Bridge of Spies (7/10): Hanks and Spielberg reunited

“This man, my father's friend, he was beaten. Every time they hit him, he stood back up again. They hit him harder, still he got back to his feet. I think because of this they let him live.”

Over the past few years Steven Spielberg has shied away from the big blockbuster productions and settled for historical dramas such as Lincoln, War Horse, and Munich. Now we can add Bridge of Spies to Spielberg’s list of history lessons which counts on some outstanding and understated performances from an A list cast. This is the fourth collaboration between Spielberg and Tom Hanks, and although it doesn’t rank amongst my favorite I still enjoyed the character he plays here. Hanks is James B. Donovan, an insurance attorney with a strong sense of justice who also happens to be a respectable family man. Hanks plays the character very subtly and in a way he reminded me of Gregory Peck’s Atticus Finch because both characters seem to share a strong moral code and they put their sense of justice above what the community might think of them. Here Donovan is given the task to serve as a defense attorney for a KGB intelligence officer named Rudolf Abel (played masterfully by Mark Rylance) during the height of the Cold War. You can imagine how the public reacts when Donovan begins to take his role seriously and defends this spy. It takes a toll on his family as well, his wife is played here by Amy Ryan and his children by Jillian Lebling, Noah Schnapps, and Eve Hewson. They believe in him, but also seem to be going through a similar conflict. My complaint here is that Amy Ryan is sidelined and doesn’t get to play an important role in the movie. 

There is also a parallel story going on as several US pilots are being recruited on a special mission to secretly fly U2 planes over the Soviet Union to gather intel. One of these pilots is Francis Powers (Austin Stowell) who on his first mission is shot down and captured by the soviets. The two plots come together when Donovan is asked by US government officials to try to negotiate a deal to interchange their prisoners. Spielberg delivers a historical piece with precise attention to detail giving us once again another important lesson about humanity’s unsung heroes. Donovan represents the ideal character here with strong moral values that are often forgotten or overlooked in today’s movie. I couldn’t think of a better actor to play such a character than the great Tom Hanks. However the standout for me was Mark Rylance as the soviet spy. It was a breath of fresh air to see a character like this portrayed in such a humane light. He is not the enemy here, he is a man who is doing his job and also seems to share a strong moral code. Rylance gives the film’s best performance and I think he out shined everyone in this film. The great Alan Alda also gets to be on screen for a few minutes although he isn’t playing against type or anything like that. 

Political thrillers are rarely in my interest, but I couldn’t let this film pass me by considering Steven Spielberg is the director who has made more of my favorite films than any other. Include a screenplay co-written with the Coen brothers and I was sold. The pacing of the film at times did seem to drag the movie down, but Spielberg treats the material with respect. Kaminski’s cinematography captures the era perfectly and Newman’s score adds to the emotional moments. The 50’s are perfectly captured through the art direction and Spielberg managed to transport us back to Berlin during the construction of the wall. Overall I enjoyed my history lesson once again from Steven Spielberg, but I felt that the film could’ve benefited from more thrills and a better pacing. It’s still a must see in my book.      

My Review: Saving Mr. Banks (9/10)

"Winds in the east...Mist coming in...Like something is brewing...About to begin...Can't put me finger...On what lies in store...But I feel what's to happen...All happened before."

This was one of the few charming and sentimental films I fell for this year and a great deal has to do with the nostalgic effect that Mary Poppins has on me from my childhood. Yes it is schmaltzy at times and has a manipulative feel good vibe to it while at the same time self promoting itself, but I still was emotionally won over by this great story (and I don't care if most of it was made up, I still loved the film, I don't watch movies for facts). Saving Mr. Banks is smart and upbeat and will have you humming some of the songs from the beloved classic long after the credits have rolled. This is the best marketing Disney has come up with to promote Mary Poppins, and a lot of the success is owed to Emma Thompson for delivering such a powerful performance. Her character could be easily disliked for being so severe and unpleasant to others, but Thompson redeems her by allowing us to see where her pain comes from and how much the novel really meant to her. Tom Hanks is also great as Walt Disney and he would've received more recognition for this film if it weren't for those brilliant last 5 minutes in Captain Phillips that stole all the thunder from his performance here. Supporting roles from Colin Farrell, Paul Giamatti, and Jason Schwartzman make this an even more powerful film. Credit also must be given to the screenwriters, Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith, who managed to deliver a charming story while including engaging flashbacks of Travers' past. 

Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) promised his daughters that he would bring the beloved Mary Poppins novel to the big screen, but it turned out to be a difficult task considering he has spent the last 20 years trying to convince P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson) to obtain the rights of her novel. Convinced that Disney will ruin her beloved book, she refuses to do so. Travers' agent convinces her to travel to California to meet with Disney and try to come up with an agreement considering she is running out of money. Travers spends the next two weeks working with screenwriters (the Sherman brothers played by Jason Schwartzman and B.J. Novak) at Disney's facility making sure that the screenplay is written exactly how she wants it. Things get complicated as she refuses to compromise to basic things Disney wants to include in the film. The film also presents flashbacks of Travers' childhood growing up in Australia with her father (Colin Farrell) who she absolutely adored but had a drinking problem that eventually ruined him. Her childhood experiences shaped the book and that is why she is so reluctant to let someone else change her story.

Sandra Bullock won an Oscar for The Blind Side which was John Lee Hancock's prior film to this one and Emma Thompson might be a front runner to win for her performance as Travers. She makes this film much better than it actually is because if it wasn't for her Saving Mr. Banks would just be Disney schmaltz. I found it extremely hard not feel emotional about this film and it engaged me completely despite the lack of interest I had for the subject matter. I loved Mary Poppins as a kid, but that didn't mean I was interested in seeing a movie on how it was made. Despite all I've said about it being self promoting and manipulative I thought that what worked best was the integration of the flashbacks that allowed us to understand where Travers was coming from and reminds us how sometimes art is connected personally to the artist's past. That is why perhaps a film speaks to us in different ways because we too as an audience bring in our personal past and integrate it into a film finding a connection that perhaps others never will. That is the beauty of art, it affects us all in different ways.

My Review: Captain Phillips (9/10)

"You're not just a fisherman! You're not just a fisherman!"

Captain Phillips is a thriller that had me at the edge of my seat for most of the film. However, this isn't your usual hostage film as it follows a very different formula thanks to Paul Greengrass's multilayered direction. I've spoken to different people about what they thought of the film and everyone seems to have a different interpretation or a different vision of the film. That is what a great film does: it speaks to us in different ways and somehow everyone takes something out of it. For example that line where Hanks's character confronts one of the pirates telling him he's not just a fisherman: for some what he was saying is that he can't just justify his actions and that he was just a purely evil man, but others (and I find myself on this side) tend to think that what he was really telling the pirate is that he has so much potential as a leader and he shouldn't just settle to following orders. He could be so much more than a fisherman or a pirate, and that he shouldn't let his surroundings influence him in such a negative way. After all, Greengrass is sending an underlying message about the effects of globalization. Captain Phillips strength lies in this struggle for control between Hanks and his captor, and the dynamics between these two is what makes the movie standout. Despite all this, the greatest moment for me were the final 15 minutes of the film where Greengrass lets Tom Hanks deliver one of his best performances in years. That last scene is what makes this film stand out and breaks the classic formula we've seen before in other hostage films. I don't want to give it away so I will just say that it was a very powerful and emotional moment and one that you never see in these hostage thrillers. My only complaint about this film, and the reason it won't get a full 5 stars from me, is that the first 10 minutes felt awkward and completely unnecessary with some poor dialogues, but from there on the film really picks up and had me completely engaged for the remainder of the movie despite a few minor pacing issues here or there. I had no issues with the shaky handheld camera which Greengrass has used in all his films (The Bourne Ultimatum, United 93, and Green Zone), and I thought it actually contributed to the sense of claustrophobia during the lifeboat scenes. This is an intense and smart biopic about a recent event that many people were already familiar with, but once again Greengrass managed to deliver the suspense and tension throughout.

The screenplay was adapted by Billy Ray (Breach, State of Play, and The Hunger Games) from Ryan Phillips's autobiographical book about the events that took place in 2009 when his container ship was hijacked by some Somali pirates. Captain Phillips (Tom Hanks) was on board the Maersk Alabama container ship along with his crew when all of a sudden a group of somali pirates, led by Muse (Barkhad Abdi) take him hostage. Phillips buys enough time for his crew to hide in the Engine room while Muse and his three men: Bilal (Barkhad Abdirahman), Najee (Faysal Ahmed), and Elmi (Mahat M. Ali) try to take control of the situation. Muse tells Phillips that from now on he is the captain of the ship and if they do what he says no one will get hurt. While the crew remains hidden some unexpected situations take place putting everyone's life in danger. Among the crew members in the Maersk Alabama are Shane (Michael Chernus), Mike (David Warshofsky), John (Chris Mulkey), and Ken (Corey Johnson) who try to keep everyone in safety by following protocol.

The Somali pirates were actually played by first time Somali actors who really did a great job, especially Barkhad Abdi who plays off of Tom Hanks really well. The struggle for power over the control of the vessel between these two men is one of the highlights of the film. I would go as far as to say that Abdi's performance was more impressive than Hanks's, but in the last 15 minutes Hanks proves why he is one of the best actors in the world with a remarkable performance. I think he was downplaying his dramatic role throughout the entire film so that when that moment came it would be even more powerful. I liked the way he was portrayed as an ordinary guy (and we really didn't need that opening scene to establish that because the way he related to his crew members was sufficient enough to see it) who tried to do his best to survive in such a dangerous situation and avoid putting the lives of his men at risk. He makes some mistakes like any other human might make in this situation and his life is ultimately dependent on others (in this case the Navy SEALS). Everything gets out of control and these men who struggled for power and control for so long end up depending on the actions of others. I also liked the way that Greengrass portrayed the pirates here not demonizing them, but not making them look like victims either. This is a real life story and pirate activity in Somalia exists because it is an apparently easy way of making money and in the opinions of a few the only way. That is sort of the political parable I got from this intelligent thriller that is still a great film even though you don't get the underlying message or any interpretation whatsoever. You can enjoy this film as simply an entertaining and tense thriller or you can also try to read the different messages Greengrass is laying out there for the audience to interpret. For me it stands out basically because of Tom Hanks dramatic and perfect performance. His last scene is one of the best performances I've seen.

My Review: Cloud Atlas (8/10)

¨I´m just trying to understand why we keep making the same mistakes over and over again.¨

Many critics have called Lana and Andy Wachowski´s new film, Cloud Atlas, ambitious and pretentious, but in my opinion it is a well made sci-fi film that is ahead of its time. Probably on a much lesser scale than 2001 or Blade Runner, but this film seems to have all the elements needed to become a cult film over time. Cloud Atlas is one of those movies you have to pay close attention to in order to understand where the plot is heading; it is definitely not for the casual viewer. It requires your time and patience, but if you stick with this film you will be rewarded by the end. This is by no means as good as Wachowski´s The Matrix (although it tries to remain philosophical), but it is much better than their recent work. Tom Tykwer (The Perfume) co-directed the film with the Wachowski siblings and it is without a doubt his best work yet. The film is unlike any other movie you´ve seen before as it connects six different stories over several centuries and connects them in some way or another. You could say it is kind of like Magnolia, but those stories take place during a similar time period, here the connections take place during the past, present, and future. Two parallel filming units were required for this monstrous production as the siblings directed three stories and Tykwer the other three. Cloud Atlas is based on David Mitchell´s award winning novel, and it was no easy task adapting it for the big screen. I think that their effort will be rewarded over time as it has the potential to become a sci-fi cult film.

The plot is a little difficult to explain as there are six separate stories happening over different time periods and in a way every story connects and overlaps with each other. The movie switches between one scene that can be taking place in 1849 to another in the post apocalyptic future. The first story takes place in the Pacific Ocean in 1849 as Adam Ewing (Jim Sturgess) is keeping a journal of his voyage while battling some sort of illness and being attended by Dr. Henry Goose (Tom Hanks), and at the same time helping a former slave, Autua (David Gyasi), escape from his oppressors. The next story takes place in 1936 as the composer Robert Frobisher (Ben Whishaw) is corresponding with his former lover, Rufus Sixsmith (James D´Arcy) about his experience working for the world famous composer Vyvyan Ayrs (Jim Broadbent). In 1973 the story centers around a journalist named Luisa Rey (Halle Berry) who is investigating a murder that took place in a nuclear power plant. In 2012 a publisher named Timothy Cavendish (Jim Broadbent) gets hoaxed by his brother and is forced to live in a nursing home while he makes plans to escape. In 2144 a clone known as Sonmi-451 (Doona Bae) participates in a revolutionary underground movement in New Seoul under the guidance of Hae-Joo Chang (Jim Sturgess). And finally in 2321 Zachry (Tom Hanks) is living somewhere in post apocalyptic Hawaii in a tribe that is being threatened by the blood thirsty Kona Chief (Hugh Grant). Every story is interconnected with each other as the actions of each individual impact one another in different time periods kind of like in a ripple effect.

The complexity of each story is the reason why the film is almost three hours long, but if you pay close attention and don’t get lost with all the flashbacks and flash forwards you might just enjoy this film. Cloud Atlas is pretentious for many because it is a little philosophical as it explains how we seem to cross our paths over and over again. Every actor in this film plays several different roles (as many as six) and we can see how each one shapes his or her future depending on the actions they take. The way the film was shot allows for the audience to experience a little sci-fi action (2144 segment), some comedy (2012 nursery home escape), some retro mystery (1973), and even romantic tragedy (1936). That is why this film is one of its kind. The sci-fi scenes were spectacular and the designs quite visionary in style. The film, although very exhausting, is exiting; and I had a great time. I understand why this is such a divisive film considering it is so complex and epic at the same time. The film does feel a bit disjointed and disconnected at times, but when it seemed to lose me it got right back in track again. I think this film was quite original and is worth your time if you are willing to put your mind to it. The performances weren’t as strong as I would have liked, but it is a difficult task to play six different characters at once. By all means check Cloud Atlas out; you will either love it or hate it.

    

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My Review: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (8/10)

¨If things were easy to find, they wouldn't be worth finding. ¨

This is Stephen Daldry`s fourth Oscar nominated film for Best Picture after his work in Billy Elliot, The Hours, and The Reader. Many critics seemed to have disliked this movie, and perhaps it may have to do with the fact that it didn’t measure up to some of his previous films. I however found Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close a very powerful and emotional film. It was hard not to get emotionally involved with this film that deals with the 9/11 attacks, although mainly targeted on how it affected one particular kid. Just like the kid in the movie, I found myself recalling these events of the past and trying to figure out what I was doing at the time of the attacks. I personally didn’t lose a loved one in the attacks so I don’t know how this movie could affect those who did, but I think Daldry has paid them a decent tribute. The screenplay was adapted by Eric Roth (who has a great trajectory in writing for films such as Forrest Gump, Munich, The Insider, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) from Jonathan Safran Foer`s novel of the same name. I don’t understand why so many critics hated this movie since it is much better than most films released in 2012, although I wouldn’t have nominated it for Best Picture either. Perhaps critics aren`t ready for a 9/11 film yet, or they thought it was too emotionally involving, but I don’t see how you can make one dealing with this subject that isn`t emotional. The other issue they might`ve had was that this film centers entirely on the performance of Thomas Horn, the Jeopardy winner during Kids Week who never starred in a film before this. I thought it was a good performance, although it did have its up and downs.

The main protagonist of the film is Oskar Schell (Thomas Horn), who is not your ordinary kid. He is very smart, but not very social, and there is something about him that you know isn`t what we would consider normal behavior. He loves however playing expedition games with his father Thomas (Tom Hanks) who is always teaching him interesting facts and sending him on new quests. Thomas told Oskar that in New York there used to be a sixth burrow, but it has  disappeared although the clues of its whereabouts are hidden are around Central Park. All he has to do is continue searching. Thomas sends his son on all these expeditions because he wants him to interact with other people. Oskar`s mom is Linda (Sandra Bullock) who doesn’t seem to connect with him in the same way that his father does. She is however a loving and caring mother who has an excellent relationship with Thomas. On September 11^th their lives will change forever when Thomas is killed in one of the World Trade Center towers. We know Thomas dies from the very beginning because the story is non-linear as most of the scenes between Oskar and his father come from the boy`s memory. It`s been a year since the ¨terrible day¨ and Oskar is afraid of losing his connection with his father. He`s in desperate need of a new expedition and he finds one when he discovers a mysterious key inside a blue vase with the name Black on the envelope and a newspaper cutting with the words ¨not stop looking.¨ Oskar believes this is another quest from his father and is set to find what the key unlocks with the help of a speechless renter (played by Max von Sydow) from his grandma`s home. They embark on the journey together and try to discover the impossible.

I think the main idea of the film revolves around the fact of trying to make sense of these terrible things that have happened and learning how to deal with them. During one point of the movie, Horn`s character tells us that if the Sun were to explode we`d still see it and feel its heat even eight hours after it exploded. In the same way he still feels the presence of his father in his life even if it has been a year since his tragic death. He fears however that those eight hours are running out and wants to do something about it before it`s too late. How can he continue to feel the presence of his father in his life? He believes that with this new expedition he will continue to keep his memory, but what he doesn’t realize is that by embarking on this journey he will encounter many other people and hear their stories. The movie is very emotional and had me holding back my tears. I really found it powerful and enjoyed Horn`s performance, although I really got more involved with the movie when Max von Sydow`s character showed up. He deserved the nomination for best supporting actor because he really lifted this movie. The scene where Oskar shares his story to this stranger is just so powerful, I really enjoyed this film. I wouldn’t have nominated it for Best Picture, but I still enjoyed it even more than I did War Horse, The Descendants, and The Help so my major complain won`t be why this got nominated, but how Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Drive, Harry Potter, and Warrior didn’t.