Rajeev Masand – movies that matter : from bollywood, hollywood and everywhere else

March 25, 2016

Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Jesse Eisenberg, Amy Adams, Gal Gadot, Diane Lane, Holly Hunter, Laurence Fishburne

Director: Zack Snyder

Two films down and it would appear that Zack Snyder’s most significant contribution to the superhero genre will be in reminding us just how much we miss Christopher Nolan’s artistry from the Dark Knight movies, and the sense of awe and fun that the early Superman films inspired.

Frankly, the only thing more exhausting than watching a big ol’ dumb blockbuster is watching a big ol’ dumb blockbuster that takes itself too seriously. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is overlong (at 2 hours 33 minutes), darker than it ought to be (both literally and figuratively), and practically humorless (I counted precisely 3 laughs). But crucially, it delivers none of that giddy excitement you expect from what’s been billed as “the greatest gladiator match in the history of the world”.

Too busy treating the film as a stage to launch a series of future spin-offs and franchises featuring more characters from the DC Comics canon, Snyder ends up shortchanging both the audience and his iconic protagonists with an overstuffed but underdeveloped outing. To be clear, there’s a lot going on in the film: fleeting cameos from future heavy-hitters, the reappearance of beloved characters from the comics, and a script crammed with too many ideas that are occasionally in conflict with each other. Snyder throws everything at the screen hoping resistance will be futile.

The plot kicks in after Bruce Wayne becomes obsessed with reigning in Superman, having witnessed the widespread carnage and loss of lives in the wake of his epic battle with General Zod (at the end of 2013’s Man of Steel). Poor Superman, meanwhile, broods and sulks as the citizens of Metropolis too grow increasingly suspicious of him, and politicians and journalists question whether he should be held accountable for the collateral damage of his actions. Goading the two into a fight is twitchy evil billionaire Lex Luthor, played by Jesse Eisenberg, who, in a departure from previous incarnations of the bald super villain, sports a full head of hair.

Ben Affleck is surprisingly solid as an older, embittered Batman, and he plays it so grim you’d think he was trying to out-angst Christian Bale’s portrayal of the Bat from Gotham. But what’s Henry Cavill’s excuse for never cracking a smile? Returning in the role of Superman, the earnestness is still there, and he gets some quiet moments with Amy Adams’ Lois Lane, but even the goofy and lovable Clark Kent is nowhere to be found.

On the upside, Dawn of Justice is redeemed to some degree by the terrific Gal Gadot who emerges as mysterious badass warrior Wonder Woman fairly late in the film but owns the screen from the moment in. Set to star in her own solo movie, she’s the one bright spot in this superhero slog.

Expectedly the action unfolds at eardrum-shattering decibels and involves an orgy of special effects that many will likely enjoy. The Batmobile makes an appearance too, but there is little that is memorable in the way that Nolan’s set pieces were. The slugfest between the two big guys is engaging but never exhilarating, and then it quickly segues into a longer, seemingly never-ending battle with an entirely CGI villain that reminded me of the big blob that Ryan Reynolds had to fight in Green Lantern.

Speaking of Reynolds, his recent R-rated superhero incarnation Deadpool may have rung the death knell for future comic book movies that can’t find it in themselves to lighten up a little. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is the first casualty.

I’m going with two out of five.

(This review first aired on CNN-IBN)

March 11, 2016

Cast: Kate Winslet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Casey Affleck, Norman Reedus, Aaron Paul, Anthony Mackie, Woody Harrelson, Clifton Collins Jr, Gal Gadot, Teresa Palmer

Director: John Hillcoat

The violent new cop thriller Triple 9 opens with a gang of highly trained robbers infiltrating a bank, and pulling off a daring, daylight heist without a hitch. Almost.

I don’t want to ruin it for you, but I’ll tell you this – it’s a terrific sequence, superbly executed by director John Hillcoat, who knows his way around a tense car chase and a shootout.

Too bad the rest of the film is seldom as gripping.

It turns out that the perpetrators of the heist are a team of crooked cops and ex-military men pushed against the wall by a sadistic Russian mob boss (an excellent Kate Winslet), who’s got the gang’s leader (Chiwetel Ejiofor) by the balls. When she orders a second, more dangerous break-in, the gang plans the killing of a noble rookie officer (Casey Affleck) in order to distract the force, and thereby enable them to pull off the job.

Hillcoat creates a palpable sense of dread and foreboding in this anarchic world of dirty cops and dirtier thugs. Filmed on the mean streets of Atlanta, this is a pitiless, cynical world where practically no one is entirely clean, and where friendships and partnerships don’t count for much.

To be fair, it’s an intriguing premise, and the cast isn’t too shabby. Ejiofor, as the desperate father whose son is being kept away from him, and Anthony Mackie as one of the corrupt cops, are in particularly good form. It’s the script (by Matt Cook) that is the problem here. It holds up reasonably well in the film’s first hour, but becomes progressively corny as the chips begin to fall. What I found particularly disconcerting was the misguided suggestion that these brutal cop-killers are the ‘heroes’ here – the characters we’re meant to root for.

Dark and moody and mildly engaging despite its inconsistencies, Triple 9 benefits from a solid cast – including Woody Harrelson as an eccentric detective investigating the gang. It’s not the best crime thriller you’ll see, but there are some powerful moments here. I’m going with two-and-a-half out of five.

(This review first aired on CNN-IBN)

March 11, 2016

Cast: Ben Foster, Chris O’Dowd, Jesse Plemons, Guillaume Canet, Dustin Hoffman

Director: Stephen Frears

In the same week that the world reels from news that tennis star Maria Sharapova failed a drug test, comes a film based on the real events surrounding the Lance Armstrong doping scandal. The Program, directed by Stephen Frears, stars Ben Foster as the fallen hero. He plays the seven-time winner of the Tour De France cycling championship, and cancer survivor, who was stripped of his titles when it came out that he’d taken banned performance-enhancing drugs on every one of the races he won.

There is no question that Armstrong’s story is a compelling one – a tale of greed and deception. It’s also one that most of us are familiar with: the barefaced lies that shaped most of his career, even the dirty bullying tactics he used to shut down those that threatened to tell the truth. The film recounts all the events, but the narrative feels watered down. Based on an account by The Sunday Times reporter David Walsh (a solid Chris O’Dowd) who systematically investigated Armstrong over 13 years, the screenplay lacks the urgency of that other excellent film about another dramatic takedown, Spotlight.

Yes, there are interesting scenes of Armstrong’s collaboration with the controversial Dr Ferrari who teaches him how “to fly” with a complicated blood doping program, and even the blatant way in which the entire US Postal cycling team took part in the subterfuge and ducked drug inspectors. But there are also clumsy flashbacks into Armstrong’s cancer-stricken phase and a tiring fixation with his teammate Floyd Landis (Jesse Plemons), who struggles with the elaborate fraud.

Ultimately the film rests on Ben Foster and his performance as the deceitful cycling hero. While Foster is dedicated to the part and commits to it physically, he fails to get into the head of the man in order to reflect the extent of Armstrong’s brash ambition. That is explored to much better effect in Alex Gibney’s terrific documentary, The Armstrong Lie.

I’m going with two-and-a-half out of five for The Program. It’s an average film at best, one that merely skims the surface of one of sport’s biggest scandals.

(This review first aired on CNN-IBN)

March 04, 2016

Cast: Tom Courtenay, Charlotte Rampling, Geraldine James, Dolly Wells, Richard Cunningham, David Sibley

Director: Andrew Haigh

There is great acting, and then there is what Charlotte Rampling achieves in 45 Years. Playing one half of a couple whose long marriage is tested by the arrival of an unexpected piece of news, she digs deep within her being, going into the purest, most truthful places to uncover a goldmine of emotion that registers ever so subtly on her expressive face. This is ‘acting’ of the highest order, a ‘performance’ constructed almost entirely on little nuances and virtually invisible gestures.

Rampling and Tom Courtenay play Kate and Geoff Mercer, a childless, retired couple living a quiet, idyllic life in the English countryside. They have the kind of intimate comfort that comes from spending nearly a lifetime together. Amid regular activities like walking the dog, revisiting their favorite books, and sipping afternoon tea, the two of them are planning their 45th anniversary party.

Then Geoff gets a letter informing him that the body of his previous girlfriend Katya, who was killed in a hiking accident in the Swiss Alps 50 years ago, has been found. The discovery throws the pair into turmoil: Geoff can’t stop thinking about his first ‘true love’, and of what might have been. Kate finds herself jealous of a woman who’s been dead for decades. As the date of the party draws closer, we watch their marriage unravel, and Kate in particular as she becomes consumed by doubt and resentment.

Writer-director Andrew Haigh leaves his camera to calmly ‘observe’ as his actors gnaw away at your heart. Beautifully shot, and unfolding slowly with the main characters often ruminating in silence, the film occasionally feels longer than its 93 minutes running time. But there isn’t a hint of artifice in the performances of both leads; Courtenay invests Geoff with a real fragility, playing the character as confused and lost, and more than a little sad. Yet Rampling is the star performer here, conveying volumes through seemingly minimal effort. As the camera lingers over Kate in the film’s last scene, she breaks your heart in a hundred pieces, making your walk to the exit feel like the longest journey you’ve taken.

I first watched 45 Years at the Berlin Film Festival in February last year, and I wasn’t able to shake it off for weeks. Having re-watched it again this week for the purpose of this review, I’m happy to report it hasn’t lost any of its incredible power.

I’m going with a full five out of five for 45 Years. The film creeps upon you slowly and just doesn’t let go.

(This review first aired on CNN-IBN)