Tag: 127 Hours

SXSW Movie Reviews: T2 Trainspotting

by MCDave

It feels like ages ago, but back in 1996 an unknown filmmaker named Danny Boyle madehis mark on the industry by shaping an entire generation with the revolutionary heroin-addiction drama, Trainspotting. Two decades have passed and Boyle has emerged as one of Hollywood’s elite directors thanks to the overwhelming success of films like Best Picture Winner Slumdog Millionaire, for which Boyle won a Directing Oscar, and Best Picture Nominee 127 Hours. So what’s left for a man who’s clearly reached the pinnacle of his profession? How about a return to his roots with the wildly anticipated sequel, T2 Trainspotting. As this year’s official SXSW “secret screening” selection, unsuspecting audiences were given a wonderful treat.

Renton (Ewan McGregor) returns to the streets of Edinburgh 20 years after ripping off his best friend Simon (Jonny Lee Miller) by running away with their 16,000-pound score following a successful drug deal. Renton hopes to make things right with his friend and ultimately agrees to help Simon with a new money-making scheme. They bring Spud (Ewen Bremner) on board to help with the plan, all while trying to avoid the craziness of Begbie (Robert Carlyle), who’s back on the streets after escaping from prison.

There is so much to enjoy about Danny Boyle’s long-awaited return to the boys from Edinburgh, but it all begins and ends with his direction. Boyle’s sharp-style continues to impress as he plays with elements of time both visually and physically. We bear witness to decades of wear and tear to these former kings of the street, but their sense of desperation is as strong as it’s ever been. Ewan McGregor and company jump back into their roles without ever missing a beat, infusing a nostalgic energy that eases the audience into the beautifully chaotic world of Trainspotting. Clever writing also resurfaces throughout the work, transforming timely jokes into necessary plot points, all of which remind us of John Hodge’s exceptional ability to craft a story. Yet, perhaps the most fascinating element to T2 is how well the film plays as both a stand alone effort, and not just a continuation of the 1996 saga. But beyond all of the double-crossing and redemption that unravels throughout the film, Danny Boyle shows us all how a special kind of dedication and a distinct love for the characters are essential pieces to making any sequel a successful one.

GRADE: 4/5

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Geekscape Movie Reviews: Gravity

by MCDave

I’ve always heard the rumblings. But after finally getting a chance to screen the upcoming sci-fi drama, Gravity, it goes without question that director Alfonso Cuarón is one of the most ambitious filmmakers on the planet … and perhaps beyond. It’s been 7 years since the Mexican-born director captivated audiences with his previous groundbreaking work, Children of Men. And if one thing’s for certain, it’s the fact that Cuarón constantly struggles to out-perform himself. Just takes the soon-to-be instant classic, Gravity, for example. Even renowned director James Cameron is calling it “the best space film ever done”. That’s high praises from someone who always strives to raise the bar himself. Enough said.

Dr. Ryan Stone (played by Sandra Bullock) is on her first space mission along with a team led by the aging astronaut, Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney), who is overseeing his final voyage. However, during a routine spacewalk, debris from a satellite comes crashing into their space shuttle killing the rest of Stone and Kowalsky’s team. Stranded in space with no contact from earth and a nearly depleted air supply, the pair of astronauts must work together to survive the ordeal.

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There are countless aspects of Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity that deserve to be commended. With an uncut 13 minute opening scene that’s completely mind-blowing and inarguably impressive, the director’s latest work begins without a hitch. Then, once Gravity has hooked the audience with a tension-filled first act, Cuarón’s film whisks along effortlessly like an astronaut in zero-gravity all the way to an astounding conclusion. And if this newest sci-fi drama doesn’t sound pleasing enough, its triumphant visual effects are so mesmerizing that they can probably start handing over the Oscar statues for most of the technological categories already. Aesthetically brilliant and wonderfully paced, Gravity feels like the sure-fire Best Picture contender that many predicted.

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While I thoroughly enjoyed Alfonso Cuarón’s long-awaited return, there are certain elements of the feature that irked me. First, there’s no question about it, George Clooney steals the show. So much, in fact, that it almost detracts from Sandra Bullock’s widely-lauded role. Although I’m a long-time fan of the Academy Award Winning actress, I didn’t “love” this performance. Once I recognized my complaint, I tried to break down the cause of the issue and I discovered that it stems from the movie’s dialogue. When it comes to comic relief, the verbal exchanges are spectacular. However, during the more dramatic moments, I found the screenplay’s dialogue to be elementary and trite. As a result, those pivotal onscreen scenes in which the audience is supposed to empathize with Bullock ultimately lack a “punch”. Therefore, Gravity never reaches the cosmic heights we’d all expect.

One thing is for sure, Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity offers filming techniques and space photography that is far beyond anything we’ve ever seen before. Thus, an unbridled appreciation is certainly in order. On the other hand, I freely acknowledge flaws in Cuarón’s latest work. After viewing Gravity in the light of other epic survival stories such as Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours, it’s clear that it doesn’t offer the same level of impact. But either way, Gravity is definitely a well-paced and gripping feature that deserves to be savored with a big-screen experience.

GRADE: 4/5

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Geekscape Movie Reviews: Spring Breakers

by MCDave

If you’ve seen the trailer for Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers, chances are you’re somewhat intrigued. You’re probably wondering if the outlandish looking crime-drama is a laughable farce or an original piece of filmmaking from a director best known as the writer of the controversial 1995 film Kids. Truth be told, Spring Breakers is a lot of both.

Childhood friends Faith, Brit, Candy and Cotty (played by Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson, Vanessa Hudgens and Rachel Korine) want nothing more than to escape their small town life and travel to Florida for Spring Break. Having saved nowhere near enough money for the trip, the three girls (minus a somewhat ethical Faith) rob a local restaurant and secure enough funds to embark on their journey of personal discovery. However, while enjoying their time in the sun a little too much, they end up arrested and charged with some hefty fines. Consequently, a local drug-dealer/rapper named Alien (James Franco) bails the ladies out of jail and introduces them to a world of crime.

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Attempting to stand out as an original art-form, Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers offers a unique approach backed by very little substance. With overly repetitive dialogue (I swear you hear the sound clip of James Franco saying “Spring Break” about a hundred times) and a minimally progressing plot, the film serves as nothing more than a platform for director Harmony Korine’s artistic expression. However, the director takes full advantage of the opportunity and conjures up a rare stylistic gem. With enough quick-cuts in the editing room to trigger a seizure, Korine continually interweaves images of the present moment with short glimpses of the future. It becomes a highly anticipated and clever way of approaching an otherwise hollow story. Given such a bland foundation to build from, Spring Breakers blends together a high-octane score (courtesy of Drive‘s Cliff Martinez and Skrillex) and profound direction that can definitely be classified as avant-garde.

Another glowing aspect of Spring Breakers is a convincing enough cast that helps transform a ridiculous concept into an engaging movie. Most notable is an often up-and-down James Franco who never disappoints in his role. I was blown away by the actor’s Oscar Nominated performance in 2010’s 127 Hours, but still await a return to such heights. Although Franco’s onscreen efforts are by no means as transcending as his 2010 work, they represent a glimmer of hope that the potential to achieve similar results is still there. In addition to Franco, it deserves mention that all four of the girls leave their own impression on the story. Through the cast’s ability to generate memorable personas, it’s evident that director Harmony Korine has a deep understanding and purpose for each of his film’s characters. Yet, as a writer, Korine fails to deliver a reasonable enough script and dialogue to elevate Spring Breakers to something better than a lavish tale of social deviance.

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When you look back on Spring Breakers you’ll appreciate the feature for its innovative direction, rare style and memorable imagery. However, the memories will far surpasses the level of enjoyment you’ll experience while watching the film. This unorthodox consequence is the result of a flimsy foundation built on a one-dimensional story concerning multi-dimensional characters. Spring Breakers proves to be immensely bittersweet. You appreciate Harmony Korine’s keen vision, yet his work never feels as groundbreaking as it should. It’s worth waiting for Spring Breakers on DVD unless you’re absolutely dying for a disoriented rave-like party with some Dolby Digital sound mixing.

Grade: 3/5

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Watch The First Trailer For Danny Boyle’s ‘Trance’

by Derek Kraneveldt

This looks damn cool.

 

Fox Searchlight has just released the first trailer for Danny Boyle’s (Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours) next film, Trance. The upcoming thriller seems to have a lot going for it, including an awesome cast rounded out by James McAvoy, Rosario Dawson, and Vincent Cassell.

 

Watch the trailer below, and let us know what you think! Trance is set to hit UK theatres on March 27th, while a North American release has not been set.

 

TRANCE, directed by Oscar®-winning filmmaker Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours) and co-written by Oscar®-nominated long term collaborator John Hodge (Shallow Grave, Trainspotting) is a seductive and enigmatic thriller starring James McAvoy, Vincent Cassel and Rosario Dawson.

Fine art auctioneer Simon (McAvoy), in league with a gang led by underworld boss Franck (Cassel), plots the audacious theft of a masterpiece by Goya from a major public auction. When Simon double-crosses the gang during the robbery, Franck retaliates violently and knocks him unconscious.

In the aftermath of the heist, Simon sticks stubbornly – and perhaps shrewdly – to his claim that the violent trauma has left him with no memory of where he stashed the artwork.

Unable to coerce the painting’s location from Simon, Franck and his associates reluctantly join forces with a charismatic hypnotherapist (Dawson) in a bid to get him to talk. But as they journey deeper into Simon’s jumbled psyche the boundaries between reality and hypnotic suggestion begin to blur and the stakes rise faster and far more dangerously than any of the players could have anticipated.