Stephanie Likes Films: May 2014

Wednesday 28 May 2014

MALEFICENT

I have been looking forward to Maleficent (PG) since the concept of the film was announced and if you follow my blog you will know that it was one of my most-anticipated films of 2014. Well, the day to watch it finally came; Was it magical? Yes. Was it beautiful? Yes. Did it exceed my expectations? ABSOLUTELY.

We all know the traditional tale of Sleeping Beauty, but Maleficent reminds us that there are two sides to every story. Angelina Jolie stars as the title character, a magical fairy who turns evil after being tricked and mistreated by humans. In a jealous rage Maleficent curses the new baby princess Aurora (Elle Fanning), but she soon comes to realise that the child may be the only one who can restore peace between humans and the magical creatures.

First and foremost, Maleficent is one of the most visually beautiful films that you will ever see and the use of 3D really makes the magical kingdom come alive. From the fluttering fairies, woodland creatures, and even Maleficent's magical powers, absolutely every aspect of the film is truly pleasurable to watch and will transport you into that world and make you feel like a child again.

Angelina Jolie is striking as the lead role in both appearance and performance. The film is solely focused on telling the traditional fairy tale from the villain's point of view and Maleficent's character development is beautifully told; from her childlike innocence and kindness to the despair and sorrow that she feels when she realises that humans have betrayed her trust. This sorrow quickly turns into bitter vengeance and when she curses the innocent baby Aurora the audience feel Maleficent's pain and are completely on her side. Jolie's portrayal of the character is brilliant in ensuring that Maleficent doesn't just become a fantastical and unrelatable source of evil - despite possessing magical powers she is very human throughout the film and captures the audience's heart and empathy.

Once Aurora goes to live with three fairies in a bid to protect her from the evil curse, Maleficent begins to follow her life more carefully and with the help of her servant Diaval (Sam Riley), a rescued raven who she can transform into man at the mere flick of her wrist, she watches over the princess and finds her hardened heart thawing with Aurora's sweet and loving innocence.

One of the key aspects in Jolie's performance is that no matter how evil she appears to be, Maleficent is

never truly a villain. Whilst she acts maliciously and is full of hatred and anger her softer side is never too hidden away and you appreciate the entire time that she is not a bad person deep down, simply forced into making bad and harmful decisions due to the terrible way she's been treated. On top of that, the character has wit and attitude, yet avoids becoming a cringe-inducing Disney cliche and instead becomes a source of inspiration and the true embodiment of a strong, female character.

Although Jolie is the star of the show, Elle Fanning brings charm and grace to Aurora, a character who is normally considered quite plain and two-dimensional. Although your eyes will never wander off the evil queen for long, when they reach the princess it is just as beautiful to watch. Riley also shines as Diaval, a welcome character that provides an insight into Maleficent's mind who also supports and comforts our heroine as the humans put her under siege.

All in all, I am so happy to say that Disney has exceeded itself in this enchanting tale that will delight both the grown ups and children in the audience in equal measures. Visually stunning to watch, Maleficent transports you into a fairytale realm and Jolie's heartfelt and alluring performance will captivate you from start to finish.

★★★★★

Maleficent is in cinemas now!

Stay tuned for more reviews and follow me on twitter if you fancy it :)

Love,

Sunday 25 May 2014

BLENDED

Following 2004 comedy 50 First Dates, Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore unite onscreen yet again in family rom-com Blended (12A).

The concept of the story has all the makings of a great family drama; Jim (Sandler) is a widow and has three daughters who he’s trying to play both mum and dad to and Lauren (Barrymore) is freshly divorced with the father of her two sons refusing to take an interest in their lives. After a terrible blind date between Jim and Lauren they hold nothing but resentment for one another, but when they find themselves thrust together at a family resort in Africa they realise the positive impact the other has on their children and discover that maybe they aren’t so mismatched after all.

Sandler has the stronger story here, he plays his usual manchild character that the audience have come to expect from him but there is more heart and emotion at Jim’s core than usual. We discover that Jim’s wife died of cancer and it’s clear that neither he nor his daughters have fully come to terms with her death, which makes for some heartrending scenes that show the funny man’s sensitive side and will bring a lump to the throat of even the hardest viewers.

On the other hand, Barrymore’s character is neurotic to the extent of parody with her older son harbouring a creepy obsession with his babysitter and her youngest having extensive anger issues over the fact that he isn’t very good at baseball. These ‘quirks’ in both the children are clearly designed to be funny and an attempt to balance the emotional heartache that comes from Jim’s background. However having the majority of the attempts at comedy come via Lauren and her family ends up being to the film’s detriment.

Blended would have been much better off as a family drama rather than a comedy, as that genre seems to have forced the film into throwing around slapstick and childish gags in a desperate attempt to make the audience laugh, seemingly without realising that subtle comedic undertones among the drama would have made for more pleasurable viewing all round.

Sandler is yet again consistent and reliable for the genre and it is his character’s one-liners and dry wit that give some genuine funny moments to the film, whilst Barrymore and the supporting cast are left with the bigger gags that cheapen the film and take the focus off the heart and warmth at the story’s core. These jokes feel like they’re taken from a bad Carry-On film with children swearing, food being spluttered all over somebody’s face and sexual innuendos galore.

Frustratingly, the basic storyline and character development of both Jim and Lauren and all of their children is at times gripping to watch and it is particularly endearing to see Jim’s relationships with his daughters grow as the film progresses. The attempts at comedy take away from what would have been a really brilliant drama and although there are aspects of Blended that are thoroughly enjoyable, the next bad gag is never too far away which ruins the overall tone of the film.

All in all, Blended has the makings of a strong family drama and it is unfortunate that the attempts at comedy take away from this. Adam Sandler was without a doubt given the stronger role in Jim, and his family provide the audience with genuine laughs, heartache, tears, and a warm fuzzy feeling whilst Barrymore and her children are left to struggle on with bad jokes and gimmicks. Sandler proves yet again that he’s more than able to give a serious and heartbreaking performance; it’s just a shame that Blended wasn’t brave enough to avoid his comedy safety net.

★★☆☆☆

Blended is in cinemas now!

Stay tuned for more reviews and follow me on twitter if you fancy it :)

Love,

Friday 16 May 2014

THE TWO FACES OF JANUARY

From the producers of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, the writer of Drive, and the author of The Talented Mr. Ripley, The Two Faces of January (12A) is screenwriter Hossein Amini’s directorial debut.

Set in the 1960s among the beautiful backdrops of Athens, Crete and Istanbul, The Two Faces of January tells

Oscar Isaac steals the show as Rydal

the story of Rydal (Oscar Isaac), an American con artist working in Greece as a tour guide, where he meets glamorous American couple Chester and Collette MacFarland (Viggo Mortensen andKirsten Dunst). After finding himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, Rydal ends up entangled in the couple’s lives and it soon becomes apparent that he is not the only con artist around.

First and foremost, The Two Faces of January is visually stunning. Not only do the sunny villages and ruins of Greece provide the film with beautiful scenery, but the 6os era makes way for a subtle yet time-appropriate costuming, and the entire tone of the film feels very traditional of the classic film noir genre.

The story itself is fascinating from the offset; the concept of both leading men being a little on the shifty side makes for an interesting watch as you’re never sure who you can trust or who is telling the truth. For example, upon meeting the couple Rydal says that he was drawn to them due to Chester reminding him of his father, however, is this just a ploy to get closer to Chester’s beautiful wife?

Perfectly paced by Hossein Amini in his directorial debut, as the story unravels so do the characters with Chester becoming increasingly paranoid of Rydal’s intentions which ironically leads to him to destroy everything that he loves. On the other hand, Rydal’s increased wariness of the unstable Chester leaves him more and more desperate to find a way out of the mess that he has somehow found himself involved in.

Whilst Dunst and Mortensen each give incredibly strong performances as the MacFarlands, it is Oscar Isaac who steals the show as Rydal. Commanding the screen with charm and charisma, Isaac adds to the film’s noir style with a presence uncannily similar to that of the leading men from old Hollywood classics of yesteryear, cementing his position as an up-and-coming actor to watch.

The cast have a brilliant on-screen chemistry and every aspect of their very complex relationships was riveting and believable to watch. Their understated performances were just as engrossing as the underlying tension and intrigue of the story.

Unpredictable from start to finish, The Two Faces of January provides a nostalgic look at cinema with timeless performances, backdrops and costumes that makes the film seem fresh and innovative despite being set over 50 years ago.

All in all,The Two Faces of January will quickly become a timeless classic in the thriller genre, with a great story and impeccable pacing leaving you unable to guess what the next scene will bring. Strong performances all round create a chemistry that transcends through the screen and into the hearts of the audience with Oscar Isaac proving himself yet again as a leading man and firmly announcing himself as a bold new face of cinema.

★★★★☆

The Two Faces of January is in cinemas from today, 16th May!

Check out our Q&A with the cast here!
Stay tuned for more reviews and follow me on twitter if you fancy it :)

Love,