End of Watch  (2012)    59/100

Rating :   59/100                                                                     109 Min        15

From writer/director David Ayer, this is very much the opposite of his 2005 flick ‘Harsh Times’, and stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena as two LAPD patrol men buddying up and busting crime in downtown Los Angeles, ‘district 13′, and it opens with a pretty awesome rallying call in the form of a voice-over from Gyllenhaal as their squad car hones in on a couple of gangbangers. Initially, the whole film is shot as a largely handheld camera piece, with our view switching between pinhole cameras on the officers’ uniforms, Gyllenhall’s handheld, and the camera on their vehicle. This creates a major problem with the film, as with others in the genre, as the beginning quickly becomes ‘end of ability to watch’ with shaky cam taken to extremes and time wasted justifying and talking about the various cameras. It’s not necessary to contain the footage of these films within the confines of the characters’ own photography equipment, the viewer should be in mind at all times and there is no reason at all not to switch between the handhelds and more traditional views. Eventually, the director seems to come to the same conclusion and ditches some of the handheld footage, which actually makes all the shaky use from before fairly pointless.

As the action begins to ramp up things get much more interesting. It’s where this style of filmmaking can be really effective, as we experience first hand the thrills and horrors of their occupation from their own point of view, and we really root for them as they deal with all manner of undesirables. These events are interspersed with ‘chum time’ as we get more insights into their private lives and their camaraderie. It’s unfortunately a little obvious and hackneyed, and initially slightly awkward to boot, though the actors seem to settle more into it as the film progresses, possibly as they become more familiar with each other in their roles. Some wonderful tension is created, but the flaws continually diffuse what could have been a much more intense and acute thriller.

The handheld filmmaking style, which really began to filter into the mainstream after the success of ‘The Blair Witch Project’ in 99, seems almost to be allowing ‘Realism’ into Hollywood via the back door. It has largely been confined to horror, where it continues to be refined by the likes of ‘Paranormal Activity’ 07 (featuring security cameras rather than handheld ones), in which series numbers 2 & 3 were arguably the best, and the actually pretty darn scary ‘Insidious’ (10). It could be that with this style of horror movie it has run its course – ‘Paranormal Activity 4’ (12), and the very similarly styled ‘Sinister’ (12) with Ethan Hawke were both very predictable in terms of when the scare was coming and in what form it would take, as well as how everything would end up. However, as evinced at times by ‘End of Watch’, Hollywood filmmakers still have a lot of unexplored territory to put to good effect with the technique, so long as they don’t shoot themselves in the foot by obsessing over it unnecessarily. For a couple of good uses of handhelds see horror film ‘Quarantine’ (08 – itself a remake of the also very good Spanish film ‘Rec’ 07), ‘Project X’ (12) which was kind of a feel good film done in an unexpected way, and ‘Troll Hunter’ (10), a Norwegian film which was beautifully shot and put together.

The Passenger  (1975)    71/100

Rating :   71/100                                                                     126 Min        12

A mid 70’s team up of one of the most famous Italian directors of all time, Michelangelo Antonioni, and one of the hottest actors of the decade, Jack Nicholson. The story begins with an act committed by the protagonist which sets his life on a new path, and as the film progresses we learn more of his backstory and we watch as the consequences he sets in motion fall like implacable, vengeful dominoes. It is perhaps a tale of conformity versus freedom and adventure, but with the price of acting thoughtlessly spliced with an understated and hopeful lesson on the value of what’s left behind. Maria Schneider co-stars, playing much the same part as she did in ‘Last Tango in Paris’ (72), her work for another Italian heavy weight, Bernardo Bertolucci.

For anyone put off by the fact this would come under the umbrella term of ‘foreign arthouse film’, it is in English, and the main thing that sets it apart from more standard Hollywood movies, and this is true of many arthouse films, is that instead of inserting music to tell the audience what to think, only diegetic sound is used (that is, sound the characters themselves would hear), effectively opening up space and inviting the viewer to make up their own mind. This was often put to great effect by the masters of Italian cinema, and although this isn’t quite as good as Antonioni’s most famous work, ‘L’Avventura’ (60), it has many of the same themes in common, and is only really let down by a lull about halfway through.

Interestingly, much as Shakespeare is rumoured to have died on the same day as Cervantes, Antonioni died on July 30th 2007, the very same day Ingmar Bergman passed away, quite possibly the most famous arthouse filmmaker of all time, and, indeed, one of The Red Dragon’s top three favourite directors.

Brick Lane  (2007)    15/100

Rating :   15/100                                                                    102 Min         15

Trash. This is about a Bangladeshi family living in a high rise block in London, dealing with how to make ends meet and the feelings of cultural and romantic isolation as well as the expectations and duty of family, in particular focusing on the mother of said family. It’s based on the 2003 debut novel by Monica Ali of the same name (‘Brick Lane’ is a street in London at the centre of the Bangladeshi community), but going by the motion picture version of the story, there is little to suggest the book is anything more than one of those torturously bad novels sold at airport newsagents. The fact is, minus the race element this film would never have been made at all, and the only reason it was is that the book was successful and a race related film set in London is made every year or so, which generally proves negative in outlook and can surely only further ingrain cultural stereotyping. That’s not to say some of the issues here aren’t real, or that they aren’t serious, but it needed more than melodramatic clichés to really engage the audience – even the Twin Towers attack seems to feature as nothing more than opportunistic storytelling. It’s not surprising the book caused some outrage from within the very community it was supposed to be depicting.

We assume the main character is to be a triumph of feminism versus her own shyness and the difficulties imposed upon her by culture, however she is presented as little more than a limpid hussy who drops her knickers at the first glance from a young man, seemingly oblivious to any possible consequences. In confrontation she is also far too weak for the audience to really feel much sympathy for her. The film only gets a rating of fifteen due to the good job Satish Kaushik does as the husband, and a slight redemption of the storyline toward the end, though even this is riddled with ambiguities. Only watch this if you are from an ethnic minority background and living in a large city in England, female, with a partner you dislike but lack the courage to leave, love self pity and crying that the world is against you because you are repressed by everyone and life just isn’t really fair in general, and there’s a young hot guy you could have if only you weren’t burdened by the man you’ve ended up with, O and the fact that he’s an extremist too….

Rooster Cogburn  (1975)    67/100

Rating :   67/100                                                                     108 Min        U

A fair few folk know that Mr western himself, John Wayne, won his only best actor Oscar for playing Rooster Cogburn in the original version of ‘True Grit’ (69). Fairly few people know that he reprised the role in this sequel in 1975, his second last film before he passed away in 1979. It follows a similar sort of formula to its prequel, with Rooster set out to enforce the law in the Old West and a strong willed female accompanying him, much to his chagrin, for her own personal reasons. This time around it is no child that brightens his days, but rather a devoutly Christian old mare in the guise of Katharine Hepburn. Both exuberate wit and charm together, and the bonds of their relationship prove one of the finest things in the movie along with the visual presentation of the wonderful Oregon scenery.

A perfectly decent western, it’s worth watching for the fact alone that it was the only time the two screen legends appeared in a film together. The pair were both born in May 1907, John Wayne eventually succumbed to cancer – it’s thought as a possible result of his work as Genghis Khan in ‘The Conqueror’ in 1956, as the US military were conducting nuclear tests near the filming location, and not only did a disproportionate number of the cast and crew die of cancer, and it become one of the biggest flops of all time, but producer Howard Hughes (played by Leonardo DiCaprio in ‘The Aviator’ 04) reputedly knew about the testing and pressed on with the production, then spent the final years of his life consumed by guilt, locked away by himself watching the film repeatedly. So the story goes anyway.

Someone who was up for casting John Wayne as Genghis Khan clearly had some issues in the first place. Katherine Hepburn went on to cement her solitary stranglehold on the Academy Awards, winning best actress for 1981’s ‘On Golden Pond’ and becoming the first, and still only, actor to win four lead acting Oscars (she is one of only two actors to have even won three in the leading category {the other being Daniel Day-Lewis} and she also appeared in ‘The Aviator’ played by Cate Blanchett, a role which landed Blanchett the best supporting actress Oscar), though her early life was marked with tragedy, developing a large mistrust for people after discovering the body of her older brother after he apparently committed suicide. She would live until the ripe old age of 96.

The Phantom of the Opera  (2004)    73/100

Rating :   73/100                                                                     143 Min        12A

To be fair, I’ve never seen the musical, nor any of the previous film versions, but with Andrew Lloyd Webber on both production and screenplay duties it’s probably fair to say this film was made in much the same spirit as his stage version that captivated audiences around the world and has become the longest running and most financially successful show in Broadway history, claiming many such accolades from around the globe (just to be clear, this is the cinematic version of that same show, as opposed to another film adaptation of Gaston Leroux’s 1909 novel, from which the musical is adapted). It’s directed by Joel Schumacher who not only manages to fit in a Batman reference with one of the masks in the masquerade scene, but injects a certain fiery passion into the whole. From the lustre of the rich and vibrant set design and costumes, to the sense of naïve innocence rocking in the wake of the Phantom’s damned passion, (here played by an intense Gerard Butler with Emmy Rossum and Patrick Wilson as Christine and Raoul respectively) it’s a tale of social isolation and interminable lust that proves vivid and alive enough to enthral even those normally turned away at the prospect of watching a musical.

Nativity 2 : Danger in the Manger!  (2012)    50/100

Rating :   50/100                                                                     105 Min        U

This is the sequel to 2009’s children’s film ‘Nativity!’ and it once again focuses on the kids of St. Bernadette’s primary school. Any film that has the subtitle ‘Danger in the Manger’ deserves a little credit straight off the bat as far as The Red Dragon is concerned – the rest of the film though is likely to divide parental opinion. The first film was a surprise hit, proving entertaining for children and adults alike. Here, the presumably busy with ‘The Hobbit’ Martin Freeman has been replaced with primary school teacher David Tennant, who tries to provide the voice of reason as his classroom assistant takes the kids, including one baby, on an increasingly dangerous and unlikely trek to reach a Christmas singing competition in Wales, much in the style of an ‘X Factor’ for primary schools. The adventure is deliberately over the top but nonetheless features such stunts as the whole gang going white water rafting with the hapless baby strapped to someone’s chest. The Red Dragon also considers there to be a bit too much of the singing at the end. If your kids dislike ‘The X Factor’, or are wont to copy what they see on the big-screen (especially if you also have a small baby), then give this one a miss. Otherwise, not as good or as wholesome as the first one, but probably decent enough to entertain the family if there’s nothing else showing. Or if you don’t fancy sneaking your kids past the ushers to go and see ‘Skyfall’.

Gambit  (2012)    61/100

Rating :   61/100                                                                       89 Min        12A

This really isn’t very funny at all. A remake of the 1966 film of the same name that starred Michael Caine and Shirley Maclaine, it bares precious little in common with its predecessor and spent the better part of two decades in development hell before finally being helmed here by Michael Hoffman (‘Restless Natives’ 85) and features a perhaps degraded over time script from the Coen brothers.

It stars Colin Firth as an art expert who is intent on defrauding the boss he hates, played by Alan Rickman, with the help of Cameron Diaz sporting a rich Texan accent, which takes most of the film to get used to. Stanley Tucci makes an appearance as a German rival to Colin Firth, and the talented and roundly respected cast are what finally lift the film someways from the doldrums of the truly awful first half. It won’t have you laughing much, but it may leave you with a smile on your face by the end of it. Not quite the beaming, bedazzling smile of Cameron Diaz, but a smile nonetheless.

The King of Marvin Gardens  (1972)    52/100

Rating :   52/100                                                                     103 Min        15

The name of this film is a reference to an area on the American monopoly board, one which was famously misspelt (the real area is Marven Gardens, not far from Atlantic City where the rest of the board is set). It ties in with the dreams of one of the protagonists, Jason Staebler, played by Bruce Dern, who thinks he’s found a sure fire way of striking it rich via a real estate scam. His brother is played by a, for once, subdued and introspective Jack Nicholson, and the two are accompanied by Ellen Burstyn giving one of her trademark spirited performances and Julia Anne Robinson, for whom this was to be her only film appearance despite a convincing debut.

The film focuses entirely on the relationship between the four characters, both on the reflections these relationships cast, and the unexpected advent of inevitable consequence. Eventually, it is pithily eloquent and memorable. Be warned, however, despite an interesting last third the first two have little of any real viewing interest, and seem to meander aimlessly much as the viewers attention is invited to do. Debatable whether or not it’s worth pushing through the tedium, but if you’ve seen ‘Five Easy Pieces’ (the director Bob Rafelson’s previous film from 1970, also starring Jack Nicholson) this follows very much in the same stylistic vein. Also one of the four films to star Jack Nicholson with his buddy Scatman Crothers (who, incidentally, voiced ‘Jazz’ in the original ‘The Transformers’ cartoon series, which surely ranks alongside his roles in ‘The Shining’ 80 and ‘One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest’ 75).

The Last Detail  (1973)    69/100

Rating :   69/100                                                                     104 Min        18

Starring a young Randy Quaid, a youngish Jack Nicholson, and Otis Young, ‘The Last Detail’ follows the exploits of three US marines as two of them are put in charge of escorting the third across the country to Portland, where he is due to begin serving an eight year prison sentence for the grand crime of attempting to steal forty dollars from a collection fund for Polio victims. The harsh sentence forms the primer for the relationships that evolve and, despite the unrestored film quality looking decidedly dated, the story and the three leads have enough strength to make this an interesting and noteworthy film. Unfazed at being almost comically dwarfed by the physical stature of his two companions, this is a quintessential performance of Jack Nicholson being, well, Jack Nicholson, whose impish impiety finds itself more than at home in the body of a sailor on a road trip to an earthly hell.

Seraphim Falls  (2006)    45/100

Rating :   45/100                                                                     115 Min        15

‘Seraphim Falls’ is a western that pits Liam Neeson against Pierce Brosnan. This is a winning premise, but it is misleading. The film opens with Neeson and his posse wounding and then hunting a desperate Brosnan through the Ruby mountains in Nevada, a few years after the Civil War. We have no idea why, and the chase continues leading to what we soon realise will be the inevitable confrontation in order for us to learn about the back story. It’s fairly dull, and nothing we haven’t seen many times before. Pierce Brosnan comes off least worst from this, and there are a few nice touches and shots of the both beautiful and oppressive landscapes (by director of photography John Toll, Oscar winner for ‘Legends of the Fall’ 94 and ‘Braveheart’ 95) but the acting isn’t at fault here, it’s the screenwriting and direction that are fully to blame for allowing what could have been a decent modern western descend into nothing more than a humdrum TV movie. At one point Brosnan gives a particularly convincing performance of removing a bullet from his arm with a knife he’s heated in a fire, but then drops it and noticeably rolls the flesh of his arm onto it with no effect, which pretty much sums up the attention given to detail throughout the whole film. Angelica Huston and Wes Studi make random appearances toward the end too.