Movie Review - The Hangover Part II (2011)

The Hangover Part II, 2011.



Directed by Todd Phillips.

Starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong, Jeffrey Tambor, Jamie Chung, Mason Lee, Paul Giamatti, Mike Tyson and Nick Cassavetes.





SYNOPSIS:



Phil, Alan and Doug jet to Thailand for Stu's wedding where his plan for a subdued pre-wedding brunch goes seriously awry.





A new location. A few new characters. Same old jokes.



I wasn’t one of the millions that rushed to cinemas to watch The Hangover as it looked a little too cheap and cheerful for me. I expected the same old same old in terms of story and thought the gags would be poor. However, on eventually watching it I was pleasantly surprised, enjoyed and admired it and have watched it several times since. This time around I decided to get to the cinema and see the follow up – The Hangover Part II.



The jist of the story isn’t too different from the original – someone is getting married, Stu (Ed Helms), Phil (Bradley Cooper), Alan (Zack Galifianakis), Doug (Justin Bartha) and; new to the Wolf pack, Teddy (Mason Lee) decide on a beer to celebrate this special occasion. Next they all wake up with no recollection of the night before and someone is missing! This time Stu is getting married, it’s set in Thailand and Teddy, Stu’s fiancés little brother, is the one missing. Having gone to bed early, Doug is the only one not to wake up in Bangkok with no memory of the night before. Cue a mad dash around Bangkok looking for the 16 year old prodigal genius and colliding with Russian gangsters, a smoking monkey and a lady boy with a nice cock. There’s also the hilarious emergence of super camp international gangster Chow (Ken Jeong).



As their search leads them down the dirty back streets of Bangkok and the previous nights antics are relived as well as the consequences of their actions coming back to bite them on the arse the race against time hots up. One liners, gags, random madness and anarchy follow them on their travels and they all learn a little more than they really wanted to. Especially Stu. Alan once again is a comedy gem with every line of dialogue, every little shuffle of his porky body and even his t-shirt having me in stitches.



Bangkok oozes its dirty and enigmatic energy into the film also and is such a great city to shoot a film in. Rich with cinematic backdrops, interesting places and people the film lends a certain seedy element from its gracious host. Elephants walking down the middle of a main road, streets lined with neon girly bars and the most beautiful view from the rooftop restaurant of Lebau at State Tower. With so much colour and life filling the streets of Bangkok it makes for great viewing alone.



The setting is totally different and more exotic, some new characters are introduced and the twists and turns are a little different. But… on the whole it followed the same formula as the first. Almost identically. Stu is disfigured. Tick. A stolen animal. Tick. A standoff and exchange with a mobster type. Tick. They think all is lost and call the girls, but then someone has an idea. Tick. And then they find Teddy in the last place they would think to look. Where they started. Tick. Someone finds a camera full of photos at the end and they vow to look at them once and then delete them forever. Tick. And as with the first the majority of the comedy comes from Alan’s idiotic comments, childlike mentality and generally stumbling around. Although this time out it was the main and sometimes only source of comedy. It all felt a little too familiar. And this time it isn’t new, different and bucking the trend.



It all did feel the same, but different. The Hangover Part II is The Hangover’s identical, but Asian, twin. And that was a shame. It had the potential to be very funny and at times was, but the sheer amount of similarities or plot points stolen from the first film cheapened Part II. If not for Alan the film would have been poor.



The Hangover Part II is average with a few good gags. And that is a pity.

D.J. Haza



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Movie Review Archive

Movie Review - True Grit (2010)

True Grit, 2010.



Directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen.

Starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Hailee Steinfeld, Barry Pepper and Domhnall Gleeson.





SYNOPSIS:



When her father is murdered by a farm hand, a young girl hires a retired U.S. Marshal to track down the killer and the duo are soon joined in the hunt by a Texas Ranger.





Why would you want to remake a classic? Despite technological advancements taking giant cinematic leaps since the 60’s and 70’s not all classics look better once subjected to high definition and a multi-million dollar budget. The original is a classic Western that saw John Wayne earn his one and only Oscar as US Marshall Reuben ‘Rooster’ Cogburn in Henry Hathaway’s retelling of the 1968 Charles Portis novel. Can the Coen Brothers remake a classic and make it work?



True Grit is the story of 14-year-old Mattie Ross’ (Hailee Steinfeld) search for the man who killed her father in cold blood, Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin). She hires a man to find Chaney who she believes has true grit, US Marshall Cogburn (Jeff Bridges). The drunken and violent lawman reluctantly takes on the job and teams up with Texas Ranger Le Boeuf (Matt Damon) who is looking for Chaney in connection with another crime. The two of them set off together with the intention of returning Chaney to Texas to collect a reward bigger than that offered by Mattie, however they didn’t anticipate her tagging along. The unlikely trio make their way across the Indian Territory in search of Chaney and a gang of crooks he has joined up with on his travels. As they camp out, follow trails and battle the other crooks hiding out in the territory their personalities clash morally on a range of subjects, but they eventually manage to work together in order to get their man.



The contemporary retelling of True Grit looks stunning and Roger Deakons has rightfully won a BAFTA for Best Cinematography. The film is beautiful at times with some great vista shots accompanying the usual intelligent direction that is a staple part of every Coen Brothers film. Deakons blends classic Western style with a touch of contemporary trickery and style to achieve a slick looking film throughout. The clarity, colour and definition that has come with technological advancement means that the film has been taken up several notches from the original and is a clear step forward. 1 – 0 to the contemporary adaptation, but is it enough to just look better than a late 60’s classic?



The Coen Brothers also do a superb job of remaining true to the story that worked so well in the original, whilst adding a touch of originality. It feels authentic of the time and true to the genre also, even though this means it feels a little dated at times, and would sit perfectly in a collection of classic Westerns. However, typical to a Coen Brothers film the scenes are stretched a little further and the dialogue allowed flowing more expansively. A technique the brothers have used time and time again that allows the characters to come alive, even when at times they seem to talk incoherently or off subject.



Another tried and tested Coen Brothers technique that is very evident in True Grit is their dry wit and humour. As well as being a drunk, and at one point falling off his horse, Cogburn is genuinely funny and offers several laugh-out-loud moments through his dry comments and reactions to those around him. Some of the conversation between Cogburn, Mattie and Le Boeuf are full of the dry humour, awkward moments and confused facial expressions that are so often the point of comedy in a Coen Brothers production. They seem to find humour in any moment whether it suspenseful, sad or touching without taking anything away from the moment.



The performances in this outing are just as strong if not stronger than the original. John Wayne did win an Oscar for his portrayal of Cogburn, but Jeff Bridges himself is fresh from Oscar success and puts in a very fine performance. Matt Damon’s Le Boeuf is a much more subdued character than that of Glen Campbell’s’, but it works better with Cogburn and Mattie being such big personalities. Hailee Steinfeld’s first experience of feature filmmaking is a brilliant performance as attie and whilst remaining a strong character with a fast mouth and a stubborn opinion she is nowhere near as annoying or hammy as that of Kim Darby. Thankfully.



Although the Coen Brothers’ True Grit, like the original, is a little slow to get going and can be hammy at times it does feel like they have taken a tried and tested story covered in dust, given it a good HD polish and a little sprinkle of dry wit to make it shine brighter than it had previously. Defo worth a watch and another great addition to the very impressive curriculum vitae of the Brothers Coen.

Related:



True Grit (1969)



D.J. Haza



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Movie Review Archive

DVD Review - True Grit (1969)

True Grit, 1969.

Directed by Henry Hathaway.
Starring John Wayne, Glen Campbell, Kim Darby, Robert Duvall, Jeff Corey and Dennis Hopper.


SYNOPSIS:

After her father is murdered a young girl hires an aging U.S. Marshal to track the killer through hostile Indian territory.


True Grit has just been through a contemporary revival at the capable hands of the Coen brothers and is due in UK cinemas next week. So it was only fair to take a look at the original 1969 version before casting my eyes on the latest incarnation.

Henry Hathaway’s imagining of the Charles Portis novel of 1968 saw John Wayne win his only Oscar as the drunk and cold-hearted US Marshall Reuben J. “Rooster” Cogburn. Cogburn has a reputation for drink and other vices, but more importantly for getting a job done. It’s for this reason that 14 year-old Mattie Ross (Kim Darby), daughter of a murdered father, seeks his assistance in tracking down her father’s killer, Tom Chaney (Jeff Corey). Initially turning down the offer Cogburn changes his mind once Texas Ranger Le Beouf (Glen Campbell) offers to split the large reward being offered for catching Chaney in relation to another crime.

Despite Le Beouf and Cogburn’s attempts to set off alone Mattie tags along with them and insists on being a part of the posse. As the unlikely trio set out into the dangerous Indian territory in search of Chaney and the gang of crooks he has joined with they find they all have their differences in morals, why they want Chaney and what they plan to do with him once caught. In a final battle with Chaney and the gang Le Beouf is fatally wounded and Mattie bitten by a rattlesnake. Cogburn finishes off the gang by riding directly into them with his rifle and handgun before he gets Mattie back to town in time to save her life.

True Grit is hailed as a classic Western with Wayne receiving his one and only Oscar for Best Male for his role as Cogburn and Campbell is slick and cocky as Le Beouf. However, it was Darby as Mattie Ross that stood out for me with her portrayal of the plucky 14 year old seeking the justice her father deserves no matter how dangerous it becomes, even though she does become a little annoying with her insistence on talking non-stop. In fact, everyone seemed to talk a little too much and a little too frequently as well as all over-acting. The film has a definite melodramatic feel to it at times, but perhaps that’s a product of the time and the genre.

True Grit also felt a little slow and drawn out compared to contemporary cinema and the journey seems to take it’s time getting going. There did also seem to be quite a lot of sitting around talking and arguing between Cogburn, Le Beouf, Mattie and almost everyone else they come across collectively or alone. Considering the trio were tracking a murderer through dangerous Indian territory and one of them was a 14 year old girl there didn’t seem to be much danger and little or no threat.

Perhaps I’m being a little harsh. The moral within the story, Mattie’s seeking of justice through the correct means and Cogburn’s own journey towards being a less selfish and cold man, were all admirable. The locations at times were stunning with beautiful vista views across mountains and rugged terrain, although usually perforated by conversations on horseback.

True Grit on the whole is a decent watch and not a bad film as long as you can take into consideration that it is a film of a different era and therefore not as complex or pacey as contemporary cinema. In hindsight I’m glad to have seen it in relation to the latest incarnation reaching cinemas next week, but doubt I would sit down to watch it again without being paid to do so.

Personally I cant wait to see what the Coen brothers can do with their imagining of True Grit and Jeff Bridges' portrayal of Cogburn. Hopefully Mattie Ross won’t talk quite as often, as extensively or as dramatically. It was beginning to truly grit me.

True Grit is released on DVD on Monday 7th February

D.J. Haza

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Movie Review Archive

Movie Review - The Fighter (2010)

The Fighter, 2010.



Directed by David O. Russell.

Starring Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Melissa Leo.





SYNOPSIS:



An inspirational drama exploring the remarkable rise of Massachusetts-born junior welterweight boxing champion “Irish” Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg).





It seems like every single week through 2011 a new Oscar nominated and much hyped film hits our cinemas and this week’s installment is The Fighter. David O. Russell’s vision of the true story behind “Irish” Micky Ward’s rise to become the boxing welterweight world champion has been nominated for 5 Oscars including Best Picture, Best Directed, Best Supporting Actor for Christian Bale and Best Supporting Actress for Amy Adams.



The film follows Micky (Mark Wahlberg), an aspiring boxer who’s lost his last three fights and is seemingly going nowhere under the management of his mother (Melissa Leo) and training of his brother, Dicky Ecklund (Christian Bale). Dicky was once a great boxing prospect himself and fought Sugar Ray Leonard at his peak, but now spends most of his time smoking crack and living off his past glory. When Micky hits a new low after being beaten by a man 20 pounds heavier than himself he begins to question the support of his family and finds comfort in the arms of Charlene (Amy Adams).



When Dicky goes to prison and Micky cuts all ties with his family things begin to look up. Micky wins fight after fight against all the odds and with a little help from Dicky via his prison cell. When Dicky is released from prison and Micky has a chance to fight for the world championship his family think he would be best under their management, but his new team that includes Charlene refuse to work with Micky’s family. Dicky swallows his own pride for the sake of his brother and convinces both sides of the team to unite behind Micky in his bid to be world champion.



At a meagre $11 million dollars to make The Fighter cost the Hollywood equivalent of peanuts, but is in no way cheap. In fact the film is rich with emotion, conflict, family drama and some great performances. Christian Bale is quite rightly being tipped for an Oscar for his role as crack addict Dicky with his scrawny cheeks and addict ticks and mannerisms. However, he wasn’t the only person lighting up the screen.



The biggest surprise for me was the performance of Amy Adams as Charlene. The only previous role of Adams’ that springs to my mind was her turn as young and naïve nurse, Brenda Strong, in Catch Me If You Can. Her role in The Fighter is the complete opposite end of the acting scale as the beer-swigging barmaid with an attitude, Charlene. Her grimaces, snarls, attitude and all around performance stood out as my misconception of her abilities were proven wrong by depth and range. A good tip for an Oscar me thinks.



The other members of the supporting cast all play great roles to support the typically flat and wooden Mark Wahlberg. I couldn’t quite work out if Micky really was as dull and vacant in his expressions as Wahlberg played him or if he was just putting in another one of his identically average performances. Saying that, this role was about right for him I suppose – tough guy from the mean streets who isn’t too bright and stuff.



The Fighter is a great film that deals with one boxer’s dilemma in trying to achieve his own dreams without upsetting his family. Russell shows us a man who has nothing else going for him except his ability box and without it him and his family would all have nothing. There are some touching moments of love and friendship from Micky and his family, sad and pitiful moments of delusion from Dicky and some hilarious moments of family madness as they collide throughout the film.



There are also some fantastic moments in the film that juxtapose the dreams of success with the reality of life. Dicky being followed by HBO, who are supposedly making a documentary about his comeback, is pitiful when the show airs and the reality of the documentary hits home. Micky’s seven almost identically trashy sisters giving Charlene grief as they sit and discuss Micky’s next fight is a fantastic reality check as they sit in his mother’s shabby front room talking of striving to be world champion. There are some genuinely funny laugh-out-loud moments too with Micky realising that the ring for his one fight is in the building across the road from his changing room and he has to cross the road in his shorts and dressing gown.



The Fighter isn’t just a blokey film about boxing, but a tale of hopes, dreams and the effect family has on those things. There’s fun, family, love and drama mixed in amongst craziness, idiocy and anger. Russell’s down to earth tale of working class aspiration hampered by blind family loyalty and suffocation doesn’t try to be too clever. It’s a simple tale of interesting characters and their dreams with some nice touches of filmmaking class. The Fighter is defo worth a watch on a weekend of seemingly non-stop sport.

The Fighter was released today in UK cinemas.



D.J. Haza



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Movie Review Archive

Frustrated Ramblings: Cinema 2010 - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

DJ Haza reflects on the highs and lows of 2010 with more "Frustrated Ramblings Of An Aspiring Filmmaker"...

As the final days of 2010 pass me by I’ve decided to reminisce and rant about the films that have flickered through my brown eyes over the last 12 months. Some have quite rightly amazed me. Others astounded me. Some were so damned disgusting that it led me to begin writing my series of articles named The Frustrated Ramblings Of An Aspiring Filmmaker. So here goes. I’ll keep it brief. Short and sweet. All killer and no filler. No waffle. Maybe a bit of waffle. No, I shouldn’t waffle. Shit. I’ve waffled!

Firstly, the good. There have been a few films this year that have truly amazed me, had me glued to my seat and fuelled my own ideas and ambitions of filmmaking. Some true masters of their craft have given us some cinematic masterpieces in 2010. And so...

My top 5 films of 2010 are... (drum role)...

1. Inception
2. Shutter Island
3. The Social Network
4. The Town
5. Tron: Legacy

Inception was exactly what I want from a visit to my local multiplex. It had me thinking whilst I was watching, talking about it when I left and I couldn’t settle until I had seen it again. It was visually stunning, deep and meaningful, ambiguous and was so well thought out and made by Christopher Nolan, who is fast becoming a cinematic heavyweight. From the opening titles to the closing credits I was glued to the screen. The film could have easily been another hour in length without me feeling bored, fidgeting or going to the toilet. I would have rather wet myself than miss a minute. Accompanying Nolan’s vision was Leonardo DiCaprio’s performance, which as always was stunning. Film of the year!

Close behind was Shutter Island. Again it had me thinking, second-guessing and talking afterwards about a film that had me glued to the screen. I watched Shutter Island in the cinema, on Sky Box Office and then on Blu-Ray and every time I watched it I got something else from it. When you know how it is going to end you can see the hints, tricks and tips that are cleverly incorporated into the story, the setting and the directing. Martin Scorsese’s directing was truly stunning at times when watched with the knowledge of the ending. The scene in which Teddy, played beautifully by DiCaprio, is interrogating the patients in the cafeteria had me grinning from ear to ear. When you know who Dr Sheehan is watch that scene back and see the clues left by Scorsese. Brilliant.

The Social Network, from first impressions, looked like a film that was going to bore the pants off me. One geek’s dream to create a social network and get some friends! Who cares? Then I found out David Fincher had directed. I was then interested. I watched. I laughed out (a rarity for me). I enjoyed. Immensely. Fincher took the story of a friendless uber-geek working tirelessly to make his new social networking website a success whilst alienating everyone around him and intercut it with two court room battles between the geek and those suing him. And he made it work. More than work. It at no point had me bored, checking my watch or feeling bogged down in various geeks babbling back and forth. On paper the film shouldn’t work. However, It’s definitely a film I’ll be watching again. And again.

Another surprise was The Town. Directed by Ben Affleck, I almost tried not to like it. I mean, more men have walked on the moon than the number of good films Affleck has been in. But I loved it! The story of a group of friends living in the bank robbing capital of the world, Boston, and drifting apart was emotive. Despite him being a bank robber I think a lot of men could empathise with the leading character, Doug, played suprisingly well by Affleck himself. The film worked on several levels and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Tron: Legacy was a 3D cinematic experience that showed just how far cinema has come since the original Tron blazed a technological trail across Hollywood using computers with less power than a TV remote. The story was pretty basic; bloke gets stuck in a cyber world and has to battle to get out, just as expected. The visual feast that accompanied the film was worth going for and I didn’t even mind the fact that the characters talk non stop to each other so that we understand them, their stories and the cyber world they are stuck in.

I also loved The Wolfman, despite every filmmaker I know berating me for even considering it worth watching. It was a generic and clichéd werewolf movie, but it was enjoyable to watch. It didn’t try to be too clever or different and was a sort of homage to classic monster movies of the past that used a dark woods, unbelievably thick mist and simple village folk as story telling tools. I liked it and I don’t care what you think!

Over the course of 2010 I also saw a lot of films that were bad or just out right ugly. Some were poorly written, others poorly shot and some were just plain shite!

Edge of Darkness was okay, but not amazing. Whoop-de-doo that Mel Gibson brought his racist face back to cinema screens. Green Zone was Jason Bourne in Iraq. But boring. And no drama. And hardly any action. Kick-Ass definitely did not kick ass. The main character was boring and I didn’t care about him. From Paris With Love was just inexplicably violent and explosive to the point where I wondered what the hell the film was actually about. Iron Man 2 was a bit too cheesy for my liking. Robin Hood was a let down, but it was always doomed for comparison against Gladiator with Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe teaming up for a period epic. Prince of Persia was Pirates of the Caribbean in the desert. Mildly entertaining, but ultimately pointless. Get Him To The Greek saw Russell Brand under acting in order to play a wild, drug fuelled British rock star. I can’t help but think that the director missed a trick by not letting Brand just go to town with his character and light up the screen in his own twisted way.

However, my biggest disappointment of 2010 came with my long awaited trip to see Mr. Nice. I’d waited six years since having read the book from cover to cover in only a week whilst hanging on Howard Marks’ every word. I tried not to get overexcited when trotting down to the cinema with my mother in tow. I tried to keep my expectation from running away with me. But despite all this it still sucked. I understand the difficulties involved in adapting a book to film, but so much of Marks’ life was missing. It just felt like fragments of his life thrown together in order to tell a portion of his story as quickly as possible. And the decision to use stock footage and then green screen Rhys Ifans over the top had me tutting in my seat.

I was hoping for a British Blow, but it wasn’t. We weren’t privy to enough of Marks’ life in order to care for him in my opinion. Unlike George Jung in Blow I don’t feel people cared about Marks or empathized with why he did what he did. He just looked like a dope smuggler who was too bone idle or lazy to do anything meaningful with his Oxford education. I shed a tear at the end of Blow because it was such a great and tragic story, especially when he lost his daughter. I shed a tear at the end of Mr. Nice for completely other reasons.

Overall 2010 has been a year of ups and downs in cinema for me, but 2011 is set to kick off with a bang. 127 Hours, True Grit, The King’s Speech, Black Swan and The Green Hornet are all set for launch in the UK over January and I can’t wait. If the year continues with the same quality as January we could be in for a great year. However, knowing how cinema works I’m sure there will still be plenty of films to rant about in 2011. I’ll see you on the other side.

D.J. Haza

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Frustrated Ramblings: Top Gun = Top Film... FACT!

DJ Haza talks Top Gun in more "Frustrated Ramblings Of An Aspiring Filmmaker"...

Stinger: “Don't screw around with me Maverick. You're a hell of an instinctive pilot. Maybe too good. I'd like to bust your butt but I can't. I got another problem here. I gotta send somebody from this squadron to Miramar. I gotta do something here, I still can't believe it. I gotta give you your dream shot! I'm gonna send you up against the best. You two characters are going to Top Gun.”

And so it began. Maverick and Goose got their shot at Top Gun – the U.S. Navy aviation training school where the best fighter pilots in the Navy get to become the best of the best. What a film. What a soundtrack. Top Gun = Top Film. FACT. However, the film ran grossly over budget, over time and it’s director Tony Scott was fired officially three times. A lot of top talent did not want to be associated with the film. So how, at 26, has it aged so well when many other films shot in the most stylistically horrifying decade of the last century now look like absolute shite?

Top Gun got a play on TV the other night and despite the fact that there were several other top films on at that time and my impending bed time looming I could not stop myself from watching. It’s a classic. I defy anyone not to like it. And if you haven’t seen it you don’t deserve eyes, let alone a television! In a year that also saw Crocodile Dundee, Aliens and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off light up the big screen Top Gun has stood head and shoulders above the rest. And I think I know why.

When I was a kid I saw Top Gun for the first time and I remember being glued to the TV. I had it on VHS and used to watch it over and over and over. I’d wake up in the morning and press play, watch it until I was dragged down for breakfast by my Mam and then head off to school. When I got home I would press play again at where ever I had left off that morning and I’d watch it all the way through. Then rewind and play it again. I used to use the keyboard and joystick from my Commodore to pretend I was a fighter pilot. I was Maverick. I wanted to be a fighter pilot up until I was 16 and had to choose my A Levels. When I found out I needed to study maths and physics to become a pilot a changed my mind and decided I wanted to be a lawyer instead. I should add that I’m not a lawyer either.

It’s that simple. We all love Top Gun because it’s almost perfect. Maverick is the perfect man. Has the perfect life. And lives in a utopia where losing your best friend and only living family member is okay because you’ve met a bird who’s fit, clever and is mad for you. No need to grieve, just shoot the shit out of some opposition planes and de-stress. Maverick doesn’t worry about paying his electric bill or his mobile phone supplier shafting him for a picture message bolt-on that he never knew existed but they are certain he asked for. Maverick drives the fastest production motorbike in world at the time – the Kawasaki GPZ900R Ninja. And he rides it with no helmet. He has the ultimate collection in boy’s toys – a fighter plane and motorbike. He plays beach volleyball with the boys. He looks good in his Navy gear. He has aviators and a bomber jacket. And all the while flashing his cheeky grin and being a smart arse without getting a kicking or having the piss ripped out of him by his mates in the pub. I’m sure that if you offered any bloke in the country a fighter jet, motorbike, hot bird, aviators, bomber jacket, six pack, cheeky grin and the ability to blow people up they would happily sacrifice the life of their best mate. And women want a man like that. They want a guy to take the chance of embarrassing himself in front of everyone by singing to her that she’s lost that loving feeling. They love that he is a little damaged, but doesn’t get pissed up or fight because of it. They love a bit of a fixer-upper. And they want a man with loads of toys, charm and who looks good in a white Naval aviator outfit. He’s perfect. It’s perfect.

However, the film almost never made it to our screens and we would have been deprived of the lust to shoot down Johnny-Foreigner in our fighter jet whilst listening to Kenny Loggins’ driving rock anthem ‘Danger Zone’. The amount of problems that the film encountered as it threatened to spiral out of control is beyond belief.

According to IMDB’s facts about Top Gun, Steven Soderberg and John Carpenter turned down the chance to direct it. Patrick Swayze, Nicolas Cage, John Cusak, Emilio Estevez, Matthew Broderick, Sean Penn, Micheal J. Fox and Tom Hanks all turned down the chance to play Maverick. Tatum O’Neal, Michelle Pfieffer, Jamie Lee Curtis, Holly Hunter, Geena Davies, Jodie Foster, Ally Sheedy, Daryl Hannah, Diane Lane, Sarah Jessica Parker and Linda Hamilton all turned down the role of Charlie. Val Kilmer didn’t want to be in the film, but was forced by contractual obligations. Bryan Adams refused to allow his song ‘Only The Strong Survive’ to be on the soundtrack as he felt the film glorified war. What a bunch of idiots!

It seemed that no one wanted to be associated with the film. And so Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis got the lead roles, which posed it’s own problem. She’s 5’10’’ and he’s 5’7’’, so they had to get lifts for Tom so he didn’t look like a midget. Then there was Tony Scott’s role as director and being officially fired three times. The film ran over budget and up to an estimated $15,000,000 as well passing several deadlines. At one point Scott wanted an external shot on the aircraft carrier the U.S. Enterprise as the sun was going down on the wrong side of the boat. He asked the Commander to turn it around and was informed that it cost $25,000 to turn the ship around. Scott wrote him a cheque there and then. There are also many rumours of run ins with the film’s producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer.

However, the real low point of the production came when the renowned aerobatic pilot Art Scholl was killed during filming. Scholl was attempting to create a flat spin so the onboard camera could capture it for the film. However, the aircraft failed to recover from the spin and Scholl radioed, “I have a problem…. I have a real problem’. Reports are that he crashed into the Pacific Ocean on September 16th 1985 and neither Scholl or the aircraft were recovered. The film was dedicated to his memory.

Despite what seemed like an over ambitious disaster of a movie that no one in their right mind would be associated with it was a huge, huge success. Top Gun was the top grossing film of 1986 beating Crocodile Dundee, Platoon, The Karate Kid Part II, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Back To School, Aliens, The Golden Child, Ruthless People and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Not many of those films have aged well either and rarely get played on terrestrial television. Have you seen Crocodile Dundee lately? It’s pants and looks like shite.

Top Gun is not only still played, but has become iconic. The film has grossed an estimated $353,816,701 worldwide. The film ranked at number 455 in Empire's 2008 list of the 500 greatest films of all time. Yahoo! Movies recently ranked Top Gun #19 on their list of greatest action films of all-time. Top Gun was voted #3 Must See Movie of all time by listeners of Capital FM. The film's tagline, "I feel the need - the need for speed!" was voted as number 94 out of 100 in a list of the best movie quotes by the American Film Institute. It was nominated for four Academy Awards in 1987 including Best Effects and Sound Effects Editing, Best Film Editing, Best Sound and Best Original Song for ‘Take My Breath Away’. And it won Best Original Song.

Riding on the back of the success of Top Gun, the U.S. Navy set up recruitment booths at major cinemas in an attempt to catch some of the guys pumped with adrenaline and testosterone leaving the cinema. They recorded their highest applications rate for some years as a result of the film. As I said – boys want to be fighter pilots. I wonder how many of those recruited from outside of the cinema got to the reality of war and shit their pants wishing they hadn’t gone to see the film at all? I think I would have done just that had my dream of being a fighter pilot become reality. Top Gun was a hit at the box office and the U.S. Navy also benefitted. Even the sales of Bomber jackets increased after the film’s release and Ray Ban aviator sales shot up by 40%. I still wear aviators now! I still watch the film. I am actually blasting out the soundtrack as I type these very words.

The film has also given us some movie gold. The scene in the bar with Goose and Maverick playing the piano and singing along to ‘Great Balls Of Fire’ is a classic. The friendship between Maverick and Goose is touching, but not too soppy. Just how us blokes like it. I sometimes refer to my mate Mark as Goose, because he’s my wingman. And I’m obviously Maverick, because I’m cool as poo. I like to think. Quotes like, ‘Son, you’re ego’s writing cheques you’re body can’t cash!’ are classic. My personal favourite quote is when Stinger tells Maverick, ‘And if you screw up just this much, you'll be flying a cargo plane full of rubber dog shit out of Hong Kong!’. You know you like that one!

Top Gun ticks so many boxes for cinematic entertainment. Top Gun is the ultimate escapism to a world where men are men and life is good, despite even the death of loved ones. The love of a good woman can help you overcome anything. The soundtrack is a classic and I still have it on my IPhone. Maverick made aviators cool and the world owes him a favour for that. Men want to be Maverick and women want to be with Maverick. He’s cool as poo. And so is the film. It is indeed ‘up there with the best of the best’.

D.J. Haza - call sign 'The Taffia'

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Frustrated Ramblings: First Assistant Director For Hire

DJ Haza discusses the trials and tribulations of breaking into the movie industry with more 'Frustrated Ramblings Of An Aspiring Filmmaker"...

I’m sick to the back teeth of my day job. It bores me. It’s absolutely no challenge for me and does not inspire me in any shape, way or form. I want to make it in the film industry. I don’t have to be Martin Scorsese, but regular work and a decent pay cheque would suffice. However, the issue is that in an industry as poor as British cinema how can anyone make a living?

As an aspiring filmmaker with only a few credits to my name I’m finding it difficult to get paid work as a first assistant director. I’ve worked several times this summer as a 1st AD, but I’ve offered my services for free in order to gain some credits and put a bit more meat on my curriculum vitae. And that’s the problem. When do you stop working for free and start requiring a wage?

If you work for free you work more often and build your CV quicker. You meet more people and build more relationships. You have more chances to work with someone special who is going to make it and take you with them. Free doesn’t pay the bills though. If you work for free you also need to keep down a part time job in order to keep that roof over your head. Without a paying job on the side you’re screwed. However, the more shifts you do in the day job the less time you have for filmmaking. If you begin to charge for your services you may be able to earn a small living from filmmaking, but if someone else will do the same job for free the chances are you’re not going to get the job. Either road leads to poverty and a penniless existence.

What I need is a part time job that I can do from 12 til 1 with an hour for lunch and get paid for a full day. The chances of that are slim to none at best. Maybe I need a rich Uncle to pass away and leave me his fortune. To my knowledge none of my Uncles are that well off. And even if they were I’d still have to fight my cousins for the fortune. Neither way looks any more likely than a lottery win. Maybe I should buy a ticket?

I often wonder if I can increase my employability by moving to the big smoke. With a lot more films in production at every end of the scale surely there is more chance of getting a job. The problem is because there are more jobs there are also more filmmakers. With the living costs being so much higher than those in South Wales I’d need to work more in London than I would here. Again poverty prevails. However, you don’t have to live in London to work in London. It is possible to get work and find somewhere to stay during filming.

I’ve seen loads of work advertised for features in London, but they are all for free or expenses only. The problem is that expenses only means that if you live in London they will pay your tube fare, but not bed and board for four weeks solid. So what you need is a family member in London who is willing to put you up. Hang on, I’ve got an Aunty who lives in West London. I shall have to give her a call. But then, I’d need to travel up there by plane, train or automobile, pay for at least one meal a day at extortionate London prices and I wouldn’t be able to frequent the day job to prop up my penny jars. Maybe it isn’t such a good idea.

The problem is that everyone wants to make a film and no one wants to spend anymore than they have too. Directors, producers and director’s of photography are happy to splash a bit of cash on a fancy piece of camera equipment for their seminal shot of the film or a named actor who they think will bring some notoriety. Possibly even a top-notch location that will give their film character or a key prop that will look shit hot in the background of their main location. Splashing money on a 1st AD is much, much, much further down the list.

Being a 1st AD is a thankless task at the best of times. You’re the person who does the dirty work, thinks quickly to solve the major logistical and time consuming problems, you have to make the team work late if required, you are the one cracking the whip, kicking arses, shouting and making sure the show runs to plan and schedule. Personally I take a more relaxed stance of firsting. I make sure that I keep the show running on time and that every member of the team is giving their all, but I prefer to keep a cool head. Calm. A relaxing influence on those around me. My view is that if I can keep my head and control what I can then it allows those in more artistic roles to flourish. And I’ve been told that I’m good at what I do. But, a pat on the back doesn’t pay my phone bill. And when the film reaches the masses my name will be shunted down the list passed the point where an audience will be taking note of the names before them. Passed the point of acclaim. Credit. Praise.

As I said earlier - I’ve worked several times this summer for no pay so I can build the old curriculum vitae and build some working relationships, but I’m now on the bare bones of my arse. I’ve decided that when I’ve finished my next 1st AD job I’m going to have to charge. Not loads, but I need to earn a living away from the day job. If not, you may just see the headline of the South Wales Argus read ‘Mobile Phone Salesman Beats Customer To Death With His Own Phone’.

First Assistant Director for hire. Great rates. Hard worker. Talented and driven young man committed to building a career in filmmaking. Contact djhaza@hotmail.co.uk.

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D.J. Haza

Thoughts on... Shutter Island (2010)

Shutter Island, 2010.

Directed by Martin Scorsese.
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Max von Sydow, Emily Mortimer and Jackie Earle Haley.


SYNOPSIS:

A US Marshal investigates the disappearance of a patient who has escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane on Shutter Island.


I offer a warning prior to you reading this review - if you didn’t rush out to the cinema to see the visual and sensory spectacle that is Shutter Island then you have slid down the scale on which I estimate a person’s worth. I do not intend to offer a general plot summary and a few teasers to entice you to leap up and buy or rent Shutter Island on blu-ray. This review is for those who have seen Shutter Island and were enthralled in every single twist and turn. Shutter Island was phenomenal the first time I watched it, and it got even better second time around as I could see and appreciate the fine details that went into telling a seat gripping story. Plot spoiler alerts are integral to my review of the Shutter Island blu-ray...

Shutter Island is a twisting, turning, gripping, thrilling, sensationally chilling film from its opening shots to its final scene. As an audience member in the cinema I was there with Teddy (Leonardo DiCaprio) every step of the way. Willing him on, watching his back and trying to piece together the clues. I was also just as clueless to the truth as Teddy himself. On my second viewing at home via my blu-ray player I was of a different position. The second time you watch Shutter Island it’s even more beautiful than the first. You can see the clues, the red herrings, the tricks, the hints, lies, and truth. On second viewing I found a whole new level of appreciation for the film. Teddy Daniels was the 67th patient of Ashecliff Mental Hospital. And I could see it.

On first viewing I was confused at times, second guessing the clues and trying to figure what was real. I thought that the opening scene on the ferry in which Teddy meets his new partner, Chuck (Mark Ruffalo), for the first time didn’t cut together well and it unnerved me slightly. It continued through the film to the point where Delores (Michelle Williams) is holding a bottle of whiskey and then appears to be holding nothing. A little later the patient Mrs. Kearns (Robin Bartlett) is handed a glass of water and then seemingly drinks from an imaginary glass, before placing a half full glass back on the table. Something wasn’t right and I knew it. These things were clear to me the first time around. Second time around I saw a whole lot more.

When Teddy and Chuck arrive on the island to be greeted by Deputy Warden Macpherson (John Carroll Lynch) he comments that everyone is on edge that day. This is because their most dangerous patient, Andrew Laeddis, is roaming free. Teddy then tells Chuck that he has seen this type of electrical fence before – because he has been a prisoner there for the past two years. Dr Cawley (Sir Ben Kingsley) is very playful with Teddy and is clearly hiding information from him – because this is all a big charade. The orderlies seem to know more than they let on. The patient’s repeat the same story told to Teddy by Dr Cawley. The telephone conveniently doesn’t work. Teddy cannot see the patient’s records. One patient smiles at Teddy. Another puts her finger to her lips to shush Teddy. All of which are because this is a game. When the guards are searching the rocks for Rachel Solando they look as though they aren’t really putting any effort into the search - because no one is really missing. The scene in the cell when Teddy meets Rachel (Emily Mortimer) doesn’t feel natural. Lots of the encounters Teddy has do not feel natural. Or real. And they aren’t. The whole charade created by Dr Cawley is so brilliant the second time around. Rather than being with Teddy on his search you can sit back and look at the film objectively, which allows you to click onto all these other hints and tricks.

Martin Scorsese has masterfully created this film to get the audience bought into Teddy’s journey only to shatter it with the revelation that it is all in his imagination. He offers up so many suggestions as to what is real, but at first glance we disregard. All the above clues are so clearly visible on your second watch.

Similarly with Chuck’s character. First time around I knew he wasn’t being genuine. His little speech in the graveyard about all this being a trick to get Teddy to the island seemed to be offered up too easily. He was always there offering information, nudging Teddy in the right direction and making me suspicious. However, second time around it is so brilliant. Chuck tells Teddy that the world doesn’t work this way! He’s telling him that all this isn’t real! He spells it out for him! But, Teddy doesn’t see it. And neither did I. The scene in which Teddy and Chuck interview Mrs. Kearns she is asked what she thinks of Dr. Sheehan. Her eyes dart to Chuck for a second, and then back to Teddy. She tells him Dr Sheehan is easy on the eyes and looks again back to Chuck. Chuck smiles a little and looks at Teddy. First time around it seemed innocent enough. Second time around with the knowledge that Chuck is indeed Dr Sheehan it seems so clever. When Teddy then asks her if she knows of Andrew Laeddis she becomes distressed for seemingly no apart reason. Second time we know she is looking straight at Andrew Laeddis. If only I had realised this the first time around I may have solved this case before Teddy and proven myself smarter than the film. But, I didn’t. And I am not.

The first time I saw Shutter Island I was convinced that this was all to trick the US Marshall Teddy Daniels and keep him on the island – quiet. When the film finished I was still unsure as to what was real and what wasn’t. I questioned and second-guessed my theories and what I had seen. Was Teddy/Andrew crazy? Did he get better? I am now confident that I have amassed enough of the pieces of the jigsaw to see the picture clearly. When Dr Sheehan sits with Andrew and they share a smoke he refers to him as Chuck and has seemingly relapsed. Then Andrew/Teddy remarks to Dr Sheehan/Chuck that he ‘wonder’s what’s worse – to live as a monster, or die as a good man’. For me that was his decision that if he couldn’t live in his oblivious fantasy world as the war hero and US Marshall Teddy Daniels then he would rather not live as anyone. Andrew Laeddis created his fantasy world because he couldn’t live with the reality of what he had done. Andrew Laeddis then chose a lobotomy. No memories. No thoughts. No problems.

On blu-ray the film is spectacular and every tiny detail is clear as daylight. In the World War Two flashbacks every flake of snow that falls is so clear. As Teddy twitches and sweats on his journey to uncover the truth we can see all the finest details of DiCaprio’s face. When Chuck and Teddy share a smoke the smallest whips of smoke shimmer in the lighting as they glide upwards and disperse. The blu-ray’s extras – Behind The Shutters and Into The Lighthouse are both interesting and educational extras that give you a glimpse into the vision of Scorsese, DiCaprio and the rest of the cast.

Shutter Island is easily the best film of 2010 and Oscar worthy with a master class on creating suspense. Martin Scorsese is on top form, as are DiCaprio and Sir Ben Kingsley. The film's soundtrack is eerie and unnerving as it should be in a thriller with Scorsese collaborating with Robbie Robertson to collect together the music from already recorded sources rather than an original score. Scorsese steals a few tried and tested tricks on suspense from the master – Hitchcock, as he continually unnerves the audience and offers up truth and lies at a break neck pace. The story is brilliant and unfolds so as to not allow your brain to disengage for even a second. Every piece of this film fits together perfectly to create an outstanding puzzle that is complex, multi-layered and keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. If you were idiotic enough to miss it in the cinema – get the blu-ray! Watch it twice and pay attention. You sanity will be questioned.

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D.J. Haza

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