Pirate Radio (2009)

Pirate Radio (known as The Boat That Rocked in the U.K.) is based on the true story of how a handful of renegade DJs influenced the future of music forever.  In the 1960s, rock and roll was incredibly popular in Britain, but it only got a fraction of airtime on the radio.  A few enterprising radio people sought to remedy this, and began broadcasting 24/7 rock and pop music from ships stationed in the North Sea.  The pirate station known as 'Radio Rock' was the most popular among them.
It's into this picture that we are introduced to young Carl (Tom Sturridge), who has recently been kicked out of school and is sent out to sea to visit with his godfather Quentin (Bill Nighy), the de facto manager of Radio Rock.  Dave (Nick Frost), one of the many DJs on board, takes a liking to Carl, and before long the rest of Radio Rock considers Carl to be one of their own.  While the DJs go through various exploits of debauchery and clashes of ego, Carl discovers one of the DJs on board may be his father, and he decides to seek him out before his return home.  Meanwhile, on the mainland, Sir Alistair Dormandy (Kenneth Branagh), and his new assistant, one Mr. Twatt (Jack Davenport) are determined to shut down the noise pollution of rock and roll for good, whether it's done by legal means or otherwise.  Carl eventually discovers the identity of his father, but only moments later, the entire crew are put into a life threatening situation at sea, and brought out of it in a most unexpected way.
The first thing I noticed about Pirate Radio was the amount of sexual content.  While I was a bit shocked at first, it was certainly true to the era, and it would hardly be fair to judge a movie for that.  The other major attribute of this Pirate Radio is that it's an ensemble film.  Thankfully director Richard Curtis has done very well with other ensemble films like Love Actually.  No one character ever truly feels left out of the story, even if they appear for a few brief moments.  In fact, one could argue that these brief moments are more impactful than the larger set pieces of the movie.  One of my favourite scenes in the film is an exchange between Carl and early morning DJ Bob (Ralph Brown).  It's a very short scene with very little dialogue, but there's a great deal of emotional information packed into that little scene.  I think this stands as both proof of my theory and proof of the great acting and direction of this movie.
As I mentioned above, just about everyone in this film gets their moment in the sun, and each character is memorable in their own way.  One of the most memorable characters is 'The Count' (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who bursts with the kind of rebellious spirit and bullish confidence that could only come from an American.  On the flipside of this, we have Kenneth Branagh's performance as the humourless, yet fiercely determined bureaucrat Dormandy.  He's a character you instantly hate, not only for his personality, but also for what he represents to the fun loving people of Radio Rock and their fans.  These are just a few small examples, of course.  Pirate Radio is so well cast, I could easily pick any given actor and have something good to say about them in this film.
It would be negligent to talk about Pirate Radio without mentioning the music.  What's most interesting is the sheer variety of music there is to hear.  It seems that not a scene goes by when we aren't hearing something play in the background.  The soundtrack is filled with all kinds of different music, from Smokey Robinson all the way to a novelty Christmas song by the Beach Boys.  At its heart, the love of music is the driving force of Pirate Radio, and it communicates this tremendously well.  
If you're fond of classic rock and roll, or have an interest in radio, Pirate Radio is a great movie for you.  It has a good mix of seriousness and comedy, and a brilliantly curated soundtrack to hold everything together.

Inferno (2016)

Based on the best selling book by Dan Brown, Inferno is the latest entry in Ron Howard's suspenseful film series.  This installment finds Professor Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) in an Italian hospital, victim of a mysterious head wound and amnesia.  Soon, a few pieces of a larger puzzle are revealed, as Langdon and his attending physician Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones) are chased across Europe by police officers as well as agents of the W.H.O.  Add to this the mystery of a deceased billionaire with a dangerous philosophy, clues surrounding the work of the poet Dante, and a hidden biological weapon, and this becomes a recipe for danger-filled adventure.
One of the first things that struck me about Inferno was the departure in tone from previous films in this series.  The film immediately grabs you by the neck and shakes vigorously.  With some expertly done editing and makeup/effects work, Inferno displays a nightmarish world that is at once shocking and confusing, reflecting the current state of Robert Langdon himself.  After this, things calm down a bit, and we begin to see the different pieces of the puzzle that has been prepared for our hero.  Interestingly, this puzzle solving format only seems to last for about half of the movie.  After this, the characters become as puzzling as the clues that have been followed.  In fact, I found myself so wrapped up in piecing together the clues hidden in Renaissance paintings and art objects that some of the biggest plot reveals took me completely by surprise, which is exactly what this type of movie should deliver.  Director Ron Howard makes great use of authentic locations in the film, which makes for an incredibly beautiful viewing experience, as well as reinforcing the feeling of secret history being discovered.
For the most part, I found the cast did an excellent job.  However, I found the performance of Felicity Jones a little on the flat side.  It wasn't necessarily bad acting, but I felt that Sienna Brooks was simply there to facilitate the plot movement, and didn't feel like a fully rounded character to me.  That being said, the performance of Tom Hanks and the rest of the cast make up for it.  In particular, I enjoyed the work of Ana Ularu as a trigger-happy police officer, and Omar Sy as a determined W.H.O. agent.  Also, Irrfan Khan is worth a mention as the professionally dangerous company man, Harry Sims.
I don't remember the previous films in the series very clearly, so I'm sure a few moments were lost on me, but I still found Inferno accessible to an essentially new viewer.  There are only a few small callbacks, but it's enough to make one want to go back and watch the previous movies.  If you're into mystery, history, and suspense, Inferno is a perfect movie for you to check out!        

Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

Pan's Labyrinth recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with a screening at the Toronto International Film Festival, so I thought it would be a great time to look back and examine what makes this Guillermo del Toro film so special.
The film takes place in the late years of World War II, in Francisco Franco's Spain, which is still recovering from the Spanish Civil War.  A young girl named Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) and her pregnant mother Carman (Adriana Gil) have been displaced, and taken in by Vidal, a captain in the Spanish army.  While Vidal defends his outpost from guerilla freedom fighters and attempts to root out sympathizers in his ranks, Ofeila is more concerned with her mother.  Carmen's pregnancy is a difficult one, and Ofelia is concerned that her mother may not survive.  Ofelia encounters a faun, who gives her three tasks to carry out.  Not only will these cure her mother's illness, but the faun claims Ofelia will become immortal if she performs her tasks correctly.
One of the things I find interesting about this film is that it is told entirely in Spanish, with subtitles.  Guillermo del Toro could have very easily made Pan's Labyrinth in English, but I am thankful he chose not to.  While subtitles aren't to everyone's taste, I find this style choice to be the most authentic to the cultural setting.  It feels completely natural for the film to be presented in this way.  To have the same film in English would be to settle for a cheapened experience.
The contrast of brutal realism with dark fantasy is one of the things that makes Pan's Labyrinth work so well.  The score by Javier Navarrete mirrors this tone incredibly well.  There are notes of the whimsical tempered by terror and tension as the story develops.  The film has an incredibly strong cast, which also helps to draw the viewer in.  In particular, I was captivated by Sergi Lopez's performance as the cruel Captain Vidal.  His mercurial anger is as terrifying as the script intends, and makes you all the more concerned for the safety of the others.  Alex Angulo is also very good as the determined Doctor Ferreiro, who plays a dangerous game by helping the rebel camp in secret.
My review wouldn't be complete without talking about the incomparable work of creature actor Doug Jones, who performs both the fascinating, yet dangerous looking faun character as well as the baby-eating monster known only as 'the pale man'.  Jones uses every part of his body to create these iconic characters, but this is only half the story.  These performances would be nothing without the masterful technical work of prosthetics and special effects.  While the fantasy sequences in this film are brief, they are so richly detailed that they are the most memorable and iconic scenes from the film.  Credit is also due to the production design team for creating such a finely detailed and fully realized world.  
To sum up, Pan's Labyrinth is still as incredible a piece of film as it was ten years ago.  The characters are strongly written and brilliantly acted.  The effects work is beautifully well done, and solidifies the otherworldly nature of this movie.  In addition, Pan's Labyrinth was a film that catapulted Guillermo del Toro into his position as one of the most visually distinctive and sought-after directors in Hollywood.  In short, it's a high point in the ever-expanding del Toro filmography.  

Chicago (2002)

"In this town, murder's a form of entertainment," says Matron 'Mama' Morton (Queen Latifah) early on in Chicago.  This is a very precise description of the story told in this film.
Set in 1920s Chicago, we are told the story of Roxie Hart (Renee Zelwegger), an aspiring vaudeville actress who accidentally kills a man who promised her fame and fortune.  She's sent to prison where she meets Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones).  Her story is similar, except she's a legitimate vaudeville star, and did the deed on purpose.  Realizing the she's on death row and time is short, Roxie enlists the help of lawyer Billy Flynn (Richard Gere), who will represent anyone for the right price.  As it turns out, Flynn is also defending Velma in court at the same time.  What follows is a dramatic, and often dishonest, battle for fame in the Chicago courtrooms told in the tradition of vaudeville song and dance.
Along with other films like Moulin Rouge, Chicago is responsible for reigniting an interest in musical films.  It also did remarkably well at the 2003 Academy Awards, winning best picture over more serious films like Gangs of New York.
Chicago has an interesting premise, in that the internal dialogue of the characters is told in song and dance.  Vaudeville is central to the plot, and the film uses all the facets of the prohibition-era entertainment to great effect.  Over the course of the film, we see everything from tap-dancing to comedy to ventriloquism.  There's seldom a moment without an accompanying song.
As well as the music, the film borrows some techniques from vaudeville as well.  In place of more high-tech methods, the film makes use of traditional theatrical effects like mirrors, well-placed lighting, and even the use of scarves to simulate blood in one number.  It all works very well together to give the audience the feeling that they're front-row center at a Broadway production.
The cast are all accomplished in acting as well as song and dance.  Some of the choreography Zelwegger and Zeta-Jones perform on top of the acting itself is very impressive.  This film is also enhanced by a top-notch supporting cast.  I particularly liked John C. Reilly as Roxie's husband Amos, a pathetically sad man who has no understanding of what's really happening with Roxie.
As well put together as the film is, I personally found a felt a little let down in the plot department.  There are several potentially interesting plot threads that were left completely unexplored in favour of more musical numbers.  In addition, I felt the ending of the film was essentially the lead-in to an elaborate closing song and dance number.  I was left wanting some more definitive answers about what happened next, but was left to imagine an ending while the credits rolled.
Despite its few shortcomings, I do think Chicago is a good film.  What it lacks in substance, it makes up for in spectacle.  While the musical style may not be for everyone, it has something for just about everyone else.  It's fun and exciting, and captures all the elements of the prohibition era.

Bridge of Spies (2015)

Imagine you're playing a game of chess.  Now, imagine all of the game pieces and all of the squares on the board are the same colour.  It's difficult, isn't it?  It's difficult to know whose pieces are whose, which moves are legal and which aren't.  Finally, imagine this is a high-stakes game, and the results determine life or death for someone else.  This is the world of Bridge of Spies.
Set during the Cold War, this Steven Spielberg film tells the true story of James Donovan (Tom Hanks), a New York insurance lawyer who is drafted to defend one Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance) on multiple charges of Russian espionage.  Most people, including the judge, believe this is an open and shut case, and the trial is merely a show for the public.  Donovan doesn't see it that way, and is determined that Abel receives the fairest treatment possible, if only to demonstrate American values to the USSR.  Despite his best efforts, Abel is found guilty on all counts.
Meanwhile, Francis Powers, an American air force pilot, is shot down over Russia while flying a U2 spy plane.  He is captured and held in a Soviet prison, which offers an opportunity to Donovan.  An exchange of prisoners is offered between the USA and the USSR.  At the same time, in Germany, a young American student named Frederic Pryor is caught on the wrong side of the under-construction Berlin wall, and is held in prison.  Donovan then determines to negotiate with both parties in order to free both men in the exchange.
With the assistance of the CIA, James Donovan is sent to Berlin to perform the negotiations.  From here begins a strange game of misinformation, tricky negotiations, and secrecy.  Donovan succeeds against difficult odds, and the film concludes with an edge-of-your-seat exchange set on the Glienicke Bridge, where we discover if everyone is true to their word or not.
The script, by Matt Charman and the Coen Brothers, is superbly written.  Every line drips with hidden meaning, and the tension is consistent until the very end.  Unlike other films of its kind, Bridge of Spies chooses not to use any subtitles, despite numerous scenes with dialogue in German and Russian.  I find that not knowing the other languages serves to increase the mystery, as well as communicating Donovan's experience of being a stranger in foreign territory.  The audience never truly misses anything from the lack of subtitles, but I can't help but wonder if the film experience is different for people who are fluent in German or Russian.
The script is helped with an outstanding cast.  Tom Hanks gives a wonderfully convicted performance as James Donovan, a man who is well aware of the odds against him, but is determined to do whatever it takes to see justice done.  Equally good is Mark Rylance, as the always stoic Rudolf Abel, a performance which earned him an Academy Award.  Among the rest of the well-rounded cast, I especially enjoyed Mikhail Gorevoy as Ivan Schischkin.  His performance reminded me of the work of classic bad-guy actor Peter Lorre.
At its heart, Bridge of Spies is all about the concept of freedom.  It examines how we define freedom, as well as the effects of limiting freedom, or removing it outright.  To James Donovan, it was irrelevant whether Rudolf Abel was a spy or not.  What mattered was his being given a fair chance at living a life of freedom.  This film provides a very interesting look at history, and how extreme politics can affect a country's society.  Considering the political climate today, it's an important lesson to be reminded of.