August 23, 2008 | Category: Uncategorized

Film Fight: July 2008

Only 4 films this month:

First up is Frank Darabont’s take on Stephen King’s The Mist. Amongst filmed versions of King’s work, it ranks amongst the most subtle and controlled pieces. Rather than explicitly showing everything that happened (creatures coming from another dimension and covering the world in a deep fog) and giving us another brainless monster/horror piece, Darabont has focussed on the real heart of the story: the tension between believers and non-believers, through a fairly cunningly chosen bunch of set-pieces. Slowly, different fears and prejudices seep through a group trapped in a supermarket until they inevitably turn on one another. The way this is done is masterful, and the climax is pretty heartbreaking, cheapened only slightly by an unnecessary denouement. The characters themselves are fairly one-dimensional, but that’s the point: they’re only aspects of ourselves. Very strong, subtle film-making, though perhaps a shade on the long side. Recommended.

Jack Black continues to dominate Hollywood, moving into animated shenanigans with Kung-Fu Panda, the story of a martial arts-obsessed panda who becomes entangled in a years old grudge match to become the best at kung-fu. It’s happy enough, has plenty of laughs, and neat pieces, but is let down by a fairly mediocre performance by the titular character. Black is doing a watered down version of his normal schtick, without really emoting. He’s a great presence, but not much of a voice actor. Still, there’s enough in the film to make it watchable and even enjoyable.

Pixar, on the other hand, are a powerhouse of animated movies and their latest release, Wall-E, is no exception. This story of a lonely robot and his first love is set against the backdrop of environmental disaster, and humanity’s laziness. Suffice to say it all works out the way you’d expect, but the story is still worthwhile. More interesting is the style in which the story is told: almost no dialogue, beautiful animation and lots of brilliant realised characters. While it doesn’t go into great depth on any of the key themes, something that is to be expected from a kid’s film, it is a great story and well told. Another hit for Pixar.

Finally, Christopher Nolan continues to redefine the superhero genre in The Dark Knight. I’ve discussed this film more than any other in recent memory and I agree with the pervading feeling: it’s extremely good. Heath Ledger is incredible as the Joker, the tone is well set, the cinematography is exceptional, and it’s a thoroughly enjoyable film. That said, it’s not without flaws. Most notable is the burgeoning length and lack of clear focus. Building up Harvey Dent for the fall to become Two-Face was necessary, but then cramming so much of the character into the back half of the movie? It felt forced and pushed the film longer than it could comfortably sustain; that strand could and should have been picked up in the next part of the series. There’s plenty of other cuts that could be made: most of the cast being rendered mere scenery compared to the scene-stealing joker. I could go on (and have in conversation) with list of problems with the movie, but ultimately I enjoyed it, and thought it was a compelling piece of film-making. I recommend it highly.

I’m a little torn for this months’ winner: should it be a subtle horror movie, a brilliant but light story, or a flawed but enjoyable blockbuster? They’re all great films, but I think it’s going to be The Dark Knight, largely due to Ledger’s perfectly-pitched attempt at the classic Joker character.