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Sherlock Holmes: The World’s Greatest Star?
The Dark KNight// Big Screen Bouts // New Reviews //
Contents
January 2011
January Features
Reviews Section
Page 4: We Need To Talk About Sherlock
Page 15: The Artist
Page 7: Big Screen Bouts
Page 16: Sherlock Holmes A Game Of Shadows
Page 11: We Believed in Chris Nolan
Page 17: Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol Page 18: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Regulars Page 3: Editor’s Note & Contributors Page 24: Things To See in January
Page 19: Junkhearts Page 20: The Iron Lady
Contributors Editor’s Note Editors
Joshua Hammond: Editor-in-Chief joshua@pictureshow-magazine.com
Dale Pearson: Editor
dale@ pictureshow-magazine.com
Words
Joshua Hammond Dale Pearson Benjamin Schwarz Chris Binding Edward Mason
Online
Find us at pictureshow-magazine.com Like us on facebook Follow us @PictureShowMag
Happy New Year and Welcome back to PictureShow Magazine! We hope you all had a lovely Christmas. We did too, thanks for asking. Anyway we’ve started the New Year with a great issue full of the interesting articles that you have come to expect from our wonderful publication. Big Screen Bouts focusses on the sport of Boxing an the various aspects of the sport that make it perfect for films. Our resident Sherlock Holmes fanatic Dale Pearson has also written about the lasting appeal of such an interesting and strange character. We also have another great reviews section containing reviews of the most talked about films of the last 4 weeks. This month’s “Things To See...” section is full to the brim of great screenings this month, from E.T. to Human Centipede there’s something for everyone out there this month. See you next month Joshua Hammond, Editor-in-Chief
We Need To Talk About Sherlock BY DALE JAY PEARSON
What is it about Sherlock Holmes that keeps audiences and artists interested?
This month saw the return of Sherlock Holmes, both to our big screens, and to our small screens. Robert Downey Jr. starred in Guy Ritchie’s action-packed revival of the Victorian ‘consulting detective’, while Benedict Cumberbatch played the titular role in the BBC’s modern-day take on the sleuth. Even though the style and approach of the respective incarnations are widely different, it is fair to say that both have been met with widespread praise. Not only are the two interpretations of the character differing greatly with each other, but differing greatly with the 73 other actors to have portrayed the superdetective over 211 films in 111 years. Therefore, PictureShow would like to ask, just what is it about this character that has meant that his popularity has endured for so long, and through so many mutations? That statistic - 75 different actors over 211 films - is not merely high, it is a Guiness world record. No other fictional character can claim to have been portrayed in cinema more times. As a result, some would conclude that Homes must have something which other, less frequently-adapted characters do not: some elixir of life which means that Arthur Conan Doyle’s best literary creation has never become tiresome to audiences. There is, however, no single reason for Holmes’ success on the screen, instead it is because Holmes is essentially the embodiment of a multitude of traits, which directors look for when wishing to adapt. Technically speaking, it may not be that Sherlock is the best character creation of all-
time, but he is certainly the most adaptable. Firstly, there is the character himself. Arthur Conan Doyle creates a cold thinking-machine, albeit with just the smallest hint of emotion every so often to suggest that there is an actual human underneath the deerstalker. From an acting point of view, the character would be tricky enough if he were merely a sociopath who ‘played the game for the game’s sake’ (as is suggested). It is, however, not so simple, as many of the great actors to have come to play Holmes have found out; Jeremy Brett even remarked that the role was harder than Hamlet or Macbeth. The enigmatic nature of Sherlock’s motives and emotions then has meant that there has been no ‘definitive’ Holmes, instead a series of actors’ portrayals who have all had to find new energy to create their own unique portrayal, and this usually results in the adaptations being fresh enough to validate their high number. Furthermore, the attributes which Arthur Conan Doyle accredited to Holmes are simply an adaptor’s idea of paradise. Far from being just a reserved man of science and deliberation, as post-modern culture has come to paint him as, Doyle’s Sherlock was also a man of action; he was a swordsman, a boxer, a martial arts expert, a master of disguise and apparently strong enough to bend a metal poker. The scope this gives directors and writers cannot be underestimated.
When audiences become used to the actions of a reserved thinking man’s Holmes (seen, for example, in Robert Stephens’ portrayal) they can become interested once more by a more energetic interpretation of the character (Jeremy Brett for instance), there is even room (as Robert Downey Jr. has shown) for a fully fledged action man-like incarnation of the character. The point is that Sherlock’s potential for adaptation with original results is increased several-fold, because of just how much Doyle put into the original character.
whilst at the same time leaving the characters themselves completely open to interpretation. From these three characters alone have many of the non-Doyle scripts taken their creative license. Guy Ritchie’s previous two original-story Sherlock Holmes films have both centred around Irene Adler and Moriarty respectively, and the recent BBC drama has taken great joy in applying Sherlock’s universe to modern day setting. Ultimately, Sherlock’s world is yet another dimension which has resulted in the character being so frequently adapted.
Sherlock’s cinematic potential is also increased by the sheer number of stories Doyle penned for the the character. This gives Holmes the edge over other frequently adapted characters such as Dracula or Frankenstein for instance, who only have one original story from which adaptations can be made. The 60 novels and short stories involving Holmes have all been adapted in some form or another and they have formed a wealth of script possibilities. Especially in the commercial cinema of the 1940s, where audiences relished gripping plots and lots of them, the Sherlock Holmes back catalogue proved to be somewhat of a goldmine.
The qualities that make Sherlock so adaptable can be seen in other popular and frequently adapted characters; James Bond is probably the most similar example. Complete with a secret psychology and rich universe, the potential for freshness in Bond has meant that audiences have never grown bored. (Daniel Craig started work this month on the 23rd film in the series). Traits of Sherlock’s adaptability can be seen in nearly all frequently remade characters: Batman, Robin Hood, King Arthur, Dracula. It is Sherlock however, who trumps them all.
The latest Holmeses to grace the screen will most definitely not be the last. Perhaps, one day, the Furthermore, the rich universe which Doyle created world’s greatest detective will eventually go out of for Holmes has meant that the generating of new fashion, but if his past cinema outings are anything plots has never been overly contrived. Characters to go by, this will very unlikely be because the direcsuch Irene Adler (the love interest), Professor Mo- tors have simply run out of ideas. One can pinpoint riarty (the arch-enemy), and Mycroft Holmes (the the reasons for the Sherlock Holmes’ adaptability, high ranking government brother) may have ap- but fundamentally he endures because of what he peared notably few times in the original stories, is: a play-pen of shapes and toys, where film-makbut their enigmatic brilliance helps them to create a ers can go, create, and just have unashamed fun. strong idea of the universe in which Holmes works,
Big Screen Bouts BY JOSHUA HAMMOND
Joshua Hammond explores the appeal of Pugilism on the silver screen.
B
oxing and cinema have enjoyed a particularly cosy marriage over the last century. More so than any other sport, the popularity and critical success of ‘the boxing film’ has endured. From Paul Newman in ‘Somebody Up There Likes Me’ to last year’s ‘The Fighter’, audiences have not tired of characters willing to step into the ring and go toe to toe with other brawlers. So why is it that boxing films shine and other sports struggle? What is it about the character of “the boxer” that will draw audiences in, time and time again? In a post-Dodgeball age, it is hard to name a sport that has not had an outing on the silver screen. Dodgeball, of course was a satire on the ‘sporting underdog story’, but it did highlight two key points. The ridiculousness of the sport in question reminded us just how many differing sporting movies have been attempted (the joke being that we must scrape the barrel, as it were, with dodgeball). Furthermore, it was the perfect satirical blue print of a sporting movie, in which it was assumed that the audience does not know the rules of the sport. The rules and regulations of the sport had to be clumsily shoehorned in, for the audience’s benefit. Whereas this was comedic in Dodgeball, it is very undesirable in more serious
films. Think of all the American-based sporting films (American Football, Ice Hockey) that have had to similarly explain the concept of their sport to European audiences, and all the European sporting films that have had to pander to Americans in the same way. Boxing’s simplicity and universal popularity has mean that it has never had this problem. Boxing’s universal popularity has also given it social prominence rarely seen so pertinently in other sports. The idea of boxing as the American immigrant sport is a notion which has been taken to heart by African-Americans, Italian-Americans and Irish-Americans. Therefore, so many of both the fictional and biographical boxing films to have been made, have rarely been just about boxing, but have more been about the socio-economic situations of minorities. When Michael Mann came to tell the story of black-civil rights, he chose the figure of Muhammad Ali as a vessel. Rocky and Raging Bull take place within a strong Italian-American culture. Because traditionally, boxing was seen as ‘the only way out’ for working class minorities, the opportunities for teasing out ‘grand narratives’ of social change, in the boxing film, are seemingly abundant. As a result, boxing has carried so much more weight when it has come to filmmaking.
From a cinematic point of view, boxing makes so much more sense on screen, than other sports. Boxing matches have been filmed for audiences for decades. This benefits biographical accounts of boxers because it means that the action can be perfectly recreated. Furthermore, when other sporting movies are charged with the same task, directors find that it is hard to co-ordinate two teams of 15 to act in very specific ways, as Clint Eastwood found in his attempts to perfectly recreate the 1995 rugby World Cup final in Invictus. Moreover, the nature of boxing means that if accurate recreation is not desirable, the option of stylistic filmmaking is a notable alternative. It is hard to imagine the almost dance-like scenes of Raging Bull working quite so well in a Rugby or Ice-Hockey situation. A further difference between boxing films about and other sporting films is how the director can actually navigate the filming of the sport itself. If you are watching a team sport on television, whether it is Soccer, American Football or Basketball, the footage is largely outside of the action. Television gives a terrace view of both teams as their strategies develop. Even though this may be exhilarating in the pub when your team is on the verge of a champi-
onship victory, on a cinema screen it can be very boring. Therefore, many directors choose to get the camera right in the action and give an almost first person account of the game which can be both disorientating and inhibits the ability to see a team’s strategy develop over a whole picture. Boxing on television is different; during a bout, TV cameras can sweep by fighters feet, superb zooms allow cameras to watch what is going on in the fighter’s corners between rounds. As viewers we are more used to dramatic filming techniques in Boxing than in any other sport. Furthermore, first-person shooting in boxing also adds to the effect of the movie, it’s disorientating in a good way. Audiences can feel like they are in the ring with the boxers. Ultimately however, the reason the boxing movie has endured above all others, probably lies in the fact that it is a solo sport. Essentially, all great narrative film is about characters – how they develop, how they interact with others. To follow a team of eleven, or fifteen, only serves to dilute this principle. Boxing, in which you will only ever follow a one-man team, lends itself so much more to great scripts.
Top 5 Big Screen Bouts
The Fighter, for instance, would never have retained its quality in portraying family relationships if Micky Ward was eleven people and not one. As a result, we were offered a full and rewarding exploration of one man’s family life. Furthermore, Jake LaMotta vs Sugar Ray Robinson as all good script-writers will tell you, the basis of Raging Bull drama is conflict: two characters with differing obIn the History of Boxing there has never been a jectives, coming into conflict. In no other sport is this rivalry as great as that between Jake LaMotta and principle so beautifully illustrated as in a boxing Sugar Ray Robinson. In one of Martin Scorsese’s match. All sports will claim to be dramatic, and in greatest films he perfectly shoots the fights and the the loose sense of the word, they generally are. But hatred between these two great brawlers. In reality in the much more scientific sense of the word, only there were 6 fights between these boxing giants boxing can really claim to be drama, personified. Raging Bull, but their final fight in 1951 is the greatest ever comitted to celluloid. It seems as if the boxing film, these days, is as much a staple as the gangster movie or the heist film. It Rocky Balboa vs Ivan Drago may not have had the critical acclaim of other films Rocky IV mentioned in this article, but the release of Real Rocky IV is either the greatest boxing movie of all Steel (a boxing film about robots) just goes to show time or one of the worst, depending on what you that filmmakers and audiences are not tired of the want from your Rocky Movies. The fight between concept, no matter how silly they are in subvertRocky and Ivan Drago was so good that it maning it. Boxing beats other sports on the big screen aged to solve the cold war. because it is in itself, inherently cinematic. Its metaphorical properties range from social representaAtom vs Zeus tion to the premise of drama itself. Its intimacy and Real Steel visuality makes for compelling cinematography, Set in the near future and robots have replaced and its universal appeal means that it will never be humans as the main boxing spectacle. There are short of an audience. As a result, the boxing film a number of great fights in Real Steel as Atom remains very much undefeated. moves his way up the rankings, but the final fight between Atom and Zeus is the quintessential underdog battle. Rocky Graziano vs Tony Zale Somebody Up There Likes Me Another real bout and after Graziano’s endless troubles trying to get his career back on track he manages to score a fight with Tony Zale to become Middleweight Champion of the world. Interestingly, in real life Graziano lost his title and eventually fought Sugar Ray Robinson to try and reclaim it almost exactly a year after Robinson’s final defeat of LaMotta. Maggie Fitzgerald vs Billie “The Blue Bear” Million Dollar Baby Before the final incident that ends this bout, the fight between Maggie and The Blue Bear is a superb cinematic spectacle. Beautiful rolling camerawork at the feet of the boxers and close personal shots make for gruelling viewing.
We Believed in Chris Nolan
BY JOSHUA HAMMOND
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Why the most recent Viral Campaign for The Dark Knight Rises has turned us off.
In 2007, PictureShow’s writers were in the midst of a hysteria. Every day nuggets of information about The Dark Knight were released during one of the most notorious viral marketing schemes in history. People were glued to their computer screens trying to uncover a new website or a clue to the whereabouts of an item that played a key role in the rest of the game. Though these large scale internet treasure hunts may seem ridiculous to some, they are taken incredibly seriously and when it is revealed that the treasure is not worth the effort, players everywhere become angry.
In theory this was every Batman fan’s dream, to be privileged enough to go and see the first 6 minutes of The Dark Knight Rises on a huge IMAX screen surrounded by hundreds of people who are all as interested by the screening as yourself and before anyone goes to see Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. THE PROLOGUE
Think back to the first 6 minutes of The Dark Knight. The incredibly tense bank raid that culminates in the now iconic reveal of Heath Ledger’s Joker. The THE GAME opening to The Dark Knight was a master-class in taught and riveting film making. It was beautifully Such was the case this December, PictureShow’s shot, incredibly well timed and the sparse dialogue writers were again fully immersed in the game, was stunningly written. The opening 6 minutes of immersed in an alternate reality in which Batman The Dark Knight Rises had to contend with that, does exist and Bane is a very real threat. which is no easy feat and the result certainly pales in comparison to the earlier effort. Every day or so, dossiers regarding the whereabouts of Dr. Leonid Pavel were released to various There has been much made of the fact that Bane’s film related websites, including mugshots of Alon dialogue is hard to decipher which is certainly true, Abutbul who plays the scientist in the film. A dossier the mask does seem to inhibit Tom Hardy’s usually was also released by the film’s official twitter feed. verbose nature. The structure of the opening also Those in turn led us to Operation Early Bird which seems to be all over the place. It begins with Comwas initially a countdown timer, once the count- missioner Gordon giving a eulogy at Harvey Dent’s down ended map references had to be input to re- funeral. This moment is absolutely spine tingling, veal various locations. These locations were even- Gary Oldman seems to be right on form as Comtually revealed to be IMAX Screens and a booking missioner Gordon and this short 30 second moment service was given to see the prologue to The Dark is by far the best bit of the prologue. Knight Rises.
Then everything becomes incredible confused. The prologue shifts to a scene involving the interrogation of three hooded men in an aeroplane, one of whom turns out to be Bane, who then proceeds to attack those holding him prisoner (the open doors on the plane make Bane’s dialogue even harder to hear). A larger plane emerges and attaches itself to the smaller plane containing Bane which is then demolished by Bane’s goons leaving only the fuselage of the smaller plane attached to the larger plane which is then released. Though it certainly looks impressive on a huge IMAX screen you begin to question the point of it.
night vision technology). Once the 6 minute prologue had ended everyone was released 10 seats at a time from the auditorium in order to retrieve their phone, which took a considerable time. Had phones not been confiscated the would have been considerably quicker. This ensured that the Batman fans waiting for the next screening had to wait over an hour longer than was scheduled, just to ensure that no one taped the footage on their phone.
Consider that the auditorium was full of Batman fans, people like PictureShow’s writers who love Batman in almost all of his incarnations (Sorry George), people who have spent hours sifting THE EVENING through documents and trawling internet forums for clues. In 2008, The Dark Knight broke Box Office PictureShow attended this screening in Manchester records, it would be fair to say that Batman fans and can only report on the running of the event don’t often indulge in piracy. What sort of Batman there. Extra security was hired for the screening, enthusiast was going to even attempt to pirate an everyone’s phone had to be surrendered to cine- IMAX image on their tiny phone in order to upload ma staff in fear of piracy (even though the cinema it onto the internet? It would be a waste of time, makes a great deal about the sophistication of it’s instead, this screening felt like one.
The Artist Implanted nostalgia is the worst kind, where you are asked to reminisce about something you never directly experienced. There is always a stench of this around films like The Artist that makes a certain type of cynic start like a shark scenting blood: a modern silent film about silent films sounds suspiciously like a gimmick. How long will it be before the audience tires of this little stunt and remembers that sound has been quite a positive addition to films? The Artist is on a knife’s edge of falling into this pseudo-nostalgia trap - in fact it even partakes in some - but somehow, unbelievably, it gets away with it. You can’t help but be charmed by The Artist; the setting, however shamelessly evoked, is a garden where charm grows and characters tap-dance their way through, oozing charm at all times. There are silly jokes about bad acting, there’s a rags-to-riches story and there’s a dog that does stunts; and it’s all wonderful. In no small part is this achieved by the talents of the actors. The two leads who are likely unfamiliar to the audience. Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo, should have been actors in the 1920s, with their dazzling smiles and perfect hair. Their task was not an easy one - to naturalistically portray their characters in a silent film without losing the audience - but one performed with a consummate ease. Those in support did equally well: there is something pleasing about watching our modernday actors like John Goodman move around in a silent movie as if they belonged there.
the film. Instead, a lot of the dialogue was inferred from action or context or, in the case of certain profanities, from lip-reading. It was perhaps this physical inability to exposit via dialogue that made the film so refreshing: so often modern scripts patronise the audience by explaining every facet as if terrified they will not be able to keep up. There were of course, flaws: some of the character development lacked depth, resulting in changes of attitude that seemed at best rapid, but these detracted little from the whole.
Inference is the default target for any decent scriptwriter, and in this film, it is the only route available. The ending is particularly pleasing, containing a tiny, understated reveal. As one of the only lines of Counter-intuitively, one of the most impressive ele- dialogue, it still refuses to be direct expositional, inments of the film was the creative use of sound. It is stead opting to be as elegant as the rest of the film. easy to forget the power sound has in combination BS with an image in a silent film, but used sparingly, this effect is only amplified. This was exemplified in an excellent dream sequence in which a feather falling to the ground produces a scream-inducingly loud sound to a man who has lived his entire life in silence. It was an excellent image and an excellent metaphor for the entire film. The writing also was great - exactly how does one write a film without any dialogue? It gave the right amount of emphasis on action and implied dialogue and yet retained the pace demanded of a modern script. What was particularly impressive was the sparing use of dialogue frames, a staple of silent films that could have disrupted the flow of
The crux of the film hinges on the dynamic of two best friends, you can ill-afford to misjudge or underplay the significance of the relationship. The film succeeds in doing neither of these, creating the perfect pitch between at times almost infantile bickering, and moments of sincere and touching friendship, one moment where Watson tends to a near dead Holmes best showing this.
Sherlock Holmes A Game Of Shadows
The drawback of focussing so intensely on Holmes and Watson’s relationship as the rest of the cast are overshadowed by them. None moreso than Noomi Rapace, as a gypsy girl who goes along for the ride feels irrelevant, as she searches for her brother (equally irrelevant) who she believes is under Moriarty’s employ. It’s not a bad performance, but she is let down by the script, as she spends a lot of the film listening to the exposition offered by the leads. Similarly, Rachel McAdams, returning from the first film in her role as Holmes’ love interest Irene Adler, is given far too little time to impact the film.
The scenes between Moriarty and Holmes are electric, as their interaction oozes with intensity and machismo. However, these scenes are few and far between, and Moriarty spends a lot of the film smugly watching Holmes and Watson attempt to Taking place shortly after the first, Game of Shad- foil his grand plans. If anyone was to play Holmes’ ows follows the detective duo of Holmes (Downey older, and supposedly smarter, brother, then none Jr) and Watson (Law) across Europe as they at- could have done it better than QI master Fry, who tempt to stop Holmes’ arch nemesis Moriarty (Har- is delightfully eccentric and as equally abrasive as ris) from causing the whole continent to descend his brother to thos earound him, one scene in parinto war and chaos. In terms of scale the film goes ticular where he strolls through his home naked, to bigger and bolder than its predecessor, combining the horror of the new Mrs. Watson, and the indifimpressive slow-motion (the scene where our heroes ference of his elderly servant is sure to be one of the run through a forest dodging bullets and canon fire funniest moments of the film a personal highlight) as well as brilliantly played scenes of intellectual and deductive significance, Inevitably comparing this sequel with its predeceswith Holmes’ brother Mycroft (Fry) and even Wat- sor, it is more ambitious in every way, both in terms son getting in on the deductive action. Moreover, of action and intellectual subtlety, yet as a stand this is all whilst being swept breathlessly between alone film, it is let down slightly by a script which leaves all but Holmes and the good doctor in the London, Paris, and Switzerland. shadows. OB After a year of disappointing big budget sequels and ‘setting the scene’ comic book prequels, Sherlock Holmes shows that one of Britain’s most loved fictional characters can bill a thrilling movie.
There is a familiarity about the film which is to its credit, as it takes traits from the first film and enhances and tweaks them. Sherlock’s pre-emptive inner monologue, which he employs to plan out how to assail whichever bad guy is in front of him works well this time round. Used to superb effect in Sherlock’s final showdown with Moriarty, where he begins his monologue, only to be interrupted by Moriarty himself, who has his own monologue going on at the same time.
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol follows Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team as they try to stop Kurt Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist) a nuclear strategist from starting nuclear war. After their team is framed for a terrorist explosion at the Kremlin they must avoid the authorities whilst trailing Hendricks across the globe. Mission: Impossible has almost been a fledgling franchise, it has never been as cool as Bond or as brutal as Bourne. Mission Impossible movies always look good but feel like they are missing something. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol goes someway to resolving these issues. The choice of director, Brad Bird, a man trained at Pixar goes a long way to explaining the incredibly camera work. Computer animation does not need to have practical camer shots, the picture can be created in any way. Bird’s There are a number of little nods to the franchises direction gives the film a good look and the ambi- previous installments, various masks are made and torn off until the mask machine breaks, the initial tion is clear. ‘mission’ does not self deestruct in 5 seconds. There There are some spectacular set pieces in MI:GP, the is a great sequence involving an elevator, if you are opening action sequence involving Hanaway (Josh a Mission Impossible fan you will know that interHolloway) tailing bad guys is remarkably well done esting stuff always happens in an elevator. with a cheeky little nod to Bird’s history at Pixar (look at his ring). The astonishing series of ascents The final scene with the entire team laughing over and descents around the outside of Burj Khalifa are a beer once they’ve saved the world is incredibly riveting stuff too. Brad Bird’s choice to film these se- cheesy, but reveals a lot about the Mission Imposquences with an Imax Camera certainly pay off on sible franchise. There is a familiarity about the frana bigger screen, almost giving the audience vertigo chise that make it warmer than Bond and Bourne. as the cameras peer down all 160 stories. A great Mission: Impossible is happy and confident enough deal has been made about Tom Cruise doing his to be the goofy cousin to superior spy thrillers, but own stunts, but it certainly shows in these sequenc- people only tolerate their goofy cousin for a little while. Eventually everyone goes back to the real es, which are by far the best thing about the film. world. JH The film falls down due to the lacklustre script, subplots involoving Hunt’s wife and mystery agent Brandt (Jeremy Renner) confuse the film and cause the action to pause far too often to make way for an aside about some irrelevant point. Benjy (Simon Pegg) is one of the only returning characters members from previous installments (Luther Stickell and Julia Mead both appear briefly) and Bird uses his comedic talent to good effect. Pegg’s affable character is a nice foil to the very serious Hunt and the very mysterious Brandt, however, this constant sequence of intense moment followed by comedic relief (that almost always comes from Pegg) becomes incredibly boring.
the film, the change in colour temperature between present day Sweden and the flashbacks are a nice touch. The spectacular opening sequence reveals Fincher’s history as a music video director. Fincher’s use of external sounds is also interesting as the volume of innocuous machines such as vaccuum cleaners are raised depending on the events on screen. For all these flourishes the narrative remains largely the same. Fincher’s associates from other films have been brought in to work with him once again. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross return to the world of film scores after their Oscar winning debut for The Social Network, though the soundtrack is remarkably similar to their previous one, a lot of buzzing noises and low frequency hums to set the atmosphere.
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) is an investigative journalist whose reputation and life savings have been destroyed by the mysterious Wennerstrom group. Blomkvist resigns from his own magazine and takes a job working for Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer), the retired CEO of Vangar insustries, investigating the death of Vangar’s daughter. Blomkvist is introduced to Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) who becomes his assistant anf lover during the investigation
Rooney Mara, who also appeared in Fincher’s previous film, is a revelation as Lisbeth Salander. Mara’s swedish accent is the only one in the film that sounds convincing (anyone that can pinpoint Craig’s accent is a better person than I) and her interpretation of Salander is just different enough from the previous incarnation, played by Noomi Rapace. Mara’s portrayal is remarkable for it’s frailty, where Rapace cut a formidable character on screen as she kicked ass and took names, Mara blends with her backgrounds moving lithely from place to place.
The finished project does not differ enough to have The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo bucks the recent warranted a remake (or re-adaptaton). 2009’s The trent of foreign language remakes in that tt does not Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was a Swedish admove the action to another country in the same fash- aptation of a Swedish book, that had a Swedish ion as Martin Scorsese’s crime epic, The Departed. director, a Swedish cast and was in the Swedish Sweden is integral to the story of The Girl With The language. This version is an American adaptation Dragon Tattoo and it is clear why a change of loca- of a swedish book, with an american director, a tion would be impossible, however it is unclear why largely british and american cast and is in the english language. For all the remake’s good points, it this film has been made at all. feels inauthentic. JH When questioned about the remake, Niels Arden Oplev, director of the original film said, “Why would they remake something when they would just go and see the original? It’s like – what do you want to see - the french version of La Femme Nikita or the American one?” Whilst The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is not nearly as bad as The Assassin, Oplev’s point remains valid. The original film was still picking up awards as production was starting on the american film. David Fincher’s directorial flourishes are all over
Junkhearts The dissolution of the UK Film Council earlier this year may still leave a bitter taste in the mouths of independent British filmmakers but there is a incredible amount of promise left in British cinema. Recent genre efforts such as Attack the Block may not have lit up the box office but established a strong cult following, while dark drama Tyrannosaur saw actress Olivia Colman breaking out of her typed role in Peep Show and director Paddy Considine scooping an award at the British Independent film festival. Almost as a companion piece to Considine’s debut, director Tinge Krishnan’s Junkhearts is a incredibly powerful and intimate drama focusing on the short lived and spontaneous relationship between a soldier and homeless girl, quickly spiraling from happiness into a world of drugs, torture and violence. The story follows an ex-soldier (Eddie Marsan) who lives alone, separated from his daughter and grandchild, drowning his nightmares with alcohol. After wandering the streets at night, a chance encounter with a homeless women Lynette (Candese Reid) gives him a new lease of life as a surrogate daughter, letting her live with him. After a series of generic bonding experiences, Lynette’s dealer boyfriend (Tom Sturridge) becomes a threatening presence, taking advantage of the close relationship and quickly changing the apartment into a halfway house for drug transactions and youth violence. Dragging together multiple storylines and handling a questionable concept that could raise a few eyebrows (ring the police?), director Krishnan produces a incredibly cinematic experience, held up by the powerful performances of the lead actors.
a pre–made sexual transaction for crack. As a victim in every sense, tortured by himself and others, its makes a welcome change from his unlikeable sadist character in Tyrannosaur.
Fittingly echoing the title, Junkhearts expresses an unflinching portrayal of the unglamorous life of drugs and alcoholism and the good human instincts that lie underneath. Clichéd as this message sounds the film never lapses into sentimentality, ending on an elliptic note of hope rather than closure and (at least temporarily) placing the characters on the right path. But having witnessed all the atrocities and emotional assaults of the feature runtime, the break from the often depressing accounts of drug affected youth and soldiers with post-traumatic stress, was thankfully welcoming as the credits rolled. Everyone has a story and although Junkhearts may not provide any answers, focusing on the human scar Candese Reid is incredible as Lynette, torn between tissue of sexual abuse, war and drugs, it certainly her good nature and boyfriends corrupting influprovides a lot of interesting questions. CB ence, subtly showing her vulnerability towards human relationships from her unspecified time living on the streets. Tom Sturridge also affectively plays the heroin riddled boyfriend, showcasing a compelling mixture of violence and vulnerability as his self–destructive addiction claims everyone around him and leading to his comeuppance. However, the real accolades lie with the troubled male lead. Marsan is incredibly compelling, with his personal demons externalized onto his tired and beaten down face. Carrying a number of effective scenes his manipulation at the hands of Lynette and her boyfriend is difficult to watch, including a terrible reversal of a erotic scene, revealed to his face to be
to struggling to seek closure after the death of her husband, is of the highest calibre with the appearance, mannerisms, and voice copied down to the last detail. Scenes involving both Streep and Dennis Thatcher (excellently played by Jim Broadbent) are very emotive and touching to the audience, bringing a sign of tenderness, and perhaps humanising the image of the the Iron Lady as a wife and mother, not just the political leader she was known to the public as.
The Iron Lady
Those looking for politically-motivated analytical barrage into the thatcher years may have to look elsewhere. The structural method the script employs does not always lend itself to being fully dissecting of some of the films important historical events. With same stroke of the brush, however, that same structure works excellently in creating a strong artistic realisation of a compelling dramatic character, which is ultimately the point of this film.
Lloyd has skilfully created an emotive, revealing, entertaining and at times heart breaking retrospective which shows British politics in a positive light indeed. Rather than villainising, the film holds at its heart a story of a woman, empowered to enter politics for the right reasons, to do what she knew Set in the present day, The Iron Lady illustrates the was right, not what she felt was right. Streep, by now Lady Thatcher as a frail, dementia-suffering no means carries this film, but she does bring to woman, who re-imagines her upbringing, rising it a certain brilliance, proving to us all (yet again) through the political ranks and her time spent at 10 that she is one of the best actresses working today. EMM Downing Street in a series of flashbacks. Ever since its announcement, the debates surrounding the appropriateness of The Iron Lady seemed set to derail the film’s ability to be viewed in a completely objective light. As a result, this review will not concern itself in such debates.
The appointment of the director, Phyllida Lloyd may indeed have raised some eyebrows among the film elite, as she is best known for her work directing the cinematic adaptation of Mamma Mia back in 2008. One may have wondered if the same gimmicks and spontaneous bursting into song might have followed with her to this, her latest project. Thankfully not, although one tag along has proven to be her trump card; the ace up her sleeve that is the casting of Meryl Streep in the role of Margaret Thatcher. With having to tackle the role of two Margaret Thatchers, both in her political heyday and in the present, Streep is presented with a far from easy task. Her performance, however, is nothing short of mesmerising, highlighting to the audience why this is an actress with 16 Oscar and 26 Golden Globe nominations to her name. Her delivery, from doing battle at the dispatch box in the House of Commons
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Things to see in January
o start the new year in style PictureShow Magazine has helpfully collated the most interesting and absorbing cinema screenings over the next month. Scotland Dumfries
Robert Burns Centre Film Theatre Housekeeping 27th January
Housekeeping is Bill Forsyth’s 1987 adaptation of Marilynne Robinson’s novel of the same name. The film follows two sisters, Ruth and Lucille as their family life is continually disrupted by outside forces. This is a rare chance to see some of Bill Forsyth’s work on a big screen.
Dundee
Dundee Contemporary Arts Cinema Les Enfants du Paradis 10th January Set in the early 19th Century in the Theatre scene in Paris, Les Enfants du Paradis fol-
lows Garance, a courtesan, and her 4 suitors. Largely considered to be one the greatest french films of all time, it is easy to forget that Les Enfants du Paradis was made under extremely difficult circumstances in Nazioccupied France. The opportunity to see this magnificent film is worth a trip to Dundee.
Edinburgh
Filmhouse The Great White Silence 17th January On the centenary of Captain Scott’s arrival at the South Pole on January 17th 1912, Edinburgh Filmhouse are showing The Great White Silence. The Great White Silence is comprised of footage captured on the journey south by Herbert Ponting who later cut the footage into a film. The BFI have restored the prints to reveal the staggering beauty of antarctica and given the film an entirely new score.
North West Beetham
The Heron The Third Man 27th January An opportunity to see The Third Man should never be passed up. With a screenplay by Graham Greene and featuring incredible performances by Orson Welles and Joseph Cotton, The Third Man set the bar high for all British Cinema. The intense score by Anton Karas was played entirely on one instrument, the zither, a strange eastern european stringed instrument.
Lancaster
The Dukes Meet Me In St Louis 29th January One of Judy Garland’s most well known musicals, Meet Me In St Louis, tells the story of a family as the 1904 World’s Fair arrives in Missouri. Largely considered to be one of the greatest musicals of all time it will be sure to cheer you up.
Liverpool
Woolton Picture House The African Queen 22nd January On the set of The African Queen, a large proportion of the cast and crew became sick, Humphrey Bogart avoided illness by avoiding drinking the water in favour of drinking Whiskey. Though this is not the only reason to see the film, it certainly added a relaism to Bogart’s gin soaked boat master.
North East Hexham
The Forum E.T. The Extra Terrestrial 4th February Who doesn’t remember the first time they saw E.T.? Take someone who has never seen it to this screening in Hexham and be filled with wonder for two hours. This is Spielberg at his best.
Newcastle
The Star And Shadow The American Friend 12th January Wim Wenders is one of the worlds’ greatest directors and The American Friend is proof that even when not on top forn his work is remarkable. Though Wenders has stated that he will only be working in 3D from now on, it is fair to say that The American Friend benefits from it’s own brand of cinematography.
Central Sheffield
Showroom Babe 21st January Babe, the story of a Pig that wants to become a Sheepdog is now almost entirely
ingrained onto the public consciousness. Though it may have lost out on almost all of it’s Oscar nominations (except for Best Visual Effects) Babe has endured and even the lacklustre sequel could not sully the greatness of the original film
Leicester
Phoenix Square Tommy 15th January Recently the great Ken Russel shuffled off this mortal coil leaving behind a string of great films. Tommy is one of his more well remebered. Based on The Who’s album of the same name, it is entirely “sungthrough” meaning that there is no spoken dialogue. Elton John initially turned down the role of Pinball Wizard but was convinced to be involved once he was told he could keep his massive Dr. Martens.
Wales Cardiff
Chapter Human Centipede Double Bill 15th January
Bristol
Arnolfi An Eastern Westerner Grandma’s Boy 28th January If slapstick comedy is your thing there are few places you would rather be than the Arnolfi in Bristol which is hosting a Slapstick Comedy festival this month. Our particular highlight is this double bill of Harold Lloyd features
Two of the most notorious films of the new decade land in Cardiff for an evening fillled with gore and creepiness. Whilst these films are not for everyone, they are certainly inventive and have courted controversy wherever they have been shown. Watershed Be warned: Everything you have heard The Good, The Bad and The Ugly about these films is true. They’re a bit icky. 5th February November’s issue of PictureShow Magazine featured an article on Prequels and how to do them right. We specifically mentioned The Good, The Bad and The Ugly for being a superb example of a prequel. It is, however, a superb film in its own right. London The Prince Charles Cinema Friday 13th Marathon I-IV Poole 13th January Lighthouse Thats right, this January has a Friday 13th Annie Hall and The Prince Charles in London is pro14th January viding the obligatory marathon of Jason Roger Ebert has described Annie Hall as Voorhies’ own brand of madness. “Just about everybody’s favourite Woody
South
Roxy Bar and Screen The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Shivers + Shorts 29th January If the Friday 13th series aren’t your horror cup of tea, then maybe Roxy’s night with Jason Zinoman, the author of “SHOCK VALUE: How a Few Eccentric Outsiders Gave Us Nightmares, Conquered Hollywood”
Allen Movie.” He may have a point. Woody Allen’s Alvy Singer and Diane Keaton’s Annie Hall are some of comedies most enduring creations.
PictureShow Magazine will return on the 6th of February