Review: Just Mercy

Just Mercy
Cert: 12A / 137 mins / Dir. Destin Daniel Cretton / Trailer

The UK film distribution community’s resolution of Po-Faced January™ continues*¹ as director and screenwriter Destin Daniel Cretton brings us Just Mercy, based on legal-aid lawyer Bryan Stevenson’s true-life book of the same title.

Set over the course of 1986-1993, Michael B. Jordan portrays Stevenson as he works for inmates on Death Row in an Alabama state prison. One of his clients is Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx), whose sentence for murder is shaky at best. Stevenson begins the arduous task of investigating the case properly in a bid to overturn the conviction, coming up against all the obstacles one would expect in a small town in America’s southern states. Ahem.

STILL

Now it’s easy to be cynical about a film like this, but it’s easier still to be unquestioningly swept up in the earnest drama. Just Mercy is very good at what it does, but that’s undercut by having such a broad target that it’s difficult to imagine a version of this film which wouldn’t work. Foxx does best out of all the performers here, his mix of defiance, introspection and dignity perfect for the role of a wrongly-condemned man. Likewise, Jordan copes well with the faith and dogged determination of a rookie lawyer trying to unearth the truth, but struggles more in the moments of anger which Stevenson has to endure. Brie Larson plays a lawyer’s assistant*².

But the film itself lacks the punch that the true story should have, almost pedestrian in its direction and pacing. Just Mercy is almost exactly the film an audience expects, walking a well-trodden path without ambition. Which, given the actual gravity of the events, is borderline negligent.

BLOSSOMS

A large part of the problem (for a film which I enjoyed, remember) is the almost autopilot structure. Perhaps assuming that everyone watching remembers the case from three decades ago*³, Stevenson is almost immediately convinced that McMillian is innocent, even before the exonerating evidence is discovered. And because the film is from Stevenson’s perspective, the audience then becomes convinced he’s innocent, too. So while there’s still some jeopardy in overturning Walter’s conviction*⁴, there’s never any narrative doubt or a chance that Bryan will uncover something he wishes he hadn’t. A little moral ambiguity would have made for a much stronger film.

Because as much as Just Mercy has working in its favour, the film is shameless awards-bait. It ticks all the right (and righteous) boxes for judging panels, while the 12A certificate ensures there’ll be nothing in there to actually upset them properly. Closing out with a montage of the real-life players (because of course), there’s the lingering thought that the film should be upsetting. Like this week’s other contender, we’re a long way off these issues being fixed. Patting ourselves on the back that justice is occasionally done isn’t really a workaround.

Ultimately, Just Mercy is a decent film, but a forgettable one. Far more forgettable than a story like this should be...

Imagine if John Grisham was doing 1980s daytime TV movies.
This will sit well on the shelf next to Green Book.



If you think you know what you're going to see then you know exactly what you're going to see, so that's very much up to you.



Streaming, there won't be too much re-watching in this.



It's certainly 'up there' for the ones who shine.



That's possible.



There isn't.



Level 2: Tim Blake Nelson is in this, and he was in that Lincoln with David 'Kallus' Oyelowo, Joseph 'Slowen' Gordon-Levitt and Adam 'Kylo' Driver


Although it's a shame I'm not Marvel-spotting for this bit because the film's got Killmonger/Human Torch, Captain Marvel and Electro in it. Also, Tim Blake Nelson was Samuel Sterns in 2008's Incredible Hulk, but like I said, that's not what this bit's for.





*¹ For what it's worth, not everything is doom and gloom as my local has an advance screening of the upcoming riotous comedy Like A Boss in a couple of weeks' time. I'm not going of course, as by the looks of the godawful trailer it'll make me far more angry than any hand-wringing awards-nudgers ever would. ^{[ BACK ]}

*² And yes, the depth of that sentence is largely reflective of Larson's role in the film and the scope which she had in defining it. The second-best thing about Room is here as a secretary. Just wow. ^{[ BACK ]}

*³ And yes, I'm saying after assuming earlier this week that everyone watching Bombshell will have read the news reports of the case in 2016. A quick scant of social media the very next day shows that this is not the case. Mea culpa with that one. ^{[ BACK ]}

*⁴ Because let's be fair, nobody makes this film with this cast for a January release and has the third-act reveal of "anyway it turned out he had done it after all, so we watched him fry while we had a beer...". The actual identity of the actual murderer is something of an afterthought by the way, but since the case was never successfully closed that's perhaps understandable.
^{[ BACK ]}


DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.

Review: Jurassic World - Fallen Kingdom

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (SPOILERS)
Cert: 12A / 128 mins / Dir. J. A. Bayona / Trailer

"Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should..."

~ Dr Ian Malcolm, in one of the few notable moments from the first Jurassic Park film which isn't the subject of a direct callback in the fifth, but really should be.

One of the things I found amazing about Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom was that a movie with this budget, creative crew and a limitless digital palette has so little imagination. Think how far through the ideas-book you'd have to be when the fifth movie in a series spends its first hour retooling Kong: Skull Island instead. That's not to say there aren't a plethora of hamfisted references to earlier Jurassic Park entries of course, but still.

The film does feature some nicely executed set-pieces as you'd expect, but they're all very on-the-nose. If anyone watching genuinely believes that the heroes are in danger of not waving behind the end-credits, they've clearly got some catching up to do. And while I freely admit that applies to the vast, vast majority of action-cinema, the protagonists' safety is underlined here with a fat red screenwriter's marker.

It's not that I particularly disliked JW:FK or even that it bored me, necessarily. I just found myself thoroughly uninterested in what was going to happen to the more-cardboard-than-ever characters (although the four raptor 'puppies' in the flashback scenes were adorable).

Nature = good, corporate = bad. It's a message which certainly wasn't invented with 1993's Jurassic Park, but now feels as old as the DNA lying in the veins of a fossilised mosquito, as Universal hammer it mercilessly home - apparently without irony - to the viewers sitting in dark, air-conditioned chain cinemas around the globe.

Speaking of morality: we all know, yeah, that Maisie Lockwood is singly and directly responsible for every death which occurs (on the land, admittedly) after she hits the Big Red Button™ in the compound? Good guys, bad guys, bystanders, pets, the lot. And that includes every evil businessman, cackling mercenary and nameless extra who carks it in the next movie, too.

"...but they're alive!" she tearfully emotes as the surviving dinosaurs thunder out into the night. Well sweetheart, tell that to the families and loved ones of every corpse that racks up because of your moment of humility.

So in order for Jurassic World 3 to create a Hollywood-friendly narrative balance, either Maisie's character has to be held accountable for her actions (ie, suffer the ending of Toby Jones, Rafe Spall etc), or the story will need to fall back on the idea that Maisie doesn't really have a conscience because she doesn't really have a soul because she's just a clone. In which case: so were the dinosaurs, so what does it matter if the they were saved or not? Good luck with that one, Amblin…

Biggest disappointment: that our heroes escape the island on a ship named Arcadia, then the film *doesn't* turn into a Resident Evil crossover.

Rather fittingly, Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom is the perfect theme-park ride. Methodical, mechanical, precision-engineered thrills designed to entertain a summer audience for the duration.

Right before they leave, then immediately start queueing for something else...

Oh, and I'm also taking a point off (no, seriously) for that "nasty woman!" line in the script, the most cloyingly cackhanded bit of zeitgeist camera-winking since Linda Cardellini was made to say 'snowflake' in Daddy's Home 2. Appalling…



Jurassic World.



Well…



Oh, if you like.



Hahahahahahahaha.



We very well might.



Not that I heard, but there is a section in the middle with about five minutes' worth of screaming, and there could well be one layered in there.



Level 1: That engineer out of Rogue One is in this. You know the one.



(did you think I was joking about knocking that point off?)




DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.

Review: The Ritual

The Ritual
Cert: 15 / 94 mins / Dir. David Bruckner / Trailer



Okay, first-off? No off-license has bottles of vodka just out on an open shelf like that. Spirits are either behind the counter or security-tagged. End of. Right. Glad we got that out of the way.

Just in time for Hallow'een, director David Bruckner and screenwriter Joe Barton bring us The Ritual, adapted from Adam Nevill's 2011 novel of the same name. It's the story of four friends on a hiking holiday in northern Sweden and who find themselves taking a shortcut through a particularly foreboding forest. In short order, the group become aware that they're being stalked, and with nightmares and hallucinations thrown into the mix, the inhuman identity of the hunter slowly reveals itself…

Now by this point you may well be thinking 'yeah, think I've seen that thanks'. And, yes - you have. Probably on several occasions like myself. But the best part is that The Ritual works in spite of its strict adherence to the classic horror structure, perhaps even because of it. The film doesn't try to subvert the genre, it just celebrates everything it can be, whilst wisely discarding the elements which would normally have a viewer rolling their eyes. Where in the past we've had groups of brash teenagers venturing unwisely into the woods, Bruckner brings us four British, 30-something men. Young enough to be on a hiking holiday, old enough to be grumpy about it; cynical enough to complain every step of the way, sincere enough to be walking in memory of their recently deceased friend, in the first place.

The bone-headed decisions the group make aren't the thoughtless whimsies of people with youthful invulnerability, but more what happens when you're cold, tired and really want to get back to the lodge before last orders*¹. Moments which would be flippant jump-scares in any other movie are teased out here to create a genuine sense of unease. And while the supernatural element of any story will always be prone to 'well that wouldn't happen' analysis by the audience, the lead character's PTSD over his friend's death throws the very nature of reality into disarray.

Barton's screenplay is sharp, bickering and uses constant gallows-humour with mid-level profanity as punctuation. Cinematographer Andrew Shulkind runs a very quiet camera in the daylight sequences, which turns into 25-panic-attacks-per-second as soon as night falls (which happens more than once in this movie). The central cast of Rafe Spall, Rob James-Collier, Sam Troughton and Arsher Ali are on very strong form, making barely likeable characters nonetheless compelling, and taking the script seriously despite the obvious and frequent jokes. The whole thing tiptoes on the edge of silliness in its final act, but it's a credit to everyone involved that the story manages to stay on the right side of outlandishness. And in a nod to its original format, the final shot is definitely a 'book ending' rather than a 'cinema' one.

The Ritual isn't exactly scary, but it's tense and arduous for all the right reasons. Especially impressive given how easily it could have been a crap take on exactly the same story*² (as many other films have been). The film's not revolutionary in any way - but when one is made this well, it doesn't have to be…

Question for those who have seen it: Did I miss the moment when Luke puts his trousers back on in time for the final scene? I don't remember that happening, but evidently it did.



Sightseers, The VVitch, Rare Exports, An American Werewolf in London.



It's very much a 'Saturday night in' type movie, but there's no harm in making it a Saturday night-out.



Without having read the source-novel I'd say so, yes.



Probably not in the cast's case, but since this is a genre-piece it plays by its own rules, anyway.



Nope.



Nope.



Level 2: This film stars Robert James-Collier, who was in last year's A Christmas Star, which was narrated by one Liam 'Qui-Gon' Neeson.





*¹ Although bear in mind they're in Sweden, a country where alcohol is literally prohibitively priced. The guys are looking at the thick-end of a tenner just for one pint. Be interested to see how willing they are to pour one out for their mate then… ^{[ BACK ]}

*² And fair play to the film-makers here - as I recall at one point there's a creepy, scratchy old gramophone and it's not playing The Teddy Bear's Picnic like it would be in a Blumhouse movie… ^{[ BACK ]}

DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.

Review: Prometheus

Prometheus (2D / fourth-pass)
Cert: 15 / 121 mins / Dir. Ridley Scott / Trailer



And so, Alien Day saw a special screening of Ridley Scott’s two franchise-entries, in advance of his latest, Covenant. First up on the playlist was Prometheus*¹, a film I haven’t watched since it ended its cinematic run in 2012. No agenda behind that, I’ve just been waiting for the director’s cut which hasn’t yet materialised (and probably won’t).

So while I remembered how much I enjoyed Prometheus, I’d forgotten what an amazing cast of character actors it boasts outside of the headliners*². And sure, many of them are only there to do Stupid Horror Movie Things™ before buying the farm, but it makes for a great watch all the same.

The film's still got issues, of course, and the intervening years have not been kind to the exposition-heavy script and total lapses of screenplay-logic. But it’s not often I can go back to a movie I’ve left fallow for five years and enjoy it every bit as much.

Also, I like that the Engineers control their starships using six boiled eggs and a flute. That's the future, right there.

The Aliens.



If you can, do.



Probably nowhere near as well as intended, but yes.



Nah.



No, I've been disagreeing with people about this film for five years now.



Not that I heard.



Level 2: Rafe Spall's in this, and he starred in that I Give It A Year with Rose 'Dormé' Byrne.

Although in related news, the crew of the Prometheus contains Aldrich Killian from Iron Man 3, Heimdall from Thor, Wong from Doctor Strange and of course Magneto. You'd expect a team with those members to fare a little better, frankly...





*¹ Given that Prometheus is a prequel, it makes absolute sense to show it first in a double-bill of course. However, as the “new” content of the Alien Superticket deal takes place between the two existing movies (and is being saved 'til last for screening in May), it would make more sense to show the films in their release order, surely? It’s not like Alien follows on immediately from Prometheus, in the same way that you wouldn’t go from The Phantom Menace to A New Hope (especially if you were awaiting the release of Attack of the Clones). More on this in my accompanying Alien review. ^{[ BACK ]}

*² Although while I hadn’t forgotten that Prometheus is one of the few occasions where Michael Fassbender’s accent is actually under control, it had slipped my mind that the Fauxmerican drawl of Idris Elba is absolutely atrocious. I guess Ridley can’t be expected to steer two ships at once, right? ^{[ BACK ]}


DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.

Review: Swallows And Amazons

Swallows And Amazons
Cert: PG / 97 mins / Dir. Philippa Lowthorpe / Trailer



In a rare display of cinematic synchronicity, we get a Summer-holiday adventure movie which is about an adventure during the Summer-holidays (The Purge, take note). This re-telling of Swallows And Amazons still has its quintessentially English vintage-setting and the earth-tones colour palette to match, but largely manages to avoid the Jolly Hockey-Sticks™ trap many of us were fearing. While there are cultural nods that the younger audience members may need explaining, the core of the story is more about the social interaction between children, making it pretty timeless.

Full disclosure, this was my introduction to Swallows And Amazons. I haven't seen the 1974 film, and if we covered the book(s) in school, I've long since forgotten all about it (although Mrs Blackout has very fond memories of both). This is worth mentioning because Phillippa Lowthorpe's 2016 adaptation features a new 'espionage' aspect which, while it hasn't exactly caused controversy, is the kind of thing that will always concern the purists.

That said I didn't notice the join, and having spies in a children's adventure/drama set three years before the Second World War feels perfectly natural to me. And with the story centering around six youngsters, this is very much A Children's Film. Which brings us to the downside, unfortunately. Let's just say that the talents of performance-delivery are not distributed evenly throughout the young cast, and it occasionally feels a bit like the Children's Film Foundation*¹. That never quite derails things, but the screenplay is already torn between wanting to stick to the ethos of a more innocent drama and wanting to bring more edge to the source material, so ropey acting is an unwelcome distraction.

But above such trifling matters, Swallows And Amazons is a difficult film to actively dislike, because it's clearly coming from a place of great affection. While it's by no means perfect, this would have been very easy to get disastrously wrong, and Lowthorpe's vision holds it all together well. Kelly Macdonald, Rafe Spall and Andrew Scott are always great value for money, and Jessica Hynes and Harry Enfield bring a lightness of touch to the background. It's maybe a little televisual, but I'm glad the story has been told as a 90 minute film rather than being split into episodes.

As much as it sounds patronising or reductive to describe Swallows And Amazons as 'a sweet little film', that's precisely what it is. And there's no shame whatsoever in that…

It's a bit Famous Five of course, but it's also a bit 39 Steps.



This is a Sunday afternoon movie, and the cinema or your sofa will be fine either way.



Just about, yes.



No, but it's in the top half of the list.



Nope.



Nope.



Level 2: This film's got Kelly Macdonald in it, who starred in Trainspotting all those years ago alongside Ewan 'Kenobi' McGregor.




*¹ And while I'm not going to be so callous as to name them here, the worst offender in this department is so wooden that the film's outdoor setting meant they needed two fresh applications of creosote throughout production…


DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.