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Wednesday 19 March 2014

Under the Skin


Genre: Horror/Thriller
Directed: Jonathan Glazer 
Starring: Scarlett Johansson 
Running: 108 minutes

As silly as it may sound, Jonathan Glazer's take on modern alien-ism is so realistic it is truly frightening. A horror movie it is not, a sci-fi is questionable also; let's just say Under the Skin is a bag of everything, including drama and sentiment from a female alien seeking humanity in oneself. Giving very little away in its advertisement, judging by its James Cameron style poster, the opening scene is one of true remembrance, even if there is very little to show. Jonathan Glazer makes an alien assumption and what we are about to follow through-out this 100 minute slideshow of fascinating images.

A machine is seen slowly making its way toward what we eventually make out to be a human like eyeball, constructing our female protagonist to be (Scarlett Johansson). From there we witness a compelling concept of the hunter and the hunted through an aliens-eye-view. Prowling the wet streets of Scotland with a motive that is never fully explained, Laura is on the look out for vulnerable men with no direction other than the dark depths of what appears to be a concept of alien abduction. The murky human world is what captivates this movie to its full realism as hidden cameras are used to show the mundane streets featuring pedestrians at their typical. A transit van supplied by a mysterious biker is used to distract Laura from her manifestation; unrecognisable beneath her 80s retro hairstyle, Laura routinely distracts men at their most isolated, inviting them back to her abandoned house where they will meet their demise, revealing the most fascinating image and the "horror" of the movie. However Under the Skin feels purposely divided into a movie of two very different chapters, one that reveals sentiment in Laura with a dramatic outlook on what happens when the tables are turned on our leading star. It goes on to focus on a clever concept, one of much relevance in today's society. For me, Jonathan Glazer kills the darkish mood of its first 45 minutes to give us a sense of humanity and sympathy but again going back to what the movie offered at the beginning, making for a fantastic intro, a strange and not too comfortable middle and a brilliant ending.

Scarlett Johansson does very little here, yet it is the performance of her career no doubt. As strange as that may sound, that is exactly it; her cold and calculated expressions, her movement and her overall commitment to a film revealing more nudity than we would have expected, she is dedicated to her robust character from the get-go. Scarlett showcases a method side to her acting that the blockbusters of the past have not aloud her to do. Her robotic persona is scary and seductive making Under the skin spine tingling at times, yet heartfelt for both herself and her victims - she leads the line in fantastic fashion in this very rare one-women-show.

The chilling soundtrack helps set the atmospheric tone this movie thrives off from the beginning. Scarlett's on screen presence creates something so unnerving, you could cut the cinematic atmosphere with a blunt knife. The oblivious folks appearing in the backdrop of midnight Scotland gives this movie a sense of realism, with its stalker concept being of much relevance. Jonathan Glazer sheds some light on just how the average male can be vulnerable in the dead of the night; one scene shows just how far Laura will go to lure a victim to a misty grave.

Those looking to enjoy a movie of dialog will be very disappointed. Under the skin is an artistic outlook of hunter seeking its prey using a plethora of images; featuring deserted highways, wet and windy pavements and grizzly houses, while the sci-fi also comes into play in Laura's lair. Unfortunately the same concept is used toward the middle of the movie and the end, substituting gritty streets for the country woods and more. I for one found the images fascinating and self-explanatory.

Very little can be said in regards to how the movie plays out, and some people may be disappointed in that sense. It is probably the most realistic take on alien-ism I have seen in modern film so far. However so realistic that it may prove boring for some, and virtually unexplained. I for one tend to keep an open mind, therefore enjoying this visionary bag of mixed treats from Jonathan Glazer.










Tuesday 4 March 2014

Ride Along


Genre: Action/Comedy
Directed: Tim Story
Starring: Ice Cube & Kevin Hart
Running: 100 minutes 

The buddy cop genre has had some ups and downs in its time. The origins are however, worth remembering such as 48hrs, Lethal Weapon and Beverly Hills cop still holding up. Unfortunately the existence of such classics are often used to help revive such a genre resulting in many copycats; the dire and ultimately forgettable Cop Out (2010), the divided opinion of The other Guys (2010) and R.I.P.D of late (to name a few) have all proved unoriginal and most importantly, not funny. Ride Along falls into the same poison chalice.

Stuck with the same facial expression since Boys in the Hood, Ice Cube finds himself in position similar to Friday; shunned by Chris Tucker's comedic dose, Ice Cube's lack of personality gives way to Tucker's replacement, Kevin Hart.

Ben (Hart) is a part time boyfriend and full time video gamer. Destined to become a police officer, his national security job is a stepping stone to become the bad ass his brother in law defies him to become. Desperate to impress his mundane companion Angela (Tika Sumpter), Ben passes his exams. Behind Ben's obviously obnoxious personality is hard as rock, straight-outta Compton rouge officer James (Ice Cube) who showcases is gun skills upon the movies introduction. Like all buddy cop movies a hatred must exist and indeed one does. Ben plans to wed James's sister Angela, much to the disgust of James whose long term memory of a barbecue incident is the route to Ride-along’s typical chemistry of modern buddy cop humour. Hell bent on proving his courageousness, Ben is taken on a "ride-along" by James, resulting in a part-time comedy (thanks to Hart) but monotonous which is also thanks to Hart.

I would be lying if I told you that Ride-along offers nothing in its comedy, it does. Kevin Hart's miniature presence is somewhat memorable and really tries to give this nonsensical blockbuster a heartbeat (excuse the pun); re-enacting Denzel Washington's Oscar winning disintegration scene from Training Day in front of a biker gang, to the testing of various guns in a police gun range. However the drawn out perspective of Kevin Hart's height is used to the extreme, resulting in a comedy that takes a new direction in depending on "slapstick" over the witty dialog that maybe could have been used in replacement. Kevin Hart's attempt to become the next Eddie Murphy gets the best of him with his in your face dialog proving tiresome the longer the movie survives.

Other cast members include cop companion Santiago played by John Leguizamo who thanks to his Luigi portrayal in that god awful super Mario movie still gives me nightmares, am I the only one? Laurence Fishburne also makes a predicted appearance looking shocked as to how the hell he ended up in this stage of his career.

Ride-along is weak in its plot, so much so that you forget there is one. James's so-called determination to bring in the concealed identity of a "word of mouth" killer is quickly forgotten as his obsessive hatred for Hart's character is just preposterous; so much so that an investigation turns into a 24 patrol premise revealing segments of spiritless comedy, resulting in a tedious film. The final 10 minutes reminds us of a plot we have already ignored and depending on your humour, the three funny scenes involved in a 100 minute cash grab may prove hilarious or just inattentive.