The Giant Mechanical Man

An offbeat romantic comedy about a silver-painted street performer and the soft spoken zoo worker who falls for him.

The indie approach to love stories differs quite markedly from that of mainstream Hollywood. The Giant Mechanical Man fits comfortably into this tradition, its lack of grandeur adding to its charm, but at times it's a flick that feels a little too contrived to become something you'll want to revisit.

The plot centres on a street performer (Chris Messina's Tim) and his struggles to fit in with the expectations of society at large, as well as to make ends meet. His lack of desire to take part in conventional culture defines the character and leads to a variety of problems in his relationships, largely due to drastically differing views on the world from those around him. His approach to life is fairly philosophical, believing that if he can brighten even one person's day on their way to work, it will make everything worthwhile. The character works well for the most part, but can come off as a stereotypical arty type in some of his rhetoric, which some may find a little grating.

The other side of the narrative takes Jenna Fischer's Janice as its focus. She has little idea what she wants from life and has difficulty holding down the succession of menial jobs that she takes on to pay the rent. She is the archetypal daydreamer, her head in the clouds more frequently than on solid ground. Her awkwardness in social situations does a lot to make the character likeable, the urge to will her to speak up for herself overwhelming.

The balance between comedy and drama in the film is judged well. There's adequate humour to raise a smile on more than one occasion and the drama plays very successfully for the most part. However, the scenes intended to be the most intense sometimes don't work quite as well as they should, leaving some of the more pivotal moments feeling a little flat. The movie's charm does a lot to make up for this, but there are points at which it is slightly overcooked and what atmosphere there was is crushed under the weight of borderline sickly sweetness.

The biggest problem here lies in the slightly ridiculous coincidences that lead to the two protagonists getting to know each other. The aim may perhaps have been to demonstrate how predestined to be together they really are, but there's an uncomfortably artificial feel that comes along with this and it detracts more than a little from the picture as a whole.

The Verdict:  

6.5/10
An unconventional love story in some ways, but quite ordinary in others. The quirky characters are offset by some overly contrived plot devices, just about preventing the film from becoming worth revisiting.   

Elephant

Several ordinary high school students go through their daily routine as two others prepare for something more malevolent.

In the wake of the Columbine school shootings, there was much discussion and sensationalism around what could have motivated the two killers to commit such horrific acts before taking their own lives. Elephant explores this question by giving us a window into the harrowing final moments of a pair of fictional high school murderers, as well as their victims.

The film follows several different students in the hour that leads up to the beginning of the violence, showing us the normality of their day to day lives. These segments are surprisingly engrossing, considering it's just people going about their business and interacting with the world that they inhabit. The perpetrators are included in this and are revealed to be pretty average teenagers. The lack of hyperbole in the portrayal is chilling and it's a quality that typifies the tone of the picture as a whole. The documentary feel of the style feeds into this and further accentuates the unspectacular nature of the day, though it's not just the pragmatic approach to filming that is important in this regard.

The cast are made up of untrained high school students, most of whom carry their real names on-screen as well as off. Personally, I found this a little eerie, but that may perhaps have been the point. There were apparently no prepared lines to speak of, Van Sant preferring to allow the amateurs to improvise. This not only helps give the dialogue a genuine flavour, but also avoids any complications that could have arisen through unskilled acting combined with trying to remember what to say. Ultimately, the freedom that is given makes for performances that feel remarkably natural, providing an atmosphere of unsettling realism.

There's also much to appreciate as far as the cinematography is concerned. The incredibly long takes that follow the students as they go through the day are impressive, taking in the bustling environment of the school and its inhabitants. Considering the leisurely pace of the editing, it's perhaps somewhat surprising that the film is almost unbearably tense at times. The knowledge of what is to come coupled with the blissful unawareness of the characters is largely responsible for this. It's an aspect that becomes even more effective once panic begins to spread, confusion, chaos and disbelief replacing the mundane.

As an experience, it can be hard to watch, though in the best possible way. The lack of movie conventions, particularly in terms of gunplay, makes the action that much more moving. There's nothing in the way of stylistic affectation applied and the detached coldness that this provides mirrors the attitude of the killers, bringing the events home with a shockingly powerful impact.

The Verdict:    

8/10
An intense and powerful film that is devastatingly effective in its approach. Poses some tough questions in exploring the subject at hand.

The Man Who Knew Too Much

A family vacationing in Morocco accidentally stumble on to an assassination plot and the conspirators are determined to prevent them from interfering.

Hitchcock's mastery of suspense is widely appreciated and his genius often referenced by countless film-makers, both past and present. For me, The Man Who Knew Too Much doesn't quite match his best work, but still showcases all the trademarks that make him such a revered figure in cinema to this day.

This was the second time that the acclaimed director had brought this story to the screen, the first being in 1934. It was by no means a straight remake of his first interpretation and the differences are many, with some aspects updated, others changed completely. Even the narrative itself is markedly altered, though the broad strokes of the plot remain intact.

As is the case here, the collaborations between Hitchcock and Jimmy Stewart are numerous and generally very successful. The director liked to use him so much due to Stewart's demeanour, embodying the average Joe and enabling audiences to put themselves in his characters' shoes much more easily. It's a feature that works especially well in this particular picture, though the archetype has evolved somewhat over the years since its production and he can sometimes come off a little gruff.

The choice of Doris Day for the female lead caused some concern at the time, as she was never a name that was associated with dramatic roles. It's a shame in some ways that she was so closely aligned with musicals due to her vocal talents, as her work in the film is excellent, particularly in the more emotional scenes, which showed her to be a quite capable actress when the situation called for it. There are also one or two scenes with songs shoehorned in, but they are done tastefully and fit with her role as a retired star of the stage.

The famous Royal Albert Hall scene is where the film reaches its peak and it has stood the test of time well. The tension remains intact and the desperation of Stewart's Dr. McKenna is palpable. The combination of the score (which Bernard Herrmann opted not to change from the first iteration, though he was given the choice) and precise, effective editing make it easy to see why it is considered such a classic.

The Verdict:

7/10
Yet another Hitchcock picture that is high on suspense and intrigue. Doris Day impresses in one of her few dramatic roles and is matched by Jimmy Stewart's usual finesse.

Sightseers

Chris wants to show girlfriend Tina his world, but events soon conspire against the couple and their dream caravan holiday takes a very wrong turn.

There's something very British about a caravan holiday, though it's not quite as ubiquitous a pastime as it may once have been. Sightseers takes the mundane as a starting point and turns it on its head resulting in a darkly comic road movie that has a style all its own.

There's a very peculiar wavelength to this flick and it took a while to adjust to it. It's difficult to know what to make of it all in the first ten minutes or so as we are introduced to the characters. Alice Lowe's Tina and her domineering mother both archetypes that may ring true for some, but left me at a bit of a loss as to what the intention was. Once Chris, Tina's new boyfriend, arrives to whisk her away on a sightseeing tour of Britain, things start to slot into place and the tone of the film begins to establish itself, raising a few smiles of recognition and provoking the odd awkward squirm.

Broadly speaking, the comedy of the film is very subtle, but there are several moments that had me laughing out loud. It was only once the plot had really begun to take shape that I could fully appreciate these subtleties and stop trying to figure out what on earth it was that the movie was going for. The juxtaposition of the utter dullness of attractions such as the pencil museum and the bloodthirsty urges that simmer below the surface of the couple's average exterior are in equal parts bizarre and comical. Their conversations about the crimes committed are hilariously banal, discussing murder as though they were picking out tiles for the bathroom. It's this lack of excitement over anything that gives the flick a uniquely eccentric quality that's irresistible.

For any of this to be successful, it's essential that the performances be fitting and they most certainly are. Alice Lowe plays the sheltered little girl that never grew up with beautifully understated restraint, confusion and amazement etched on her face at the most ordinary of occurrences. At thirty-four she still lives at home, her childhood bedroom appearing to be much the same as it was the day she started school. Steve Oram's Chris is far more worldly, though just as dreary, all anoraks and sensible outdoor attire.

I can honestly say that I've never seen anything quite like this before and it left me wanting more. This kind of comedy is very dark around the edges and to some degree very specific, but the sharpness of vision is clear to see, leaving its mark on British cinema and standing out from the crowd effortlessly.

The Verdict:

7.5/10
A darkly comic film that is both inventive and irresistibly different. A weird and wonderful experience that takes some getting used to, but really delivers where it counts.  

Basic Instinct

A police detective is in charge of the investigation of a brutal murder, in which a beautiful and seductive woman could be involved.

When a film is parodied as much as this one has been over the years, it can sometimes lessen any impact that it once had. Basic Instinct is not affected in the least by all the fun that's been poked at it, still retaining the intrigue and power that made it such a success upon its release.

The twists and turns, mind games and misdirection are what really make this movie such a classic. There are few femme fatales as callous as Sharon Stone's Catherine Tramell and she plays the part with a chillingly cold precision. The film draws on a number of pictures that have gone before it for inspiration, but these aspects always feel like respectful homage, rather than wilful thievery. It's this combination that lends the plot a sense of timelessness, though the same can't necessarily be said for the style in which the material is approached. Having said that, there's surprisingly little in the way of content that feels painfully dated, which can sometimes be jarring in other flicks of the time.

The original script apparently called for a much younger protagonist, but Douglas is not held back in the least by his advancing years (pushing fifty at the time of the film's release). His character's tragic past inflecting his attitude to life and difficulties relating to those around him. The incredibly insular nature of the man does much to accentuate the tightness of Tramell's hold over him, her unnerving skill in controlling others demonstrated to be unparalleled in stature.     

Whether or not the many graphic sex scenes that populate the picture are necessary in relating the narrative is debatable, but they do add an extra layer of depth to the motivations of the characters. Rather than being any kind of expression for those involved, the intimacy often serves as a means by which to manipulate partners into decisions and conclusions that further entangle them in a brilliantly twisted web of lies and deceit. It's a somewhat cynical take on relationships, but adds to the feeling that danger lies around every corner and choosing to trust more or less anyone could be a fatal mistake.

For the most part, the murders themselves would not feel out of place in a slasher flick. Copious amounts of blood and an unflinching focus on the grisly details characterise the majority. This, along with the erotica and locations in which the action takes place, bring the seedier side of this fictional San Francisco to the fore. A constant supply of sex, drugs and alcohol seemingly on tap at all hours of the day.

The Verdict:

8/10
A classic thriller full of sex, murder, and intrigue. One of the most memorable femme fatales in cinema has lost none of her cold dominance in the years since the film's release. Essential viewing.

The Island

A man goes on the run after he discovers that he is actually a "harvestable being", and is being kept as a source of replacement parts, along with others, in a Utopian facility.

Michael Bay is not a name that is frequently associated with films that are particularly profound. The Island doesn't buck this trend entirely, but does more than enough to cement its place as his most cerebral work to date.

The science fiction aesthetic at work here is by far the easiest with which to suspend disbelief. The environments are futuristic, but not so much so that the world feels alien at any point. There are, however, some issues with consistency in the dates given for when these events are taking place, but the specifics are not where the film's magnetism lies.

The story is centred on a moral dilemma, posing a number of philosophical questions in the process. It also taps into a topical discussion on the implications of growing replacement organs and the kind of scenarios that this might lead to. The breadth of the exploration isn't particularly far-reaching, but is mostly responsible for the more intelligent elements of the film. It gives the rest of the action a weightier feel, preventing this from becoming just another explosive romp completely devoid of a brain. It won't keep you up at night, but the plot is sturdy enough to provoke at least some contemplation as the narrative plays out. 

There is a noticeable shift in pace after the initial scene setting has been done, the action set pieces coming thick and fast. Bay tends to split opinion as a film-maker, but there can be no doubt that he is very good indeed at what he does. There are sometimes criticisms levelled that the sequences he brings to the screen are somewhat repetitive across movies (think highway chase scenes with cars being flipped like Matchbox toys and a skyscraper's worth of breaking glass). There may be some credence to this, but for me, it doesn't make it any less breathtaking to experience when the picture is in full flow.

As for the performances, all concerned put in decent displays, with the highlight being Steve Buscemi. His ability to carry a scene is just as potent here as it has ever been, bringing some light relief in the process and pushing the movie forward. The remainder of the supporting cast also throws up some pleasant surprises, the childlike attitude of a few of the characters affording ample opportunity for the actors to have some fun.

The Verdict:

7/10
An action flick with at least some semblance of intelligence. High octane is the order of the day and it's done with both style and audacity.