what it has to offer.