Film Review: "Logan" (2017).

"His time has come." The time has finally come with Logan. This superhero film directed by James Mangold, written by Mangold, Scott Frank and Michael Green, and based on the graphic novel Old Man Logan by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven. The film is the tenth installment in the X-Men film series, as well as the third and final Wolverine film, following X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) and The Wolverine (2013). In the near future, a weary Logan cares for an ailing Professor X in a hide out on the Mexican border. But Logan's attempts to hide from the world and his legacy are up-ended when a young mutant arrives, being pursued by dark forces.

Development for Logan began in November 2013, when Mangold was hired to write a treatment that took inspiration from the graphic novel Old Man Logan. In March 2014, Jackman signed on to star as Logan, in what is intended to be his final portrayal of the character, after having played the role for 17 years. Jackman has cited his age and his skin cancer as factors in him retiring from the role. The same month, Fox set a release date and officially brought Mangold onboard to direct. Green took over writing duties in April 2015. By the following April, most of the supporting roles, which includes Patrick Stewart, Richard E. Grant, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant and Dafne Keen, had been cast. Principal photography began in May 2016 and concluded in August 2016. Locations included New Orleans, Louisiana, Natchez, Mississippi, and Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Abiquiú, Tierra Amarilla and Chama, New Mexico. In the same month, producer Simon Kinberg confirmed that the film will be R-rated. Mangold revealed that Fox was hesitant for the film to be R-rated. However, thanks to the success of Deadpool (2016) and Jackman taking a salary cut, the film was able to keep its R rating. 

The film stars Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Richard E. Grant, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant and Dafne Keen. The cast gave spectacular performances, especially Jackman. Jackman gives a career-defining performance for the ages. Jackman creates a galvanizing and deeply moving portrait that instantly takes its place among the great, iconic screen performances. Jackman's performance is a celebration of a silver-screen comic book character that we have loved since he was first brought to life in 2000.

Logan is a rich and dramatic swan song of the beloved X-Men character and a career-defining film for Hugh Jackman. The film contains something more than the action and the grandeur that we have come to have loved about the X-Men films. It contains a tremendous comprehension of the bitterness and passion of the character of Logan. It contains a human revelation of the soul of Logan that prevailed in his heart all along, instead of the soul of the savage animalistic killer we know. And it also contains a very wonderful disection of the father/child relationships in Logan, Charles Xavier and Laura amid all the action-packed moments, the blood-soaked violence and landscapes of a futuristic western frontier.

Simon says Logan receives:

Also, see my review for The Wolverine and Deadpool.

Film Review: "T2 Trainspotting" (2017).

"Face your past. Choose your future." This is T2 Trainspotting. This British black comedy drama film directed by Danny Boyle, written by John Hodge, and based on characters created by Irvine Welsh in his novel Trainspotting and its follow-up Porno. First there was an opportunity......then there was a betrayal. Twenty years have gone by. Much has changed but just as much remains the same. Mark Renton returns to the only place he can ever call home. They are waiting for him: Spud, Sick Boy, and Begbie. Other old friends are waiting too: sorrow, loss, joy, vengeance, hatred, friendship, love, longing, fear, regret, diamorphine, self-destruction and mortal danger, they are all lined up to welcome him, ready to join the dance.

In 1995, prior to the release of Trainspotting, a script for a sequel was reportedly written, but was scrapped so that the original cast would all agree to return for a sequel. In January 2009, Boyle declared his wish to make a sequel to his 1996 film, which would take place nine years after the original film. He was reportedly waiting until the original actors themselves aged visibly enough to portray the same characters, ravaged by time. In March 2013, Boyle said he wanted to make a sequel that would be loosely based on Porno, and said that if the sequel were to happen, it would be for a 2016 release. In early May 2014, Welsh said that he had spent a week with Boyle, Andrew Macdonald and the creative team to discuss the sequel. In early September 2015, Boyle stated his next film would be the tentatively titled Trainspotting 2 or T2. Later that month, Boyle revealed that a script for the sequel had been written, and that filming would reportedly take place between May and June 2016, in the hopes of releasing the film within that same year to commemorate Trainspotting's 20th anniversary. In November 2015, while promoting Steve Jobs, Boyle said that pre-production had begun in Edinburgh. Boyle also clarified that John Hodge wrote a script for the sequel. In early December 2015, it was announced that Sony's TriStar Pictures had acquired worldwide rights to the film. In addition, Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Robert Carlyle, Kelly Macdonald, Shirley Henderson, and James Cosmo would all return to reprise their roles. In early March 2016, principal photography commenced, and took place Edinburgh, Scotland.

The film stars McGregor, Bremner, Lee Miller, Carlyle, Macdonald, Henderson, and Cosmo, who reprise their roles. Like the first time round, the film has a cast whose magnetism monopolizes our attention no matter what.

T2 Trainspotting features thrilling dramatic sequences and eye-popping cinematography, but despite the depth of the characters, it doesn't quite take this British dark comedy drama landmark to the next level. Nonetheless, it's a brutal, often times funny, other times terrifying portrayal of the aftermath of drug addiction in Edinburgh. Not for the faint of heart, but well worth viewing as a realistic and entertaining reminder of the horrors of drug use and its aftermath.

Simon says T2 Trainspotting receives:

Also, see my review for Steve Jobs.

Film Review: "Toni Erdmann" (2016).

Charles Ealy, of the Austin American-Statesman, calls it "Absolutely nuts!" This is certainly the case for Toni Erdmann. This German-Austrian comedy-drama film directed, written and co-produced by Maren Ade. Winfried doesn't see much of his working daughter Ines. He pays her a surprise visit in Bucharest, where she's busy as a corporate strategist. However, this doesn't help them to see more eye to eye. Ultimately, father and daughter reach an impasse, and Winfried agrees to go home to Germany. Enter Toni Erdmann: Winfried's flashy alter ego. Disguised in a tacky suit, weird wig and fake teeth, Toni barges into Ines' work circle, claiming to be her CEO's life coach. As Toni, Winfried doesn't hold back, and Ines meets the challenge. The harder they push, the closer they become. In all the madness, Ines begins to see that her eccentric father deserves a place in her life.

The making of the film itself is as strange and enduring as its titular character. A few inspirations influence writer/director Maren Ade's script. According to Ade one inspiration for the film's tone and the title character's humour was that of the irritating humour of the late comedian Andy Kaufman. For the character himself, Ade took inspiration from real life in the form of her own father who, like Winfried, possessed a bizarre sense of humour, and actually liked to put in fake teeth to joke with people. In regards to the film, Ade does not view her film as a comedy because she told her producer she was making it "sad" and "super-serious". The actors expressed Ade's sentiments. For filming, Ade shot 120 hours of footage during the 56 days shoot. Ade would typically do between 20 to 30 takes of each shot. If it was a scene that required multiple coverage of each actor the number of takes would double to between 40 to 60 so that each actor would get the coverage they needed. Ade threw out two days of footage and re-shot it after she felt she wasn't getting what she needed. Ade then spent over a year editing the film. During the process she encountered various situations varying from considering a shorter cut of the film, which would compromise the film's pacing and themes, to giving birth to her second child in the middle of Post-Production.

It stars Peter Simonischek, Sandra Hüller, Ingrid Bisu, Lucy Russell, Michael Wittenborn, Thomas Loibl and Trystan Pütter. The cast gave surprising performances, especially Simonischek and Hüller, who carried the film through its comically and outrageously loaded 162 running time.

Toni Erdmann is a surprising comedy drama full of bizarre and poignant material. The two leads, Simonischek and Hüller, are solid, they succeed in holding the audience's interest throughout the film's 162 running time. However, some of the film's iffy plot points undercut what the film truely is and what it wants to say. But in the end, the film is perhaps the most direct and most relevant film in a while.

Simon says Toni Erdmann receives:

"No Ban, No Wall": Protest Trump’s Racist Border Orders.

Donald Trump has made executive orders to implement a 120-day ban on refugees, a 90-day ban on Muslim majority countries: Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Somalia and an indefinite ban on all Syrian refugees. These bans are designed to terrorise millions in the U.S. and beyond.

But Trump's racist assault is being met with inspiring protests which have erupted across the US, especially outside airports, to overturn the ban on Muslims and refugees and to release those detained.

This protest made a statement that they are against Trump’s Muslim and refugee ban and they do not tolerate racism in any form. They cannot let prejudice and (21st century) fascism define their global future, and the future of the generations to come.

Tuesday's protest did not just stand in solidarity with those targeted in the US. They spoke out against rampant Islamophobia in Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia.

They joined together on Tuesday 7th February at 6:00pm at Aotea Square to make a statement that the people of Aotearoa are against Trump’s Muslim ban and racist immigration policies. They stood in solidarity with the people in the US who are resisting the Muslim and refugee ban and all those affected by Islamophobia worldwide.

Film Review: "Patriots Day" (2016).

"The inside story of the world's greatest manhunt." This is Patriots Day. This crime drama film directed by Peter Berg, written by Berg, Matt Cook, and Joshua Zetumer, and based on the book Boston Strong by Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge. Tragedy strikes on April 15, 2013, when two bombs explode during the Boston Marathon. In the aftermath of the attack, police Sgt. Tommy Saunders, FBI Special Agent Richard DesLauriers and Commissioner Ed Davis join courageous survivors, first responders and other investigators in a race against the clock to hunt down the suspects and bring them to justice.

In late March 2015, CBS Films announced that it was producing a film that would depicting the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and manhunt, and that it had purchased the rights to Sherman and Wedge's book. Daniel Espinosa was hired to direct, Matt Charman was hired to pen the script, and Casey Affleck was attached to star. Ultimately, they were Berg took over the directing duties, and writing duties with Cook, and Zetumer. By late March 2016, Mark Wahlberg, Kevin Bacon, John Goodman, J. K. Simmons, Michelle Monaghan, Alex Wolff, Vincent Curatola, Melissa Benoist, Jimmy O. Yang, Rachel Brosnahan, and Lana Condor rounded out the film's cast. At the same time, principal photography commenced, and wrapped in early June. Filming took place throughout Massachusetts.

The film stars Wahlberg, Bacon, Goodman, Simmons, Monaghan, Wolff, Curatola, Benoist, Yang, Brosnahan, and Condor. It takes a strong cast that dedicate their time to provide enough humanity within character. Bacon, Goodman and Simmons are solid as the men in charge of an intense investigation and manhunt and Wahlberg is a wonder that can go from comedy to real-life drama in the blink of an eye.

The film doesn't quite explode, but there are enough flashes of brilliance here and there to know that, like its namesake, it was compromised by the incompetence of middle managers who concentrated too fiercely on the bottom line. The film is deeply entertaining, visually stunning, and emotional. Though it has its flaws, it also has moments of astonishment that show it for what it is: a technical achievement. It is a film that concludes on a sobering note about how demonstrable corporate greed can take real human lives. The film is visually spectacular, positively bludgeoning you with that emotional baseball bat. But it's the strong performances from Wahlberg, Bacon, Goodman, Simmons and co. The film manages to find the sweet spot between taking itself seriously and providing intense, engaging action. At the very least, Berg was able to craft a movie with emotional honesty that respects the lives lost that day, as well as the lasting social damage. The film is high-octane and intense, but pauses to slow down in moments of human fragility. It's a film that's well worth the watch. Perhaps, what The film does best is its ability to coherently bring across tension. Even when the dialogue is muddled by technical jargon, you still get a sense of the looming presence of danger felt by the characters.

Simon says Patriots Day receives:

Also, see my review for Deepwater Horizon.

Film Review: "Split" (2016).

"Kevin has 23 distinct personalities. The 24th is about to be unleashed." This is Split. This psychological horror thriller written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The film is centred on Kevin, who has evidenced 23 personalities, but there remains one still submerged who is set to materialise and dominate all the others. Compelled to abduct three teenage girls led by the wilful, observant Casey, Kevin reaches a war for survival among all of those contained within him - as well as everyone around him - as the walls between his compartments shatter apart.

Shyamalan conceived of the idea for Split years, even far back to before The Sixth Sense, before he actually wrote the screenplay, which kept untouched until recently. Having found the perfect time, Shyamalan finally decided to breathe new life into it when started to work on the script. Shyamalan then decided to re-team with producer Jason Blum, who produced Shyamalan's previous film The Visit (2015), and presented the script to Blum. Originally, Joaquin Phoenix was cast in the lead role. However, due to scheduling conflicts and not being able to reach a contractual agreement, James McAvoy was cast instead in October 2015. In the same month, Anya Taylor-Joy, Betty Buckley, Jessica Sula, and Haley Lu Richardson were added to the cast. In addition, Universal Pictures came on board to release the film and the film's title, Split, was announced. Principal photography on the film began in November 2015 in Shyamalan's hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The film stars James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy, Betty Buckley, Haley Lu Richardson and Jessica Sula. The cast gave terrific performances, especially to McAvoy. He gave a complex, layered and varied tour de force performance to the multiple personalities that he was able to so brilliantly conjure up.

Split is the one we've been waiting for, folks. It's good. Oh my word, is it good. But more importantly, it is excellent in that specific way that reminds us why M. Night Shyamalan was once such a marvel. It is richly humanistic, filled with such varied and individually sketched characters that often sparkle with surprises. The film provides Shyamalan fans with a satisfying blend of thrills and laughs – and also signals a true welcome return to form for writer-director M. Night Shyamalan. With somewhat questionable elements at times, the film is not as a good as The Sixth Sense. However, it is a quietly suspenseful film that intrigues and engages, taking the audience through unpredictable twists and turns along the way. Just as he did in The Sixth Sense, Shyamalan leads you into a fascinating labyrinth, an alternative universe that lurks right under our noses. In this case, it's the mythological world and, in these modern times, the secret design to that labyrinth, the key to the path, is contained in the depths of the human mind. Shyamalan is back on top, with a stripped-down story and scale, a largely superb cast and one of those classically tinged tales of psychological terror that have reliably spooked audiences for generations.

Simon says Split receives:

Also, see my review for The Visit.

Film Review: "Live by Night" (2016).

"What you put out into this world will always come back to you, but it never comes back how you predict." This is the nature of Live by Night. This crime drama film written, directed, co-produced and starring Ben Affleck, based on the 2012 novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane. The film follows a former WWI vet and self-proclaimed anti-establishment outlaw. Driven by a need to right the wrongs committed against him and those close to him, Joe heads down a risky path that goes against his upbringing and his own moral code. Leaving the cold Boston winter behind, he and his reckless crew turn up the heat in Tampa. And while revenge may taste sweeter than the molasses that infuses every drop of illegal rum he runs, Joe will learn that it comes at a price.

Warner Bros. acquired the rights to Dennis Lehane's novel in April 2012, with the intention of developing the project for Leonardo DiCaprio to star and produce, through his Appian Way Productions. However, he decided to produce the film instead. In October 2012, it was announced that Ben Affleck would direct, write, and star in the film. In summer 2013, Affleck begun scouting locations for the film, visiting Tampa, Florida and Lawrence, Massachusetts. In August 2013, it was reported that production would be pushed back from the fall of 2013 to the fall of 2014, due to Affleck's acting commitment for Gone Girl (2014). According to Affleck, he delayed the project because he always wanted to get a chance to work with David Fincher. In summer 2014, production resumed, with Affleck visiting various locations in Brunswick, Georgia. In July 2015, the film was officially given the green-light. By December, Sienna Miller, Zoe Saldana, Elle Fanning, Chris Messina, Chris Cooper, Miguel, Max Casella, Brendan Gleeson, Anthony Michael Hall, and Titus Welliver had joined the cast. Principal photography began in October 2015 and concluded in February 2016. Filming initially began in Georgia, Hampton Island near Riceboro, on Tybee Island, in Savannah, and at Fort Pulaski National Monument. But due to tax rebates, the production ultimately moved to Florida. Then onwards, locations included Lawrence, North Andover, Boston's North End and Los Angeles, Pasadena, and Wilmington, California. For the look of the film, originally, Cinematographer Robert Richardson wanted to shoot the film with the Ultra Panavision 70 anamorphic lenses he had recently used on The Hateful Eight (2015), but Panavision had already rented them for use on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016).

The film also stars Elle Fanning, Brendan Gleeson, Chris Messina, Sienna Miller, Zoe Saldana and Chris Cooper. Despite the cast giving solid performances, it seems as though this time round Affleck has assembled a cast the pale in comparison to his casts in his previous efforts.

Live by Night is another solidly constructed and sharply orchestrated effort from Affleck. However, it's an exhausted and faulty enterprise all the same; a film that leaves no cliche untrampled. Ultimately, it does not quite live up to Affleck's ever-growing impressive body of work.

Simon says Live by Night receives:

Also, see my review for Argo.