Horns (5/10): A mishmash of genres

“Tell me! Tell me everything I need to know!”

Alexandre Aja has never lived up to his directorial debut, High Tension, but to give him credit he did manage to set the bar pretty high. I haven’t really enjoyed any of his horror films since then, but I have to admit Horns was quite a unique experience. It was nothing like his previous films, and despite being considered a horror film it isn’t really one. There aren’t any scary moments in Horns and there is actually quite a bit of humor. It is more of a dark comedy mixed with mystery as the lead character, played by Daniel Radcliffe, has to figure out who murdered his girlfriend while the entire town suspects he did it. Along the process he acquires a strange supernatural ability after waking up one night with horns on his head. These horns make the people around him confess their deepest and darkest desires to him. He can also manage to look at people’s past once he touches them. Using these abilities he sets out to find the killer, so you could say this is a superhero film as well. You could classify this film in so many genres because at times it felt like Aja didn’t know what kind of film he wanted to make. There were many tonal shifts and some of the genre changes felt forced. I was really into this film during the first hour because the premise hooked me and the story was interesting. I also found the weird sense of humor quite funny, but as the story progressed and some revelations were made my enjoyment faded rapidly. It just lost track of what it was trying to do and most of the genre switches felt displaced and misbalanced. The film also becomes tedious towards the end because it felt overlong at two hours. Perhaps the childhood flashbacks could have been eliminated to allow a better pacing because I didn’t feel they added much to the story. Horns had so much potential to be a better film but unfortunately it suffers from trying to balance several tones and loses its identity in the process.

Keith Bunin adapted the screenplay from Joe Hill’s book, which I haven’t read so I can’t say how faithful the adaptation is. What I can say is that Daniel Radcliffe gives a strong performance and his American accent is spot on. It is interesting to see the transformation his character goes through as he discovers the power these new horns give him. Radcliffe is proving to have a wide range as he has played some dark characters this past year trying to break away from his Harry Potter days. I wasn’t a fan of the supporting cast mostly because the dialogue in this film felt melodramatic and forced at times, but Juno Temple does give a solid performance. It was fresh to see her in this role as a sweet girl instead of the trashy trailer park character she has often played. We believe that this girl really is the object of affection of the townspeople.  The rest of the characters in this film are forgettable and no one really adds anything to the story. 

This modern day fable-like story has a nice visual style to it. The town where it is set is gorgeous and we are surrounded by this beautiful landscape which contrasts with the darkness of the story and the characters. Unfortunately Horns doesn’t just suffer from a mishmash of genres, but it also seems to have some inconsistencies with its premise. I can’t get in to details without spoiling the film but there was something about the revelation of the murderer that didn’t make sense to me. The other issue I had with Horns was that it never established some of the rules of what the horns could do. At times it seemed as if the people had to ask Radcliffe’s character for permission to perform their darkest desires, but at others they simply did them even when he was against them. So why would some people ask them if they didn’t need his permission in the first place? That was just a minor issue I had, but nothing that really took me out of the film. The first hour of Horns is really engaging and entertaining, but the final hour is a letdown.

My Review: Kill Your Darlings (6/10)

"Another lover hits the universe. The circle is broken. But with death comes rebirth. And like all lovers and sad people, I am a poet."

I knew nothing about Kill Your Darlings going into this movie (which means I basically don't know anything about modern American literature because apparently these guys were famous poets that influenced their generation during the 50's with their literary work). Known today as the Beat generation, they basically rejected the moral standards imposed at the time and innovated in style while experimenting with drugs and sex. Many films based on their work have been adapted for for the big screen (Howl, On the Road, and Naked Lunch), but I haven't seen them, so I actually went into this film without knowing anything about these writers. The film serves as an introduction as to how these writers came together and influenced one another during their teenage years, and it is told from Allen Ginsberg's point of view. This biographical drama/thriller may not be entirely factual, but it is still a fascinating story, and once the film ended it made me want to know about who these people were. The film's main attraction is the excellent chemistry between Daniel Radcliffe and Dane DeHaan who give excellent performances (and after a while you actually forget Radcliffe is Harry Potter). The supporting cast is also strong, including Michael C. Hall, Ben Foster, and Jack Huston. I'm a huge fan of Elizabeth Olsen, but in this film her character wasn't given much to work with, but it makes sense considering the Beat generation is a male dominated movement. It ended up influencing the hippie movement in the 60's and popular rock bands like The Beatles. This film only focuses on the early stages of their lives, but it shows how these artists came to know each other and how Lucien Carr was the most influential figure in their formation.

The screenplay was co-written by director John Krokidas and Austin Bunn focusing on the early stages of Alan Ginsberg's (Daniel Radcliffe) life as he began studying at Columbia University which shaped his philosophical views on life. The turning point in his life was when he met his classmate, Lucien Carr (Dane DeHaan) who taught him to question the orthodox methods of the school and introduced him to other future icons of the Beat generation: William S. Burroughs (Ben Foster), and Jack Kerouac (Jack Huston). Together they would hang out in night clubs exploring new literary ideas and basically rediscovering themselves. They were against moral boundaries and explored with drugs and sex. Alan and some of the others also dealt with their homosexuality, while some tried to hide it. Lu also introduced Alan to one of his mentors, David Krammerer (Michal C. Hall), who was obsessed with Lu and ultimately led to a tragic event. 

The film succeeds mostly because of the great performances from the young cast and because it is actually an intriguing story. John Krokidas isn't a director I was familiar with, but he does a decent job with this film. The film does have a believable 40's style and it stays true to the period. It is really well paced as well and it begins to get more interesting once the crime takes place. Unfortunately the film does lack some structure and at times I felt like it was wandering off. The scenes with Allen's mother never were explored much, but we understand how it affected his life and his relationship with his father. The characters are sometimes a bit too clever and don't feel real at times. Still, I was engaged with this film thanks to the material which is very interesting and I enjoyed the performances very much. The film is ambiguous at times, but that is what will leave you thinking and wanting to learn more about these characters at the end. It is all over the place at times, but I was drawn in to the story and for a biopic it gets the job done.

My Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2 (10/10)

¨Harry Potter, the boy who lived…come to die. Avada Kedavra!¨

After ten years and eight films, the Harry Potter franchise has finally come to its magical conclusion and what a great one it was. As the British might say: It was bloody brilliant! This film is by far the best one of the entire franchise because it brings closure to a series that has been a part of us for a decade. I really never expected to like the Harry Potter series as much as I did and I became more and more hooked to the franchise as each new movie came out. It was like if every new film kept on improving from its predecessor. Not only did the series grow darker, the visuals just kept on looking more amazing as the movies were being released. Ever since David Yates was called to direct these movies beginning with The Order of the Phoenix he just kept on outdoing himself and winning new converts. J.K. Rowling can be proud of the producers for adapting her novels so magically, and of Steve Kloves (who should receive some recognition) for writing such a magnificent screenplay. I don’t see how anyone could dislike this movie; it`s truly a masterpiece. By the eighth film I know most of the people that are going to watch this movie are true Harry Potter fans, since I don’t see how if they didn`t like his previous movies they would have any reason to want to see this last one anyways. If you enjoyed the other Potter films then you will definitely love this one; if you hated them then there is no reason why you would want to see the eighth one in the first place. This is not only my favorite film of the franchise, it`s also my favorite film of the year so far.

The movie picks up right where the last one ended with the abrupt finale of when Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) collects Dumbledore`s (Michael Gambon) wand from the grave. It just happens to be the most powerful wand in the world and it ends up in the hands of the most dangerous dark wizard who wants nothing more than to see Harry Potter dead. On the meantime Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) are searching for the remaining three horcruxes in order to destroy them before Voldemort finds Harry. As long as the horcruxes are safe, Voldemort will remain immortal. The quest will end up leading the boys back to some familiar territories that we have grown to love. Potter knows that sooner or later he will have to face Voldemort; but there is much more at stake here as the forces for good and evil begin taking center stage for a final confrontation that has been waiting to happen for quite some time now. The build up for the grand finale happened almost entirely in the first part of The Deathly Hollows; now in the second part the action and intensity felt almost nonstop. Most of the characters from the previous films are all back and ready for battle. On Voldemort`s side you have the evil Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter), the Malfoy`s, and several death eaters, while fighting along Harry`s side are the Weasley`s, Luna (Evanna Lynch), Neville (Matthew Lewis), and the rest of the crew from Hogwarts. I cannot leave out one of the central characters of the film, Severus Snape (Alan Rickman), who if we`ve never read the novel before don`t quite really know who he is really fighting for until the very end.

 

The final film of the franchise will leave almost every Harry Potter fan completely satisfied because it brings closure to a decade long affair. We`ve grown to love and care for most of these characters that have shared so much screen time with us. There are so many memorable characters in this franchise and they all get plenty of action in this five hour long finale (if we add both parts of The Deathly Hollows). The young actors have all matured over the years and we`ve grown to expect great performances from the entire cast. The visuals and special effects were also mesmerizing as usual. What I loved even more from this second part is that we came back to Hogwarts, and I really hadn’t noticed what a key character that place had become until Harry Potter puts his feet back in the school and is greeted by his friends. Of course it has grown much darker now that Dumbledore is gone, but so has the franchise over time. The battle scenes were also very effective and powerful, but what really stood out for me in the entire movie was the five minute montage when Harry sees Snape`s memories in the Pensieve and so many questions are answered as to what was going on between him and Dumbledore, and as to why he seemed to protect Potter at times and despise him at others. His love story is even more powerful than Ron and Hermione`s (that was way long overdue) or Harry and Ginny`s. Those five minutes really changed my perception of the entire film and made me see things in a whole other light. I really loved Rickman`s performance as Snape and think he stood out over the rest, although Fiennes was excellent as the fearful Voldemort and Helena Bonham Carter as the hateful Bellatrix. They did a pretty decent job of making me forget about my favorite character of the franchise: Sirius Black. I absolutely loved this film, and it was a wonderful conclusion to a magical franchise!

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My Review: Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows (9/10)

¨The Elder Wand, the most powerful wand ever made, the Resurrection Stone, the Cloak of Invisibility. Together, they make the Deathly Hallows.¨

The Harry Potter series is finally coming to an end after ten years and The Deathly Hallows promises to be an exciting conclusion to the franchise. Producers correctly decided to divide the movie in two parts in order to remain as faithful as possible to the book and not leave minor characters out of the story like they had to do with the other films. It is hard to review a movie that is actually only halfway through the story, but the first part of The Deathly Hallows was exciting and captivating. The 140 minutes flew by real fast and even though the film had an inconclusive ending I still enjoyed the ride and can`t wait for the final farewell. I think this is one of my favorite films of the franchise as the characters continue to mature over time. It has been a thrilling ride as these heroes have grown to be a part of us and this movie is more about them than the actual story or the special effects. We`ve grown up with these characters and they have come a long way from The Sorcerer’s Stone. The series has also grown much darker over time, and The Deathly Hallows goes one step further from the very beginning with the snake scene. This was director David Yates third straight Harry Potter film (and he also directed the second part which will be released in January). Once again Steve Kloves does a great job with the adaptation of the screenplay of J.K. Rowling`s novel. Fans of the series won`t be disappointed and will be in line waiting for the premiere of the final chapter to say farewell to such beloved characters that have been a part of us all these years.

The movie picks off right where The Half Blood Prince left us. Dumbledore is dead, Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) is searching for Harry Potter along with his crew, and Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) is on a journey to try to destroy the seven horcruxes with his friends Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) before it is too late and Voldemort becomes too powerful. The task of finding and destroying these horcruxes isn`t an easy one, as Voldemort`s people are everywhere searching for him along with snatchers, and Dumbledore hasn`t told Harry where these pieces are hidden. Along their journey they will discover the legend of the three deathly hallows (hence the title): the elder wand, the resurrection stone, and the cloak of invisibility that will make the possessor of these three elements master over death. There are several new characters introduced in the series and some old ones appear and they all end up playing a key part in this seek and destroy journey. Just be warned before you see this movie, don`t expect a conclusive ending because this is only the first part of the story and the film leaves us at the halfway point. But I think the producers did a good job at finding the correct spot to put a pause on The Deathly Hallows before the second part finally comes out.

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint have grown so much professionally with the Harry Potter films. They have become great actors and one only needs to see the first Potter film (The Sorcerer’s Stone) and compare it to this last installment in order to see how much they have matured. These three kids have literally grown right in front of our eyes over these past ten years and I have to admit that they have done a tremendous job keeping pace with such great actors in this series as Ralph Fiennes, Bill Nighy, Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham Carter, Brendan Gleeson, Robbie Coltrane, and Gary Oldman. The Deathly Hallows does a great job of recognizing the success of the franchise in that it is a character driven film and we get a lot of that in this seventh movie. The main difference between this movie and the rest is that it doesn`t take place in Hogwarts and we get a lot of varied locations. Since the movie is divided in two parts we also get a lot more details and background stories which made the ride a lot more enjoyable as well. The scene were Lovegood tells Harry about the deathly hallows is great. That short animated sequence could very well compete independently for best short animated film and easily win the Oscars because it was just brilliant. I really enjoyed this first part of the final chapter of the series and am looking forward to the final part. I really don`t know who I hate more for now: Lord Voldemort or Bellatrix Lestrange because they have both done tremendous jobs as villains. Director David Yates has done a great job at bringing the world of Harry Potter to the big screen once again.

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