Cloud Atlas Review

Tom Hanks and Halle Berry in one of their many roles in Cloud Atlas

Cloud Atlas

A+

 A review by Frederick Cholowski

Life, the universe, and everything; these are amongst the many philosophical mainstays covered by the Wachowski siblings and Tom Tykwer in the epic Cloud Atlas. Running at almost three hours and attempting to tell six separate, yet connected stories within said span of time Cloud Atlas is one of the most ambitious films of the last few decades. Fortunately Cloud Atlas also manages to be a fantastic film that had a divine effect on my mood coming after watching it. Cloud Atlas is a brilliant epic film and amongst the most amazing achievements in film in the last decade.

There is no point at attempting to explain the plot of Cloud Atlas because this review would end up going on forever. All that needs to be said is that Cloud Atlas spans six completely different story lines that span numerous centuries. The veteran cast of actors including Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving, and Jim Sturgess (more on them in a second) each play a role in each different story line thus connecting each story. Each story also seems to be a philosophical statement of some sort, whether it being the traditional allegory of the cave to different comments on sacrifice, religion and parallel lives. The overarching theme of the entire film is that we, as human beings are all interconnected and actions in our many “lives” have numerous consequences that can either open or shut doors.

Cloud Atlas is a very polarizing film. In other words you’re going to love this film or hate its guts. The camp I fall into (as evidenced throughout this review) is the side that fell in love with this film. The scope and scale of what’s being attempted in this film is absolutely fascinating, and around 99% of the time the film works elegantly. Each story line is connected in almost every way and each are transitioned to and from with a simple elegance. There are points in the film in which storylines bleed into each other, with a natural fluidity. The transitions between stories are so masterfully handled and none are ever jarring or jagged. For a film like this that is an amazing achievement.

Running at just under three hours (2hours and 52minutes) Cloud Atlas is by no means a short film. That being said the film also never outstays its welcome as each storyline is allowed enough time to breath, develop and wrap up in ways that are stunning and emotionally satisfying. Cloud Atlas is probably the most ambitious film in a long time (even more so than the Tree of Life) and for what the film attempts to do Cloud Atlas is a massive success.

Cloud Atlas also isn’t a subtle film. Whenever an allusion is needed it is loud and clear as to what it is. The main theme of interconnectedness is made clear throughout the film. The Wachowski siblings have never been subtle (cue the Matrix) and it works well enough here. It still takes some effort, and perhaps a few more viewings, to catch most of the illusions that the film has to offer so in that since it works well. The constant theme reminders often help when the storylines are a little far away from one another and a reminder is needed.

The acting here is a joy to watch. The large cast of veterans who play multiple roles throughout the film are magnificent throughout. There is no real stand out from the group as the films acting job seems mostly like a collective affair. There have been complaints about the makeup and making white actors play different ethnicities (namely Asian  American) and how that potentially bogs down the film. While the different ethnicity make up is fairly obvious it’s also not racist in or distracting in any way shape or form. The film would not work if the filmmakers had used different actors to fill all of their roles, as the whole point of the movie is having interconnecting stories with interconnecting people. Instead it just seems like running with the initial idea and potentially taking some flak for it later on. In this day and age of safe formulaic films this choice is admirable.

Visually the film is jaw dropping the whole way through. Each story has its own distinctive visual flair that helps accentuate the similarities and differences of each storyline. The film just looks stunning any way you can put it and the large budget that helped make this movie definitely shows. The score helps pull everything together providing a few different interludes and playing them with different instrumental voices throughout the film. It’s a beautiful score and the main theme of the score is subtle and haunting.

Cloud Atlas is the single most ambitious film I have seen in a long time. The film stuns as it succeed on practically everything it does (and it does a lot) with a grace and elegance that is rarely seen in today’s films. It’s also the film that changed my mood after I watched it and brought many genuine “wow” moments. One of the best additions to this year’s growing list of A+ level films this year, Cloud Atlas is a true stunner.

Countdown to Skyfall: Top 5 Bond Films

Bond, James Bond in all his many forms

Bond recently turned 50 years old on the screen and it’s time to look back at the ultimate secret agent leading up to the 23^rd film in the Bond franchise Skyfall. Let’s begin the countdown to Skyfall with the positives, the Best bond films to ever reach the big screen. There is only one real rule to this list, it has to be an official Bond film (sorry Never Say Never Again even though you wouldn’t have made this list anyways). So whether it’s Connery, Lazenby, Moore, Dalton, Bronsnan, or Craig here are the top 5 Bond films of all time.

                              

5. Dr. No 

#5 was a tough one because there are a few B+ level Bond films that can be interchanged in this spot. Goldeneye and For Your Eyes Only could have easily taken this spot, but when in doubt go with Connery (that just has to be a rule). Plus Dr. No is the first Bond film, the one that brought the super spy to the big screen, the one that made Sean Connery famous! Sure he’s not as great as in his later attempts nor were the producers used to the format of the films yet, but Dr. No still manages to be an entertaining, very old fashioned Bond film that is still a joy to watch 50 years later.

4. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

Sure George Lezenby is the worst Bond of all time and that makes this film lower on this list, but other than that On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is a near perfect James Bond film. The action, intriguing plot, and Bond falling in love all made this film one of the greats. Now if only Connery was in it…

3. From Russia with Love

If the first Bond brought the franchise to the big screen then From Russia with Love proved that it could be great. Everything in this film outdid its predecessor from Connery getting used to the character to the plot being more intriguing to the action having more of a punch etc. From Russia with Love is just fantastic and still is to this day one of the best of the best.

2. Goldfinger 

It was hard to place From Russia with Love and Goldfinger in their respective spots because they are so equal in almost every way. Goldfinger ultimately wins because of one reason, the villain. Goldfinger (and his pesky sidekick Oddjob) is one of the most memorable villains in Bond history and thus elevates the film that extra inch. Also Goldfinger seems to have most of my favorite Bond moments, whether it’s the amazing song sung by Shirley Bassey , the Odjob taking the statues head off with his hat, or the great exchange of “Do you expect me to talk?”, “No Mr. Bond I expect you to die.” Goldfinger is fantastic in every way and represents (along with the previous entry) the best of Connery.

1. Casino Royale

Controversial choice? Yes. Right choice? Also yes. Casino Royale is the riskiest Bond film of all time and it’s also the best. For the first time James Bond bleeds and feels pain, also for the second time in history Bond falls in love. The way this film is structured is genius. From the electric opening sequence, to one of the best Bond songs ever, to Craig being the best Bond since Connery, to the great poker game in the second act, to the heartbreaking third act, to the best use of the line “The name’s Bond, James Bond” ever at the end of the film (and arguably the best use of “The James Bond theme” ever), everything about Casino Royale is about as perfect as you can get. If I could have only one Bond film until Skyfall that film would easily be the fantastic Casino Royale.

So that’s only what I think. What do you think? Sound off in the comments

Next up: The Worst of the worst, and there are some really bad ones... Stay Tuned!

Argo Review

Affleck debriefing his fake film crew in Argo

Argo

A+

A review by Frederick Cholowski

It’s not often that the actor/director switch yields a better director than actor. Thus seems to be the case with Ben Affleck as his third film behind the camera (and technically in front of the camera as well as he is the lead actor) Argo (not to be confused with the 1996 modern classic Fargo) is an absolute triumph of a thriller that harkens back to the days when thrillers didn’t have to double as an action movie. The film is intense and pulse pounding without having to having things blow up or people being shot every five minutes. In this era of special effects driven action thrillers this is a massive, welcome breath of fresh air.

Argo is based on the true story of the rescue mission of six members of the American Embassy (Tate Donovan, Rory Cochrane, Christopher Denham, Clea Duvall, Scoot McNairy, and Kerry Bishe) in Iran. The six Embassy members were left hiding in the Canadian Ambassador Ken Taylor’s (Victor Garber) residence after Iran military students ransack the Embassy and take the rest of its staff hostage. Insert exfiltration expert Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) who needs to help the director of the CIA Jack O’Donnell (Bryan Cranston) get them out of Iran and back home without getting them killed. The plan is to create a fake film, a sci-fi Star Wars rip off entitled “Argo”, with the help of makeup artist John Chambers (John Goodman) and producer/director Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin) and pretend that the group trapped in Iraq is a Canadian film crew working on the project. Thus begins a near suicide mission that puts the lives of Mendez and the six trapped in grave danger.

It’s not often in a film that the “based on a true story” label is essential to the film. In Argo the label is used to full effect as Affleck really attempts, and very much succeeds, at capturing the feel of the American/Iranian relationship in the late 1970’s early 1980’s. The use of old footage and newscasts is really effective here as it creates an atmosphere that’s a little nostalgic and very frightening. The effective atmosphere aids in the draw of the film as time and place is a really important factor when telling a story such as this.

Argo also happens to be a very well written thriller that capitalizes on an older 1970’s and 1980’s style of thriller. There are no car chases, gun fights, or fist fights to be had in this film just a tightly weaved set of “that was too close”. There is constant tension throughout the film and even if one knows the “real story” moments going in it’s hard not to be at the edge of your seat throughout the majority of the film. Another great reason for “the edge of your seat” feel is because Affleck and writer Chris Terrio make these characters likable and easy to root for. Even though character is definitely not the focus of this film at all there are still great moments in which the characters get some great moments to shine (none probably as great as the running joke “Argo f*** yourself” that is used in many contexts throughout the film). The film is just over two hours but the ride is so tightly packed and so well made that it never feels its length.

Affleck is also quite effective in front of the camera with his muted performance of Mendez. Affleck is never flashy and stays mostly as fodder for his supporting cast to play off of, which isn’t a bad thing at all considering the amazing supporting cast he’s assembled. Bryan Cranston, who you could stick in anything (like the dud of a remake “Total Recall”) and he would be fantastic, is, in the moments he is used, quite fantastic. John Goodman and Alan Arkin help add a great since of humor to the film and adds lots of spice to the middle of the film (which in a lesser film would be filled with too much boring exposition).

The technical aspects of the film help create the atmosphere through the use of almost grainy 70’s like shots along with the implementation of the old authentic news clips. The film’s look is truly unique and it feels very close to the look of the thrillers of the olden days. The film’s score is a typical thriller score with “time ticking” tunes that always let you know when things are getting intense.

Argo is tight, extremely well made thriller that harkens to the days of classic thrillers that used suspense as their primary tactic. Argo is constantly exciting, and pulse pounding but it also has time to captivate through the use of interesting characters and great supporting performances. Overall Argo is a triumph and a great addition to the ever growing (this has just been a great fall so far hasn’t it) list of this year’s A+ level films.

The Master Review

Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix in The Master

The Master

A+

A review by Frederick Cholowski

Paul Thomas Anderson has quite the reputation. The director of Boogie Nights, Magnolia and There Will be Blood has had many successes over the last 15 years. Anderson’s fifth film The Master is a dark and stunning portrayal of a lost man and the cult that swept him up. Add The Master to the list of great Paul Thomas Anderson films, because in the realm of film making The Master is a true triumph.

Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) is a lost man, after his deployment in the navy he struggles to keep a job and fit in with society. Cue an attempt to poison an old man and a drunken escape from a farm and Freddie ends up on a random cruise ship. Turns out that this cruise ship is run by the leader of a cult Lancaster Dodd or the Master (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and his wife Peggy Dodd (Amy Addams) who along with the rest of their family travel the US and promote their “religion”. Dodd takes Freddie in because he enjoys the cocktail he makes (paint thinner is good apparently) and eventually attempts to “save” Freddie from his past life.

Plot in the Master is almost an afterthought; here it’s all about the Characters. The best comparison I can give to the style in which the film is told is to the Russian novel A Hero of Our Time. The arc that Freddie and Dodd have take center stage here and the film is more the better for it. These characters are so compelling and so amazingly developed that plot, while it is still apparent, is almost irrelevant compared to the interactions between these characters. There are a few scenes that are just simple conversations that are simply dynamite and beautiful it might not have mattered if aliens had suddenly invaded in the middle of the movie (ok maybe it would have but that’s beyond the point).

Also if you’re looking for straight answers this is not the place to look for them. Paul Thomas Anderson’s film has no need to answer questions or wrap up the story in a neat fashion, that’s actually close to the last thing on the list. The beauty of the film is actually that it leaves the audience wondering where the characters go from the ending point. The film had me thinking for days about these characters and their situations and was the one of the only films that I wanted to watch it again right after I watched it the first time. The film can be that maddeningly brilliant.

The other things that really make this film great are the performances. Joaquin Phoenix puts on an acting clinic here as he gives his entire self up to this character. It’s truly fantastic to watch especially when he gets into the darker parts of his strange and intriguing character. On the same plain of brilliance is Phillip Seymour Hoffman who is also stunning as his role as the authoritative and frustrated leader of the cult. The scenes shared between both Phoenix and Hoffman are some of the most brilliantly written and performed scenes of recent film history. There is one scene in particular, the first real questioning scene between the two characters, that is one of the most amazing exchanges I have seen in the longest time. From the flow and natural arc of the conversation to each actor’s sheer dynamite performance render the scene (and many throughout the film) to a near perfect exchange of the wits.

The rest of the Supporting cast works wonders as well. Amy Adams is hauntingly good as Lancaster’s pushy and demanding wife. It’s nice to see Amy Adams in a more mature role and allowing herself to tread new water. Jesse Plemons (Landry!) and Ambyr Chilers do fine work here as the distraught son and daughter of the cult leaders and add a dimension to the growth of the film. Overall there is nothing to complain about in the acting department that’s for sure.

Technically speaking this film is absolutely, positively gorgeous. Shot in 70mm (the first narrative film shot in 70mm since one of my favorite films of all time, Kenneth Branagh’s 1996 adaptation of Hamlet) the shots presented in this film are absolutely stunning, from the many beautiful establishing shots, to the tactical close ups used to accentuate conversations. Every shot in this film feels like it has been it’s had individual attention paid to it and the cinematography is one of the biggest highlights of the film. The score here is also brilliant and it adds to the creepiness and unsettlement seen throughout the film.

The final thing that needs to be covered is this film as an allegory to scientology. The cult contained within the film can definitely be compared to Scientology, its leaders, and beliefs. Does this affect the film in my mind? To be honest not all that much. As an allegory the film actually (through some research that I did and to a greater extent people that I have talked to have) does a fairly good job at being a hard hitting commentary of the development of the movement. Ultimately if I had no idea that the film had something to do with Scientology it wouldn’t honestly have lessened the impact of the character and cult study being presented. Paul Thomas Anderson’s writing and film making are the ultimate winners here.

The Master is a brilliant case study of a lost man experiencing the brainwashing effects of a cult. The writing, performances, and the direction all work together to create a brilliant film that deserves to be put amongst the great filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson’s absolute best. It also deserves its spot as one of the most important, and one of the absolute best films of this year. This fall season just keeps getting better and better doesn’t it!