THE FIGHTER- Review

Here's a puzzler. When Christian Bale is the centre of attention all of the time, and Mark Wahlberg is overshadowed by his skinny and charismatic self, despite having more heart than Bale or anyone else around in this story, am I talking about the 2011 awards season or The Fighter?

For those unfamiliar, The Fighter is the true story of boxer "Irish" Micky Ward as he came back from obscurity and humiliation to take on the Welterweight Champion of the World. As we find Micky, he's being managed terribly by his domineering family, and trained by his egotistical crackhead brother, Dickie. His brother is the hometown hero, in whose footsteps Micky has always been intended to follow, but as he finds one final chance to realise his potential, it may well mean severing ties with his family.

This Mark Wahlberg thing is a sticking point with me, just because he's so good in this. I laughed along with everyone else at The Happening and Max Payne, and the Saturday Night Live skit in which he's shown to talk to animals remains one of my favourite things. Hell, I even laughed during the Golden Globes TV coverage the other week, which cut back to Wahlberg drinking when someone who wasn't him won an award for acting in The Fighter while he didn't get a mention. That was before I saw the film, and now I'm completely on his side.

Yes, Christian Bale is an absolute force of nature as Dickie, channelling the way that Kevin Smith describes the drug-addicted Jason Mewes as well as throwing his weight around dramatically just the same. And yes, Amy Adams proves her mettle by breaking type in one of the sexiest roles of the year. And yes, Melissa Leo deserves everything that's coming her way for her overbearing matriarchal turn as Micky's manager. But where's the appreciation for Mark Wahlberg?

It's so strange that he's been overlooked, because all the elements for awards success are there. He's undergone a physical transformation, training for the last four years to achieve the physique he has for just this one film and somehow being overshadowed by Bale going really skinny again. He's playing a real person, just like Best Actor favourites like Colin Firth or Jesse Eisenberg or James Franco. And yet somehow, he's the one who's being overlooked. Shame on all of you.

I realise I'm talking a lot about the general audience and industry response to the film, which largely doesn't matter much in this context, and not saying enough about The Fighter, which is a phenomenally good film. It's inspiring and engaging and just all around excellent in all the places where most modern sports movies usually fall short. The seminal boxing movie is probably Rocky, and there are six of those to choose from. And even putting those aside, there's Raging Bull and Million Dollar Baby. It's a crowded field, but The Fighter takes it to the crowd and riles up an audience like no other sports movie I can remember seeing in a cinema.

As I quite thoroughly explained above, it's an acting showcase more than a film about the true story, which makes it all the more annoying that it trips at the final hurdle and does that really fucking annoying thing that movies based on true stories do. It shows the real people during the end credits. I actually appreciated the way that Sugar Ray Leonard and Mickey O'Keefe were cast as themselves, because it wasn't too obvious and it didn't take me out of the film, but Hollywood, let's get this straight. In recent months, I have entirely bought into performances by James Franco and Sam Rockwell, only to be shown the people they portrayed so well at the end of the film. The same follows here with Wahlberg and Bale. I don't want to see the real Micky and Dicky, or else I'd have waited for a documentary to tell this story instead.

Speaking of realism though, I feel like I should bring up a discussion I had in the pub about the film, the night after I saw it. We both really enjoyed it, and I praised the acting, the direction and how real the boxing looked. The other guy said that it actually looked choreographed and fake, so I stuck to my guns and asked why. Then he knocked me out by quite rightly pointing out that I don't actually watch or like boxing. Only then did I wake up to the fact that I'd been so hooked into the real story and the world it inhabits that I'd been convinced I knew it better than I did. So the guy in the pub wins some points there. Hey, this review is far enough from the rails already, so personal anecdotes are fine, and relevant, especially when they illustrate the spellbinding and magnetic effect of the film!

The trend of showing the real people in the credits really annoys me, but it's definitely not enough to prevent me from recommending The Fighter to all and sundry. It's truly engrossing and it's never po-faced- in the manner of director David O. Russell's previous film Three Kings, it's a lot of fun to watch. It's a rousing watch and the calibre of the performances are next to none. While The King's Speech may hoover up certain major awards, The Fighter should clean up in certain acting categories. The only shame is that Mark Wahlberg isn't getting more recognition for his stellar work in the film.

The Fighter is now playing in cinemas nationwide.
------------------------------------------------------------------
If you've seen The Fighter, why not share your comments below?

I'm Mark the mad prophet, and until next time, don't watch anything I wouldn't watch.

The Reel Deal: Public Enemas

No, I liked it! Really! The wordplay refers only to the film that Public Enemies shares a post with this time around. Yes, when my forecast for reviews of Ice Age 3 and Year One was made, I'd forgotten about the fact that I was due to see an exclusive advance screening of Sacha Baron Cohen's latest, Bruno, on Tuesday night. Also, I had kind of anticipated seeing the other two films by now already. They'll be the next post instead, I suspect. They'll also link better to make a clever little title than say... Public Enemas. Apologies, but it's time to crack on.

Reviews, as ever, shall contain minor spoilers, but not so far as to ruin your enjoyment of the films in question if you haven't seen them yet.

BRÜNO


Who's in it? As with Borat, this is a film in which most of those who appear aren't in on the fact that Brüno is a comic creation, so it's largely a two-hander in the acting stakes between Sacha Baron Cohen (Sweeney Todd- The Demon Barber of Fleet Street) and Gustaf Hammarsten (Lägg M för mord and various other Swedish language films)

What's it all about? When Austrian fashionista and TV presenter Brüno (Cohen) is disgraced by a faux-pas at a fashion show in Milan, he decides to travel to America to make his name in Hollywood. Along the way, he shocks and offends everyday people as well as exposing the latent homophobia that many of them have, all the while becoming ever more shallow and crass in his quest for fame.

Any good? I can say with absolute certainty that Brüno will divide audiences. You will either see the film as horribly offensive or totally hilarious. And the deciding factor in your perception will almost certainly be a moment around 15 minutes in that sent members of the audience I saw the film with running from the auditorium. That everyone else stayed is either a testament to their liberal outlook on films or a sign that nothing in the film has more potential to offend that this particular moment. Part of me wants to prepare you by telling you exactly what this moment is, but I've decided it's better you find out for yourself. I've promised not to spoil anything in this review, after all.

So Brüno is, like Cohen's other creation Borat, a character from Da Ali G Show, and this film is of the same mockumentary cut as the earlier film used. One of the best parts of Borat was how its unwilling participants were exposed for their prejudices and general stupidity. Cohen was onto a winner then with the format of performing audacious and hilarious stunts in character and then putting them together for the cinema, and the formula holds true here. And so the main value of Brüno is in the way that it holds up a mirror to the specific contingent of America that features- in this case, homophobes, as well as stage moms, fashion models and celebrities. The banality and depravity of celebrity is exposed as it never has been before as one American Idol contestant passes judgement on the ultrasound scan of another celebrity- deciding whether she'd keep or abort the baby for the sake of an appearance on television.

That's not to say that Cohen is solely wrapped up in reflecting society's wrongs- the film is first and foremost a comedy, but there's a feeling of familiarity about the story that's used to link the crazy stunts this time around. It's very similar to Borat in this respect, whereas the rest of the film would seem to have stepped things up since that film. Of course no one's going to be complaining that you can predict where that story's going to end, as the climax of this film ties both to the story and to the outrage of the film's inadvertent contributors in a stunt that leaves you marvelling at how the crew escaped unscathed from an angry mob. I think more of this film's stunts were staged, owing to Sacha Baron Cohen's more widespread popularity, but some scenes are obviously completely natural because there's no way that those involved would agree to partake in such stunts.

Brüno isn't released until next Friday, so I'm in the unusual position of having seen a film in advance of its release. I'm pleased to report that Sacha Baron Cohen's follow-up to Borat is as funny, if not funnier, than that film, but it's a lot more offensive than last time around, whatever your outlook on the topic at hand. This is not a film for the easily-offended, but everyone else will bloody love it.



PUBLIC ENEMIES


Who's in it? Johnny Depp (Sweeney Todd- The Demon Barber of Fleet Street), Christian Bale (Terminator Salvation) and Marion Cotillard (La vie en rose)

What's it all about? Bank robber John Dillinger (Depp), has eluded capture by crossing state lines in Depression-era America, escaping the jurisdiction of the authorities who pursue him. His rising status to Public Enemy #1 brings about the founding of the Bureau of Investigation, later to become the FBI, headed by agent Melvin Purvis (Bale), who gives chase with an alarming dedication.

Any good? Michael Mann is most applauded for directing Heat, lauded by many as the greatest crime thriller since The Godfather. Fitting then, that his latest should be similar to that film, dealing again with bank robberies and the authorities, but relocated to the Depression-era 1930s. In lieu of Pacino and DeNiro, Mann unites two more modern titans of cinema- Johnny Depp and Christian Bale. And what's more, he's got a shiny new toy to bring the life of John Dillinger to the screen. It's shot in a ultra-high resolution digital format that I wasn't quite able to absorb, thanks to the fact that I arrived late at a packed-out screening and was sat in the front row. Furthermore, the cinema weren't even screening it as a digital projection, thanks to the 3D charms of Ice Age 3 and the mind-numbing CGI terror of Transformers 2. And there's the problem for you- Public Enemies is a genuinely good film that's being released at a time when films don't want us to use our brains.

Yes, I did say the screening was packed out, and that's mostly because it's a film for adults when the alternative is CGI robots or CGI animals, but I do worry that Public Enemies won't find an audience. It's an incredibly intelligent film released in the currently dizzying heat of the summer, when people want popcorn-flicks. Well I don't like popcorn, but I did like this. Mann is a skilled director and he proves it once again with this. Depp, as ever, is charismatic and watchable as Dillinger, and distances himself enough from the audience for them to recognise that his character is morally grey rather than a likable scoundrel. Dillinger is a million miles from Captain Jack Sparrow or the other more mainstream characters Depp has played in recent years. It might be a while before I forgive Christian Bale for Terminator Salvation, but he turns in the kind of great performance we know he's capable of as Agent Purvis, playing it with the kind of intensity he always puts into such roles. And of course there's a sterling support cast, led by Marion Cotillard and the always-underused Billy Crudup.

One of the problems with the film, besides its ostensible likeness to Heat, is the runtime. At a certain point in this two hour crime epic, it begins to feel just a little repetitive. Yes, the action is well-directed, but it very much begins to feel like a shootout, followed by Dillinger getting away, followed by Purvis and his men killing at least one of his accomplices, followed by Purvis having a steely Dr-Claw-like resolve to do better next time, and repeat. In the midst of this, it would be easy to lose sight of the fact that Mann and Depp are deconstructing the man at the centre of the film. As Dillinger loses those accomplices, he becomes more and more vulnerable. It becomes lonely being Public Enemy #1, and we don't see enough of this sentiment before the end of the film. It probably would've suffered from a laborious period of Dillinger feeling sad and alone before the climax, but as it stands, it feels like something of an anti-climax. This isn't helped by the occasional character being forgotten, their strands of plot left dangling in the wind as the closing credits roll.

On the whole, Public Enemies is a well-directed, well-acted film that deserves to do well. And of course you have to wonder if it has a shot at the Oscars, now that they're considering more films for Best Picture each year. Try to catch it at a cinema screening it with digital projection if you can.


--------------------------------------------------

Um... Year One and Ice Age 3 next, I think. I'm definitely seeing one of those two at the cinema tonight, and the other will likely follow in the next few days. And of course we're into July now, so it's all a big wait for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Less than two weeks to go...

Until next time, don't watch anything I wouldn't watch,
Mark

The Reel Deal- Bang, Boom, Wallop!

Illness is a bitch, ladies and gents. That's why you're getting this post so quickly after the Drag Me to Hell review, and it's also why I haven't had chance to see anything else this morning to add on here. Admittedly, I am going to drag myself down to the local Cineworld to see Spartacus tonight, and having never seen it, I'm likely to review it on here thereafter. Still, seeing as how I'm sat in the house, I might as well snap to and review 12 Rounds and Terminator Salvation, both action films, and neither exactly pushing the boundaries of that genre.

Reviews, as ever, shall contain minor spoilers, but not so far as to ruin your enjoyment of the films in question if you haven't seen them yet.

12 ROUNDS


Who's in it? John Cena (The Marine), Aidan Gillen (Shanghai Knights) and Ashley Scott (The Kingdom)

What's it all about? Danny Fisher (Cena) is an ordinary beat cop who is accidentally involved in the capture of Miles Jackson (Gillen), an international arms dealer. One year into his prison sentence, Miles escapes prison, kidnaps Fisher's girlfriend (Scott), and pits Fisher against a series of twelve challenges to secure her safety.

Any good? Time was, when you were channel-hopping of an evening, usually very late in that evening, odds were that ITV1 would be showing a film featuring one or more of the following action stars- Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Steven Seagal, Bruce Willis, Jean Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren. Not being as up on telly schedules as I once was, I'm not sure if that tradition has now migrated to another channel, like Five, but the remarkable feeling you'll get after seeing 12 Rounds is that this film could join the Late Night Brainless Action line-up once it makes it to terrestrial television. That some critics have chosen to read the film as director Renny Harlin's homage to Greek mythology, and the twelve labours of Hercules, is mental. This is simply a film of bangs, booms and wallops, and anyone pretending differently is kidding themselves.

For starters, it's brought to us by the gloriously daft 20th Century Fox, and produced by the slightly questionable production stable of WWE Studios. I can only presume that the latter is the reasoning for casting the permanently befuddled John Cena, who comes across as Mark Wahlberg after an allergic reaction to something that causes his face and body to bloat horribly and completely negates any acting skill he might have. Cena is evidently trying to fit into that category of action star mentioned above, but having watched this, I'm afraid that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson remains the only WWE wrestler to successfully move into acting proper. Played off against him is Aidan Gillen, who is clearly capable of acting (and acting well), but for some reason, his move into Hollywood seems to be marked by slightly rubbish villains in films where the script gives him little to do. This one is no exception, and as Gillen's character is Irish and Cena's protagonist is called Danny, I'm surprised at how far the writers got before making a "Danny Boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling" joke, which I can only assume they saved especially for the pulse-pounding climax.

All this said, did I enjoy it? In spite of everything rubbish about it, I did find a reasonable amount to enjoy. While Harlin clearly isn't setting out to be daft like Neveldine/Taylor did with Crank, there's something to be said for seeing a good old 90s action film homaged in this day and age. Even if Harlin didn't intend to homage it. And of course there's nothing new in the formula- Gillen putting Cena through his paces in order to get revenge is lifted directly from Die Hard with a Vengeance, and each of the titular 12 rounds seems to be homaging some film or other. That I can't be more specific is merely a sign of how I was able to switch off my brain for once while watching. So yes, it's generic. Yes, it's daft. Yes, it's all those things that I've criticised in other recent Fox movies. But there's a joy in this that wasn't in the others. The most comparable of Fox's output to this one was last year's Max Payne, which was po-faced and boring as all hell, whereas 12 Rounds is much more enjoyable.

While I doubt the career of its star will really take off, and I'd really rather be watching the villain in a film where he's allowed to act a bit, 12 Rounds is a harmless enough throwback to the 90s action movies that tend to get shown so late on telly. It's a recommendation and not a putdown when I say your enjoyment of the film may be better served by waiting for it to show up on ITV at 11pm sometime.



TERMINATOR SALVATION


Who's in it? Christian Bale (The Dark Knight), Sam Worthington (Rogue) and Anton Yelchin (Star Trek)

What's it all about? Judgement Day has been and gone, and the war between humanity and Skynet is well underway in the year 2018. John Connor (Bale) is now one of the highest-ranking leaders amongst the resistance, but encounters Skynet's newest weapon when he's brought face to face with Marcus Wright (Worthington), a criminal seemingly given the death penalty back in 2003.

Any good? Read that synopsis again. Straight off the bat, there's the problem, because here's what it might have read...

Marcus Wright (Bale) wakes up in 2018, having been put to death by lethal injection in 2003, to find a world rocked by war and ruled by a sentient computer system called Skynet. With only a young man called Kyle Reese (Yelchin) as his ally, he attempts to traverse the war-ravaged lands and join the Resistance, little realising what he really is...

What changed between that synopsis and the finished film? Christian Bale would've been playing Marcus, and the film certainly wouldn't have centred around John Connor. In one of many decisions taken by the ludicrously named "director" McG (I use "director" in the loosest sense of the word), a major script rewrite was undertaken in order to get Bale to star. Bale wanted to play John Connor and the rest as they say was... well, a bit of a mess. I wouldn't mind, but the only new thing Bale brings to the role is his much maligned Batman voice and a lot of shouting. It's astonishing to see him phoning in any performance after every other performance thus far has been superb, but Terminator Salvation clearly gains nothing from the presence of John Connor. On the contrary, it actually loses something.

The best parts of Terminator Salvation, I'll say right now, are Sam Worthington and Anton Yelchin. Worthington is being quite hyped up lately as the Next Big Thing, with roles to come in Avatar and a remake of Clash of the Titans, and from his performance here, it's clear to see why. He provides a much more three-dimensional performance than the character demands as written, and plays well against the superb Anton Yelchin. Having also played Chekhov brilliantly in Star Trek, I really can believe he's going to be the Next Big Thing, even if he's sadly underused. This is even more criminal when it's considered that the film was originally going to be about Marcus and Kyle, trying to survive and join the Resistance, and I honestly feel that would've made a better film. John Connor has little to do other than... be called John Connor, and so it's a shame that so much of the film focuses on him. Christian Bale isn't to blame for this though- the "director" is.

Joe McGinty Nichol (I can't decide which of his names sounds sillier) clearly sucks as a director. While even Terminator 3 managed to capture some of the spirit of its two James Cameron-directed predecessors, Terminator Salvation is clinical, joyless and full of plot holes. When you watch The Terminator or Terminator 2, there's a genuine thrill to watching a machine that cannot be stopped ruthlessly hunting down its prey, but seeing them on the assembly line in the film just seems to kill any chance of menace dead. In showing the future for a whole film rather than the fleeting glimpses from the earlier instalments, it's almost like they've Clone Wars-ed the Terminator franchise. And worst of all, any other director would've stood their ground and said "No thanks" to Bale's demands, but it seems that McG gave up any chance of the film being good to try and grab Bale after The Dark Knight (almost) became the highest grossing film ever. And I don't know what stage of development they were at when they decided to make the film PG-13/12A and release fucking Terminator voice changer helmets to target a young audience, but that's probably where they went wrong. It's a Terminator film! What about that says "appeal to children"?

Most befuddling of all are the random set-ups for a further sequel that McG seems to seed throughout the film, like Connor's wife being pregnant, something that is never mentioned in the dialogue or given any significance whatsoever beyond an occasional glimpse of a baby bump bulging from her jumper. In the evidence of Terminator Salvation's disappointing box office returns, it seems unlikely that McG will be allowed near the franchise again, thankfully. If by some horrible twist of fate he is, it seems sadly plausible that Terminator 5 will be more of the same- video game logic, a bag of tricks containing little more than a couple of explosive set pieces and a script that's being dictated by whichever actor McG is trying to cajole into headlining it. No wonder Bale went mad on set. Hopefully it won't be back.


(The rating is for Worthington and Yelchin alone- if the whole film had centred around them, it likely would've been four)

--------------------------------------------------
Well, that passed some time- two distinctly average action films. And that's a more pejorative label for Terminator Salvation, which should really be something more. If any of you were intrigued by that mention of what the script was like before Bale came on board, here's the full story. Obviously there were problems with that original Marcus and Kyle script, but hey, that's what you get when you put McG and the writers of Catwoman on a Terminator film.

Next time... um... The Hangover will likely be involved, and possibly Last Chance Harvey too. Spartacus will probably get a look-in if I see it tonight as well.

Until next time, don't watch anything I wouldn't watch,
Mark