Film: The Round Up Year of production: 2010 UK Release date: 17th June 2011 Distributor: Revolver Certificate: TBC Running time: 115 mins Director: Rose Bosch Starring: Jean Reno, Mélanie Laurent, Gad Elmaleh, Raphaëlle Agogué, Hugo Leverdez Genre: Drama/History/War Format: Cinema Country of Production: France/Germany/Hungary Language: French/German/Yiddish
Review by: Qasa Alom
The bar has been set mighty high for films concerning the persecution of Jews during the Second World War by the likes of Schindler’s List, The Pianist and Au Revoir Les Enfants. In more recent times, even the warped brilliance of Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds has managed to treat the harrowing topic in a different and fresh manner. Thus it’s hard to have imagined how The Round Up (La Rafle) could compare. However by using two-and-a-half years of intense research, eye witness accounts and a stellar cast, former investigative journalist Rose Bosch’s picture brings lost memories back to life to make it essential viewing. Set in 1942’s Paris, the film begins with Joseph Weismann, played by 12-year-old newcomer Hugo Leverdez, forced to go to school with a yellow star sewn onto the breast of his jacket. Met by just as much derision as sympathy, he and most of the Parisian Jews – from both affluent as well as more modest backgrounds – are forced to take refuge in the hills in Montmartre.
Rumours, anxiety and hardship are all rife in the air until, finally, on the night of the 16th July, their worst fears come true and the French police, with the country under the occupation of the Nazis, arrest over 13,000 Jews and cram them all into the Winter Velodrome. Some of them, such as 12-year-old Anne Traube, manage to escape through a mixture of cunning, good fortune and the compassion of French civilians; however, the rest, such as Jo and his family, face the appalling conditions, limited supplies and non-existent sanitation in the enormous gym before being transferred to prisoner camps.
To help the Jews in any form possible, volunteer nurse Annette Monod (played by Inglorious Basterds’ femme fatale Mélanie Laurent) acts as the imprisoned population’s very own Florence Nightingale and forms a strong connection with Jewish doctor David Sheinbaum (Jean Reno).
After the decision to transfer all the captives to the Beaune La Rolande prisoner camp is made, Monod decides to go with them in order to keep as many of the adults and children alive as possible…
The film is shot in an elegant and straightforward style that does not override its content at any point. The constant use of extreme close-ups and lingering static shots renders it easier for the viewer to see what the characters are feeling in a subtle manner without making the picture too word-heavy and bogged down. Much of this can be attributed to Bosch drawing on Roman Polanski for inspiration.
Moreover, Bosch stays true to her research and her chief eye witness’s (Joseph Weisman) account by filming the whole picture from the eye level of a child. This minor alteration, coupled with the hints of nostalgic sepia tone to the picture, transmits a powerful sense of innocence to the viewer about the atrocities they are witnessing, which ultimately enable them to follow the story through the eyes of somebody who lived it.
The only technical extravagance comes in the Winter Velodrome scene that lies at the crux of the film. A long craning CGI intense shot begins by following one person navigate the stadium, concentrating on small details such as children laughing, old women’s faces or police whistling, and ends by slowly zooming out to show the chaotic magnitude of having 13,000 people crammed into one venue.
Whilst the cinematography is generally settled and passive, the same cannot be said about the use of music. The haunting ethereal use of strings throughout the story is a clever tool to direct the viewer’s emotions and is quite reminiscent of Spielberg’s usage in Schindler’s List. The real masterstroke comes with the final scene of the film that for once befits the use of Debussy’s beautiful ‘Claire de Lune’. The soft and tender notes dance with the final pictures in a manner that can only be described as magical.
However, ultimately, it is the characters that bring the film alive and raise it to the level of something more than a historical drama. With an ensemble cast of over seventy speaking roles in the film that covers three different narrative worlds, it would have been very easy to get lost. However, Bosch intertwines the political tussles of Pétain and Hitler with the various personal story arcs of the Jewish community, as well as casting a light on the dilemma for many French Civilians with ease – we even pause for some more poignant moments without making the film’s pace uneven or stilted.
Many of the standout performances are from characters that only appear in a few scenes, such as the French firemen who work tirelessly to make sure every person gets a cup of water; the angelic orphan boy Nono who doesn’t understand what is happening to him; and the sinister camp Marshall, played by Denis Menochet (another actor from Inglorious Basterds), who points out the Jews hiding under his floorboards to Colonel Hans Landa.
The Round Up is a tremendous achievement that has ensured that one of occupied France’s worst crimes is not forgotten. Indeed, with almost half of the initial 3 million viewers in France being under 20 years old, it’s clear that the film has managed to combine intensive research and dedication to real life stories with a beautiful narrative structure that just about permits it to sit side by side with The Pianist and Schindler’s List. QA
Film: The Last Rites Of Ransom Pride Year of production: 2010 UK Release date: 30th May 2011 Distributor: Revolver Certificate: 15 Running time: 79 mins Director: Tiller Russell Starring: Dwight Yoakam, Lizzy Caplan, Jon Foster, Cote de Pablo, Jason Priestley Genre: Action/Drama/Western Format: DVD Country of Production: Canada Language: English
Review by: Sarah Hill
The Last Rites Of Ransom Pride is the debut feature film of documentary maker Tiller Russell in which he aims to put a contemporary twist on the western genre. The film, which premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival in 2010, was filmed in Canada with a modest budget of approximately $8 million. In Mexico in the 1910s, outlaw Ransom Pride (Scott Speedman) is hunted down and shot after he kills a priest. His lover, Juliette Flowers (Lizzie Caplan), embarks on a mission to bring his body back home to Texas with the help of Ransom’s brother, Champ (Jon Foster).
However, Ransom’s body is being held by a Mexican Bruja (Cote de Pablo), the sister of the man he killed, as recompense, so Juliette offers to buy back Ransom’s body and soul with the blood of his brother. But the Pride brothers’ father, Reverend Pride (Dwight Yoakam), is determined not to let this happen...
Occasionally, a low budget film will overcome its limitations and acquire ‘cult’ status. The Last Rites Of Ransom Pride is not one of those films. The film attempts to establish itself as an edgy and contemporary western through its fast-paced, True Blood-esque opening credits. However, like much of the film, whilst Tiller’s intentions for the opening credits are clear, they miss the mark somewhat and are disorientating rather than impressive.
If the opening titles demonstrate anything about what is to follow, it’s that Tiller has a compulsive fascination with video-style jump cuts. This style of editing would work well if it was used sparingly, but Tiller makes the unusual and frustrating decision to recap the main events of every scene in a quick-fire, condensed form immediately afterwards, making the term ‘flashback’ seem all too literal. Furthermore, these ‘flashbacks’ are sepia-tinted to such an extent that they take on a muddy brown aesthetic. This is coupled with the fact that the scenes which take place in the present look overly grey and grainy. The film subsequently flits between the two aesthetics and, in doing so, prevents any sense of realism. Also, the film’s obligatory shoot-out is edited so frantically that looks more like a self-contained music video as opposed to a scene from a film.
The film’s lack of credibility is compounded by its two-dimensional characters. Bruja the witch doctor seems to remain in a permanent state of seething, spitting anger throughout the film, and the more ‘quirky’ characters such as The Dwarf, whose appearance borrows very heavily from Johnny Depp in the Pirates Of The Caribbean films, are not interesting enough to enable them to become good cult characters.
Lizzie Caplan, as Juliette, gives what is probably the best performance in the film, although this is no doubt aided by the fact that the other performances are very weak. Caplan’s dark and fierce eyes adequately convey Juliette’s determination to bring Ransom home for burial and she is obviously a very strong woman. It is disappointing, therefore, that when given the chance to subvert convention by creating a strong female protagonist, in what is traditionally a very masculine genre, Juliette Flowers is frequently presented as little more than a sex object. She also makes some disappointingly obvious, yet uncharacteristic decisions throughout the film. For example, her decision to embark on a relationship with Ransom’s shy brother is a lazy plot device and arguably a decision that does not befit her character.
As well as being rather obviously plotted, the film’s dialogue is also very clunky and clichéd. When ordering his men to track down and kill Juliette, Reverend Pride says that he doesn’t care what they do to her, but just “make sure she ain’t breathing when you’ve finished.” Similarly, the closing line of the film, a quote from Ransom Pride himself, is equally as banal: “I was always a lover, despite the killings.”
It is clear that The Last Rites Of Ransom Pride wished to be thought of as a subversive western with cult status. However, whilst the film does contain impressive photography on the odd occasion - such as the fairly poetic shots of the sun shining over the plains - its infuriating over-reliance on flashy editing techniques, poor plot, uninspiring characters and clunky dialogue means that the film ruins any potential that it may have had. If the film teaches us anything, it’s that there is a fine line between a ‘cult’ film and a bad film, and, sadly, The Last Rites Of Ransom Pride belongs on the wrong side of that line. SH
Film: Psalm 21 Year of production: 2009 UK Release date: 30th May 2011 Distributor: Revolver Certificate: 15 Running time: 114 mins Director: Fredrik Hiller Starring: Jonas Malmsjö, Niklas Falk, Björn Bengtsson, Görel Crona, Josefin Ljungman Genre: Horror/Sci-Fi/Thriller Format: DVD Country of Production: Sweden Language: Swedish
Review by: Matthew Evans
The debut film of Swedish director Fredrik Hiller, Psalm 21 is a horror film with ambitions. Sure, it features many a decaying ghost and a man with a haunted past – core staples of any horror film – but it also has a chip on its shoulder; Mr. Hiller has a bone to pick with religion. The film tells the story of Henrik Horneus (Jonas Malmsjo), a Christian priest who lives his life by the words of the New Testament. When Henrik learns of his father's death from an apparent drowning accident, he decides to travel to the isolated village in which his father's body was found. However, his arrival and subsequent suspicion as to the true circumstances of his father's death set Henrik on a collision course with his past - a past he would much rather forget.
In his quest to solve the mystery of his father's death, Henrik finds himself haunted – quite literally – by the ghosts of his past. As the truth finally outs, Henrik battles to save himself from his own personal hell and, in the process, learns a few home truths about the religion which he holds so dear...
Angry Biblical texts and gruesome ghosts with a propensity to scream at passersby abound, Psalm 21 doesn't give itself all that much to work with. In the style of many horror films before it, Psalm 21 is a rather mundane 'who done it' murder mystery, dotted with supernatural goings on and a few cheap camera tricks. What's more, it has an agenda, and it's intent on ramming it down your throat.
At first glance, the film looks rather promising; Asian horror has quite clearly influenced much of Psalm 21's style. Washed out colours and decent special effects combine to give the film a moderately eerie feel. However, the plausibility of the film is abruptly shattered the moment Jonas Malmsjo opens his mouth.
The film's contrived dialogue is not only unconvincing but, in many cases, laughable. This is demonstrated in the scene where Henrik learns of his father’s death, in which Malmsjo's performance fails to convey any consistent emotion. From an ice cold glare to a wobbly lipped murmur to a hysterical fit of laughter, Henrik comes across as somewhat of a psychopath, rather than a character with which one could sympathise. The intention of this scene is, of course, to convey Henrik's haunted past and his mixed emotions when confronted by his father's death. Instead, Henrik comes across as somewhat of an oddball.
Sadly, the performances on offer merely highlight the film's other failings; primarily its script. Psalm 21 trundles along for most of its duration, apparently content with its generic 'murder-mystery' script, and if it had continued along this path it might warrant some small degree of respect. However, things take a rather unexpected turn as we reach the film's climax. In a rather unexpected move, the director goes about voicing some of his thoughts on organized religion. As many of his opinions had been more subtly expressed throughout the film, this really was a silly move. The fact that Fredrik Hiller felt the need to ram his views down the throats of his audience merely demonstrates the weaknesses of his film.
Long gone are the days when a director could get away with producing a successful horror film with a few cheap camera tricks. You are fooling no-one by hiding a decaying child behind a bathroom door or having ghosts miraculously appear as a camera circles a character in a 360 degree shot. Fredrik Hiller is mistaken if he thinks a few cheap scares, a handful of CGI ghosts and controversial statement on religion will save him.
However, there are some positive aspects to Psalm 21's script. As mentioned above, for most of its duration the film does allude to the overarching message which it so painfully preaches during its closing scene. If it were not for this final scene, the film could be complimented on its interesting depiction of Henrik's personal hell. Even though every twist is clearly signposted, the script does offer brief hints of originality.
Psalm 21 is a rather disappointing, if not painfully predictable, addition to the horror genre. Whilst its script occasionally alludes to something deeper, acting as a denouncement of organised religion, it is undermined by the film's appalling closing scene. Sadly, terrible performances, forced dialogue and cheap camera tricks conspire to offer the crippling blow to this hellishly flawed film. ME
Film: Primevil Release date: 21st March 2011 Certificate: 15 Running time: 86 mins Director: Roel Reiné Starring: Hadley Fraser, Terry Notary, Nick Mennell, Emily Foxler, Marc Bacher Genre: Action/Adventure/Horror/Thriller Studio: Revolver Format: DVD Country: Australia/USA
This is an English-language release.
In 2009, Jorge Ihle was tasked with making The Forgotten Ones, a horror adventure film eventually released in the UK under the title After Dusk They Come. The studio, and the late, great Irwin Kirshner (The Empire Strikes Back) as producer, however, were not happy with his efforts and, in fear of a commercial flop, enlisted Dutch director Roel Reiné to recast, reshoot and entirely remake the film as The Lost Tribe, which is now available on DVD under the title Primevil. Is the quickest remake in cinema history justified or were the studio bosses unnecessarily keen to part with another million dollars (the estimated budget for each of the versions) to flog a dead horse?
A group of attractive, young adults party on-board a luxury yacht in the middle of the ocean, celebrating a potential business partnership that could prove extremely lucrative for all involved.
While diving from the boat, Tom (Nick Mennell) spots a man clinging to a piece of driftwood in obvious distress. Rescuing and taking the man onboard, suspicions are raised as the drowning man’s motives are not altogether wholesome. Escaping from his makeshift cell, he commandeers the navigational controls, sending the yacht crashing into a reef.
Shipwrecked, the group find themselves washed up on a desert island, where they frantically call for help on the yacht’s emergency radio and try to find their bearings.
On their first night on the island, the stranger has vanished, leaving behind a pool of blood and gore. Tom is also missing, so the group set off in search of their friend and the stranger responsible for their harrowing predicament. During their exploration, they come across an abandoned army camp where there are clues leading to the existence of an indigenous tribe who may be the missing evolutionary link between Neanderthals and humans. With this realisation, the group are hunted, separated and picked off by the tribe, who operate mainly from the trees, before Anna (Emily Foxler) is forced to tackle them head on…
As the synopsis undoubtedly reveals, Primevil (or whichever name it has adopted this week) lacks even the slightest shred of originality. It seems that Reiné and the screenwriters have misinterpreted the meaning of homage as ‘to blatantly plagiarise’. The air of unoriginality is most apparent after the initial shipwreck sequence when the frequently used POV shots from the creatures are used to frame the group’s investigation of the island. Their prey is stalked through a grainy heat detecting filter, overcome by the hapless victims by, believe it or not, disguising themselves in the gooey juice from a native plant. The creatures hunt their prey from the treetops, making purring growls and jumping through the canopy in a laughable, scientifically impossible defiance of gravity, which belies the pseudo-scientific babble about the creatures’ evolution.
If all this sounds familiar, it is because the whole second and third act of the film is a complete retelling of John McTiernan’s classic Predator, but with only a disappointing fraction of the tension, action or imaginative creature design. The creatures themselves look ridiculous, with any hint of tension being completely abandoned as soon as their appearance is revealed. Obviously styled as a primal, Neanderthal version of Stan Winston’s timeless creation, complete with dreadlocks and a similarly styled bone mask, the creatures fail to frighten or add any tension to the film. They simply cheapen an already bare bones thriller which is successful only in its ability to bore with its unimaginative action, wooden acting and predictable narrative.
Even a brief supporting role as a church assassin by Lance Henriksen (Aliens) fails to ignite any real sense of excitement, as he has also become a staple in b-movie trash, despite the obvious intention to add a sense of authenticity to the film. His role is underplayed and signifies a totally pointless and underdeveloped subplot, despite an intriguing start as he assassinates an unarmed woman to protect the evolutionary secrets of the island from undermining his employer’s religious beliefs.
The film does, however, feature some pretty decent old school make-up effects, with some grisly scenes (particularly Tom’s ‘missing back’ in his final scene) that adds to a sense that the production team missed a trick with the tame killings and could have utilised their obviously competent make-up department to improve on the poor creature designs and create a film which could at least satisfy the gore hounds in the audience. What remains, unfortunately, is ninety minutes of an underwhelming script, wooden performances and a non-starting plot which could have allowed the film to elevate to the heady heights of so-bad-its-good, Asylum films (Mega Piranha, Transmorphers, etc.) quality trash, but unfortunately takes itself far too seriously, resulting in an uninspiring and tedious experience.
Arguably the most pointless remake ever, Primevil offers nothing exceptional. A bland, unoriginal thriller whose uninspired aping of superior titles leaves the audience in no doubt as to why the studio was panicked that the original would flop. RB
Film: 13: Game Of Death Release date: 24th August 2009 Certificate: 18 Running time: 109 mins Director: Chukiat Sakveerakul Starring: Krissada Terrence, Achita Sikamana, Sarunyu Wongkrachang, Nattapong Arunnate, Namfon Pakdee Genre: Comedy/Crime/Drama/Horror/Mystery/Thriller Studio: Revolver Format: DVD Country: Thailand
13: Game Of Death is Chukiat Sakveerakul’s second film, certainly his most infamous. Prior to its DVD release in the UK in 2009, there was a lot of hype regarding the violence and gore involved in the film’s storyline – and it certainly doesn’t disappoint on that score. 13: Game Of Death poses the question, how far would you go for money? This is the story of unhappy office worker Chit, who is having the worst day imaginable. After losing his girlfriend, having his car repossessed, and being forced to quit his job by his boss, it is hard to think that his day could get any worse, until he gets a mysterious phone call that presents him with thirteen challenges that will result in his winning 100 million baht ($1 million). There are only three rules: he must not tell anyone what he is doing, no-one must find out, and the police must not catch him.
The first couple of tasks seem simple enough, from swatting a fly and eating it, to stealing a toy from a small child. However, as he progresses through riddles and scenes of violence, and the money increases considerably, so too does the difficulty of the challenges given to him by the curious voices at the other end of his phone.
He must hurry before his nosey friend from the office, Tong, finds out what he is up to...
The script is a blend of genres. It begins as a comedy drama that makes you laugh and cringe, but as the story charges towards the finale, it radically spirals into a horror thriller. It is apparent that to watch this film you need a twisted sense of humour, and a strong stomach - as a rather memorable scene in a restaurant proves.
This film focuses on Chit as his day steadily gets worse, and the director has certainly used pathetic fallacy as a tool to portray this. As the day speeds on towards darkness, the atmosphere of the film changes with the setting sun. The comic misfortunes of his day occur while it is still light, but as it reaches night, there is little to laugh about. The film uses mainly grey dingy colours that mirror the mundane life of Chit, which also proves to be another reason for setting himself on this endeavour.
There is not a performance out of place. Krissada Terrence is excellent as Chit, who is a very likable and sympathetic character. As we get to know him, we discover that he is a nice guy who, although he is in debt, sends money to his family. The film uses a series of flashbacks from his childhood that reveal to the audience why Chit cannot speak up for himself, and it becomes clearer as to why he accepts the thirteen challenges as the film progresses. It is great to watch his character develop, then, as he gains a backbone and does not hesitate to initiate fights with people who get in the way of his prize money.
The cinematography of the film could have been a lot better, however, with more consideration for a greater stylised feel. Saying that, it still encompassed all the elements to keep viewers on the edge of their seats, with the correct series of quick cuts, long shots and camera pans that kept the fast pace of the film that never slowed until the end.
Sakveerakul tackles a real-life problem in Thailand that addresses the issue of the elderly being forgotten by their families, and suffering because of it. He has looked at this issue and taken it to the extreme in a memorable scene that disturbs and shocks. It will horrify, but amuse also.
The soundtrack has been well chosen and suits the fast pace of the film, assisting the action on screen with precision. There is a task in the film that seems too simple considering those that it has followed, but as the music creeps into the scene, you know that all is not as it seems. The soundtrack’s role in the film is to engage your curiosity and warn you when it is time to look away.
The storyline certainly keeps you watching, challenge by challenge, but the twist at the end is really not good enough, and quite frankly disappointing. It feels as though the writer was trying to be too clever. It undoubtedly accomplishes its goal in shocking the audience, but it seems like the film needed a more meaningful ending, especially after the gruelling journey the viewers have embarked upon with Chit.
13: Game Of Death goes out of its way to shock its viewers. It requires a dark sense of humour and a love of gory films, but with unforgettable scenes, it is surely a film to be talked about – which means job well done for the filmmakers. TB
Film: Dawn Of Evil – Rise Of The Reich Release date: 28th February 2011 Certificate: 18 Running time: 106 mins Director: Urs Odermatt Starring: Tom Schilling, Gotz George, Wolf Bachofner, Simon Schwarz, Anna Unterberger Genre: Biography/Drama/History Studio: Revolver Format: DVD Country: Austria/Germany/Switzerland
The life of Adolf Hitler is endlessly fascinating, and director Urs Odermatt’s 2009 historical drama about Hitler’s formative years in Vienna is one of many films to focus on the Nazi dictator. In recent years, we have seen the final days of Hitler in director Oliver Hirschbiegel’s intense 2004 drama Downfall, but Dawn Of Evil - Rise Of The Reich looks at a very different Hitler; an aspiring young artist whose struggle for recognition leaves him frustrated and dangerously unhinged. In Vienna, Hitler (Tom Schilling, who played a minor role in The Baader Meinhoff Complex) moves into a dilapidated boarding house, where he is befriended by an old Jewish man, Schlomo Herzl (Gotz George), who ekes out a living selling bibles on the streets. Though insecure in some ways, the young Hitler has an arrogant self-regard when it comes to his command of spoken language and his more questionable artistic skills.
Rejected by the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts, and struggling to support himself, Hitler falls in with a group of anti-Semitic bigots, and sets about winning over a nubile young servant girl called Gretchen (Anna Unterberger), who is fond of standing naked at her window platting her hair when she is not having sex with the elderly Schlomo.
After much hand-wringing, Hitler eventually abandons his artistic ambitions and turns his attention to politics, a pursuit he clearly has more talent for…
Hitler has been portrayed in many films since the end of World War 2, but director Urs Odermatt’s 2009 historical drama about Hitler’s formative years in Vienna is unlikely to be remembered as one of the best films about the Nazi dictator, if at all. It may be a little unfair to compare Dawn Of Evil - Rise of The Reich with Downfall, director Oliver Hirschbiegel’s 2004 drama about Hitler’s final days, but where Downfall was mesmerising and intense, Urs Odermatt’s film is tedious and laboured.
The best thing to be said about Dawn Of Evil - Rise Of The Reich is that it is a well acted and well shot film. In just about every other respect, it is a resounding failure. Perhaps the film’s biggest flaw is its screenplay; an ungainly mix of drama that is lacking in dramatic tension or believable character development, and moments of poorly conceived comedy that fall horribly flat. It’s not that Hitler and comedy can’t mix, as the likes of Mel Brooks and Spike Milligan have shown, but in the context of Dawn Of Evil - Rise Of The Reich, the comedy is just plain bad. In one mystifyingly preposterous, incompetently shot scene, a distraught Hitler tries to hang himself from a bridge but ends up swinging from the rope, the noose caught under his armpits. It’s absurd, certainly, but in a way that makes you wonder what on earth the filmmakers were thinking, not in a way that anybody over 5 years of age will find amusing.
To be fair, there is a certain dry humour to the scene in which Hitler shows Schlomo his paltry art works, enthusing over his dubious talent and listing titles that frequently make mention of ‘twilight’, when so such effect is visible, but it comes across as a cheap gag given what we know about Hitler’s lack of artistic talent and thwarted ambitions. There are times when the dialogue is so excruciatingly overwrought that it’s unclear whether Odermatt is aiming for an absurd parody of serious biopics, and failing, or just being pretentious.
Hitler’s transformation from delusional struggling artist to spittle-flecked fascist is both tediously drawn out and remarkably unconvincing. Dawn Of Evil - Rise Of The Reich seems to want us to believe that drinking beer with a raw meat-eating paedophile and a couple of sneering thugs is enough of a catalyst to set in motion the madness of a man who will turn to mass genocide.
The truly bizarre love triangle involving Hitler, Schlomo and Gretchen is equally unconvincing. Gretchen is initially presented as an independent free spirit who for some reason is drawn to the withered old Schlomo, ostensibly because he is such a good storyteller, though the film offers absolutely no evidence of this, other than his claims that he is writing a book. Hitler, once his curiosity about ‘intercoursing’ and fellatio has been sparked, then moves in to wrest her away from Schlomo, but is harshly rebuffed. Except, then he isn’t, and very soon Gretchen is remodelled as some kind of proto-Nazi ice maiden. Has Hitler given her an early form of Rohypnol? Has she been hypnotised by his vapid chatter about beauty and art? Who knows, but it’s just one of many questions that is left hanging in the air in this odd, mystifyingly mixed up film.
Dawn Of Evil - Rise Of The Reich is a missed opportunity to tell the story of Hitler’s early years. Where it could have offered insight, it comes across like an unintentionally surreal soap opera about a failed artist, as filmed by a failed director. JG
Film: Clash Release date: 21st February 2011 Certificate: 15 Running time: 94 mins Director: Le Thanh Son Starring: Johnny Nguyen, Veronica Ngo Genre: Action/Martial Arts Studio: Revolver Format: DVD Country: Vietnam
Clash, also known as Bay Rong, is a Vietnamese produced and martial arts filled action/thriller from director Le Thanh Son. The film was written by one of the stars of the film in Johnny Nguyen, a prolific martial arts actor and stunt double in Hollywood productions including Spiderman 2, Collateral and X Men: First Class. Trinh (Ngo Thanh Van) is a former child prostitute bought out of the brothel by a local crime lord. As he raised her, he taught her to kill — enlisting her to kill his business contacts via seduction. To keep her loyal, he kidnapped her daughter who he’ll only release if she performs seven dangerous and criminal tasks.
Trinh builds up a team of reluctant but cash-fuelled mercenaries, including Quan (Johnny Nguyen) and the treacherous Cang (Lam Minh Thang). Together, the group attempt the tasks set by Trinh’s crime lord boss without knowing the true motivations of Trinh herself. Similarly, the other members of the group have their own hidden secrets and incentives, and may not all be what they seem…
Clash is an extremely stylish and well polished film, with well heeled gangsters and action packed sequences under Thanh Son’s direction, and Dominic Pereira’s cinematography looking exquisite as an advert for Vietnamese filmmaking. The corrupt, crime-ridden night life of Ho Chi Minh City is brutally presented in the film, with a convincing sense that gangs and criminal elements are rife in the city.
In the central role, Ngo Thanh Van as Trinh holds the film together and adds more than the well choreographed action scenes. Trinh gains the codename Phoenix in the film, which is very apt when considering the ashes of her troubled life that she is attempting to rise from. Van Ngo presents a subtlety to Trinh, particularly in the early stages of the film, that belies her hardened exterior and ‘just as tough as the men’ attitude.
Indeed, when the turmoil of her young life is revealed, and Trinh’s true motivations become clear – to rescue her daughter from a crime boss and break free from a life on the mean city streets – the character grows a dimension beyond her primary role as leader of a group of mercenary misfits. Her interaction with Johnny Nguyen’s Quan (codename: Tiger) is touching in its development, and consequently has a feeling of reality to it, even amidst the frequent martial arts sequences. It is interesting to note that Nguyen himself wrote the film with a slightly lesser focus on himself; allowing some breathing space for the emotional character driven moments in the film, which lead to real consequences to the group dynamic during the action and chase scenes.
The action scenes themselves appear to be very well executed, as might be expected from the likes of Johnny Nguyen, who is renowned as a stunt actor and co-ordinator in Asia and Hollywood. There are several fight sequences which stand out in the film, including a dual one-on-one brawl between Quan and the crime boss, and Trinh with the duplicitous Cang. There is also a scene where Trinh and her group infiltrate a house with the “Frenchies” inside, leading to a catastrophic outbreak of violence and death with ingenious co-ordination as the team pursue the film’s MacGuffin known as ‘the briefcase’.
However, ‘the briefcase’ throughout the film is poorly defined in terms of what it may do if it “falls in the wrong hands,” as we are continually reminded. As a MacGuffin to propel events in the film forward, ‘the briefcase’ serves some purpose, even if it is rather redundant as a threat overall. The frequent fight and chase scenes also distract from the danger of ‘the briefcase’, although because these scenes are so well executed, there is an appropriate focus on the human interactions between the main characters as well as the twists and turns of their true motivations.
The relationship between Trinh and Quan subtly develops throughout the film (even with some twists at the end), as Trinh begins to let her guard down. While these scenes between the two characters do contain touching moments, with some semblances of quiet realism amongst the crashes and bangs elsewhere in the film, there is also a hint of soap opera-esque emotions, at times, which might be too much for some.
An entertaining and action-packed thrill-ride of a film, Clash contains numerous great action scenes with genuinely innovate moments amidst the familiar martial arts. The central performances, particularly from Ngo Thanh Van and the lightning fast Johnny Nguyen, are impressive in showing their emotional complexity; creating a sense of genuine emotional attachment between both actors where it otherwise could seem overly played out and forced. DB
Witness the dawn of the dark and disturbing journey that led Adolf Hitler to become the architect of the Nazi regime.
Tom Schilling (The Baader Meinhoff Complex) plays a young Adolf Hitler who’s humble and sheltered early years are quickly transformed into an egomaniacal and ruthless obsession with power. He takes delight in tormenting and destroying the lives of those he sees as inferior, but this is only the beginning…
Through incredibly powerful performances, the early career of the most infamous and sinister man in history is brought to life in a film that will shock and stun, whilst throwing you deep into the tumultuous mind of a 20th century monster.
Film: Dawn Of Evil – Rise Of The Reich Release date: 28th February 2011 Certificate: 15 Running time: 106 mins Director: Urs Odermatt Starring: Tom Schilling, Gotz George, Wolf Bachofner, Simon Schwarz, Anna Unterberger Genre: Biography/Drama/History Studio: Revolver Format: DVD Country: Austria/Germany/Switzerland
Film: Alien Vs Ninja Release date: 7th February 2011 Certificate: 15 Running time: 81 mins Director: Seiji Chiba Starring: Mika Hijii, Ben Hiura, Shûji Kashiwabara, Masanori Mimoto, Yûki Ogoe Genre: Action/Comedy/Fantasy/Martial Arts/Sci-Fi Studio: Revolver Format: DVD & Blu-ray Country: Japan
With a title like Alien Vs Ninja, there can really be only one expectation from any prospective viewer: fun. Surely the promise of samurai swords, tentacles, severed limbs and buckets of gore is enough to provide it... Fresh from a raid of a rival clan’s temple, Yamata and his band of ninjas fight their way back to their village. On their way back they witness a fireball in the sky which lands in the forest.
Fearing the fireball to be a weapon of the rival clan, the lord of the village dispatches the ninjas to investigate. Deep in the forest the group run into Nishi, a disturbed boy who is the sole survivor from a nearby village that has been attacked by mysterious creatures.
Soon after, the warriors realise they are not alone in the forest. They are being stalked by an enemy that is quicker, stronger and deadlier than any they’ve faced before.
What follows is a fight for survival, one in which the ninjas will come to realise there is more to these aliens than they could have imagined…
A film such as Alien Vs Ninja (or AVN, in a nod to Alien Vs Predator) defies any serious criticism. A film about bad-ass ninjas fighting bad-ass aliens, with some extreme gore and comedy thrown in for good measure, should be the highlight of any drunken film night.
The trouble is AVN isn’t as much fun as it should be. It isn’t so much a film as a loose collection of set pieces. This might not be so bad, but after the second gore-soaked fight scene it all gets a bit tedious.
Beginning with a reasonably well choreographed action sequence in which our band of heroes flee a rival clan’s temple and have to fight several faceless bad guys, AVN starts promisingly enough. There is a firm smile fixed to the face as we watch some unbelievable sword-play, nothing we haven’t seen before in much better films, but fun nonetheless and well above expectations. A fireball witnessed in the sky signifies the arrival of the aliens and we are treated to some build-up and back story whilst we wait for the first encounter. The problem is that when this encounter comes and goes we are left feeling as though the film has already shown its hand.
The initial alien encounter is a wildly over-the-top gore-fest in which bodies get sucked underground and spewed out in chunks, limbs are hacked off, heads roll and flesh is eaten from bones, all by a cunningly hidden enemy that is only glimpsed, giving a reasonably effective set-piece. When we get our first look at the alien, we realise that it should have stayed cunningly hidden.
The effort gone to keep the aliens concealed is rendered totally redundant by the terrible man-in-rubber-suit look of the beasts when they are eventually revealed fully, and one can’t help but feel that if the filmmakers really wanted to have fun, they should have gone all out and had a blast with tacky effects and played along with their limitations. Instead, there are shades of effort that are completely useless and end up ruining our enjoyment of what could have been an enjoyable b-movie done Japanese style. Every set-piece after the first encounter shows us nothing particularly new or interesting, and as a result, the rest of the film drags towards a needlessly open-ended finale.
The characters on display are a variety of clichés, and while (thankfully) no-one appears to be taking things too seriously, there are too many moments of supposed comedy that simply annoy. A gay villager seems to be present simply to be laughed at for being gay and irksome, without having any bearing on the plot; the female ninja is leered at by both male ninjas and the aliens; and the main ‘comedy character’ is so unbearably irritating it comes as a relief when he is beheaded. Perhaps if these moments were actually funny, and not simply crass and unnecessary, they might add a level of enjoyment to the film.
It does seem that there is little point picking over the AVN’s failings as it is only meant as a minor distraction and shouldn’t be taken seriously. If it is to be a distraction, however, it at least has to make us laugh a little. It’s a shame that the main feeling throughout is boredom. Films like these have been done so much better in the past. Peter Jackson’s Bad Taste is a prime example of a film that knows its limitations with regards to visual effects, and has as much fun as possible with them, making sure that we are in on the joke from the beginning. In terms of the sub-genre AVN belongs to, Ryuhei Kitamura’s Versus (essentially Zombie Vs Ninja) is a far more accomplished film, that manages to squeeze as much life as possible out of the genre cross-over while retaining essential cinematic elements such as storytelling, structure and performance.
While AVN attempts to emulate both these movies, it manages to be only poor imitations of them. The horror is neither sufficiently horrific for it to be sickening, nor is it tacky enough for it to be funny. Similarly, the enhancement of the aliens with poor CGI only serves to detract from the whole b-movie ideal, and as a result, they are not fake enough to be laughed at or enhanced enough to be exciting.
If you are a fan of cheap gore, watch Bad Taste. If you want a fun and interesting genre cross-over, watch Versus. If your life truly won’t be complete until you’ve seen a female ninja have simulated sex with a rubber monster while punching it repeatedly in the face with knuckle dusters, then maybe you can be forgiven for seeking out Alien Vs Ninja. Otherwise, steer well clear. RM
Film: Adrift Release date: 7th February 2011 Certificate: 15 Running time: 97 mins Director: Heitor Dhalia Starring: Camilla Belle, Vincent Cassel, Caua Reymond, Debora Bloch, Laura Neiva Genre: Drama Studio: Revolver Format: DVD Country: Brazil
Brazilian director Heitor Dhalia’s third full-length film, Adrift, was shown in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, immediately rendering it worthy of international credit. Set against a summer backdrop of incessant sunshine in Dhalia’s homeland of Brazil, this is a poignant coming-of-age story about 14-year-old Filipa, taking us through her journey of self-discovery amidst her parents’ clandestine acts of infidelity. Filipa and her teenage friends are on the threshold of sexual discovery, experiencing first kisses and tiptoeing across ideas of romance and relationships. Her father Mathias is in the process of writing a book, and so the family take a vacation at their beach house in Buzios to allow him time to work on his latest creation. His wife, Clarice, cultivates an underlying alcohol problem whilst dismissing the artistic purpose of her husband’s work, and so, when a producer offers to buy the TV rights to his latest book, their differences in mentality begin to emerge. From Mathias’ creative dedication to Clarice’s logical bill-paying manner, it is clear that there is tension mounting within their marriage.
Filipa’s growing suspicions regarding the stability of her parents’ relationship are exacerbated when she discovers photos of an attractive woman in her father’s office drawer. And thus ignites Filipa’s determination to reveal the truth, resulting in her catching glimpses of her father and his American lover Angela as they pursue a hidden affair. The youngsters in Adrift discover a grown-up world of jealousy and betrayal, supplemented by a local shooting his wife for infidelity. The presence of a gun sparks fear in Filipa’s mind regarding her own troubled parents, thus introducing her to the darker aspects of adulthood.
The family’s routine breakfast gathering becomes increasingly more uncomfortable. Filipa spends the time glowering at her father, and her parents’ attempts at maintaining a normal atmosphere begin to deteriorate until eventually Mathias is absent at the table. Cracks become deeper as relationships are formed and broken, and we watch through Filipa’s eyes as her speculative questions are finally answered with unconcealed honesty…
Adrift opens with the camera tracing its gaze along the bodies of father and daughter as they float in tranquil blue sea. There is instantly a powerful sense of love between the two, which is made all the more striking by the accompanying piano soundtrack of Antonio Pinto.
Dhalia uses small finishing touches to portray the film’s 1980s setting, such as Mathias’ typewriter, his large studious spectacles, and The Ronettes’ ‘Be My Baby’ being played at a party. The film is shot under a constant golden glow of sunshine, making Brazilian skin and the summer backdrop combine in an almost surreal perfection. Dhalia’s cinematography is often visually profound, enhanced by the photography of Ricardo Della Rosa; beautifully delicate scenery and body language become essential dialogues to the plot.
Plenty of directors have attempted the tale of a teenager ascending to the role of adult, but Dhalia does it with such integrity and dexterity that it is impossible for the film to collapse into a cliché. The narrative unravels carefully; each character’s vulnerability gives them a third dimension which turns them from fiction into friend. The film develops enigmatically, placing the viewer with Filipa as we catch glimpses of unrevealed plot, and come to the same conclusions that she does - only to have things slightly pushed off balance as the entire story is unveiled, making a credible and satisfying ending which would undoubtedly have been sugar-coated if it were made in Hollywood.
Filipa’s strength of character results in her often answering back to her parents, storming off mid-conversation if something displeases her, and abusing the male attention which she receives. Her relentless youthful obstinacy is performed with a superb authenticity by Laura Neiva in her only acting role to date. While her attitude eventually brushes on being irritating, Neiva’s glaring eyes maintain the communication of her confused distress. Her female presence develops through the film, beginning with the endearing naivety of a child and blooming into the beginnings of a flirtatious young lady.
The chemistry between characters is electric, with unspoken desires depicted wonderfully between the enthusiastic adolescents, and also between Vincent Cassel as Mathias and Camilla Belle as Angela. Cassel effortlessly exudes charisma as loving father, passionate writer and adulterer, displaying his endless talents as he speaks in fluent Portuguese despite being natively French.
Adrift is not your average dysfunctional family drama. It flirts with desire without becoming notorious; it sails through a series of problems without going overboard. Dhalia directs convincing characters, and his work is embellished by the emotional luminosity of his cast. On the surface it seems as though nothing great has been achieved due to the film’s slow pace and scattered sub-plots, but Dhalia has discreetly depicted a substantial life transition in a very short space of time. NM
Reuniting much of the cast and crew of the critically acclaimed period action movie The Rebel, and starring famed stuntman Johnny Nguyen (Spider-Man 1 and 2; Jarhead; Serenity; Collateral) alongside pop singer-turned-actress Veronica Ngo (The Rebel; Saigon Love Story), debut feature director Le Thanh Son’s Clash is a relentlessly paced contemporary action-thriller that recalls the work of accomplished action directors such as Johnnie To (Triangle; Election; PTU) and John Woo (Mission: Impossible 2; Hard Boiled).
Ngo stars as Trinh – codename Phoenix – a beautiful young woman forced to become a mercenary thief by a powerful gangland boss and criminal mastermind known as Black Dragon (Hoang Phuc), who has ‘rescued’ her from a former life of homelessness and prostitution. Black Dragon’s leverage in the deal is Trinh’s daughter, whom he intends to hold ransom until Trinh completes a number of ‘missions’ on his behalf. Trinh’s latest assignment is to steal a laptop containing a hard drive that holds the codes used to control a Vietnamese satellite defence system – a priceless commodity on the black market.
While putting together the A-Team style group of specialists she needs to assist her, she meets Quan (Nguyen), aka Tiger, who proves to be an invaluable asset to the team, not least because he has his own private interests in the codes and in Black Dragon himself. When the heist goes awry, and results in a violent bloodbath thanks to a double-crossing member of Trinh’s gang, she and Quan form an allegiance based not only on trust but also on a growing attraction to each other, and set out to finish the job at hand. But trust can be a fragile thing, especially when the motives of those involved begin to collide.
Featuring plenty of suspense, many breathtaking stunt sequences, tons of explosive gunplay and a feast of stunning ‘old school style’ mixed martial arts fight scenes, Clash delivers everything an action movie should, and firmly establishes relative newcomer Veronica Ngo as one of the hottest female action stars around.
Film: Clash Release date: 21st February 2011 Certificate: 15 Running time: 94 mins Director: Le Thanh Son Starring: Johnny Nguyen, Veronica Ngo Genre: Action/Martial Arts Studio: Revolver Format: DVD Country: Vietnam
Film: Just Another Love Story Release date: 5th October 2009 Certificate: 18 Running time: 100 mins Director: Ole Bornedal Starring: Anders W. Bertelsen, Rebecka Hemse, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Charlotte Fich, Dejan Cukic Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller Studio: Revolver Format: DVD Country: Denmark
Ole Bornedal, director of the superb Nightwatch, turns his hand to the crime thriller genre, but delivers something closer to Danish neo noir with Just Another Love Story. A master of suspense with a true artist’s vision, Bornedal attempts to breathe new life into a genre which has been reborn and revived so many times already. Jonas is a crime photographer, trapped in a world he no longer understands, and the mire of family life. Escape comes in the beautiful form of Julia, a woman on the run, and the car accident that puts her in a coma. Feeling responsible for the accident, Jonas visits Julia in hospital only to be confronted by her family who mistake him for her boyfriend, Sebastian.
Although initially reluctant, Jonas steps into the role of Julia’s Sebastian, and when she awakens, blind and with no memory, he continues the charade, relishing the escape - and falling in love in the process.
As Julia’s memory starts to return, however, Jonas finds his fantasy unravelling around him, and he soon finds out that playing Sebastian is a dangerous game…
Just Another Love Story is anything but the thrill ride the DVD marketing would have you believe. It’s a dark and measured noir with some superb visual flourishes. From the opening rain-soaked introduction to the character of Jonas, we are treated to some quite stunning imagery. The bleached palette offers us a moody alternative black-and-white, and Bornedal uses the colours and surroundings to great effect. The bland interiors that mirror Jonas’ feelings about his life are beautifully contrasted by the large-scale construction work being carried out outside of his apartment, symbolising hope for the future; and the long corridors and shadows of the hospital, eerily reminiscent of Nightwatch, which hint at uncertainty and danger.
Arguably the most effective scene in the film is the accident which puts Julia into a coma, and offers Jonas the chance of a new life. We see the accident from two different perspectives. First we follow Julia, never straying from a tight shot of her face. As the car rolls, we roll with her, in balletic slow motion, as glass floats around her, her hair flails, and her skin is lacerated repeatedly. It makes us feel as though we are watching an accident through a snow globe, and it contrasts drastically with the raw brutality of the accident seen from Jonas’ point of view. The effect of this scene, and in the storytelling up to that point (the introduction to each character with the title card reading “Love scene no.1, no.2 and no.3”) serves to distance the viewer from the characters. Unlike Nightwatch, where intimate close ups of tactile objects, slow tracking shots and the use of score and sound are used to draw us in, here we find ourselves as spectators rather than accomplices. It is here that we are presented with the film’s main problem.
As in all good film noir, we follow characters on a downward spiral. Presented with a dystopian vision of modern life, and characters in desperate need to escape, we watch as they tragically take actions that serve only to deepen the nightmare around them. This can only work if we care about the characters, and in the case of Just Another Love Story, we simply don’t. The blandness of Jonas’ life, while visually evident, is never truly believed. His frustration is obvious, as early on we see his attempt to make love to his wife thwarted by his children who want to sleep with them, but this doesn’t go far enough to explaining why he decides to take the path he does. In our position as spectators, we aren’t given enough to work with in order to feel anything for him.
Likewise in the case of Julia, we are not presented with enough to care about what she has been through, and what is going to happen in the future. From the outset, we know that she is a victim, but the character is sadly lacking in dimension, and as a consequence we never get to know her well enough to distinguish her from any other forgettable cinematic victim. In the same way, we do not get to see enough of Sebastian to truly despise him, and so his appearance does not bring with it the tension that should form the climax of the film. Instead, his appearance simply acts as a way of ending Jonas’ fantasy, and an excuse for some graphic violence rather than a truly meaningful confrontation.
The performances in the film are mixed. As Jonas, Berthelsen spends much of the film looking lost, and Nikolaj Lie Kaas does little to elevate the potentially incendiary role of Sebastian above stereotypical psychotic gangster. Rebecka Hemse is given little to work with in the role of Julia but fares admirably. The supporting cast manage to make more of an impact. As Frank, Jonas’ policeman friend, Dejan Cukic has some entertaining scenes, and is sadly not explored deep enough as a character. Likewise, Charlotte Fich as Jonas’ wife, Mitte, manages to at least evoke some emotion from the audience as she tries desperately to work out exactly why things have all gone wrong. Her pain and confusion in the supermarket scene give rise to one of the rare moments in the film when we actually care what is happening to the characters.
Just Another Love Story isn’t all about unsympathetic characters. It is beautifully shot and stunning to watch in places; and the narrative unfolds at a very deliberate pace, managing not to drag too noticeably. The visual brilliance of Bornedal perhaps does just enough to elevate this from average fare to watchable noir, but only just. For the most part, however, it is a hollow experience with great potential that is never fully realised.
While competent, Just Another Love Story’s ironic title turns out to be very apt. It’s hard to forgive the contrivances when faced with such unsympathetic characters and, despite the visual flair, Ole Bornedal and his cast are largely unable to breathe life into the script, and fail to give us anything of any real substance. It will take considerably more to topple Pusher from top spot of Danish crime cinema. RM
