Skyfall

At last Bond hits his mark

Release Date: October 26, 2012

Director: Same Mendes

Starring: Daniel Crag, Javier Bardem, Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Wishaw, Naomie Harris, Berenice Marlohe

Plot: After being injured in combat Bond must come back from the dead in order to fight an adverary with roots closer to home than he realises, one who will stop at nothing to destroy MI6 and 007's boss M for perceived past crimes.

When one thinks of British film and television, one can't help but immediately think of Harry Potter, Doctor Who and of course James Bond. The 007 franchise, like any other has had its ups and downs over the years. Most of these were largely solved when Daniel Craig took over the lead role, the campiness that had been increasing in recent years was largely removed as was the over reliance on increasingly fantastic and unrealistic gadgets. Instead 007 largely had to rely on his own wits and minimal fire power in order to save the day

Skyfall is the latest installment in this new breed of James Bond, following the rather disappointing (but still, in my opinion, underrated) Quantum of Solace and features a moodier more cynical James Bond . In order to distance itself from its less than well received predecessor it moves away from the Quantum storyline and instead focuses on an original storyline focusing more on Bond's superior M and the film flourishes for it as many people, including myself consider it to be one of the best entries in the 50 year run.

Daniel Craig turns in his best performance this time round, after being put out of action by one of his own allies he returns from 'death' bitter, out of shape and less compliant than ever, he is forced to undergo a rigorous fitness test and in doing so we are rewarded with the rarely seen site of Bond struggling, he isn't ready for the events of this film and as such he finds it that much harder. Throughout the film we are shown hints that Bond is passed his prime and that his time on the job is now limited. This is perhaps best demonstrated in a fantastically understated scene with Bonds new 'Q'uartermaster (ably played by Ben Wishaw) and again when Gareth Mallory (Ralph Fiennes) reminds 007 that this “is a young man's game”. It begins to show the potential for taking the series in new directions not seen before 007 is but a codename after all, Bond does not have to occupy it forever.

But as good as Craig was as the British super spy it is Javier Bardem's charismatic villain Raoul Silva that steals this show. Where Bond is understated Raoul Silva is over the top, he is rarely seen engaging in physical combat so it is hard to tell if he is truly Bond's equal but he is a new breed of villain, one for the modern ages, as is mentioned in my previous post. He is a computer hacker, arguably something far more dangerous than a mere megalomaniac. He doesn't hold the world to ransom under threat of nuclear strike, he doesn't want the world, he has a more personal agenda. Bardem imbues Silva with a delightful flamboyance that really makes him a joy to watch, though he doesn't appear until over an hour into the film and arguably that means that he isn't really developed as well as he could have been. He is first seen delivering a wonderfully disturbing story about rats before borderline sexually harassing 007, and this is one of those things which makes him so interesting, is he gay? Or is he just trying to unsettle our hero? Either way way it creates a dynamic between the two that continues until the film's dramatic conclusion.

While arguably there is no Bond girl in this film, well no main one anyway, neither of the other two could be describes as main characters. The closest thing this film has to a Bond girl is M herself! Promoted from instrument of exposition into full fledged main character, she has finally been fleshed out into a character we can all relate to...in theory, while I have no doubt this would work for most people, I just find the character a little bit too annoying to be tolerated as a field agent for the entire film. I have felt that way since the days of Bernard Lee and I still feel it now. Obviously I have nothing against Judi Dench, she is one of the best actors of our time but I think M is meant purely as a bureaucratic foil for 007 not as his sidekick.

The supporting characters are a blend of fantastic and mediocre as both of the supporting Bond Girls are bland and uninspiring, both are pretty yes but that is not the only requirement for a bond Girl anymore and neither are really that interesting. Even Naomie Harris, who is normally quite good as an actress, was only more slightly watchable as Bond's junior agent and soon to be series regular Even Moneypenny than Berenice Marlohe as the latest Bond 'squeeze' Severine who is uninteresting and underdeveloped, even compared to previous Bond Girls. Luckily neither of them are around long enough to bring the film down. On the plus side Ralph Fiennes, as per usual, delivers a stellar performance, this time as Gareth Mallory the droll liason between MI6 and the Government with more importance to the overall story than what it initially appears. But even Ralph Fiennes is overshadowed by Ben Wishaw who plays the new age Q. Since the early days I have always loved the scenes featuring Bond's quartermaster who was played by Desmond Llewlyn until his tragic death, and this new film is no different. Though now they have decided to bring Q into the 21^st Century, gone is the cantankerous old man from previous installments and instead we are treated to a young nerd, who is barely older than I am. But it creates a fascinating dynamic between the two about Bond's increasing antiquity compared with Q's youthful, technological innovation.

Story wise the film seems fantastic on first glance, and it actually is, but the more times I have seen it the more problems I have with the narrative. For example, that rather intriguing storyline about Silva attempting to release the names of all undercover agents to the world is a plot line that could very well be the main focus of a film, but it is casually discarded after about fifty minutes in favour of the more traditional cat and mouse game between hero and villain. Which brings me onto my second criticism, throughout the film I couldn't help but draw many similarities between Raoul Silva and Heath Ledger's interpretation of the Joker in the Dark Knight, both always seem to be one step ahead of the protagonist, both seemingly get caught and incarcerated only to reveal it is where they wanted to be all along. However where Silva's character falls short is in his overall scheme. He goes to so much trouble hacking the MI6 system, stealing the names of those aforementioned agents to discredit both MI6 and M, as well as being purposefully detained before successfully taking Q's arrogance down a peg or two as he manipulates MI6's own computer system into releasing him...Only to walk into a crowded room and take potshots at M, it seems like so much effort for a rather minimal payoff. However this lack of sense is soon forgotten about when the narrative takes us to Scotland and to Bond's childhood home 'Skyfall' for a beautiful yet not overdone conclusion, Raoul Silva and Bond do not have a traditional final fight, they do not trade blows in some perilous location as has been done for fifty years previously, instead we are treated to something a bit more realistic (arguably) and indeed something which in my opinion is much more spectacular to watch culminating in one of the greatest tragedies in Bond history since his wife was murdered on her wedding day!

Overall the film is not without faults, but it still remains one of, if not the greatest entry into a series that has spanned fifty years and twenty three films. Through a more grizzled take on 007 and a flamboyantly memorable villain this film has breathed new life into a character who audiences, like the characters within the film had begun to question whether or not he still had a place in this world. I heartily recommend this film to everyone...even if it were for the fantastic opening song by Adele now the proud winner of a Golden Globe.

Top 10 James Bond Villains!

Bad has never been so good...

Bond season is upon us! With the newly released 'Skyfall' (which shall be reviewed shortly) James Bond has been put back on the map, certainly with me at any rate. Since viewing the film I have gone back and started the series from the beginning, and as such have decided to open the series of posts relating to Bond by counting down the top 10 Villains throughout the series 50 year run. The rule is that they must be the principal antagonists, they cannot be henchmen as a result this list will obviously exclude common favourites such as Oddjob and Jaws.

As an interesting side note, it was suggested to me that I compile a similar list relating to the bond Women, I chose not to for the simple reason is that I can't really stand any of them, for the vast majority of them their primary purpose seems to have innuendo ridden names and provide Bond with his 'reward' upon the missions conclusion. Obviously this not apply to every 'Bond girl' but there aren't enough exceptions to warrant earning their own list.

Without further ado let's start the list with number 10.

           10) Dr Julius No (Joseph Wiseman)

             

              Film: Dr No       

The titular Dr No will be forever remembered as the first Bond Villain, he set in motion a number of common characteristics that would remain a vital element of the Bond films forever more. Equipped with a pair of metallic hands which while granting him almost superhuman strength also severely limited his dexterity began the trend of having a villain which suffered from some form of bizarre physical deformity which sets them apart from 'normal' human beings. Joseph Wiseman manages to imbue the character with an arrogant sense of superiority and malice which would also become a Bond villain staple. Succinctly put in order to determine why Bond Villains are the way they are: calm, calculated and sadistically ruthless yet needlessly elaborate in their machinations for Bond's death you need look no further than Dr Julius No (I mean the tarantula, while successful in its attempts to create a tense and nerve racking scene, were almost certainly guaranteed to fail.) The only thing that doesn't put him further up this list is that his overall scheme, when compared to the later villains seems downright tame. I mean there isn't even any mention of a ransom or the idea of world domination. In fact the most significant contribution to the series, aside from the aforementioned villainous characteristics is to introduce the main antagonists of the Connery era films S.P.E.C.T.R.E.

         9) Mr Big/Dr Kananga (Yaphet Kotto)  

           

           Film: Live and Let Die      

'Live and Let Die' was a slightly unusual Bond film in so much that not only was it Roger Moore's first and as a result people had to get over the departure of Sean Connery, who even today is often considered the best Bond. But furthermore the entire roster of villains in this film are black, which has resulted in some viewers claiming that it is racist. Despite this minor controversy 'Live and Let Die' has managed to create one of the best villains in the series, even though he has the most ridiculous death out of them all, I mean being turned into a giant exploding blimp is just laughable. Up until that point however, Dr Kananga was one of my favourite villains, for three simple reasons 1) His plot revolving around the distribution of drugs seems much more believable than anything S.P.E.C.T.R.E had to offer, drugs are a very real problem in today's society, 2) The fact that Yaphet Kotto was able to convincingly play two people. Throughout the narrative we are let to believe that Mr Big, a crime lord encountered by Bond is simply an associate of Kananga's, he grows the drugs, Big distributes them, pretty simple. It was only about halfway through the film, and during a particularly tense interrogation that he pulls off his facial prosthetics and reveals that Kananga and Big are one and the same. In my opinion it was the biggest reveal since we saw what Blofeld look like...well the first one anyway. He was both sinister yet charismatic, chilling yet deadly Yaphet Kotto successfully managed to create an antagonist who almost managed to outshine the hero.

Sorry about this video, it wasn't the one I wanted but it really is the only one I could find. I hope to replace with a scene which better demonstrates the qualities I mentioned in my entry, this merely highlights his ridiculous death scene...still funny.

         8) Auric Goldfinger (Gert Frobe)     

           Film: Goldfinger    

There is not a single list that I have seen cataloguing the quality of Bond villains that does not include Auric Goldfinger. He is one of the most popular antagonists of the entire series, and quite rightly so. Though he falls into the category of being one of those villains who without his henchman would not really be difficult to overcome. Rather large around the middle and getting on in years he relies on the virtually indestructible Oddjob to handle the physical aspects of his plot. But it is his mind that make him one of the greats. His plot is rather interesting, he doesn't seek to destroy the world, or even rule it. He simply loves gold, as he says: He welcomes any enterprise that will increase his stock, his aim to detonate a nuclear bomb inside Fort Knox, thus irradiating America's gold supply and ergo increasing the value of his own. It is simple yet remarkably elegant and that is why it will always be remembered. Gert Frobe did a fantastic job in portraying Goldfiner, well the physical side anyway, like most early villains he was dubbed in the final film. But the subtle nuances and the deranged, yet oh so slightly bored look in his eyes which serves to convey his arrogance, he just doesn't have the time for anyone, deeming them irrelevant, are among Frobe's finest achievements in this film. Perhaps most importantly he will always be remembered for the infamous scene in which he has 007 strapped to a table and fires a slow moving laser up the centre of of legs in an attempt to bisect him. Excessive yes, but brilliant to watch and culminates in what I believe is the best example of Bond-villain banter:

007: Do you expect me to talk?

Goldfinger: (Laughs) No Mr Bond I expect you to die!

          7) Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Donald Pleasance, Telly Savalas, Charles Gray)

             Film: You Only Live Twice, On her Majesties Secret Service, Diamonds are Forever

Blofeld is arguably the most major villains of the series and certainly in Connery's films he is the main antagonist. But position 6 was a toss up between Blofeld and 'Thunderball's' villain Emilio Largo, while I think Largo was a better antagonist in his film than Pleasance, Savalas and Gray were in theirs but I chose Blofeld because he has had more of an impact on the series as a whole, he was the real mastermind behind the events of 'Dr No', 'From Russia with Love' and 'Thunderbal'l and in On Her Majesties Secret Service, in which he was played by Kojak actor Telly Savalas he even killed James Bond's wife, on their wedding day which left a lasting impression on 007, continuing even as he was played by the other actors, with Roger Moore visiting her grave. I always thought that the interesting thing about Blofeld was that his character was almost ruined by having to reveal his face. Prior to 'You Only Live Twice' Blofeld was shown only as a pair of hands stroking his signature white cat and wearing a signet ring adorned with the S.P.E.C.T.R.E logo, this was almost more sinister for me as, like many others, I have a slight fear of the unknown. As such, this faceless villain whom we knew nothing about was far more scary than any of the actors whose faces we have come to associate with Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Similarly the fact that he was played by different actors in each film where we saw his face, while in keeping with the novel's idea that Blofeld was in a sense, a chameleon who was able to alter his appearance as required (through surgery, prosthesis and disguise rather than shapeshifting), it does make it hard for us to like him because as soon as we begin to, he changes; and each incarnation bears little to no resemblance to the previous portrayal, whereas Donald Pleasance was creepy and subtle, Telly Savalas was brash and thuggish and the less said about Charles Gray the better. While he was unknown he was dangerous, mysterious and enigmatic but after they inevitably showed his face it just lost something important. This is why the clip below is not taken from the listed films and is in fact taken from my favourite Blofeld scene, before we knew who he was.

6) Elliot Carver (Jonathan Pryce)      

  Film: Tomorrow Never Dies

Not many people like this villain. I suppose I can see why, Jonathan Pryce is hammy, melodramatic and the character isn't really all that threatening when compared with his fellow villains. But I like him because of his status a media mogul akin to News Corporation's Rupert Murdoch, and as a University Graduate in the subject of Journalism I can kind of appreciate the power that such a position holds and just plain love him the way I loved my subject, so this one is more personal. I love the power that the Media can have, as is evidenced in Carver's introductory scene where he simultaneously manages to blackmail the American President using footage of him involved in sordid activities and frame the Chinese for the murder of British naval soldiers in order to start World War Three simply so that he can have broadcasting rights. It is a much more realistic form of world domination than holding the world to ransom under threat of nuclear strike. In today's world information is the true weapon and those who own our news outlets are the true holders of power and their web of influence is vast and impressive which is shown in the scene below, a resourceful journalist can find information anywhere provided they look hard enough and someone with a contact web as wide as Carver's is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with. Furthermore, this character represents the corruption that is rife in our media which was brought to light in the recent Leveson Inquiries and as such is a sort of parody, even if it was not quite so noticeable at the time of the film's release. As I said, it was not Jonathan Pryce's performance that made this character the villain he was, his dialogue was hammy and the performance matches it on every level. But in terms of power arguably Carver is the most powerful enemy Bond has faced...and he also has a magnificent death scene.

5) Alec Trevalyan (Sean Bean)          

            Film: Goldeneye

The best villains are often those who used to be friends, just take a look at Professor Xavier and Magneto! The same is true with James Bond and Alec Trevalyan, or as he was known until his defection: 006. The fact that they were once allies and even close friends makes the betrayal and ultimate defection of 006 even more dramatic. In addition this means that he has received exactly the same training as Bond himself resulting in the first even matched physical confrontation Bond has ever encountered from a main villain, until this point the final battle as always been a little bit silly, with Bond easily overpowering his hilariously outmatched adversary without any sort of effort whatsoever but this was the first film in which Bond himself was as bloody and beaten as his antagonist. It makes for a much more engaging film because in a sense it means that the villain is essentially Bond himself, or rather how Bond could have turned out, they are two sides of the same coin. This makes for a particularly amusing scene in which Trevalyan is able to disarm 007's carefully planted explosives because they both wear the same Q Branch issued wristwatches containing the detonator. In many ways he knows Bond's moves before he does, quicker even as he himself states that he was 'always better'. Most of 007's enemies have been intellectually brilliant if a tad unstable, but 006 sets himself apart because he was the first to show us just how dangerous MI6 training could be if given to the wrong person, a theme utilised again for latest villain Raoul Silva. But perhaps the most important thing about Alec Trevalyan which makes him worthy of an appearance on my top 10 list...he was played by Sean Bean, and anything played by Sean Bean is immediately imbued with the same sense of 'badassery' that the actor himself possesses.

          4) Franz Sanchez (Robert Davi)                                   

            Film: License to Kill

I imagine that there were a lot of other villains who could have achieved Sanchez's level of evil if only their respective films had been granted the same benefits his film, 'License to Kill' had. Being the first Bond film to receive a 15 certificate rating meant that they could get away with a lot more than they had been been up until that point, and as a result the reason why Franz Sanchez makes it so high up on my list is because of his actions, the most despicable involving a certain CIA agent by the name of Leiter, who after many years of being Bond's primary American ally and counterpart was unceremoniously deprived of his legs after being lowered into a shark tank while his new bride was raped and murdered. Leiter was later left to be found by Bond with a note tied round his neck with the chilling message 'he disagreed with something that ate him'. This was new territory for Bond, and was one of the many controversial elements surrounding that particular film. Even the casual mass murder committed by Max Zorin didn't compare to that. Despite the fact that I said it was these acts which had him placed so high on this list, it also prevented him from climbing any higher. Most Bond villains, despite their evil nature were at least likeable and charismatic. Sanchez was much more realistic and that made him just a tad too unnerving. Once again his plot had nothing to do with world domination, he was a drug dealer. In fact he may be the only villain who was hunted for Bond purely for revenge as opposed to being sent their to prevent world domination. Robert Davi made Sanchez charismatic but also vile meaning that perhaps for the first time most fans couldn't wait to see his inevitable demise, which when it does come around is presented in such a way that we feel the victory as much as Bond does, Leiter has appeared in enough films before 'License to Kill' that we have become to accept and enjoy his presence, to see bond enact such brutal vengeance is as satisfying for us as it is for him.

            3) Francisco Scaramanga (Christopher Lee)                

              Film: The Man with the Golden Gun

Scaramanga deserves to be on this list simply because he is played by Christopher Lee, who is my absolute hero. But while Scaramanga is truly a brilliant antagonist the plot of his film 'The Man with the Golden Gun' just doesn't allow him to surge to the top of my list, he isn't really given an awful lot to do. However the scenes in which he does appear are far and away the best in the film. What is interesting about him is that he seems to be the first villain who is presented as being 'the dark side of Bond' he is as suave and sophisticated as he is and perhaps even more deadly and has the distinction of being the first Bond Villain to have a genuine girlfriend, even if she is terrified of him. Christopher Lee plays the character as he has played most of the characters in his forty plus year career, elegantly evil, demonstrated perfectly in a scene with Bond while sat ringside of a kickboxing match when he tells him of how, when working for a circus, he shot the trainer of an elephant he had befriended for animal cruelty and says calmly: “I always thought I liked animals, then I discovered that I liked killing people even more”. In addition managing to shoot someone so that they do not even fall or slump from their seat is quite a feat in marksmanship and is just one of many indications of just how lethal this man can really be. It is interesting to note that Scaramanga effectively begins the film as another villain's henchman, like Rosa Klebb in 'From Russia with Love' being second in command to the real villain Blofeld, Scaramanga is on the payroll of Hai Fat a businessman who seeks the film's object of interest, the Solex Agitator. But unlike Klebb, Scaramanga quickly tires of being mistreated and coldly kills his employer, taking his assets and the Agitator for himself. However, the thing that makes this film truly memorable is Scaramanga's funhouse; in order to keep him on form Scaramanga has an arrangement with his ludicrous henchman Nick Nack, he brings assassins to the island in attempt to kill him, but first he must lure them to the funhouse a series of elaborate traps and optical illusions designed to force Scaramanga to focus his senses to overcome his adversary while it causes them to become disorientated and paranoid. When Bond is lured inside it results in what can only be described as the most inventive final fight the series has ever seen.

          2) Max Zorin (Christopher Walken)             

            Film: A View to a Kill

Many argue that 'A View to a Kill' is one of the worst Bond films, Roger Moore was, at this point, far too old to play the role of 007 and looked ridiculous when paired with the youthful Tanya Roberts. But of the many problems this film has Christopher Walken's decidedly unhinged portrayal of psychotic businessman Max Zorin was not one of them! A genetic experiment gone wrong Zorin is both brilliant yet intensely homicidal and if you have seen 80% of films featuring Walken you will know this this is exactly what he specialises in. Unlike most villains, who while being undoubtedly psychotic rarely get blood on their own hands but tend to find inventive ways of avoiding it, from henchmen to traps, Zorin loves to kill people and does so frequently shown perfectly in a scene towards the film's climax in which he not only guns down most of his henchmen in cold blood, but does so while laughing hysterically. It was a kind of evil which had not yet been seen, it wasn't brilliant it was just monstrous. It was the sadistic glee that Zorin took from killing that set him apart from previous villains and made him so memorable which I suppose is a good thing considering the low quality of his henchmen, yes I know May Day was physically capable but she was just so annoying that I try to forget her and focus on Zorin. In some respects he reminds me a little bit of Heath Ledger's Joker, he desired nothing more than continue with his crimes and killing regardless of any cost to himself. During their final confrontation on the Golden Gate Bridge after viciously attacking Bond with an axe and faced with the prospect of falling to his doom he simply cackles manically before slipping from the bridge and into the depths below. The unhinged quality that Walken gave in his performance will forever put him a notch above most villains who, in hindsight, were really all talk. Zorin was a psychotic monster who just loved to kill and that makes him one of the most dangerous foes Bond has encountered yet. Finally he delivered one of the best lines of dialogue in any film I have seen, and they are words I have tried to live by:

“Intuitive improvisation, is the key to genius”

           1) Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem)                  

             Film: Skyfall

Raoul Silva is the latest addition to fifty years worth of Bond Villains, what distinguishes him from he fellow evil doers is that he is a cyber terrorist, all of his plans are carried out using high powered computers, this type of villain has been seen before in the form of Boris Grishenko in 'Goldeneye' but has now been upgraded to primary antagonist and in doing so has shown audiences that Bond has been brought into the present, there are no more megalomaniacs stroking cats and plotting world domination, there are just technological geniuses who are able to access whatever information they want and use it to do what no other Bond villain has ever done, bring both MI6 and its icy leader to their knees. Javier Bardem did wonderful things with Silva, after seeing the film I realised that there was not one element of his performance that I expected, after seeing the released image of him dressed as a police man I couldn't help but liken him to Red Grant in 'From Russia With Love': Tall, blonde and physically intimidating. However not only do you never see Silva engage in a physical fight, he was incredibly camp and was quite possibly the only bi-sexual character in Bond's history. I say possibly because it was never actually confirmed, while he did appear to have a particular interest in Bond, I was given the impression that he merely did it to make him uncomfortable, intimately caressing him all the while asking him to try and remember how his training could help him, it seemed a little too sadistic to be genuine. Furthermore the camp affectations Bardem gave his character reminded me slightly, like Zorin before him, of the eccentricities of Heath Ledger's Joker . He was just excitable, enjoying his work and simply having a good time causing so much chaos. He is the only Bond Villain to have actually given me chills as he walks around Bond's Scottish estate calmly throwing incendiary grenades through the windows. Or when he holds the gun to M's head in the film's dramatic conclusion. In fact one could make many comparisons between Silva and the Joker, his plan may seems overly elaborate, years in the making, only for him to walk into a courtroom and open fire much like the clown prince of crime going to all that effort, just to cause a little anarchy. But upon a second viewing I kind of got the impression he was doing it just because he thought it would be fun. He was a positive departure from the Quantum organisation that has been the main focus of Daniel Craig's Bond film, and I hope for more like him in the future.

And there we have it, I know it took a while. But I've had extra hours at work and University assignments to hand it so it has put me a little behind, I hope you enjoyed this and stay tuned for part 2 of my own personal Bond Season.

The Most Entertaining Procrastination yet!

I spend a lot of time trawling  Youtube in my spare time, I enjoy watching music videos, in  particular the ones where people take films and edit them to music of their choice. I admire the skill it takes to edit clips in such a way that they are able to tell a story, sometimes a completely different one from the film's actual narrative. In addition being a film and media student I watch a lot of trailers and ergo I find fan made attempts to be quite interesting. Most of them are amateur but valiant attempts, but every once in a while you come across someone who has genuine talent. This user: DuduFilm, whom I have discovered fairly recently, has such talent, honestly I haven't seen editing of that quality in a long time! The videos are fantastic, and includes a great range of subjects, from Star Wars to Game of Thrones and each one is better than the last.

I know many who read this will be regular Youtube viewers, everybody is haha so next time you are on the site looking for something to watch I suggest you look up the channel which I am going to link to you below. Trust me, you will not be disappointed

This is the Link to his channel, subscribe as I have and you will be able to see the videos as they are uploaded:

http://www.youtube.com/user/DuduFilm

To convince you of the calibre of the DuduFilm's videos I have been granted permission to show a couple on this blogging site as a sort of sample of the kind of works that is offered on the channel.

Enjoy ;)

Top 10 Cinematic Performances

Part 2 of 2

The time has finally come my fellow film buffs, for me to continue with my list of what I believe to be the Top 10 cinematic performances. Unfortunately I have found myself in a bit of a dilemma. If I had continued the list almost straight away then I would have been able to finish it with no trouble at all, however, due to the fact that I have allowed a significant time period to elapse I have now thought up an additional 18 performances which I would have liked to have added which has understandably made my job a little more difficult.

Remember dear readers, my opinion has been influenced by elements of film which entertain me most, hence why a number of villains appear. This is,  by no means, a definitive list. This is my list, so enjoy.

5. Inglorious Basterds: Christolph Waltz (Hans Landa)
When I first heard about Inglorious Basterds I did not think I was going to be a fan, at the time of release I was not yet a Brad Pitt convert and neither was I a great fan of Quentin Tarantino (the folly of youth). But after watching the opening ten minutes of the film I was hooked, the moment that SS officer Hans Landa walks through the door you realise that he is going to be the breakout character. Asking the farmer for a glass of milk and slowly probing him on the whereabouts of the Jewish families he is suspected to be harbouring, his voice never rises in volume but every word is dripping with congenial malice. It is quite a feat to create a likeable antagonist, well not to so much create a likeable antagonist but to create such a violently idiopathic one. The man is a myriad of contradictions. In one scene he calmly drinks a glass of milk, before having a competition of pipe 'size' (watch the film to see what I mean) before coldly ordering the death of a number of innocent families, all the while never batting an eye. This continues on through the film, to the point where I was almost wishing every scene without him could be bypassed, this however would have been a mistake as it turns out that it was a very good film and it was not just Mr. Waltz's contribution that made it so, but he will always stand out as one of the most polite, eccentric and yet monstrous villains in my cinematic recollection and it is honestly no surprise to me that Christolph Waltz received such acclaim for his performance. The Jew Hunter is one of those villains who audiences find disturbing because they seem so non-threatening on the surface, obviously the uniform is a bit of a give away but it is only when the smile fades from his face that you realise just how dangerous this man really is, portrayed in the film as being more sadistic and psychotic than Hitler himself. Alongside Bill, Hans Landa is one of Tarantino's greatest creations.

4. Misery: Kathy Bates (Annie Wilkes)
Kathy Bates has the distinction  of been the only female on my list, this doesn't mean I have anything against them, many of my favourite actors are female, it's just that aside from this one I could not think of any individual performances that were good enough to make it into my top 10. But Kathy Bates is more than deserving, she is phenomenal in this film. Catapulting her from relative obscurity to Oscar winner, Misery follows the trials of a writer who after a horrific car crash is taken in and nursed back to healthy by his 'number one fan'. However, after weeks in her company he realises that his troubles have only just begun. Kathy Bates plays the so called fan with a dichotomous attitude, on the one hand she is a lonely woman filled with a child like adulation over meeting her favourite author, and is shown perhaps to be a bit too devoted  to the point where it becomes unnerving for not only the protagonist, played by James Caan, but for us in the audience too. We know that there is something not right with this woman but we cannot place our finger on what it is. It is only when her treatments begin to include locking him in his room that we realise that this is now an official abduction. But the true horror begins when she takes preventative measures against his habit of escaping, in the film's most infamous scene where she 'hobbles' him. The look on her face and the genuine tone in her voice when she utters the chilling line "God I love you." stayed with me long after the credits had rolled, so too did her tendency to use alternatives to hide her rage fuelled obscenities. Perhaps best demonstrated when she describes to Paul Sheldon why her favourite protagonist should have perished after miraculously escaping from his car at the resolution to a cliff hanger presented to audiences:

"I know that, Mr. Man! They also called them serials. I'm not stupid ya know... Anyway, my favourite was Rocketman, and once it was a no breaks chapter. The bad guy stuck him in a car on a mountain road and knocked him out and welded the door shut and tore out the brakes and started him to his death, and he woke up and tried to steer and tried to get out but the car went off a cliff before he could escape! And it crashed and burned and I was so upset and excited, and the next week, you better believe I was first in line. And they always start with the end of the last week. And there was Rocketman, trying to get out, and here comes the cliff, and just before the car went off the cliff, he jumped free! And all the kids cheered! But I didn't cheer. I stood right up and started shouting. This isn't what happened last week! Have you all got amnesia? They just cheated us! This isn't fair! HE DID'NT GET OUT OF THE COCK - A - DOODIE CAR!"

This was incredibly chilling to me when I first saw it and in my opinion is what makes her the greatest antagonist of any Stephen  King adaptation...including Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance (The Shining) and Tim Curry as Pennywise (IT) and Kathy Bates' greatest performance to date.

3. Schindler's List: Liam Neeson (Oskar Schindler)
While I do love Liam Neeson, I am of the impression that in recent years he has kind of cashed in on being himself. Since Taken he has reinvented himself as the ultimate cinematic badass and kudos to him it seems to be working in his favour. But in my opinion his best role was that of Oskar Schindler in  Steven Spielberg's award winning biopic Schindler's List. I have seen this film many times and each time I amazed at the depth and realism there is to Neeson's performance. Don't get me wrong, Ralph Fiennes was also phenomenal as antagonist Amon Goeth, but aside from a brief moment of contemplation where he compares himself to the Messiah by practising absolving a Jewish prisoner of his 'sins' he is presented as being resolute in his hatred and punishment of the Jews and quite one dimensional. Schindler on the other hand, goes through massive growth within the film's narrative. From amoral war profiteer to mass saviour the character initially starts as someone who cares nothing for the lives of others unless it provides him with financial gain. Even after he opens his famous factory he remains unsympathetic, complaining that an executed Jew holds up the days work and ergo minimises profit. It is not until he comes across the full extent of the horror does he begin to show remorse. The look of repulsion and sadness that crawls across his face as he scans the despicable scene below is truly heartbreaking and when a young girl in a red coat (one of the film's rare splashes of colour) catches his eye we feel his stone heart breaking. It was a truly mesmerising moment from Neeson, one that has defined his career since. In truth it was only topped by the ending sequence, after saving the lives of every Jewish worker under his employment, Schindler must flee from the conquering Allied forces. His years as a factory owner technically making him a war profiteer a crime punishable by death, and rather than fearing for his own life Schindler breaks down in tears declaring "I could have got more out" before listing through the few remaining material objects he has, including his car and tearfully guesses how many he could have gotten out if he had sold them. Of all the horror and sadness that courses through this film I believe this one to be the most prominent. The devastation he feels at not having saved more, despite having saved eleven hundred people is intense and I am unashamed to admit it was one of the only scenes that made me tear up upon watching it.

This is one of the only performances on this list where my description does very little justice, this is one performance it is essential to watch the following clip.

2. Se7en: Kevin Spacey (John Doe)
Once again Kevin Spacey features upon my list, and it is no small wonder, I felt I had to include John Doe on my list because this is truly Spacey's greatest performance to date and for a long time was my planned number one! Se7en is my favourite film, and has been so for a long time. I love the concept of the film's narrative (having an interest in Christian Mythology) and I especially loved the characters, from the dual protagonists Detectives Mills and Somerset, played by Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman. To the film's enigmatic villain, John Doe played by the delightfully creepy Kevin Spacey. As I mentioned previously I am a fan of cinematic villains, I think that the vast majority of a film's positive aspects are more often than not due to the various aspects of the antagonists and Se7en is the film that sets the bar for all villains who follow. After spending the duration of the film glimpsed as a shadowy silhouette, if at all, the mastermind of a string of murders based around the seven deadly sins simply walks into the police station with his hands raised high. When I first saw this film I remember being disappointed that the terrifyingly clever yet intensely obsessive serial killer was a scrawny looking man in his late forties/early fifties. But when John Doe opens his mouth you not only see the genius behind the insanity but you also, on some level see the genius in the insanity too. I know many who have seen this film would expect me to cite the climactic conclusion as Spacey's tour de force in this film, and indeed it is magnificently acting by all involved. I personally prefer the preluding scene in which Doe is being escorted by Mills and Somerset to the supposed sight of his final crime, during this time, they seize upon the opportunity to question the 'lunatic' about his motives. What follows is one of the most powerful monologues in all of cinematic history. Space delivers his lines with such calm conviction that you are almost able to look past the obvious delusions of grandeur and view the logic that fuels his crimes. He lacks any of the charm held by previous villains in my list such as Hans Landa, but there remains an element of charisma in his performance. As he describes what it was about each victim that made them 'worthy' of his mission you begin to see what he sees...the world really is a "shitty" place. Spacey has a way of using his face to great effect without it even moving, throughout the entire scene a blazing hatred is seen in his eyes and it gets more intense as he works himself into a sanctimonious fury. His voice, while quite deadpan initially, begins to get louder and louder as the scene progresses indicative of not only his anger, but his passion, he really believes that what he is doing is for the greater good, and those are in my opinion, the scariest villains of all. 

He may not be the most physically intimidating villain, but he is by far one of the scariest. In my own mind it was not surprising that technically he came out on top, there was no other way it could end...and that is why he is my number two.

1. Gangs of New York: Daniel Day-Lewis (William Cutting)
There is not a single doubt in my mind that Daniel Day-Lewis is the greatest actor to have walked this earth. While stories of his apparent dedication to his roles may be blown out of proportion he still remains one of the most committed actors to date. I have not seen one film of his where he in any way resembles the last character he played, he is completely different every time! I could have chosen from any from the number of films I have seen over the years from The Crucible to this years Lincoln. In every single one Day-Lewis delivers a career making performance, but I have chosen to focus upon his rather meaty role in Gangs of New York playing the homicidal yet intensely charismatic William Cutting a.k.a. Bill the Butcher. I found that Day-Lewis effortlessly stole that film from under Leonardo Dicaprio, who at this point had  yet to mature into the multi-talented actor we know today, with a combination of brutal charm and terrifying realism. I have heard that he put a lot of effort into building his character, including learning to be an actual butcher. This level of commitment is what makes him such a great actor and it really shows in this film, the character is distinctive no matter what he is doing, from the battlefield to the tavern Daniel Day-Lewis manages to show us why Bill is both the most feared and respected man in the 'Five Points'. Though there were a large number of scenes in which I could choose to focus on (namely any time the man is on screen) I have decided upon two, because they display the magnificent juxtaposition that Bill embodies. In the first scene he is talking to Dicaprio's character about the greatest warrior he had faced (unaware it is Dicaprio's father) and throughout the entire scene we can hear the respect and admiration in his voice about a man he had brutally murdered in the film's opening, he seems to do a wonderful job in making us forget that and instead we reflect on how these two men were essentially the same with, as Bill puts it "only faith dividing us" it allows you to understand the slight paternal feelings that Dicaprio's character Amsterdam Vallon feels for the man who murdered his father. It also shows us that there is a human beneath the rage and ruthlessness of Bill the Butcher and that he has his own values and principles by which he lived. It is what made him since a fascinating villain, though his actions are as despicable as they come Day-Lewis has a way of making us understand the often tortured people he plays. 

It also differs completely with the second clip which deals with Cutting discovering that Vallon is not who he appears. After discovering that the man he called his lieutenant and friend was in fact involved in a long plot to kill him, he draws him in an open confrontation by putting the life of Jenny played by Cameron Diaz and the film's resident love interest in peril meaning that Vallon's actions are clouded by rage and desperation thereby allowing Bill to easily gain the upper hand and put Amsterdam in his place. Here we see Bill as anger personified, any semblance of the man we see in the first clip is lost amid a sea of retribution. But again, I seem to find myself unable to blame him. The anger and ferocity on his face is tinged with a hint of hurt because it is essentially the face of a man who has been betrayed and that is down to the magic of Daniel Day-Lewis, he doesn't just play the character, he is the character and as a result the emotions that he conveys are all but genuine. This is why even his most vile characters have a modicum of humanity within them, because he plays them as if he were them. It is the primary reason that even though he is notoriously selective in choosing his roles every single one of them will be one to remember, and why he is my choice for number one performance in a film.

Finally it is worth quickly mentioning his voice, never before have I seen an actor with such command over his voice, in every film he sounds different and he seems to do it so effortlessly that it is almost as if he merely assimilates other accents and dialects! To manipulate your voice so it cannot betray your true identity is the finest mark of an actor and in all honesty I have only ever seen it accomplished by three actors: Daniel Day-Lewis, Meryl Streep and Gary Oldman and that is the reason that they are the best Hollywood has to offer.

So there we have it my top ten performances in cinema! I found this list incredibly hard and I had to be quite ruthless in who I cut, in many cases eliminating my favourite actors, but as I reviewed the performances given by the liked of Christopher Lee (my all time favourite actor) or Jeremy Irons I came to realise that favourite does not always equate to best.

The Dictator

Sacha Baron Cohen is given more power than he should be allowed

Release Date: May 16, 2012
Director: Larry Charles
Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris, Ben Kingsley
Plot: After Admiral General Hafaz Aladeen is forced to come before the United Nations Security Council to answer for his crimes against humanity, he falls victim to a nefarious plot instigated by his Oil Obsessed Greedy Uncle. Now he has to alert the Council to the plot and in doing so has to learn how to survive in a society that condemns his own as evil.

Well this review kind of got away from me didn't it. I have to admit though it is primarily because I have been occupied with the pesky job search which has taken up so much of my time these last few months. However, here it is at last.

I've never really been a fan of a film that is headlined by Sacha Baron Cohen. Don't get me wrong I think he has some talent as a performer with his roles in Martin Scorsese's Hugo or Tim Burton's adaptation of Sweeney Todd, but I just find myself detesting the characters that he, himself creates which, for those very select few who don't know them are: Ali G, Borat, Bruno and now Admiral General Hafaz Aladeen. I don't know if I am in the minority or majority but I just find them too much. Controversy for controversy's sake is just not a brand of humour with which I am completely enamoured and so due to my dislike of his previous creations I kind of went into this film without high expectations, and to be honest I personally feel that overall I was right to do so. While the film does have its highlights, which I will elaborate on later, it felt to me as if his long running stream of controversial comedy had seemingly run dry...it just tried to hard.

However the film did have its positives. One of things I loved about this film, and something which is shared in all of his films are the celebrities, often world respected Thespians who are able to sort of put aside their prestige and dignity and appear in what more often than not is a self mocking jab at themselves. With Ali G it was Charles Dance, who is a titan amongst British theatre actors and Michael Gambon who has won so many awards throughout his career that they occupy their own Wikipedia page! The Dictator's celebrity cast includes Sir Ben Kingsley as the main villain, though to be honest his performance was a little unusual in so much that unlike the others, he played it completely straight and there is little direct humour in it, but neither is there much menace, he seems almost bored a lot of the time which is a shame because who knows, a good performance by him may have elevated the film's overall quality. Celebrity cameos which did work in my opinion were that of Edward Norton, playing himself as the latest conquest of Mr Lao (Bobby Lee) who's mantra of "everyone has a price" is once again proven true. In addition Megan Fox appears as herself who is revealed to be moonlighting as a high price prostitute, what amused me about that scene was Megan's ability to treat herself as a joke and was one of the more simplistic moments which created a more light hearted atmosphere to which I could relate to. Look also for the selection of A to D list celebrities who have also experienced Aladeen's 'company'.

The Performances were as expected. Sacha Baron Cohen imbued Admiral General Aladeen with a sense of naivety and childlike stupidity that is now a trademark of his creations. Selfish and comically sadistic we watch as he undergoes a 'transformation' of character after he loses his position of power and is shown how the world works outside his palace walls, and we watch as his experiences in Western Culture alter his perceptions of the more obvious social issues, primarily Women's rights. In addition he is also a means to subtly mock the fascist regimes that America has spent the better part of 20 years seeking to abolish, with this in mind it would seem that the Dictator is simply a film which joins America's campaign against the World's dictators. However, this idea is muddled with the introduction of John C Reilly's character, (the only funny one in the film if you ask me) who is the stereotypical American red-neck with power, racist and incredibly right wing he is just as much a piece of negative satire as Aladeen himself so it kind of puts the idea of this film being a comedy campaign piece to rest and instead seems to subtly attack everyone from the American Government, to Fascist Dictators to the oil obsessed politicians. It could have worked well but the jokes weren't good enough to allow it to be, instead it felt clumsy and awkward, and poor Anna Faris can barely keep her head above water amid the maelstrom of political mockery as Aladeen's feminist, hairy love interest. Instead, she is left to remind our main character that Women do have a place in our society and yet in the end shows that she lacks the strength of a true feminist as not only does she fall head over heels from him almost overnight, but she abandons her environmental pursuits and simply lives as part of his regime thus sacrificing her rights as a Woman.

In regards to the narrative it is quite simplistic which works well for a film of this nature, while there are number of sub plots in the film they are never really brought to a satisfying conclusion and seem to just dry up quite quickly, oddly enough the villain's plot is seemingly one of these sub-plots instead the film's primary narrative is the the now out of date 'fish out of water' scenario that is consistent with all of Baron Cohen's films: Ali G in the House of Commons, Borat, Bruno and now Aladeen travelling out of their native habitat to the unsuspecting United States. It is predictable and now extremely unfunny in my opinion. Watching him struggle with his surroundings, attempting to adapt to Western Ideals, such as the fact that we do not put our female babies in the bin or that Women have equal rights, feels forced, perhaps a few years ago it would have retained some sense of controversial humour, but he has been doing the same thing with only a change of nationality to differentiate his characters. Perhaps it is time for Baron Cohen to give up attempting to create his own comedy characters.

I am well aware that this is not my most detailed review, but there is really not much to say about this film, the only bit that made me laugh out loud was in the trailer: Aladeen and his frenemy discussing their plans in Arabic on a helicopter flight with a clearly terrified American couple who think they are about to be involved with a suicide bombing, and Aladeen's attempts to create his own Olympic Games was shown in every trailer before the film's release which meant that even that had lost the full extent of its comedic potential. It was an easy film to watch I'll give it that, but it is far from the comedy that we were promised. It was simplistic, unoriginal and largely unfunny. Unless you are hard pressed for something to watch, or have been a loyal fan of Baron Cohen's then I would give this a miss, because it is certainly not going to win over any critics.

That being said I don't really have anything against Sacha Baron Cohen, as I said previously, I enjoy him in films where he doesn't headline. I also look forward to seeing him take on the role of Monsieur Thenardier, my favourite character, in Les Miserables. To be released later this year.

Top 10 Cinematic Performances

Part 1 of 2

Due to the fact that I have not been to the cinema in quite a while and  that the review of the Dictator is just getting nowhere I thought I would bridge the gap by trying something different. I decided that I would comprise a list of my top 10 performances in film, the rules are they cannot include television performances or animated roles (I may do them separately at a later date) I have also split the list into two posts because to include all 10 would make this post very long indeed. Naturally I feel obliged to remind any readers that this list is purely a matter of opinion as is any review that one reads, and should be taken lightly. So, let’s get started!

10. Edward Scissorhands: Johnny Depp (Edward Scissorhands)

Many may argue that there is not much to this performance, and on the surface it would appear to be true. Edward doesn’t have too many lines and spends a significant portion of the film in the shadows. Yet if one pays close attention one will observe the vast array of emotions that Johnny Depp is able to convey in just one scene. His childlike demeanour is immediately charming yet you have the constant feeling that something is not quite right. True during his introduction he is mainly used as an element of comic relief as he is forced to adapt to a strange new world: Ours. But it is in his love for the popular cheerleader as portrayed by Winona Ryder he displays a charming yet heartbreaking sense of loss when he realises that they can never be together because he could never touch her. In that instant you feel his anguish in such a way that so few actors are able to elicit.

9. Rain Man: Tom Cruise (Charlie Babbitt)

When people think of ‘Rain Man’ I would be willing to bet that their first thoughts travel to Dustin Hoffman’s admittedly magnificent performance of Raymond Babbitt, and while I do believe that that performance is noteworthy and by all standards impressive I personally believe that Tom Cruise, whom normally I can barely tolerate in any movie, was tragically overlooked. While Raymond was the more complicated role in the sense that it is no easy feat to portray someone with autism with as much taste and realism as he did the more complex role is arguably his brother. Tom Cruise has to undergo a dramatic transformation throughout the film’s narrative starting out as a selfish and manipulative person who merely needs his brother to gain his inheritance but, by film’s end we see him fighting to keep full custody of his disabled brother despite not having the means to do so. We see his tolerance and love grow and as a result that immortal scene in which we see Charlie comforting the upset and confused Raymond and promising that despite not being able to care for him full time he will visit him in two weeks. We see that he has matured. It is the one performance of Tom Cruise I actually enjoy.

8. Sin City: Elijah Wood (Kevin)
I love Sin City, everything about it makes it a magnificent film, the production values, the script, the characters and the performances. Every actor in that film, even those who I do not ordinarily rank that high do a good to brilliant job so it was hard to include one without mentioning the rest in too much detail, but I just think that Elijah Wood's terrifying performance as silent assassin Kevin was one to remember. Considering many primarily remember him for his whiny turn as Frodo Baggins in critically acclaimed Lord of the Rings trilogy this was a real surprise for me to see him as so creepy and deadly. His eyes and sinister smile stayed with me long after the film had finished and even though he had no dialogue he was able to exude a far greater sense of menace than the hulking Mickey Rourke and that in itself is impressive. Of the three primary antagonists in Sin City, Kevin is the one who seems to be the most dangerous, because he seems not of this world, it seems unusual that he is so demonic and yet his father figure/mentor Cardinal Roark likens him to an angel, it is a truly disturbing comparison. His performance was rivalled only by that of Benicio Del Toro as Jackie Boy, another of the three main villains, who while fantastic just didn't leave you with the same feeling of unease that Kevin did.

Warning: this video contains mature and disturbing content.

7. Thor: Tom Hiddleston (Loki)
I am a major comic book movie fan, so don't be surprised if comic book characters make further appearances on this list, but Loki is one of my favourites. Unlike most comic book villains Loki seems to have valid motivation, more so in Thor than in The Avengers, but regardless you can not help but empathise with him. From the very outset he is somewhat jealous of his brother, kind of clichéd I know, we've seen it time and time again, I mean Thor and Loki even bear a passing resemblance to Scar and Mufasa from the Lion King, so what is it about his motivation that makes his character so believable to us. In my opinion it is because he is right. Thor isn't exactly kingly material when we first see him as Loki himself says "He's arrogant, he's reckless, he's dangerous...is that what Asgard needs from its King?" and he is right. His actions are understandable, and further strengthened when he finds out about the truth of his parentage. It pushes him over the edge, and Tom Hiddleston manages to imbue Loki with a tragic vulnerability, he seems lost in a maelstrom of emotion and shocking revelations. While Loki does become more villainous and manipulative as the film progresses Hiddleston manages to regain our sympathy simply by layering what would ordinarily be obvious and OTT villain dialogue with a sense of despair and frustration which creates a new image, of a man who simply does not know what his place in the world is.

Sorry about the quality of this one, but it really was the best I could find.

6. American Beauty: Kevin Spacey (Lester Burnham)
This performance is obviously aimed at someone the character's age, I would estimate somewhere in the 40s. Essentially American Beauty deals with the idea of a 'Mid-Life Crisis' and we watch as Lester Burham travel down a road to self-discovery and liberation leading to a more superficially satisfying life. I say it was aimed more at people Spacey's own age because they will obviously be able to empathise more with his plights, his regrets and the decision which he makes to ensure he breaks free of his repressed middle class life. I however, just find it hilarious after having seen Kevin Spacey in such roles as viciously creepy killer John Doe (more on that later) and the enigmatic Keyser Soze it was a nice change to see him have, for the most part, so much fun. When the character begins his transformation Spacey creates an illusion of innocence, child like for the most part and it really makes him endearing to watch. I imagine a lot of middle aged men watched this and thought about making the same transition themselves. However, the real beauty of Spacey's performance comes at the film's climax where when presented with the object of his lust and desire he suddenly realises the futility of trying to capture his youth and he finally sees the worth of what he has, a wife and a daughter, a family. Spacey manages the revelation with a sense of reality and a quiet dignity which belies the immature actions of the character throughout the majority of the film.

I utilised the trailer for this film as it does a good job of showing the general transition and character journey that Spacey's character goes through, plus it removes any chance of spoilers for those who have not seen it yet.

And so that's the end of part 1, I know many people would probably not agree with my choices, but there we have it. I recommend for anyone to see these films who have not already, aside from the magnificent performances I have just written about they are all noteworthy films and some which I would recommend as part of anyone's collection.

Part 2 to follow soon.