Game of Thrones Series 2 Episode One review

Everything flowed splendidly from one plot strand to the next; new characters were introduced without feeling overwhelming, and the existing cast are already filling the void left by Sean Bean last series. Most notable in the cast are Jack Gleeson as the teen tyrant King Joffrey, a triumvant of Stephen Dillane as the late King Robert's brother, Stannis, accompanied by Carice van Houten as Red Witch Melisandre, and Liam Cunningham as pirate-turned-lord Davos Seaworth. Taking top billing is Emmy winning Peter Dinklage, who seems to be fitting right into his role as this season's "leading man". Despite the sprawling plot arcs picked up from last year, the episode didn't feel bogged down; we are reintroduced to favourites Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, Bran Stark and Tyrion smoothly.
The ending is exceptionally bleak while several arcs have already taken shape, such as the hunt for Arya Stark and Gendry, and Robb Stark's quest for allies to his cause. The action picks up right where we left off, with King of the North Robb Stark holding Jaime captive, Joffrey ruling in King's Landing, and Jon Snow beyond the Wall. Every environment is distinct too. From the grim beaches of Dragonstone to the vast desert of the Red Waste to the creepy Craster's Keep, home to a Wildling tyrant who "marries" his daughters so they will give him more daughters. King's Landing looks and feels like a meditaraenean city. There is alot of brutality- we start the episode with a murder quickly followed by attempted murder by drowning- ending this week in a grim blood bath that is truly unsettling.
Also notable are the CGI direwolves and dragons, as well as the supernatural. Bran is having dreams where he is his wolf, and Melisandre is almost certainly a witch with ambiguous powers. All in all, a fantastic return and, with several arcs already in development, it's shaping up to live up to the hype.

Four Lions (2010) Review

A Black comedy about a group of Islamic Extremists may seem like a disaster of bad taste and a witch hunt waiting to happen- this is written and directed by Chris Morris of Brass Eye fame, after all- but don't be quick to judge, this is a remarkably funny and poignant film which has elements of both drama and farce and is handled with great care and deliberation. In the hands of a lesser film maker, "Four Lions" could delve into crass, stereotypical and appalling humour with little research and be a lesson in how not to make a comedy. However, Morris and his team of writers have crafted a story with three dimensional characters and a realistic situation. This film could be labelled a Comedy Tragedy, because like a tragedy, the fates of the characters are apparent from the start, you know what's to become of them, it's not going to be a happy ending and all you can do is watch and squirm at the events reaching a tragic climax.
The film tells the story of Omar and Raj, two idealistic yet naive Muslims who are "disenfranchised" by what they think are the evils of the Imperialistic West. Despite their hatred of the West, many references are made by them to such materialistic things as X-Box, Alton Towers, Rambo and The Lion King. And that's part of the tragic humour: the characters are willing to die for causes they don't understand. There's a scene where Omar tries to justify his jihad to his son using The Lion King as an analogy. Raj, a simpleton character, likens Paradise to a free pass at Alton Towers. Hassan, another of the group, rarely goes to Mosque, and Fessail, the most devout, seems to have little understanding of the Muslim faith. All of these situations are played for laughs. The most contradictory character is in the form of Complete Monster, Barry, a violent and volatile Islam convert and bully who seems to revel in shit stirring and wants the Muslims to rise up against non-believers. He doesn't go to Mosque, blames everything on the Jews, and is the leader of this group. His plan is to blowup a mosque and blame it on unbelievers. However, he makes a video telling of his plans and why he did it, making his plot ineffective. An unstable character who seems to only want to be a Muslim because it allows him to be in a minority and, in his mind, gives him and excuse to be violent. He forces Hassan and Raj to partake in humiliating acts of initiation and doesn't seem to know much about his own faith, just like the other lions. Omar is the only sane man of the group between the unstable Barry, the naive Hassan and the stupid Raj, but he is just as ignorant. Two characters who must be mentioned are Sof, his seemingly sensible and loving wife who seems to be the voice of reason in the film, until its slowly revealed that she supports his cause. In a massive deconstruction, Ahmed, Omar's devout brother, frequently tries to talk him out of his plans and is mocked for it. Ahmed is more devout, so much that he refuses to speak to women, making his suspicion in the plot, his arrest and torture all the more tragic.
There is a lot of farcical humour in the film. Two scenes that spring to mind are when the Lions are trying to hide explosives from two innocent bystanders. Both instances reminded me of situations that arise in comedies such as Fawlty Towers or Only Fools and Horses. In the first instance, they try scaring the woman away by lying so she won't find out about their plot. Another instance is when they have explosives in bags and have to lie to a jogger about going to football and doing "squat jogging" to hide the explosives. The fact that he believes them adds to the farce. And that's what drives the humour: bordering on the absurd and taking refuge  in the darkest area in comedy to get laughs at the absurdity and unlikelihood of it all. There are moments where poignant moments are interrupted by this: for instance, at the end, juxtaposed with clips of the Lions threatening to blow themselves up, is the news that an Arab training camp they blew up earlier in the film contained Osama Bin Laden. There are mood shifts throughout this film, so be prepared to cry and laugh and shout at the TV in anger all at once. If you've seen the film, you know what I'm talking about.
At the end of the film, I was depressed at how this is the way it is in the world, and saddened. These characters were decent (except Barry), but misguided and looking for answers in the wrong place. Justice, faith and life and death are all themes explored, and I'd wager that anyone with a heart could not feel a little downhearted and misty eyed as the credits rolled. A great film, Chris Morris, you've done it again.

Hot Shots Part Deux Review

This might come as a shock to some, but before Charlie Sheen was famous for starring in passable sitcoms and having mental breakdowns on talk shows, he was a damn fine actor, starring in a range of films spanning several genres. The 'Hot Shots' films were spoof comedies in the vein of Naked Gun, with Part Deux being a parody of the Rambo series. Sheen returns as Topper Harley, sent by the government on a rescue mission to Iraq.
I enjoyed the sequel better than the original, as it had more visual gags, better jokes and was just in general funnier, with plenty of quotable dialogue and stand out comedic performances. Among my favorite scenes is Topper and co posing as fishermen while being interrogated by Iraqi soldiers. So much funny moments in that scene alone, such as the gibberish spouted back and forth, Topper offering the captain fudge, and the captain saying he was on a diet, and the captain exclaiming "Omar Sharif" in frustration.
But that's not all; Ramada is back and exchanging hilarious bastardized romantic cliches with Topper, Ryan Styles is hilarious as one of Topper's men in Iraq, and Lloyd Bridges as President Benson is rife with quotes. Saddam Hussein makes several appearances as "himself", dueling with Topper then Benson in the film's climax. As well as Rambo, Hot Shots Part Deux pays homage to Star Wars, Terminator 2 and Blood Sport with a memorable kick boxing sequence at the start. The jokes come fast and sharp and are genuinely smart and witty, rather than pop culture riffs you might find in today's spoof films. A great way to lift any depression you might have, and a splendid film to watch before the day ends. A classic, to be sure.

The Borgias: Episode Two

Episode Two of the lavish historical drama sees Alexander VI, newly elected Pope, start an elicit affair whilst securing his power in the papal throne by appointing thirteen new cardinals to sway the majority of the College. Helping him are his son, Cesare, a newly appointed cardinal, and an assassin/spy employed by Cesare to keep . Among his enemies looking to depose Alexander is Guliano, who accuses him of lechery by having an affair with a whore and of simony after Cesare is chosen to be a cardinal. However, before he can act, he is framed for the murder of the witness to the Pope's affair and flees. Meanwhile, Alexander begins an affair with a new mistress, who quickly befriends his daughter.
Jeremy Irons dominates every scene he is in once again, playing Alexander as a wary patriarch bored with his peers and his family. His reaction to Guliano's slander was the best moment in the episode. This being the second episode, we are used to the characters by now, and they all are memorable and comfortable. Sean Harris as Cesare's spy/assassin had his fare share of good moments, and the scenes with Alexander's daughter and mistress were a treat. I'm still not sure about the sons, though. It seems what we see is what we get with most characters. We know their motivations and goals, there is no mystery you might in dramas such as Mad Men or The Wire. Being historical fiction, there may be limited source material to adapt, but we shall see. The Borgias has the potential to be a winner, but so far only potential.

The Borgias: Episode One

Jeremy Irons is the head of the clan, Rodrigo, who buys his way to the papal spot amid corruption and dissension with the help of his eldest son, Cesare, who's a bishop, albeit reluctantly. We also meet headstrong Juan, a soldier who looks to be on his way of becoming a psychopath. We also meet Rodrigo's daughter, Lucrezia, who flirts with her own brother and acts coy and darling around her father, although I sense a wise and cunning interior to her shallow facade. Like all historical dramas, it seems that she maybe in an incestuous relationship with her bishop brother, who is fond of getting his rocks off frequently.
When we see Isaacs in the first episode, he always seems to be scheming and plotting with the help of Cesare against the bureaucratic and backstabbing College of Cardinals, including Orsini, played by Derek Jacobi. After he is crowned Pope, Rodrigo is the target of an assassination at a banquet at Orsini's, but for the intervention of Cesare, who buys the assassin so Orsini is poisoned. The episode ends with Rodrigo vowing vengeance.
The highlights are great: Jeremy Irons portrays power, cunning, guilt, insanity and fear in Rodrigo, and is a reason in itself to continue watching. Secondly, the lavishness of fifteen century Rome and Rodrigo's coronation is sublime. I'll be watching the second episode tomorrow, watch this space.

Watchmen (2009) film review

This film adaption of Alan Moore's 1987 comic is grittier, darker and gorier than typical comic book films, and is as good an adaption as there ever will be. Complete with plenty of sex, murder, conspiracies, rape and infanticide thrown in, and seems to be a deconstruction of the genre in the same way the book was. There are no clear cut heroes of villains, every character seems to have a secret or a mean streak; black and white fuse, heroes are not necessarily good and life and death are cogs in a march larger machine.
Set in an alternate 1985 where superheroes exist; Richard Nixon is still the US president, America has won the Vietnam war, and the threat of nuclear war between the West and the Soviets is all but inevitable. A retired vigilante and former government black-op named "The Comedian" is brutally attacked in his home and murdered, setting off the plot of this three hour long character-driven piece. And it is character-driven, rather than a popcorn spectacle. These heroes, Rorschach, Nite Owl, Silk Spectre, The Comedian, Dr. Manhattan and Ozymandias, are what drive the plot.
The violence is lot more explicit than it is in the book; limbs are broken and cut off, women are beaten brutally; nothing is left to the imagination. It also looks very stylish, the scenery is practically pornographic and the characters are all beautiful in their own way. However, the characters and story come first. These heroes are tragic characters caught up in reality. They are all faithful adaptions of the comic counterparts and translate well to screen, something I wasn't sure would be possible given the many layers the story has. This story was described by Alan Moore as a graphic novel, not a film, but Zack Snyder makes a go of it, and the result is an entertaining deconstruction of the Superhero genre. The actors play their parts well, particularly those who played Nite Owl, Rorschach and The Comedian, all looking the part. The actor playing Adrian Veidt hams it up a lot, though for good reason. It should be worth pointing out how bleak this film is. Besides some funny moments from Dan Dreiberg/Nite Owl and Rorschach, the film's humour mostly relies on irony and melodrama. It's almost always raining, there's a monotone humanoid who doesn't value humanity willing to explode people by will, and there are nihilist sociopaths running around this crapsack world talking about hookers and death.
In some cases, the film improves on the novel, including the ending. I was worried that the film would opt for an audience friendly ending, but as I saw the death, violence and unromantic view of the world, it was clear what kind of film this was, and that I wasn't going to be disappointed. There are also scenes in the book that work better on screen, though I won't say which ones, though they involve characters dying. There's an interesting soundtrack in this film, such as Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" playing during a graphic sex scene seconds after the characters in said scene rescue a family from a burning building. This isn't your typical popcorn flick, so if you don't already know about its mature content, beware. Otherwise, enjoy.

Blade Runner Review

Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott tells the story of a world destroyed by nuclear war. Set in a nihilistic, dystopian future, Harrison Ford plays Rick Deckard, an ex-cop turned bounty hunter who's job it is to hunt down and "retire" androids, or "replicants". These replicants are like people in every way, except they have stunted emotions and they are programmed to have a four-year lifespan. They are meant for slave labour, but are illegal once they escape from their owners. Four of these replicants escape the outer-world colonies back to earth, led by by the intelligent and ruthless Roy Batty, played by Rutger Hauer. His goal is to prolong life, and seeks answers in Los Angeles while Deckard hunts for this group in order to kill them. Deckard also has time to meet Rachael, a young woman working for the replicant producing Tyrell Corporation, though she doesn't know she's a replicant herself. This might sound like a post apocalyptic action thriller, but it's more like a film-noir detective thriller, with shades of grey and a flawed hero set in a decaying society.
I was attracted to this film because I'm a fan of Phillip K Dick, whose novel, 'Do Androids Dream Electric Sheep?' provided the basis of the story. The film deals with themes of humanity and good and evil; the replicants all experience human emotions, they cry and feel loss and love. At first it seems the antagonistic replicants are soulless killing machines, but as the film goes on, it is Deckard which fits this mold: he says very little, he seems detached from other characters and he forces a distraught Rachael into having sex with him against her will. Roy Batty, however, grieves for each of his comrades, cries when confronting his "father-maker", Tyrell and shows both child like mischief and sexual desire with JF Sebastian and Pris, who herself is a Puck-like figure of innocence.
There are numerous versions of Blade Runner I'm told, one involving Deckard having a voice over narration. I have only seen the "final cut" Ridley Scott chose on the DVD, and that's the one shown on TV nowadays. I prefer the fact that none of the characters except Batty say what they really mean. Everyone's an enigma, from Deckard to Gaff to Rachael to Deckard's superior. Instead of being told what's happening, we experience it, we discover new things for ourselves, usually as Deckard's discovering them.
There's an apocalyptic, claustrophobic noir atmosphere throughout the entire film, which I love. The lighting, the gorgeous sets and scenery, the visuals. The cast are all great, with Rutger Hauer standing out of a great ensemble. A special kudos to Edward James Olmos for making the best of his short role as Gaff. In the documentary it's stated how Hauer and Olmos interpreted their characters and so added to them and expanded them, like for instance, Batty's hair and final speech, and Olmos' dress sense and accent.
As Deckard picks off the replicants, a disenfranchised Rachael escapes from the Tyrell Corporation and ends up with him, even though Deckard is assigned to kill any replicant that has escaped. The climax shows Deckard hunting down a decaying Batty, who taunts him and calls him a killer. In the end, Deckard is saved from death by Batty who laments his brief life and memories being lost like tears in the rain. This whole sequence with Deckard running in shadows and the rain was stunning, a triumph in film making. Visually, this film is 10/10, the story-telling is fine, but it isn't paced well and seems rushed. There was an awful lot of time spent watching Deckard mill around his flat drinking and the seduction of Rachael was boring. But I digress, everything was done well, it was hauntingly beautiful and frightening, but not an action-filled shoot em up the plot suggests. The film ends on an uncertain note, with Deckard and Rachael leaving his apartment on the run from the police. There is no happy ending, only doubt. I highly recommend it.