Film Review: "Doctor Strange" (2016).

"Open your mind. Change your reality", this lies deep within Doctor Strange. This superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character of the same name, produced by Marvel Studios. It is the fourteenth film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film is directed by Scott Derrickson, and written by Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill and Jon Spaihts. The film follows the story of the talented neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange who, after a tragic car accident, must put ego aside and learn the secrets of a hidden world of mysticism and alternate dimensions. Strange must also act as an intermediary between the real world and what lies beyond, utilising a vast array of metaphysical abilities and artifacts to protect the Universe.

Since the mid-1980s, various incarnations of a Doctor Strange film have been in development with various noted directors such as Wes Craven, David S. Goyer and Guillermo del Toro were attached, until Paramount Pictures acquired the film rights in April 2005 on behalf of Marvel Studios. In June 2010, Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer were brought on board to write a screenplay. In June 2014, Derrickson was hired to helm the project, with Cargill and Spaihts hired to re-write the film. In December 2014, Benedict Cumberbatch was cast in the title role, with Ejiofor, McAdams, Wong, Stuhlbarg, Bratt, Adkins, Mikkelsen and Swinton were all cast by late September 2015. Swinton's casting as The Ancient One was particularly controversial and drew accusations of whitewashing, as the character is portrayed as a Tibetan man in the source material. However, one proposed reason for the change is that a movie featuring a Tibetan character will not be acceptable in China, which has become a very important foreign market. So the deviation from the source material was probably to not hurt the movie's box office chances. Principal photography commenced in November 2015 and concluded in April 2016, locations included Nepal, United Kingdom, Hong Kong and New York.

The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Michael Stuhlbarg, Benjamin Bratt, Scott Adkins, Mads Mikkelsen, and Tilda Swinton. The cast gave solid performances despite playing archetypes that are often derivative of other characters in superhero-origin movies. The casting both Ejiofor and Swinton were the two somewhat questionable castings in film, as their characters are Asian in the comics, yet they managed to do their best and make the characters their own.

Doctor Strange applies a vivid sense of detail to a vast cosmic universe in which the characters and their minds inhabit, Derrickson has devised a superhero film for Doctor Strange fans and audiences who grew in the 60s counter-culture era. It challenges viewers to sift through vast dimensions of reality. Though the film ultimately suffers due to being extremely derivative (to the point of plagiarism) of Inception, Batman Begins and every other superhero-origin story that has ever existed in film history. It feels like Derrickson doing a pale imitation of Christopher Nolan making a Doctor Strange movie.

Simon says Doctor Strange receives:

Also, see my reviews for Deliver Us from Evil and Captain America: Civil War.

Film Review: "Hell or High Water" (2016).

"Blood always follows money" in Hell or High Water. This neo-western heist film directed by David Mackenzie and written by Taylor Sheridan. The film follows Toby and his brother Tanner, an ex-convict, who resort to robbing banks as they can't afford their mortgage payments anymore. Everything goes as planned until the police is hot on their trail.

In late April 2012, Deadline reported that Sidney Kimmel Entertainment had acquired Sheridan's heist film Comancheria with Peter Berg to direct. Endgame Entertainment and Focus Features were also among the studios bidding for the project against SKE. It is the second installment of Sheridan's trilogy of "the modern-day American frontier". Sheridan drew much of his inspiration from the TV miniseries Lonesome Dove (1989) having earlier read Larry McMurtry's 1985 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel on which the series was based. In early April 2015, it was announced that Jeff Bridges was set to star, while Chris Pine and Ben Foster were also in talks to join, and David Mackenzie was set to direct the film. In early May, Pine and Foster were confirmed to star. By late May 2015, Gil Birmingham, Marin Ireland, and Katy Mixon rounded out the film's cast. At the same time, principal photography commenced, and wrapped in early July. Filming took place in New Mexico and Arizona. At Cinemacon 2016 in Las Vegas, a standee was presented for the film, revealing that the title had been changed to Hell or High Water.

The film stars Bridges, Pine, Foster, Birmingham, Ireland, and Mixon. Pine and Foster deliver powerfully involving performances that capture Toby and Tanner's inner emotional energies with remarkable balance. There is almost an unpredictable dynamic between Toby and Tanner. Pine and Foster's performances are two of the finest of the year, and Bridges once again demonstrates his unique brand of dramatic intensity. Bridges would seem to have live wires running through his whole body and it is still very interesting to follow his career. Bridges' scuzzy charisma and chippy swagger has enlivened a handful of B-level films in the past, though his presence has never been so fearsomely concentrated as it is here. The supporting cast all do excellent work too, but this is Toby and Tanner’s story, and so it’s Pine and Foster's film. Their performances are a revelation. Pine and Foster are the main attraction in this tough neo-western heist thriller.

Smart, hard-hitting and queasily realistic, Hell or High Water is an instant cinematic classic. Mackenzie isn't attempting to craft a larger-than-life antiheroes here, but delving into the sociology of this hellish subculture, where prisoners and staff alike coexist in this dehumanizing environment. Sheridan brings more than just realism, however, crafting the central brother relationship on the foundation of classical Greek tragedy. Neo-westerns and Heist thrillers have always had their share of criminals bonding, so there's something satisfying about making it biological - it's a shrewd twist in the formula. For the most part this is furiously compelling stuff, convincingly mounted and superbly acted.

Simon says Hell or High Water receives:

Film Review: "The Age of Shadows" ("밀정") (2016).

"Infiltrate and deceive" and "Suspect and disrupt" are key to The Age of Shadows (밀정) (2016). This South Korean action thriller film directed by Kim Jee-woon and written by Lee Ji-min and Park Jong-dae. Set in the late 1920s, the film follows the cat-and-mouse game that unfolds between a group of resistance fighters trying to bring in explosives from Shanghai to destroy key Japanese facilities in Seoul, and Japanese agents trying to stop them. A talented Korean-born Japanese police officer, who was previously in the independence movement himself, is thrown into a dilemma between the demands of his reality and the instinct to support a greater cause.

In August 2015, Warner Bros. announced that it would finance and distribute its first ever Korean-language film. With a budget of US$8.62 million would be co-produced by Grimm Pictures, Warner Bros. Korea and Harbin Films. The project was developed under the three companies; the script was developed by Lee Ji-min and Park Jong-dae; Kim Jee-woon (A Tale of Two Sisters (2003), A Bittersweet Life (2005) and I Saw the Devil (2010)), was attached to direct and the cast would consist of Song Kang-ho, Gong Yoo, Han Ji-min, Shingo Tsurumi and Lee Byung-hun. The film was selected as the South Korean entry for the Best Foreign Language Film for the 89th Academy Awards.

The film stars Song Kang-ho, Gong Yoo, Han Ji-min, Shingo Tsurumi and Lee Byung-hun. The cast gave terrific performances, though one can not help but notice the poor, thin and "hollywoodized" characterisations that are often associated with big budget historical productions involving a group of resistance fighters fighting against the tyrannical empire.

With The Age of Shadows, audiences will be delighted to find the kind of overstuffed historical mega-production that Hollywood doesn't make anymore. Here Hollywood meets Korean cinema with palate-tingling results. It is a fusion that draws shamelessly on its historical epic forebears but remains utterly, bracingly Korean. Here director Kim Jee-woon shows his exceptional direction once again and confidently handles the film's action sequences. The action sequences are a tour de force of action style and Korean ultra-violence that will have genre fans nailed to their seats. It's hard not to admire the film's entertainment and high production value. Guns, explosions and quirky humor have been added to the mix. As vigorously staged as it all is - sometimes confusingly, occasionally with camera-torqueing flair and impressive stuntwork - the urge to thrill grows wearisome at times. Were audience members to be included as a co-conspiritor as well, they'd be in the age of boredom. The story’s many advances and reversals, with the additions of too many characters and the film's tedious running time, can be hard to follow at times. But this isn’t really a movie where plot is paramount. Everything boils down to the action, and what that action means. A confusing and complicated narrative and lacklustre ending detract from an otherwise joyous Eastern historical action flick. In the end, it may not be exactly the rediscovery of form or revelation that Korean cinema has been waiting for or deserves, but it comes close enough.

Simon says The Age of Shadows (밀정) receives:

Film Review: "I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House" (2016).

From the director of The Blackcoat's Daughter comes I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House. This gothic supernatural horror film written and directed by Oz Perkins. A nervous nurse who scares easily finds herself caring for an ailing horror novelist while living in a house with hidden secrets.

Perkins originally intended for the story to be about the daughter of a male horror novelist, but he said that "one day, it just changed". Casting became easier once the film was financed; Perkins cited Wilson's talent and excitement for the project as two of the reasons she was chosen to play Lily. It had been reported that Debbie Harry was initially attached to play Iris Blum, though the role ultimately went to Paula Prentiss. However, Perkins has stated that the role was always thought for Prentiss, who worked with his father, Anthony Perkins, in Catch-22 (1970) and remained friends since, as well as her husband Richard Benjamin. Harry was indeed cast first, but dropped out a few weeks before filming began. Principal photography took place in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

The film stars Ruth Wilson, Paula Prentiss, Bob Balaban, and Lucy Boynton. The cast are all uniformly excellent, but they're stuck in a film that doesn't seem to know what to do with them, at times.

Slow-building and atmospheric, I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House resists girls-in-peril clichés in a supernatural thriller that serves as a strong sophomore effort for writer-director Oz Perkins. It is one of the most original, and strongly female-led horror film of the year thus far. It's Hitchcockian in style, however, the thrills are doused in dread to create a surprisingly effective horror movie. This methodical possession riff further establishes Perkins as one of the few horror filmmakers whose every work will have my attention, as the film is a beautiful way to get the jitters. Deserves to be studied in terms of its visuals and learned from by those who write and want to learn how to tell a story with minimal, haunting dialogue. But beyond its compositional breadth, what Perkins conveys in the film lends itself a more feminine persuasion, one that addresses a set of impossible social responsibilities exclusive to women. The film is a cold descent into madness in then hands of a director that manages to capture the very essence of evil in uncommon places. The film is a haunting tale that breaths new life into the idea of possession and the loss of innocence. By the time the credits rolled I felt stunned and awestruck. It will stick with you for days (or even weeks) after you see it. I can't get the damn thing out of my head. The film takes its time slowly setting its pieces into place, and some expecting a more full-throttled horror experience might get a little restless waiting for the jolts to come. The film layers on the dread until it's almost physically challenging to keep watching as shadows grow ever more oppressive and the school ever less welcoming. Something wicked this way comes, indeed.

Simon says I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House receives:

Film Review: "Into the Inferno" (2016).

"What we worship can destroy us." This is Into the Inferno. This documentary film directed by Werner Herzog and Clive Oppenheimer. They shape Earth’s topography. For some who live in their shadow, volcanos also shape beliefs in gods and demons. Herzog explores active volcanos from around the world, Mount Sinabung, Laki, Baekdu Mountain and Erta Ale, and the people who live near them. Herzog follows Oppenheimer, also a volcanologist, who hopes to minimize the volcanoes’ destructive impact.

Sinabung's last known eruption occurred in 1600. In 1912, Solfataric activities (cracks where steam, gas, and lava are emitted) were last observed at the summit. In late August 2010, as well as September and November 2013, and January, February and October 2014, eruptions were documented. In May 2016, a pyroclastic flow killed seven people. Between 2013 and 2014, the alert for a major event was increased with no significant activity. In early June 2015, the alert was again increased, and on 26 June 2015, at least 10,000 people were evacuated, fearing a major eruption. The long eruption of Mount Sinabung is similar to that of Mount Unzen in Japan, which erupted for five years after lying dormant for 200 years. Laki is part of a volcanic system centered on the volcano Grímsvötn and including the volcano Thordarhyrna. It lies between the glaciers of Mýrdalsjökull and Vatnajökull, in an area of fissures that run in a southwest to northeast direction. Between June 1783 and February 1784, the system erupted violently over an eight-month period from the Laki fissure and the adjoining volcano Grímsvötn, pouring out an estimated 42 billion tons or 14 km3 (3.4 cu mi) of basalt lava and clouds of poisonous hydrofluoric acid and sulfur dioxide compounds that contaminated the soil, leading to the death of over 50% of Iceland's livestock population, and the destruction of the vast majority of all crops. This led to a famine which then killed approximately 25% of the island's human population. The lava flows also destroyed 20 villages. The Laki eruption and its aftermath caused a drop in global temperatures, as 120 million tons of sulfur dioxide was spewed into the Northern Hemisphere. This caused crop failures in Europe and may have caused droughts in North Africa and India. 

In the last five-thousand years, Baekdu had one of the largest and most violent eruptions (alongside the Minoan eruption, the Hatepe eruption of Lake Taupo in around AD 180, the 1257 eruption of Mount Samalas near Mount Rinjani, and the 1815 eruption of Tambora). In late September 2005, there was a major eruption at Erta Ale, which killed two-hundred-and-fifty head of livestock and forced thousands of nearby residents to flee. In August 2007, there was further lava flow that forced the evacuation of hundreds and leaving two missing. In early November 2008, an eruption was reported by scientists at Addis Ababa University. In January 2017, another eruption was reported.

Into the Inferno offers a poignant study of the human psyche amid haunting landscapes. But where is the dark spark of Herzog magic?

Simon says Into the Inferno receives:

Film Review: "Ouija: Origin of Evil" (2016)

"When you talk to the other side, you never know who will be listening." This is Ouija: Origin of Evil. This supernatural horror film directed by Mike Flanagan, written by Flanagan and Jeff Howard, and based on the infamous Hasbro board game of the same name and characters created by Juliet Snowden and Stiles White. It is a prequel to the 2014 film Ouija. In 1967 Los Angeles, a widowed mother and her daughters add a new stunt to bolster their seance scam business by inviting an evil presence into their home, not realizing how dangerous it is.

After the lukewarm reception of Ouija, producer Jason Blum wanted to make a film that was significantly different than the original. This appealed to Flanagan who stated in an interview that he has "allergy to sequels" Blum let Flanagan work on the type of horror film he wanted which was a period piece that dealt with a family dynamic. There was some talk from the beginning about whether or not the film should have any connections at all to the original, but Flanagan himself was opposed to this, and instead opted to make references to the original subtle to welcome new viewers while also entertaining fans of the original. The Changeling (1980) was a major influence on the film, with Flanagan screening the film with his director of photography "like ten times" while also watching other classics such as The Exorcist (1973) and The Watcher in the Woods (1980). It was then that the pair hit off the idea to film the movie as if it were the 1970s, using only technology that would only have been available in that era. By September 2015, Elizabeth Reaser, Annalise Basso, Lulu Wilson, Henry Thomas, Kate Siegel, and Doug Jones were cast. Around the same time, principal photography commenced, and wrapped in late October. Filming took place in Los Angeles and was shot on the Arri Alexa XT Plus cameras. Flanagan said he wanted to shoot the film as if it were to be shot in 1971. Some techniques included antique lenses, scene fades, and camera zooms instead of steadicams. Other simulated techniques: dust on the negative, subtle warping of the audio track, reel jumps and split-diopter, where both the foreground and background are in focus. Flanagan then added elements in post-production in order to add a retro feel to the film and to give the appearance of a movie shot on film. The film was cut down to ninety minutes from a hundred and thirty minutes.

This tale of a family and a haunted object pulls all the wearingly familiar tricks, including ghostly figures appearing in the shadows, but there are a couple of well executed jump-out-your seat moments, some nice touches of humor. This is thanks to the solid performances given by the cast.

Ouija: Origin of Evil is a massive step-up from Ouija. With great performances by the cast, and some excellent scare sequences, Origin of Evil has more than enough to keep you up at night.

Simon says Ouija: Origin of Evil receives:

Film Review: "Shin Godzilla" ("シン・ゴジラ") (2016).

"A god incarnate. A city doomed." This is Shin Godzilla. This Japanese kaiju film co-directed by Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi, written by Anno and based on the King of Monsters created by Toho. It is the 29th Godzilla film produced by Toho, and Toho's third reboot of the franchise. An unknown accident occurs in Tokyo Bay's Aqua Line, which causes an emergency cabinet to assemble. All of the sudden, a giant creature immediately appears, destroying town after town with its landing reaching the capital. This plunges Japan into chaos. This mysterious giant monster is named "Godzilla". The reimagines Godzilla's origins, where he emerges in modern Japan for the first time.

In 1954, a terrifying and formidable creature emerged from the depths of Tokyo Bay, and terrorized movie screens all over the world. The film was Gojira, and it went on to become one of the biggest franchises in movie history that spawned a genre of its own. But ever since Godzilla: Final Wars (2004), the character and franchise laid dormant. Until in December 2014, Toho announced plans for a new domestic Godzilla film for a slated 2016 release, stating "This is very good timing after the success of the American version this year: if not now, then when?" Making this film the first Toho-produced Godzilla film in 12 years. The film's writer and chief director Hideaki Anno was offered the director's chair for the film. He reportedly refused Toho's initial offer in order to work on the fourth Evangelion movie but was convinced to join the project after his longtime friend Shinji Higuchi signed on to direct. In March 2015, Both Anno and Higuchi were announced as the film's directors. Both Anno  and Higuchi are longtime friends and collaborators, and are both well-known for their work on the popular anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995). They were selected by Toho to work on this film in part due to their work on the series. Like the original for its nuclear allegory, the film was inspired by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster and the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. This is the first Japanese Godzilla movie to be a full reboot, meaning that it shows what would happen if Godzilla attacked for the first time in modern day, and there had been no previous records of him. Although Toho has "rebooted" Godzilla a few times each previous film acknowledged the original 1954 movie as canon and just ignored all previous sequels. In September 2015, Toho revealed the film's official title as Shin Gojira and that the film will star Hiroki Hasegawa, Yutaka Takenouchi, and Satomi Ishihara. Producer Akihiro Yamauchi stated that the title was chosen for the film due to the variety of meanings the syllable "shin" could convey, such as "new", "true", and "god".

Principal photography commenced in September and wrapped in October 2015, with the special effects work following in November that year. According to sources close to the production, Godzilla's design in the film will be mostly based on his design from the original film, and is intended to appear very frightening. This film's Godzilla stands 118.5 m (388 ft) tall, surpassing Legendary Pictures' Godzilla, which stood 355 ft/108 m tall thus making it the largest version of Godzilla to appear on film. Higuchi revealed that Godzilla in this film will be brought to life using a hybrid combination of computer generated imagery and traditional practical tokusatsu effects techniques. Higuchi utilized this same hybrid strategy for the live-action Attack on Titan films. Higuchi, has previous experience working on special effects in multiple kaiju films by Toho. He previously worked as a special effects assistant for Godzilla 1985 (1984) and then was in charge of special effects for Shûsuke Kaneko's Gamera trilogy in the late 1990's. Higuchi also worked on the special effects in one scene for Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001). Godzilla was portrayed in motion capture by Mansai Nomura, a Kyogen (traditional Japanese comic theatre) actor. To realize Godzilla's slow movements, a 10-kilo weight was strapped behind him, and he incorporated the technique of the traditional Japanese dance into his performance. The film was released in Japan on July 29, 2016 to critical acclaim from Japanese critics and was a box office success, becoming the highest grossing live-action Japanese film for 2016 and the highest grossing Japanese-produced Godzilla film in the franchise.

The film features an ensemble that includes Hiroki Hasegawa, Yutaka Takenouchi, Satomi Ishihara, Kengo Kora, Akira Emoto, Jun Kunimura, Mikako Ichikawa, Pierre Taki and Shinya Tsukamoto. All of the 328 actors in this film gave terrific performances of people who ultimately save the day despite being tedious in a few areas due to their bureaucratic nature.

Shin Godzilla is a refreshing approach to the franchise and the genre, even when revisiting it a decade later, in an era inundated with Hollywood movies where each tries to better the last's visual effects budget. Both Anno and Higuchi have taken Godzilla back to his roots. They both get the titular monster right. If there is one Godzilla film anyone should see, this is it. It's a kaiju film with a dark, serious political tone that's very well-written with nothing but incredible actors involved. The film is moody and visually stimulating, it sees the King of the Monsters finally giving the treatment and respect he deserves, in what can only be described as one of the greatest re-vamps given to an enduring character. It can be thought of as 'what if either Stanley Kubrick or Christopher Nolan directed a Godzilla film.' It may be a bit adult for younger children, but for everyone else the film is just about the perfect kaiju movie. Drained of its silliness, the franchise rediscovered its valor, landing Godzilla his finest motion picture effort to date. An impressive cinematic renaissance for the franchise, and a blockbuster with more intelligence than most. An utterly amazing and riveting start to a brand new beginning. A blast of energy that reinvents Godzilla for a new generation of film-goers, which the 2014 film failed to accomplish. Take note Gareth Edwards, this is what a Godzilla film should be. And the last shot? Oh, that last shot.

Simon says Shin Godzilla receives:

Also, see my review for Attack on Titan Part 2 (進撃の巨人).