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Film Review: THE B-SIDE: ELSA DORFMAN’S PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY (USA 2017) ***

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the b sideA look at the life and work of photographer Elsa Dorfman.

Director: Errol Morris
Star: Elsa Dorfman

Review by Gilbert Seah
 
The B-SIDE displays documentarian Errol Morris, known for his darker subjects like MR. DEATH and THE FOG OF WAR in lighter mode with Polaroid Artist, an always cheery Elsa Dorfman.

Elsa Dorfman, the subject of Errol Morris’s new documentary appears at the film’s start, in light mode, at her Cambridge, Massachusetts studio talking to the camera. The telephone rings at the midst of her talking and she asks whether she should answer the phone. She is given the ok and ends up speaking to both the person on the telephone and to the audience. The B-SIDE is a documentary about photographer portraitist Elsa Dorfman. Dorfman who used the large-size Polaroid 20”x24” camera for over 30 years to take thousands of portraits, including those of old friends like poet Allen Ginsberg and singer Jonathan Richman. Other famous people photographed include Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Robert Lowell, W.H. Auden. Now 80 (late 70s when the film was shot), she opens up her archives and memories.

The film takes its title from the music industry term “b-side.” When using the Polaroid camera, Dorman would take two photos, keeping the rejected one for herself. Sometimes the b-side can surprise.
Most of the screen time is devoted to her talking about her life and work as well as answering questions asked on camera by Morris. The film has a causal easy-going look, but the material is in no way compromised. Morris gets as much material into his documentary this way.

Unlike many documentaries, Morris does not include many talking heads. The only person doing the talking is Elsa Dorman herself.

Elsa is a person who giggles a lot on screen, like a schoolgirl. Though irritating at the beginning, her mannerisms slowly grows on you. Elsa eventually comes across as a pleasant and clever person who deserves to have her say, even of herself rather than having others talk about her.
Elsa is shown to be quite opinionated. She openly displays her disgust at the buyers of the Polaroid Company when it went bankrupt due to technology. She always considers herself as a nice Jewish girl.

Much can be told about her character and about her relationships from her sayings. She mentioned that her husband would pose for her regardless of how busy he is, even though he might only wish her a Happy Birthday at the end of the day. But this shows a lot – that Harvey and Elsa are truly in love as he would go out of the way to pose for her whew asked. She also mentioned a really bad day, the one on the telephone when her father died and mother said goodbye to him.

Music includes a song Broken Blue Bones, written and performed by Allan Ginsberg. Ginsberg, a close friend of Elsa, is featured in many of her photographs. Ginsberg, given more screen time comported to others, definitely had an impact on her, as a friend and fellow artist.

As Elsa Dorfman is not that famous outside her circle – Morris’ film will give her some well deserved exposure, pardon the pun!

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSOazX_RiOI

 

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Film Review: AWAKENING THE ZODIAC (Canada 2017)

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awakening the zodiacThe story follows a down-on-their-luck couple who discovers a serial killer’s film reels.

Director: Jonathan Wright
Writers: Jennifer Archer, Mike Horrigan
Stars: Shane West, Leslie Bibb, Matt Craven

Review by Gilbert Seah

The Zodiac killer, who threatened the San Francisco area was as famous as Jack the Ripper was in London, in the day which was not too long ago. Zodiac’s murders were accompanied by taunting letters to the police, along with evidence of the crimes. When Zodiac threatened to attack school busses, authorities had police cars follow the busses. But more important of all, Zodiac went further by accompanying his letters with ciphers, which he claimed contained clues to his identity. Zodiac is believed to have killed between 7 and 12 people in California between 1966 and 1971. The last Zodiac letter was received by police in 1974. This is where the film AWAKENING THE ZODIAC takes its inspiration.

Following history, police investigated over 2500 people but no one was ever arrested. One famous suspect was Editor Richard Gaiowski, and this person is referenced in the film.

It all begins when a down on their luck couple Mick Branson (Shane West) and Zoe (Leslie Bibb) discover a reel of what they think is the murderer’s tapes. This happens, when they pay for the contents of a storage locker, the owner of which defaulted on its contents after not paying the rental fees. This is a sorry excuse for the script, which never achieves the status of its source material. Mick and Zoe wish to split the $100,000 reward money with Harvey (Matt Craven) for what their think is relevant information on the Zodiac killer. Harvey is an encrypting expert and he can figure out the name of the killer since the killer’s name is supposed to be encrypted in his coded letters.

Mick, Zoe and Harvey investigate while the Zodiac killer strikes again. For all that the film is worth, director Wright’s film deteriorates into a slasher film in which it ends with the slasher, in this case the Zodiac killer, chasing after Zoe, running for dear life in the dark, while defending herself the best she can. There is nothing new in the climax of this film that has not been seen already in countless horror films.

The only fairly interesting thing about the story is the relationship of the couple. They are broke. Zoe keeps falling for Mick’s get rich quick schemes that either never work or are extremely dangerous. It is interesting to see how the couple have different reactions once disaster strikes. When the Zodiac killer appears for example, Zoe wants to to get out while Mick wishes to confront the killer head on with a baseball bat. Zoe is always mad at Mick but Mick can always calm her down with hints of sex. It is an interesting relationship, one which I am sure exists in many couples in which loser needs another loser in order to survive.

Harvey decrypts the code much too easily for comfort. If the police are unable to identify the Zodiac killer after investigating 2500 suspects, it is difficult to believe the killer’s identity compromised by the couple.

This is one of those weird films made in Canada based on American source material. The main leads are American while Craven is Canadian. The only well-known name in the cast is Stephen McHattie who plays the Zodiac killer.

As a thriller, AWAKENING THE ZODIAC is a pretty steady snooze.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0rtR2EQliE

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Film Review: THE MUMMY (USA 2017)

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the mummyAn ancient princess is awakened from her crypt beneath the desert, bringing with her malevolence grown over millennia, and terrors that defy human comprehension.

Director: Alex Kurtzman
Writers: David Koepp (screenplay), Christopher McQuarrie (screenplay)
Stars: Tom Cruise, Sofia Boutella, Annabelle Wallis, Russell Crowe

Review by Gilbert Seah

When THE MUMMY’s opening credits begin, the words Dark Universe appears instead of the studio name Universal on the company logo. THE MUMMY launches the studio’s Dark Universe, a shared cinematic universe of classic movie monsters.

Tom Cruise takes over the leading role from Brendan Fraser and Dwayne Johnson in this MUMMY re-boot that does not do any justice to the franchise. Cruise plays rebel soldier Nick Morton who steals ancient artifacts, while dressed like Indiana Jones. This runs him into trouble with an old Egyptian curse that the film spends a whole 15 minutes of opening time explaining.

It all starts way back when, when really bad Egyptian princess Ahmanet (Algerian actress, Sofia Boutella) murders her father and infant brother to usurp the throne. As if this is not bad enough, she consorts with some demon that can give her everlasting life. But she is caught and mummified as punishment with her body banished from Egypt. The silly plot has the audience believe that she is put in a tomb and buried underneath London, England where she is dug up when building new tunnels for London trains, thus unleasing some curse. That is THE MUMMY’s humour. If that is not enough silliness, the demon later possesses Nick Morton when Nick Morton attempts to save the day. Tom Cruise as a demon possessed character means Tom Cruise in hyper-active mode.

The tie in of ancient times to modern day activities is laughable. Morton is a soldier in Iraq where the enemy wants their cultural monuments destroyed. The other tie in is the modernization of London’s trains resulting is uncovering the tombs.
The climax of the film requires the director to show that the possessed Nick Morton resurrecting Jenny (Annabelle Wallis from THE TUDORS) instead of the evil princess. This segment is done in the most sloppy way ever.

At a production cost of $125 million, THE MUMMY is a complete mess. The story, pacing, acting (Cruise desperately trying to show he still has the chops), dialogue are all less than memorable. Director Kurtzman who has never made a blockbuster special effects movie deserves some credit for two well executed action segments. The plane crash action set-up, after Morton fires bullets in a plane causing it to crash due to cabin de-pressurization is well-executed with bodies and debris flying all around. The other scene, an underwater segment showing the undead skeletons swimming after Morton is impressive and stunning.

The final ending is totally incoherent. The script requires the Russell Crowe character to explain what is happening. The next scene has Nick Morton and partner riding their horses in the desert with a voiceover promising another sequel soon in the making. What is all this about with the horses, Morton’s possession and evil returning and some saying that it takes a monster to kill a monster?

At least four more monster movie reboots have already been planned for Universal’s Dark Universe including BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, THE INVISIBLE MAN, VAN HELSING and THE WOLF MAN. Judging from this horrid first entry, the fate of the films might follow the equally horrid DC’s extended universe films MAN OF STEEL, BATMAN V. SUPERMAN, SUICIDE SQUAD and the mediocre WONDER WOMAN. It looks like the mummy’s curse desperately needs to be broken.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjHgzkQM2Sg

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Film Review: CHURCHILL (UK 2017) ***

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churchill.jpgA ticking-clock thriller following Winston Churchill in the 96 hours before D-Day.

Director: Jonathan Teplitzky
Writer: Alex von Tunzelmann
Stars: Brian Cox, Miranda Richardson, John Slattery

Review by Gilbert Seah
 
CHURCHILL begins with the scene of an image of World War I and II Prime Minister Winston Churchill standing on an isolated beach. He imagines blood washed by the sea on its shores while his black bowler hat eventually floats out into the vast horizon. The scene is rich in metaphors while being solemn, setting the mood for a 2-hour film on a Winston Churchill most of the world do not know. It is a Churchill depicted as a bully, drunk and opinionated self-pitying cad.

It is the week before the planned D-Day landing on the beaches of Normandy which everyone knows led to the defeat of Germany in World War II. No one is aware of the victory of D-Day in the film, and the planning is set with uncertainty. Churchill, after his failure of the Gallipoli war which resulted in the loss of thousands of young British men, was intent not to let the mistake of leading thousands to their death happen again. So, he would stop the D-Day landing at all costs. But planning was already under way,. Everyone including Dwight D. Eisenhower (John Slattery) and Bernard Montgomery (Julian Wadham) believed that the landing would be instrumental in winning the War against the Nazis.

The trouble with this film is hat there is not much story but much repetition of the same storyline. Churchill is against the landing. He is shown the truth and he will only budge at the very end after learning that he had no choice. Still, the film still hails Churchill as a great man, as the title ‘the greatest Briton that ever lived’ is flashed on screen.

There are scenes that show Churchill at his worst. These include those where he is constantly pouring himself whisky and more so, when he takes it out on his secretary, screaming at her for little reason. The script, written by Alex von Tunzelmann is full of great oratorical speeches, which is expected as this is a story of a man who gave the great speeches.

British actor Brian Cox is nothing short of stunning in the title role of the Prime Minister. Cox is currently of the same age as Churchill during the time of the story. The supporting performances of Slattery and Wadham are also impressive. But arguably, the best performance comes surprisingly from Miranda Richardson as Clementine Churchill, his long suffering wife. She does not have the freedom of the luxury of leaving her husband no matter how tortured the marriage had become. The film emphasizes the importance of duty during the War.

CHURCHILL is a war drama without any battle scenes. It would serve as an effective prelude to the upcoming summer blockbuster DUNKIRK, directed by Christopher Nolan which reported is supposed to depict the horrific realities of the landing of the Allied forces on the Normandy beaches. CHURCHILL only hints of the horrors of the landing.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVOzMZ4IrMA

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Film Review: BEATRIZ AT DINNER (USA 2017) ***

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beatriz at dinnerA holistic medicine practitioner attends a wealthy client’s dinner party after her car breaks down.

Director: Miguel Arteta
Writer: Mike White
Stars: Salma Hayek, John Lithgow, Connie Britton

Review by Gilbert Seah

 
Director Miguel Arteta and scriptwriter Mike White have worked together many times and are famous for their quirky little gems, the most notable being their debut feature, CHUCK AND BUCK. Their latest film BEATRIZ AT DINNER, which opened Sundance continues the trend.

The film opens with shots of Breatriz (Salma Hayek) at her home. She owns a goat and dog, works at a Cancer Centre and is at home with nature and healing. Just as one would dismiss this woman, who believes in reincarnation and giving back to the planet as a new age floozy, director Arteta and scriptwriter White slowly and effectively wins her over to the audience’s side. This is partly due to pitting her against a real nasty opposite human being, one that delights in the sport of hunting, disposing of wild life and displacing innocent people form their homes, a filthy rich land developer called Doug Struut (John Lithgow).

It all starts, innocently enough when Beatriz gives wealthy client Cathy (Connie Britton) a massage at her home. When Beatriz’s car is unable to start, she is invited to stay for the husband Grant’s (David Warshofsky) company dinner party – a celebration of some big deal the company has succeeded in winning.

The dinner guests arrive one couple at a time. It is clear that Beatriz and the dinner guests are not of the same ‘human’ wavelength. Except for Cathy who has more respect and tolerance for Beatriz, because she has helped her family with their child’s recuperation from cancer, each of the other dinner guests, including her husband treats Breatriz with a certain disdain that she is beneath them in class.

Arteta builds his film effectively to an escalating climax. Things reach a boiling point when Beatriz discovers how evil Strutt is and that a lot of evil in the world including her personal family loss are a direct result of his actions. It is emphasized that fate occurs for a reason. Soon she realizes that she could have been present for the dinner for a reason as fate dictates. She could root out evil at its source by murdering Strutt.

Salma Hayek delivers an excellent performance as the holistic nurse driven almost to righteous insanity. John Lithgow is equally excellent as the menacing villain, the one the audience would gladly stab in the back. All the supporting actors are equally good, credit given to the excellent casting.

A lot of films have used music or a song to break the monotony of a film or to create a highlight. Director Marlene Ape did it with her character rendering a full version of the Whitney Houston song “The Greatest Love of All” in TONY ERDMANN that earned the very rare standing ovation midway in the film at Cannes. Arteta attempts the same feat, with Hayek singing a Spanish song, to the accompaniment of her guitar playing. Though the words are in Spanish, the effect is no less powerful.

BEATRIZ AT DINNER ends with a non-typical happy ending that might not satisfy everyone. But one must remember that this is not ones typical standard film, but a quirky Arteta/White collaboration.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCLNTmNj5bI

 

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Film Review: MEGAN LEAVEY (USA 2017) ***

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megan_leavey.jpgBased on the true life story of a young Marine corporal whose unique discipline and bond with her military combat dog saved many lives during their deployment in Iraq.

Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite
Writers: Pamela Gray, Annie Mumolo
Stars: Kate Mara, Ramon Rodriguez, Tom Felton

Review by Gilbert Seah
 

 MEGAN LEAVEY is a film about a girl and her dog. Based on a true story written by Pamela Gray with the help of Annie Mumolo (BRIDESMAIDS), Tim Lovestedt, and Jordan Roberts, the story’s setting often shifts to an Afghanistan combat war zone where female Marine Megan Leavey and a combat dog named Rex have the task of exposing explosives that would lead to the saving of many lives. The film stresses the unique bond between man (or in this case woman) and man’s best friend.

The many times told similar tale of man’s best friend comes complete with owner and dog running together from a distance re-united to scenes where the canine saves the life of its owner or in this case, dog handler. The title of the film MEGAN LEAVEY, the name of the combatant, implies that the owner is given more importance that the canine. In fact, the dog does not appear till about 30 minutes through the film.

The film works on many accounts. The most important fact is the script and director Cowperthwaite’s effort in connecting the audience with the main character, Leavey. A well-written voiceover informs the audience at the film’s start of Leavey’s problem of a lack of motivation in her home town. When she is fired because she is unable to connect with other people, she joins the marines. The film takes time to show her relationship with an unsympathetic mother who fails to understand. By including scenes of Leavey suffering through boot camp, the audience sees that Leavey has accepted the punishment unfairly dished out to her.

The film gets a bit too sappy at parts. The cliche of the dog teaching Leavey human lessons is carried out a bit too far. The dog and Leavey’s separation and reunion are milked for sentimentality.

For the few battle scenes that are present, Peter McNulty’s clever editing captures the suspense and terror of the soldiers securing a few buildings that are littered with hidden explosives and unseen gunmen. Leavey and the dog, called Sergeant Rex are deployed twice in Iraq, first in Fallujy in 2005 and again in Ramadi in 2206. During the latter, both were injured by an improvised explosive device.

While Leavey was awarded the Purple Heart and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with a “V” device denoting heroism in combat with retirement, Rex was pulled back into service with another handle till Rex suffered from facial palsy, which ended his bomb-sniffing duties. This fact was surprisingly omitted in the film.

The film contains one over-preachy part when Megan’s father tells her to keep on trying and never give up despite constant failure, which is supposed to spur her to overturn a decision from preventing her adopting Rex.
The film omits the last few retirement years of Rex with Leavey though clips of the real Rex are shown during the closing credits emphasizing that the film is based on true events. Bring lots of Kleenex to this one.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGGcFbW__XI

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Film Review: IT COMES AT NIGHT (USA 2017)

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it comes at night.jpgSecure within a desolate home as an unnatural threat terrorizes the world, a man has established a tenuous domestic order with his wife and son, but this will soon be put to test when a desperate young family arrives seeking refuge.

Director: Trey Edward Shults
Writer: Trey Edward Shults (screenplay)
Stars: Joel Edgerton, Christopher Abbott, Carmen Ejogo

Review by Gilbert Seah
 
IT COMES AT NIGHT begins with a taut medical examination of an older man later revealed to be Bud (David Pendleton) lying on a made-shift stretcher infested with lesions and boils. “Can you hear me?” is the question asked. After the examination, the patient is carted off, to the woods outside a boarded up shack where he is crudely wrapped up and burnt with gasoline.

It has all been done before. Despite writer/director Shults’s genuine effort of differentiating his film from the end of the world plaque infested survival horror flick, one cannot help but feel a certain similarity of events from start to end. Never mind the carefully planned shocks, the effective use of enclosed space (cinematography by Drew Daniels) and darkness and never mind the effective use of sound to scare the audience. It does not help that the script has no plot twists or has the addition of more human interaction.

The story first appears to be told from the point of view of the first family’s 17-year old teen son, Travis (Kevin Harrison Jr.) But the view shifts later on the film as Travis has less screen presence. The only survives on display appear to be his family. Order is kept in the home by his father, Paul (Joel Edgerton who also co-produced the film). His mother, Sarah (Carmen Ejogo) is present and also an assortment of farm animals and dog, who are allowed in the house, apparently to prevent them from catching some deadly virus. When they venture outside, they wear gas masks. It is a test of survival. When they hear a noise from outside, Tom carefully opens the door to find another man, (Christopher Abbott) looking to find his family, in this case his wife, Kim (Riley Keough) and baby some food.

Shults does not make any effort or even need to explain his film. After the first scene (described above), the audience can correctly deduce that the apocalyptic film is in the near future. A plaque has deserted most of civilization. The family on display is surviving at all costs. As expected there are intruders from the outside. The two families ave something to share or trade. But mistrust exists and survival takes place with sacrifice of their human souls.

It is easier to make a faultless minimalist horror film like this one that a complex film with flaws. IT COMES BY NIGHT falls into the first category.
It does not help that the film does not have a happy Hollywood ending or a closed one at that. Despite all the film’s plusses, IT COMES AT NIGHT does not succeed at all as an original or absorbing drama or horror film.

Schultz, whose first feature KRISHA secured Shults some fame, which resulted in a two-picture deal with A24 films, IT COMES AT NIGHT being the first one. The film had its premiere in April this year at the The Overlook Film Festival. The film has so far, garnered favourable reviews.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YOYHCBQn9g

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Film Review: ABACUS: SMALL ENOUGH TO JAIL (USA 2017) ***

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abacus.jpgA small financial institution called Abacus becomes the only company criminally indicted in the wake of the United States’ 2008 mortgage crisis.

Director: Steve James
Stars: Neil Barofsky, Ti-Hua Chang, Margaret Colin

Review by Gilbert Seah

 ABACUS is an old Chinese adding machine that was commonly used by Chinese shopkeepers who needed to do some accounting or simple addition. It is also a Chinese treasure now made obsolete with the introduction of the calculator. Abacus is thus chosen as the appropriate name for the bank founded by a well-intentioned Chinese lawyer turned banker, who we are introduced to at the start of the film as a good man, who thinks of himself as George Bailey, the James Stewart banker character in Frank Capra’s IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE. In fact when there is a run on Abacus, Mr. Thomas Sung is likened to Bailey giving a sincere speech to the queue of customers assuring them that the bank is ernest and hat their money is safe.

Why a documentary of this bank and on the man Mr. Sung? The reason, according to the director is that this small Chinese bank has been unfairly singled out by the NYC District Attorney’s Office as a fraudulent bank who with its owners had committed a crime in misappropriating funds for personal and illegal gain.

But the D.A. Office picked the wrong man to pick a fight with. Mr. Sung is a fighter. The documentary is an account of the fight between the small guy and the bully, a David vs. Goliath story where the slingshot weapon used was the team of Mr. Sung’s lawyers and family.

Director gets the audience on Mr. Sung’s side by using a variety of means. The first is to connect the audience with Mr. Sung’s immediate family. Besides the analogy of George Bailey, the honest and best example of a banker, one cannot help but root for the Sung family, especially watching scenes where the family sit together to argue the facts and to fight back against the D.A. Office. Interviews are also conducted with reporters who take the side of the bank. The bank is also shown to have done good to help the Chinese community to obtain loans, which no normal bank would normally grant.

The film also documents how the bank got into trouble – in fact twice with regard to fraudulence. But according to the film, the bank had fired the dishonest and despicable loan officer, Mr. Ken Lu who the D.A. Office used to testify against the bank.

The film is a sad story of the Sung family. But the film makes a hero of Mr. Sung and his family. One of the daughters who worked at that time for the D.A. Office had to reign due to, obviously conflict of interest but she did so to help her father. Not surprisingly, the wife, Mrs. Sung says on camera that she never wanted her husband or daughters to go into the banking business.

ABACUS achieves the feat of making the subject even more intriguing by hitting all the right buttons. Everyone loves to see the underdog win, especially when fighting an evil giant. ABACUS is such a tale with a smashing finish.

Trailer: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#search/abacus/15c410ca34696ff5?projector=1

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Film Review:DRONE (Canada 2017)

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drone.jpgIdeologies collide with fatal results when a military drone contractor meets an enigmatic Pakistani businessman.

Director: Jason Bourque
Writers: Paul A. Birkett, Jason Bourque
Stars: Sean Bean, Patrick Sabongui, Mary McCormack

Canadian director Jason Bourque directs this new thriller shot entirely in his native Vancouver, British Columbia. The film centres on a drone pilot who conducts covert operations from his hometown.

DRONE begins predictably with an overhead shot of a good kill, similar to the recent film about drones which is also called GOOD KILL. It is an effective device – the overhead shot. But the problem in this film, is that it has been used in drone films all too often already and the taut atmosphere is slowly diffused after the first segment.

An innocent girl is taken out by mistake somewhere in Pakistan. The distraught father (Patrick Sabongui), obviously seeks revenge. He is seen later on in the film, suddenly apparently a successful businessman, Mr. Shaw (without explanation) stalking the contractor that affected the kill. This contractor is Ian (Brit Sean Bean sporting an American accent in a Canadian made film) who’s father has just passed away. His wife is having an affair. His son is too quiet for comfort. Ian never visited his father regularly in the senior home. He has issues with his younger brother. Yes, Ian has family problems. Are all this necessary?

Too many incidents are crammed into an apparently what should be simple film with a solid purpose. At the funeral home, the sibling rivalry emerges but its origin is never explained. How Neil got into the drone business is also unexplained. The poor relationship between Ian’s son and wife are also left vague at best.

The constant intercutting among Pakistan and the United States is disorienting. The audience is never sure whether they are supposed to be sympathetic for be Ian or for Mr. Shaw.

The film goes about with Ian’s problem of writing his late father’s eulogy for the funeral. “Allow the story of your father have true meaning.” is the odd advice the enemy gives to Ian for the writing of his father’s eulogy.

The film is so bad, it ends up an interesting watch, but only to see how many more mistakes can be found in the film.

Performances are ordinary at best. What can one expect from a bad film with a bad script? It is also odd to phantom the reason a Canadian film would be tackling an American subject, especially when the subject of a guilty American at war (also tackled in Clint Eastwood’s AMERICAN SNIPER) has been down and done so well before.

The film has a climatic takedown at the end. But the film is confusing in whether Ian will pay for his crime.

Ian says at one point int he film to Mr. Shaw when his wife keeps talking about other matters, “We better get back to the business (selling of the boat) at hand.” This is advice the director should have taken for himself so as not to get too distract from all the too many elements in the script. This supposedly taut thriller ends up diluted with poorly executed family drama.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UqxCUrT5-Y

 

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Great way to get your story out: http://www.wildsound.ca/logline.html

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Film Review: WONDER WOMAN (USA 2017)

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Deadlines to Submit your Screenplay, Novel, Story, or Poem to the festival: http://www.wildsound.ca

wonder woman.jpgBefore she was Wonder Woman she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained warrior. When a pilot crashes and tells of conflict in the outside world, she leaves home to fight a war to end all wars, discovering her full powers and true destiny.

Director: Patty Jenkins
Writers: Allan Heinberg (screenplay), Zack Snyder (story by)
Stars: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Connie Nielsen, Danny Huston,
David Thewlis

Not to be confused with the two other WONDER WOMAN films made in 2009 and 2014, this updated expensive $149 million film has been marketed well and is one of the most anticipated films this summer.

Gal Gadot is WONDER WOMAN though the term WONDER WOMAN is never used even once in the film. She is known as Diana. The character played by Gadot, and reasonably well by her, combining sexiness and a certain ferocity was first introduced to excited audiences in BATMAN V. SUPERMAN. She gained 17 lbs. of muscle while training in martial arts for the role. Now audiences can see her for a full 140 minutes or so.

Diana first appears as a little girl fiercely intent on becoming a fighter much to the chagrin of her mother, the queen (Connie Nielson). Diana’s aunt who is also the general (Robin Wright) trains her eventually to become the warrior with special gifts destined to save the world as it is written in the Book of the Gods. The film’s voiceover informs that Diana is made from clay by the God Zeus and she must destroy the evil Ares before mankind is destroyed. As such this bevy of beauties appropriately named Amazons live on a Greek-like paradise island till a World War plane crashes into the waters nearby with the pilot, Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) saved by Diana. How the two worlds collided is never fully explained.

With the world of the Gods brought into the human realm, the film grows more interesting. Diana is drawn into fight against the Germans in WW1. The trouble with all this is that Diana, Trevor and a assorted troupe of fighters kill Germans one by one to save innocent people as well as allied soldiers. This is a very simplistic look of things as German soldiers killed are people too. The script does attempt to discuss this problem but not too convincingly. Diana is shown to be naive as to the human world, with humour thrown in whenever possible.

For a $149 million production, there are as expected, lots of special effects and pyro-technics. In addition, there are a lot of sexy fighting (but ridiculous) poses by Diana.

The film contains three villains as if one is not enough. David Thewlis plays the main one, The God of War Ares in human form. The other two villains are more comical than sinister, two Germans, one a female doctor, humorously named Dr. Poison (Elena Anaya) with a disfigured face and the other a sinister German General Erich Ludendorff (Danny Huston) who will stop at nothing to win the war.

Business wise, WONDER WOMAN cost $149 million to make, thus requiring to gross at least $460 million worldwide to break even. The estimate for the opening domestic weekend is $100 million so it likely will bring Warner Bros. a tidy profit.

The fourth film of the DC Comic Universe after SUPERMAN, BATMAN V. SUPERMAN and SUICIDE SQUAD, WONDER WOMAN is the best of the lot with a good combination of action and tongue-in-cheek humour. But that is not saying much considering how awful the first 3 were.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSB4wGIdDwo

Also, Free logline submissions. The Writing Festival network averages over 95,000 unique visitors a day.
Great way to get your story out: http://www.wildsound.ca/logline.html

Deadlines to Submit your Screenplay, Novel, Story, or Poem to the festival:http://www.wildsound.ca

Watch recent Writing Festival Videos. At least 15 winning videos a month:http://www.wildsoundfestival.com