Imagine, if you will, a redneck Ocean's Eleven. That would be the elevator pitch for Logan Lucky, the latest film directed by Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, Magic Mike, Haywire) from a screenplay by first-time writer, Rebecca Blunt.
Jimmy Logan is let go from his job. Frustrated, he sees a way to improve his lot: by robbing the vault of one of the biggest NASCAR events of the year. Aided by his one-armed veteran bartender brother Clyde and a consummate safecracker who is currently behind bars, Jimmy hatches a plan to break the bank.
It's a film brimful of charm and wit. Channing Tatum makes for an affable, likeable presence as Jimmy. You get behind him wanting to make a better life for himself and you want him to get away with this harebrained scheme. Providing a nice counterbalance, Adam Driver is grounded and realistic (pessimistic?) as the superstitious Clyde, obsessed with the idea of 'the Logan curse'. Daniel Craig plays Joe, the safecracker, with a mixture of eccentricity and vigour; if you're only used to him being Bond, this will be a very different performance!
Jack Quaid and Brian Gleeson provide lunkheaded comic relief as Joe's dimwatt brothers Fish and Sam. There's also a fantastically funny supporting turn by Dwight Yoakam as Warden Burns, desperately trying to stop any outside interference at the prison with a constant refrain of 'we don't have [insert catastrophe] here'. The only bit of casting that doesn't work for me is an unrecognisable Seth MacFarlane as a strikingly unfunny douchebag energy-drink merchant.
But this isn't just a Boys' Own adventure: there are lovely turns by Riley Keogh as Jimmy and Clyde's sister Mellie (a hairdresser who knows a thing or two about cars); Katie Holmes, who plays Jimmy's ex-wife Bobbie Jo; Katherine Waterston as Sylvia, a local nurse who gets involved with Jimmy; Farrah Mackenzie who plays Jimmy and Bobbie Jo's beauty-pageant-obsessed daughter Sadie (who provides an unexpectedly poignant version of John Denver's 'Take Me Home, Country Roads') and Hilary Swank as Special Agent Sarah Grayson, assigned to investigate how the heist was done.
The actual heist itself is high octane and thrilling- and skilfully shot. The film is also funny. Like, really funny. But clever funny. There's a great bit during the heist where Joe painstakingly explains exactly how the explosive is going to work (including equations). Similarly, a prison hostage situation escalates over the availability of George R.R. Martin's books. There is some comedy mined from Southern stereotypes but it's few and far between.
I saw this on a night when I needed a bit of escapism. I wanted something to make me laugh and chill me out. Logan Lucky delivered that perfectly. A lot of fun.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Tez
Three years after Kingsman: The Secret Service introduced us to Eggsy, Harry and Merlin, the boys are back together for highly anticipated sequel Kingsman: The Golden Circle, once again directed by Matthew Vaughn.
When an attack wipes out nearly all of the Kingsmen, the surviving members (Eggsy and Merlin) have to get help from their transatlantic cousins, the Statesmen, to find out who was behind the attack. Along the way, Eggsy is reunited with Harry Hart, thought dead after being shot by Richmond Valentine. But Harry isn't Harry. Can Eggsy get through to him and stop the dastardly schemes of a cunning drug cartel operator before her deadly merchandise wipes out a large portion of the worldwide population?
Kingsman: The Golden Circle is loud, ludicrous, bombastic, silly... and bloody brilliant. Easily one of the best films I've seen this year.
This could have easily been a lazy, by-the-numbers cash-cow retread of the original film. And whilst they do reuse some of the scenarios from the first film (there is a bar-fight, there is a car-chase), screenwriters Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughn are careful to add a different twist on it so expectations are confounded. There's still a gleefully anarchic streak here, but whereas the first film mined some comedy out of the class differences between council estate boy Eggsy and the other posh toffs in Kingsmen training, here the differences between the US and the UK come in for some ribbing. Luckily, this culture-clash comedy doesn't overpower anything else that goes on. Just as in the first film, there are some interesting social comments made (here about why some drugs are illegal and others legal, and how you wage a war on drugs) but it never feels like tubthumping or soapbox standing. It blends in nicely to the overarching, over-the-top, narrative.
The Statesmen team, all named after drinks instead of figures from mythology, are a great addition to the Kingsman world with Jeff Bridges impressing as their leader Champagne, Halle Berry adding much-needed tech support as Ginger, and Channing Tatum charming as the bruiser Tequila. However it is Game Of Thrones' Pedro Pascal as agent Whiskey who stands out; he's a dab hand with a lasso and more than willing to kick a little ass if needed.
As for the Kingsmen? Well, both Taron Egerton and Mark Strong slip back into their roles like a well-tailored suit. Eggsy hasn't gone full gentleman; he still has his friends on the estate and- even when looking as dapper as all get out- he's quick with a well-placed swear-word. You can take the boy out of the estate... it's a warm and winning performance by Egerton. And it's Strong by name and strong by nature as the tech wizard provides Eggsy and Harry with support and forms a lovely bond with his opposite number Ginger. Colin Firth is superb as Harry and I love the way the script plays with the idea that Harry might not be the full shilling.
Julianne Moore is inspired casting for the big bad, Poppy Adams. A ruthless drug cartel operator with a penchant for 50s kitsch Americana and industrial meat mincers, she wanders round her fortress- PoppyLand- like Martha Stewart on crack, mercilessly dispatching those who displease her. You can tell Moore is having a ball vamping it up as the villain, but she never goes into caricature. There is also an extended cameo by Elton John which is absolutely hilarious. I won't say any more, but his screen-time is a particular highlight in a film full of great scenes.
There is also an absolutely jaw-dropping, audacious sequence when Eggsy tries to plant a tracer on an unsuspecting mark which had me absolutely howling with laughter and dumbstruck that they'd been able to get it past the BBFC! You will know it when you see it.
It's a film which achieves a delicate balance between heartfelt drama, raucous comedy, and high-octane action without any one element overwhelmed by or dominating another. I would happily sit through it again at the cinema. It's rare to make a sequel that matches the heights of its original, but for me Kingsman: The Golden Circle delivers in spades.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Tez
When an MI6 spy is murdered in Berlin and a list of active double agents stolen, fellow operative Lorraine Broughton must retrieve it. Her contact in Berlin, David Percival, has gone native, enthralled to the sleazy, scuzzy side of the city. With days to go before the Berlin Wall comes down, it's a race against time to find the list and prevent it from falling into the hands of the Soviets. But there's a double agent- codenamed Satchel- who could throw a spanner in the works.
Atomic Blonde is based on the graphic novel series The Coldest City by Antony Johnson and Sam Hart. Now, I went into the film knowing very little about it: I knew it had Charlize Theron in it, I knew it had a 1980s setting and... that was about it.
It is true that, plot-wise, it's not the most original story- spy must retrieve (insert McGuffin here) but there's a double agent in the midst and so on. However, setting it in Berlin in the final days before the Wall came down is an inspired choice and there's an authentic feel to the fashion and the music to evoke the era. The film's style also marks it out; it's cool without trying to be cool and there's a gritty feel to the Berlin underground which I liked.
Director David Leitch used to be a stuntman, so the fight scenes have been choreographed and shot really well. Whilst they are stylised, they're also absolutely brutal and, what's even better, is they show the combatants struggling to breathe and struggling to stand (as you would if you've had seven bells kicked out of you). They're not invincible super-soldiers; they're real flesh and blood people. There are several scenes of Lorraine sitting in an ice bath to help repair her battered body.
Charfize Theron gives a truly kickass performance as Lorraine. Reminiscent in places of Angelina Jolie in Wanted, she owns every scene she's in. James McAvoy is great as Percival, a slippery and morally flexible guy who lives for the double-dealing and duplicity of the city. In some ways, Lorraine and Percival function as a rather dysfunctional buddy comedy- she the inexperienced newbie, he the grizzled old veteran- but that's just one side to a complex and complicated relationship.
There's able support from Toby Jones as Lorraine's MI6 superior who interviews her about Berlin; John Goodman shines as a CIA agent who has an interest in the case. Eddie Marsan is great as a former Stasi officer who wants to defect (and has memorised the list), plus there's nice turns by Bill Skarsgard as Lorraine's assistant Merkel, and Sofia Boutella as a seductive French agent.
This has been a year of strong movie soundtracks and Atomic Blonde has one of the best I've heard this year: 'Blue Monday' by New Order, 'Cat People' by David Bowie, 'Father Figure' by George Michael, 'London Calling' by The Clash, 'Under Pressure' by Queen & David Bowie and '99 Luftballons' by Nena all play their part in creating the world of the film.
I thoroughly enjoyed Atomic Blonde, and more so for the vast majority of the film being a surprise. Definitely worth watching.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Tez
London, 1880. A series of gruesome murders have taken place, by a serial killer who has been nicknamed 'The Limehouse Golem'. Inspector John Kilbride has been newly assigned to the Golem case when he uncovers a potential link to a current trial: the music-hall star Elizabeth Cree stands accused of poisoning her husband John; John Cree was one of four main suspects in the Golem case. With time running out before the jury make their decision, can Kilbride uncover the identity of the killer- and possibly save Elizabeth's life?
It's a gritty, grimy, Grand Guignol tale full of direction, misdirection, and more than a few twists, ably directed by Juan Carlos Medina (Painless) and starring Bill Nighy as Kilbride and Olivia Cooke as Elizabeth Cree.
Nighy gives a wonderfully stoic, measured performance as Kilbride. A good detective who would have gone further but for rumours that he 'wasn't the marrying kind', he feels like he's being offered as a sacrificial lamb when assigned the Golem case. Yet, through his doggedness and veracity, he follows the leads wherever they go. Interestingly (and quite refreshingly), there's no real suggestion of any romantic feeling between Kilbride and Elizabeth; he simply wants to save her from the hangman's noose if it's revealed her husband was the infamous murderer and she acted to stop the Golem. The role of Kilbride was initially meant for the late Alan Rickman but Nighy's performance is superb and one of his strongest, in my opinion.
Olivia Cooke is similarly strong as Elizabeth. A young woman, abused and mistreated, trying to make something of herself and her life, falling in with the music-hall crowd then falling in love with a man who wanted to save her. It would be easy for Elizabeth to be played as a martyr or a fallen woman but there's something simultaneously fragile yet steely in Cooke's performance. It's an impressive performance and, as the film progresses and Kilbride's interviews with Elizabeth continue, there's more and more layers revealed to the character.
The rest of the cast are pretty solid too, with a lovely louche turn by Douglas Booth, seeming to channel Russell Brand as cross-dressing music-hall star Dan Leno whose care for Elizabeth is evident. But did his care for her drive him to do something dreadful? Leno is also one of the other Golem suspects, and the film makes an interesting choice by presenting each of the suspects in turn in situ as the killer as Kilbride reads the Golem's diary. Daniel Mays gives solid support as Kilbride's faithful Sergeant, George Flood, who shares an unexpectedly tender yet understated momen with his superior which is a real highlight of the film. Eddie Marsan plays 'Uncle', the music-hall manager, with a combination of avuncular care and iron fist... but even he has a secret or two.
Sam Reid's turn as the potentially murderous John Cree is an interesting one; Reid exudes an air of menace without being stereotypically evil, so you definitely get the impression that you wouldn't want to cross him. In fact, there is the suggestion that Cree may have caused a few deaths before the Golem murders begin. There's also a strong performance by Maria Valverde as Aveline, the Cree's maid but former music-hall performer, whose relationships within the household are complicated, to say the least.
The film is adapted from Peter Ackroyd's 1994 novel (with the screenplay written by Jane Goldman). Ackroyd uses real people within his book to give an air of verisimilitude, and the film does the same. Leno was a real music-hall performer and the other Golem suspects are German philosopher Karl Marx and English novelist George Gissing, so in one sequence, you get to see the oddly amusing sight of Marx sawing a prostitute's head off (now there's a sentence I never thought I'd write!) Make no mistake, the violence is strong- but because it's so stylized and over-the-top, it becomes less visceral or disturbing. The presentation of the murders feel so theatrical that they're almost difficult to take seriously.
The script and the production work hard to evoke the genuine feeling of grit and grime in the backstreets of London and the quaintly seedy nature of the music-halls. Costume and production design are top notch and really capture the spirit of those times.
It's an accomplished piece of film-making and, if you're a fan of detective stories, whodunnits, or courtroom dramas, The Limehouse Golem is one I'd heartily recommend.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Tez
Last night, the Watchers attended the premiere of It's My Shout 2017, a showcase of nine short films which were written and directed by new talent from Wales. This took place at the Wales Millennium Centre in the heart of Cardiff Bay.
Some of you may be asking, what's It’s My Shout? Well it's a training scheme- supported by BBC Wales, Welsh-language broadcaster S4C, and the Welsh Government (amongst others)- which provides training for young people interested in gaining experience in all aspects of film-making both in front of- and behind- the camera.
From writing and directing, to lighting, make-up, costume, sound, film scoring or acting, the initiative covers all aspects of film-making. Successful applicants are mentored by industry professionals who provide advice and guidance over a period of pre-production and the three days of the actual shoot. The films are then edited and, after the premiere, are then broadcast on BBC Wales and S4C.
It's a fantastic scheme which encourages and nurtures new talent and Watcher Rhys was selected as one of the directors for this year's films. It was a fantastic opportunity to go and support him and see the fruits of his and so many others' labours.
There were nine films commissioned this year, seven English-language and two Welsh-language. This year's films are:
Closure
Written by Rob Bryant and directed by Craig Fisher
When Seb's best friend Harry kills himself, Seb and his other friends are distraught. To help with the grieving process- and to help them get some closure- the school provides them with a special grieving robot which looks just like Harry. A very tender and poignant story which could easily have been longer. There's a lovely performance by Harrison Smith as the robot Harry, and the make-up for the robot is particularly stunning.
Packaged
Written by Peter Rogers and directed by Lemarl Freckleton
Jack's got a very important packaged to deliver. He absolutely can't be late. The clock is ticking... It starts out as one thing and ends somewhere completely different, and I'm not entirely sure the transition is that successful. That said, it's fun- and there's a truly spectacular moustache on display! Phillip Jones, who played the hapless Jack, won the Best Actor award.
Ffeithiau Amgen [Alternative Facts]
Written by Cai Evans and directed by Rhys ap Trefor
Sibling rivalry goes to a whole new level when high-achiever Siwan and her less-than-achieving sister Gwawr go head-to-head for the position of club president. Shannon Williams and Kelly Pitts are impressive as the warring siblings, and there's a lot of humour to be had as the mud starts to be slung, although the ending did feel a little rushed.
Rory Romantic
Written by Eleonora Mignoli and directed by Rhys Jones
Fitness guru Rory is visited by one of his fans, Tanvi. But have they met before? There are two stunning performances by Shaz Lancaster as Rory and Ellen Jane Thomas as Tanvi (who deservedly won the Best Supporting Actress award) in one of the most stylish and stylised films in the showcase. The make-up and prosthetic work is also superb.
Two Player Games
Written by Lexx Oliver and directed by Sion Thomas
Purdy and Joleen are enjoying their first date at a games arcade but come across a machine that can show you the future. But will it be a happy ending for the two girls? This is another one, like Closure, which could have been longer. In fact, you could imagine a situation like this in a Black Mirror story. The visual style was really strong and there's a lovely little hint of something darker towards the end. This short won the People's Choice Award, voted on by the audience.
Lawr A Lan [Down And Up]
Written by Anna Symmonds and directed by Shelley Rees
Three people take the lift every day. But what happens when, one night, the lift gets stuck between floors? A lot of the film is played without dialogue which works well in creating the mood and scene. The ending of the film can be very much open to interpretation- which I know isn't everyone's cup of tea- but I quite enjoyed it.
Dear Mr Ali
Written by Scott Chambers and directed by Jamie McKee
An unlikely friendship forms between Gareth and his tutor Mr Ali, when Gareth is put in detention and has to help Mr Ali clean the kitchens. This is another one where the ending felt quite rushed, which was a shame, as what had gone before it was nicely observed and well-acted throughout. Matthew Lee Heath, who plays the bully Iwan, won Best Supporting Actor for his performance.
HOME
Written by Lewis Reeves and directed by Sion Ifan
Lewis is homeless, living on the streets of Cardiff. A reckless decision made all the difference. Now he must survive in his new circumstances. But will his past affect his future? Some good camera-work on show here, and there's a real gritty, miserable feel to the film which is really successful in evoking the mood of the script; there was clearly a lot of night shoots for this film. Personally it wasn't really to my taste- I think I just didn't 'get it'- but it won Best Film and Sion Ifan won Best Director.
Peggy
Written by Scott Chambers and directed by Cath Jones
Stacey is starting a new job, as a PA to an experienced actress called Peggy. It's her first day. What could possibly go wrong? Like Packaged, Peggy also starts somewhere and ends up somewhere quite different but the transition is much more successful here. Sharon Morgan is great as the spiky Peggy whilst Chloe Cooper is lovely as the naive newcomer Stacey (winning the Best Actress award for her performance).
Following on from the awards ceremony, there was a brilliant speech by screenwriter Russell T. Davies (Doctor Who, Queer As Folk, The Second Coming) who was accepting the Inspiration Award. Essentially it was this: shout. Make your voices heard.
It was a lovely evening, celebrating the hard work and dedication of the teams behind the films. All the films are definitely worth a watch. The English-language films will be broadcast on BBC Two Wales whilst the Welsh-language films will be shown on S4C in October. The English-language films will then be available via BBC iPlayer. More information can be found at the BBC It's My Shout website.
The broadcast schedule for the English-language films is as follows:
Dear Mr Ali: Monday 11th September 2017, 23:15
Two Player Games: Tuesday 12th September 2017, 23:15
HOME: Wednesday 13th September 2017, 23:15
Closure: Thursday 14th September 2017, 23:15
Rory Romantic: Friday 15th September 2017, 23:05
Packaged: Monday 18th September 2017, 23:15
Peggy: Tuesday 19th September 2017, 23:10
Congratulations to all the nominees and the winners! You should all be justifiably proud of your amazing achievements.
If you're interested in finding out more about the scheme, check out the It's My Shout website.
Whilst the Marvel Cinematic Universe bestrides the cinematic landscape like some giant lycra-clad colossus, it's easy to forget that Marvel Studios don't actually have the rights to all their characters. The rights to several franchises/groups (such as Fantastic Four and X-Men) belong with other parties- it's why there was so much wrangling over the use of Quicksilver in both X-Men: Days Of Future Past and Avengers: Age Of Ultron, with there being so many rules as to what can be said/referenced and so on.
So whilst Spider-Man is a Marvel creation (created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in 1962), the cinematic rights are currently with Sony, whose head honcho Amy Pascal said in 2013 (prior to the release.of The Amazing Spider-Man 2) that Sony selling the rights back to Marvel Studios would 'never ever ever' happen. However in February 2015, Sony and Marvel Studios struck a deal to co-produce a new Spider-Man movie which would form part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (as well as Spider-Man appearing in Captain America: Civil War)
Fan speculation went into overdrive, especially when it was revealed there'd be new casting for Peter Parker. Would we be subjected to a THIRD version of the origin story in fifteen years?
Luckily, not. Instead, we find Peter already comfortable with his powers, eager to be of more use to the Avengers whilst doing small-scale heroic acts in Queens. However, when he attempts to stop criminals pulling off a bank robbery (who are armed with technology which is definitely out of this world), our friendly neighbourhood webslinger discovers there's a very dangerous adversary behind it all. As if negotiating the difficulties of high school wasn't bad enough...
For a lot of previous MCU films, you can see that they're also riffing off a genre picture within the confines of a superhero movie (a paranoid political thriller, space opera, heist movie and so on). Spider-Man: Homecoming plays like a John Hughes teen movie- with added superheroes.
It's also led from the front by a winning and utterly absorbing performance by Tom Holland (The Impossible, How I Live Now, Locke). Critics were fulsome in their praise of his short cameo in Captain America: Civil War- he was superb and was able to hold his own against the more established stars. In his own movie, he's given the room to expand that role and takes it with both hands. He's geeky, slightly awkward, bizarrely quite adorable. He has all the enthusiasm and warmth of an energetic puppy and you really feel for him as he struggles to stake his claim as a new Avenger.
The other school children are all strong too, with Jacob Batalon giving a star-making turn as Peter's equally geeky mate Ned who becomes Peter's 'guy in the chair' later on. Laura Harrier is excellent as Peter's crush Liz, and the burgeoning relationship between the two is quite lovely (there's also a killer twist later in the film which complicates things even further). Zendaya is also strong as school outcast/misfit Michelle, always ready with a sardonic quip or raised eyebrow. Finally, Tony Revolori (The Grand Budapest Hotel) plays school jerk Flash and adds a nice level of comic snark to it.
As for the adult cast, Michael Keaton is just superb (and not a little chilling) as Adrian Toomes a.k.a. The Vulture. Toomes originally helped cleaned up the Avengers' mess- literally, as a construction worker tasked with clearing the debris- but after being closed down by a shady government organisation with ties to Stark Industries, he decides to keep some of the alien technology he''s scavenged. There's an interesting socio-economic point to be made here- the rich get richer whilst the poorer get screwed- but thankfully it doesn't tubthump on it too much. The design of the Vulture costume is really cool as well. There's also a very interesting twist on the big hero-villain confrontation (before the final fight) which works really well.
Robert Downey Jr is as good as you'd expect him to be as Spidey's reluctant mentor whilst Jon Favreau is also superb as Happy Hogan, acting as Peter's contact. I still can't quite get my head round Marisa Tomei being old enough to be Aunt May but, as Tom Holland is only in his early twenties, it fits. She's a warm presence, providing some stability for Peter. There's also a great voice performance by Jennifer Connelly as the AI in Spidey's new suit. Chris Evans pops up here and there in several slightly cringeworthy Captain America instructional videos for the children (and also provides a nice end-credits scene).
Some of the action sequences are stunning, especially the attacks on the Washington Monument and the Staten Island Ferry (the latter teased in the trailers). The whole aesthetic of the film works really well. The script is nicely balanced between these big set-pieces and the quieter, smaller character moments. The humour is there and the characters feel authentic- often, high-school kids don't sound like high-school kids but here (mostly) they do.
Spider-Man: Homecoming deserves credit for a lot of things. Firstly, that it isn't an origin movie. In fact, the whole circumstances of Peter's transformation are glossed over in a few sentences. Secondly, using The Vulture as the primary antagonist is a good move; whilst he is a well-known Spidey villain, they could have gone with someone better known (Doc Ock or Green Goblin for example). Thirdly, Uncle Ben is nowhere to be seen. There are a few oblique references to May 'going through' some stuff but- as they're not using the origin story template- we don't see that happening. Ultimately, they're not trying to reinvent the wheel but, by not using the standard tropes, there's a certain amount of originality in it.
As a collaboration between studios, I think they can say Spider-Man: Homecoming ranks as a success (at the time of writing, it had made over $700 million at the box office). It'll be interesting to see whether this is a one-off or whether other non-Marvel studios will be interested in attempting a similar deal in the future.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Tez
