Filmknitter

Tangled

Warning: This post will likely contain copious amounts of gushing, cooing, and Disney fangirlishness.

So, Tangled, the latest from the Disney stable, and, I believe, the third CG 'toon produced by them since John Lassetter took over as head of animation. This is the film, I think, where Disney's traditional storytelling and Pixar's heavenly animation really come together. The story is based on the Rapunzel fairytale with a bunch of additional characters and an upgrade to 'feisty' for the titular heroine. Rapunzel was stolen away from her parents - the King and Queen - by Mother Gothel (a witch) as a baby. Mother Gothel locks Rapunzel at the top of a hidden tower in order to benefit from the healing and life-giving properties of her magical hair. If Rapunzel's hair is cut it will lose its powers for ever. However, when Rapunzel turns 18 she begins to doubt the good intentions of her 'mother' and when an opportunity for escape, in the shape of handsome thief Flynn, turns up, she finally gets to leave her tower and explore the wider world.

In a nutshell, I simply adored Tangled. I went to see it by myself yesterday afternoon and began to suspect this one might be special when the two girls at the till spotted my ticket and started talking excitedly about how good it was and how much they wanted to see it again. We shared an embarrassingly geeky moment about how much we all loved Disney and then I moved on to the screen, 3D glasses and chocolates clutched feverishly in hand. I have to confess, the majority of the audience were either small children or the parents of small children, but we were all equally transfixed from the moment the first scene opened. The animation is truly gorgeous and this film is up there with Avatar and Lord of the Rings for 'film landscapes I want to live in'. The story is genuinely magical - we all know the fairytale well enough and Disney may have made the darkest moment from the tale a little more child-friendly (this hero gets to keep his eyeballs and instead gets stabbed) but actually keeps the main points intact. The story is given an update with Rapunzel being much more pro-active than in the original, and there are two new animal characters, and a pub-full of what appear to be singing vikings, but these all work spectacularly well.

The songs are brilliant and much catchier than those in recent Disney productions (Princess & The Frog I'm looking at you). 'Mother Knows Best', 'I've Got a Dream' (with aforementioned vikings), and 'When Will My Life Begin' were my favourites, as much for the clever lyrics as the hilarious animation that accompanies them. This film is genuinely funny, with many laugh out loud moments, which I think gives it a much wider appeal than the likes of Bolt, Meet the Robinsons etc. There are clever lines as well as some genius slapstick moments - Rapunzel trying to shut an unconscious Flynn into her wardrobe was one of my personal highlights. The two animal characters, Pascal the chameleon and Maximus the police horse, are also brilliant and very funny. It's also a genuinely sweet film with a nice love story which develops between Flynn and Rapunzel (with echoes of Shrek in it), which peaks at the gorgous 'sky lantern scene' - look out for the smaller members of the audience trying to 'catch' them if you see it in 3D - which reminded me of the 'dancing in the stars' section in Wall-E, and left me equally misty-eyed. In fact this film in many ways references the Disney 'classics' - the 'stolen baby' storyline echoes Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel's frustrated desire to explore is reminiscent of Ariel in The Little Mermaid, and watching Maximus sniffing the ground to track Flynn brought back memories of Trusty the bloodhound in Lady & the Tramp. However it also feels entirely fresh and up to date, and is so genuinely magical that I would really place it up there with the greats - Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Aladdin. It brightened up my Sunday no end and I can't wait to see it again.

 

Black Swan

I've included a lovely big version of the poster here as I think it's just beautiful. Kudos to the designer - there are a couple of alternative versions here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0947798/mediaindex?page=3

Like the poster Black Swan stands out amongst the other big-hitters currently in cinemas. Despite being a rather pretentious, precocious, and disturbing film, about ballet for goodness sake, it's really doing rather well. Matching Curtains and I went to see a 4.30 showing in the mistaken belief that it would be quiet, and the cinema was packed out. The film follows Nina (Natalie Portman), a 28 year-old ballet dancer whose life is focused entirely around her art. We can tell that she has been a dancer since she was small and, owing to her obsession, she hasn't really grown up. She lives with her mother still; her bedroom is that of a child - stuffed toys, a single bed, frills and pastel colours everywhere. Her mother wakes her up in the morning, cooks her breakfast, and scolds her when she tries to break out of her stifling routine. Nina is naive and shy but is desperate to play the Swan Princess in her company's production of Swan Lake. The director, Thomas (Vincent Casell), a manipulative and controlling man, tells her he is certain she'd be perfect for the innocent White Swan, Odette, but isn't convinced she can play the opposing role (always played by the same dancer) of Odile, the sensuous Black Swan. As she endeavours to prove to Thomas that she can dance both the dark and the light Nina increasingly becomes disturbed by visions, and the notion that she is killing the former star of the show, Beth (Winona Ryder), and that she will be supplanted by one of the younger dancers, charismatic Lily (Mila Kunis).

I've been previously rather perturbed by the work of Darren Aronofsky. I hated Requiem for a Dream, was bemused but slightly enchanted by The Fountain, and was left fairly indifferent to The Wrestler. The problem I think is that Aronofsky makes very bleak and pretentious films and with his previous subject matter - drugs, fatal illness, wrestling - I just found them too grim and also had little empathy for the characters. Black Swan is different, not only does it have a very good story to follow (Nina's story closely mirrors that of the ballet she is dancing), but the director's high-minded imagery and alienating style really works with ballet, which is already high-brow and an alien world to most of us. Nina is, perhaps, a slightly simplistic character but I found I could empathise with her desire to be the best at what she does. You can't help but feel sympathy for her too as Thomas begins to worm his way into her life; talking to her about how to improve her performance he fires questions at her about whether she is a virgin, does she enjoy sex, then becomes exasperated as she struggles to answer. Cassel makes an excellent villain - aggressive, controlling and the epitome of the evil patriarch - and it is satisfying to see Nina finally surprise him towards the end of the film.

I'm a big fan of fairytales and I think this is why I enjoyed this film so much. Swan Lake itself is another fairytale and here we have so many stock characters - the naive princess, the controlling wizard, a wicked witch, the evil doppelganger. Sadly, no handsome prince, other than a couple of well-muscled male dancers who are barely characters - Thomas is the only man in this film.

Mention must also be made of the amazing use of sound and music, which really make this film as scary as possible. Although what we are seeing isn't too horrific (there's a certain amount of gore but it's not overdone), the addition of the dramatic Tchaikovsky score adds oodles of tension to the simplest scenes - Nina walking through her empty apartment - making them seem truly terrifying. I also loved the 'gooseflesh' effect, which is added weight by the sound of rustling feathers, and the climax to this during Nina's final dance just looks amazing and honestly gave me goosebumps (though thankfully I didn't break out into black feathers).

This film has really stayed with me and although it's not one I would watch over and over (too scary!) I would certainly see it again as there is a lot of detail to appreciate and many readings of the film to be made - a feminist reading, Freudian, Jungian, not to mention the literary theories that could be applied. If you're willing to indulge Aronofsky one more time, as I was, then you will be richly rewarded.

Morning Glory

Morning Glory stars Rachel McAdams as Becky Fuller, an ambitious and enthusiastic young TV producer who is made redundant from the local breakfast show at the start of the film. Her mother kindly suggests that perhaps now is the time to 'find a real job' but Becky persists in applying to large TV studios and finally succeeds and is offered a job as Executive Producer on ailing national breakfast show "Daybreak". Little does she know that she is the latest in a long line of EPs who have given up on the show and she has been hired purely as a last resort. However, after sacking the creepy male co-host and hiring respected veteran newsreader, Mike Pomeroy (Harrison Ford in Paxman-mode), she hopes to turn the show's ratings around. Until Pomeroy turns up for work with a bottle of whisky, the most depressing voice in the history of breakfast TV, and a refusal to say the word "fluffy".

Despite being labelled as a rom-com, this film is much more comedy than romance, but its humour is very much in the vein of Richard Curtis than Judd Apatow, thank goodness. Also, refreshingly, the core of the story is about Becky's success in her career rather than the achievement of finding "Mr Right". Becky isn't lambasted for the fact that her life revolves around her work but rather celebrates the fact that her enthusiasm and tenacity saves the staff of Daybreak and makes the show successful. A feminist message for a change!

The central relationship of the film is in fact that between Becky and Mike, rather than Becky and her new boyfriend Adam (Patrick Wilson, looking a bit like a gooseberry). Mike is practically retired and is none too happy when Becky uses an obscure clause in his contract to pull him back in to the studio. He refuses to talk about anything other than 'serious' news (in a gruff undertone), openly despises his gregarious co-host Colleen (Diane Keaton), and makes Becky's life a living hell for a her first few weeks. The fun lies in watching Becky slowly break down his barriers and it's surprisingly touching when he finally responds to her in the last act. There's also a fair amount of humour - not much of it laugh-out-loud funny, but some nice flourishes. This film isn't going to rock your world and could certainly wait for the DVD release but I'd recommend it to anyone who, like me, has been deploring the lack of decent rom-coms recently.

Ponyo

Ponyo (pronounced pon-yo by the way, I've been calling it 'pony-o' for the past year) is the latest animated feature from Japanese animation giants 'Studio Ghibli'. It is set in modern-day Japan but the story is fairly similar to European fairytale 'The Little Mermaid' (I don't know if there's a Japanese version). Ponyo is a princess and a fish, the daughter of a human wizard, who turned his back on dry land many years ago, and some kind of sea-goddess. She escapes from her father's underwater castle and swims to the surface, and is found by Sosuke, a small boy who lives on the edge of a cliff with his mother while his father, a sailor who is rarely at home. Sosuke goes to school next to the 'senior centre' where his mother works and frequently visits the old ladies there. Ponyo longs to be human and steals her father's magic to grow legs and arms. However, in order to return balance to the natural world she must become human forever, and can only do this if Sosuke proves he truly loves her (quite a big ask at 5 years old!).

Having seen much of Miyazaki and Co's back catalogue I would say that Ponyo is perhaps aimed at a slightly younger audience than previous films, however it didn't at all affect my enjoyment of it, it just means there is a little less darkness than in Spirited Away, for example. Also the protagonists are very young - although you wouldn't know it from Sosuke's very mature attitude and actions. The film itself is beautiful. I adore the Ghibli animation; it's so rich and full of detail, and isn't too cute, which the Disney films can be guilty of. Being set by the sea means that the artists can really give full rein to their usual gorgeous landscapes - I loved the images of the sea, sometimes made of giant blue fish, leaping onto the land; reminiscent of Hokusai's 'Great Wave'. It really expresses the danger of the sea as well as the tension between the natural marine world and mankind's exploitation of it.There's a pleasantly green message to this film which pleased me greatly, although don't expect groundbreaking statements.

My favourite Ghibli is 'Howl's Moving Castle' and this is fairly similar in its presentation of a wizard who is apart from the rest of the world, so it's no surprise I'm a big fan. The story is sweet and a nice take on a familiar fairytale, the characters are entertaining - I especially loved Sosuke's disorganised and frustrated mum, who speeds around the coastal roads at breakneck speeds in a tiny pink car, racing giant ships to drive through the dry-dock - and young Sosuke and Ponyo aren't too annoying. It's surprisingly comforting in its cosy portrayal of the relationship between Sosuke and his mum, and viewing it brightened my day considerably; if you need a pick-me-up midweek then you could do worse than get hold of a copy of this.

The King's Speech

The King's Speech is, ostensibly, about King George VI's experience with antipodean speech therapist Lionel Logue, and his triumph in overcoming a debilitating stammer. However, given that this is set in the 1930s, we also get a juicy portion of history, with the scandal of Wallis Simpson, the abdication of George's brother King Edward VIII, and the ever-growing threat of Herr Hitler in Germany.

This film is a brilliant portrayal of one of our most popular kings and an excellent, and informative, portrait of a key period in our recent history. Although the impending Second World War is looming ahead, this is not really about the was or the politics. The focus is very much on one man overcoming adversity. For most of the film Bertie (as he was known prior to taking the throne) is an under-confident man with family issues and occasional flashes of temper. Thanks to the brilliant Colin Firth the character comes across as incredibly likable; a difficult thing in these un-monarchist times. I've heard that Firth went through some physical trials while perfecting the stammer but it was well worth his effort. He's incredibly believable and you just can't help but be right there with him as he struggles to get his words out. The clever way the film is shot helps too. The director, Tom Hooper, uses a lot of very tight shots right on Firth's face, which is often obstructed by the new technology - microphones, gramophones, radios, that are the bane of his life.

There are so many good performances in this film though that I can't mention them all. Geoffrey Rush as the charismatic Logue is a delight to watch; blithely instructing the future king of England to sing his responses, or to swear with gusto, or scream out of the window. If the real Logue was anything like him then you can see why he became such a firm favourite with the king. Look out also for Jennifer Ehle, Firth's former co-star in Pride & Prejudice, almost unrecognisable as Logue's unassuming wife Myrtle. I loved the scenes with Logue interacting with his kids too. A failed actor, Logue suddenly breaks into Shakespeare, getting them to guess which character he is doing. Helena Bonham-Carter makes an excellent Elizabeth Bowes-Lynn AKA The Queen Mum; a character who is tough but also very sweet and obviously of great support to her doting husband. Sweet to are the two little princesses, played by Freya Wilson (Elizabeth) and Ramona Marquez of Outnumbered fame as Princess Margaret.

I think the success of this film lies in the fact that, regardless of whether you've ever suffered a speech impediment, most of us can identify with the fear of speaking publicly. You can't help but feel the excrutiating embarrassment as Bertie stands in front of a packed sports stadium at the beginning of the film and chokes on his first line. Similarly, by the end of the film, in the fantastic scene where the new Kind George triumphantly reads out his first wartime speech to the magnificent strains of the 2nd movement from Beethoven's Symphony #7, with Logue standing a foot away guiding him through his speech with some hilarious silent additions and gestures. See it for two brilliant central performances, creative photography, and a compelling section of recent British history.

Postscript: It's just been pointed out to me that the Odeon website's guidance for this film warns that it "Contains Strong Language In A Speech Therapy Context". I should make potential viewers aware that it also contains “Realizations About One’s Father In A Speech Therapy Context”, “Someone Using The Toilet In A Speech Therapy Context”, “Building Model Aeroplanes In A Speech Therapy Context”, and “Pre-War Politics In A Speech Therapy Context”. Careful now...

Tron: Legacy & The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Tron: Legacy is a sequel to the 1982 original. Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) has been missing for more than 20 years and his son Sam (Garrett Hedlund) has become the main shareholder of his father's technology company but is also something of a tearaway. The first main action sequence of the film follows Sam as be breaks into the head office whilst a board meeting is in progress to steal some files. One of Kevin's old friends then turns up at Sam's pad saying that he received a page from Kevin. Sam, in a fit of nostalgia, returns to his dad's old amusement arcade and discovers a computer that transports him to the virtual world of Tron where his dad's evil doppelganger has taken control and Flynn is a prisoner in the hinterlands beyond the shiny cityscape.

So, I enjoyed Tron, but the plot really is rather silly and pointless, and the 'science' behind the story makes not an ounce of sense. Don't see this film for its dialogue, characterisation, or storyline; see it for the beautiful shiny effects. The virtual world itself looks spectacular, and the pounding electronic beats of masked French DJs Daft Punk combine to make a powerfully immersive cinematic experience. Every shot is amped up to the max, and it really is a feast for the eyes. The light-cycle races are the highlight but I also loved seeing the design elements - Kevin's apartment, the costumes of the female programs who prepare Sam for his debut in 'the games', even the umbrellas are super-cool.

This week I also finally got to see 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' . I read the book in November and have been waiting since then for LoveFilm to send me the DVD. I have to say that I was very impressed and will be intrigued to see whether Hollywood can improve upon it later this year. Naturally there are a few sections of the book missing, but as the book itself is rather flabby the story is improved by a little selective trimming (not least the extensive and over-written exposition at the beginning of the book, which nearly put me off it entirely).

Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth is the star of the show, looking just exactly as described in the book. She is also just as spiky and awkward as Lisbeth is written; I do worry that Hollywood will try to soften her up for the US version. My favourite scene - where she tattoos a vengeful message on her perverted and abusive 'guardian' - thankfully remains intact, and is equally as powerful as it is in the book. Michael Nyqvist looks suitably gnarly as Blomkvist and his and Lisbeth's unlikely relationship is handled very touchingly. I was glued to the screen from start to finish, even despite the 2hr30m running time. My only complaint was with the English dub; Lisbeth's voice was fine but they could have found someone older to voice Mikael - he sounded about 20 years younger than he looked!