Lincoln (2012)

7.3/10

Abraham Lincoln: Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said "the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether." With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and 
lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations. 

Undoubted when one sits down to watch a Spielberg film, one should expect the very least greatness of a vast magnitude. However, every legend's glory can fade out. This does not necessarily apply in this case but objectively speaking, this film left me wanting and with a mundane expression when the end credits starting rolling. But let's take things from the beginning, shall we?

'Lincoln' is based on the true events of the life of Abraham Lincoln, the greatest, most remembered president of the United States of America. Following the real events in 1865, as the American Civil War winds inexorably toward conclusion, U.S. president Abraham Lincoln endeavors to achieve passage of the landmark constitutional amendment which will forever ban slavery from the United States. However, his task is a race against time, for peace may come at any time, and if it comes before the amendment is passed, the returning southern states will stop it before it can become law. Lincoln must, by almost any means possible, obtain enough votes from a recalcitrant Congress before peace arrives and it is too late. Yet the president is torn, as an early peace would save thousands of lives. As the nation confronts its conscience over the freedom of its entire population, 

Lincoln faces his own crisis of conscience -- end slavery or end the war.

So this film is a gigantic biopic based on one of the greatest minds that have ever walked on the USA soil, and ever since then there have been many who tried to follow in his footsteps, without the same success or glory though. This is without a doubt a one man show; without ignoring the rest of the cast, among them the astounding Sally Field, Spielberg created a filmic canvas around the figure of one man's consciousness against a nation's growing demands. The backdrop of the American Civil war was definitely a gigantic challenge for the master of war films, Steven Spielberg. Given the fact that during the past three decades, Spielberg has given us one of the most memorable war films, 'Lincoln' was particularly a challenge to him because it is very close to home, it is a film about a man that not only defined a nation and what it is today, but a film about the ethical principles of human freedom.

Cinematography for Spielberg always plays a key role, and this film was no exception. The gloominess and the rapture of the war-zone that loomed even from the first scene through our screen is reason enough to draw anyone's attention. The "bombartic" challenges of the interchanging shots between parliamentary negotiations and the battlefield, never gave out as they lured you in, first into Lincoln's presidential decision-making space and then into his own private space at home. Spielberg is clever enough never to miss out the opportunity of reminding us that his war figures as also simple people, with conflicts and personal crisis going on. This also applies here. 

However, one must look at the bigger picture and objectively critique; this film is long. Not in the meaning of running time, but in the meaning of stalling. Looking at this with an entire fresh view, from someone who does not know a lot about Lincoln's life or the American Civil war, it is my personal feeling that this film was dragging out, hopelessly waiting for the end. Gotta admit that there was a big emotional gap somewhere in the middle which left me indifferent towards the character's personal drama, thus making me lose an interest at the visual narrative action. Up until the last few scenes of the final negotiations, I found myself drifting at times. My reasons for that is in the execution; how was the average viewer supposed to be engaged in the drama, personal or otherwise, when I did not have the faintest idea whether I liked the main character or not, whether I wanted him to forgo the abolishment of slavery or forgo with all the bloodshed that the war was causing. All these feelings made me feel dull and bored, thus not being able to glorify the greatness of Spielberg's latest war masterpiece. Personally I do not comprehend the Academy's decision in opting Spielberg for a Best Director award as I believe with this one he was lacking in his skills and narrative story telling. 

Putting aside the directorial executions, I do have to whole-heartdely admit the greatness of choosing such an amazing cast to undertake such a big challenge. The leader of the cast, Lincoln himself, was appointed to none other but the mètre of excellence, Mr. Daniel Day Lewis (In the Name of the Father, My Left Foot, Last of the Mohicans, There will be Blood,Gangs of New York, The Ballad of Jack and Rose, The Age of Innocence, The Crucible). Even saying this man's name, boosts your confidence. I have decided that they should give this actor the title of the Midas Actor, because in whatever film I have ever seen him in he is golden and made me shudder. Lincoln was no exception. What a titanic role to portray and yet by what a grandiosity he managed to re-create the excellence of such a historical figure. Day Lewis, oozed brilliance throughout, whether script or directing wise the film was found lacking, Lewis literally salvages every single moment in the film with his performing discipline and his profound engagement to the character. Let alone the fact that he lures you into his world, into his vast consciousness of choosing between right and wrong for so many other people, he also makes sure you take a second and consider his personal drama, his own demons he was facing and ultimately leaving you the space to look at him with clarity and objectivity. That for me is a remarkable thing for any actor to pull through as it needs an excruciating amount of dedication and depth given to such a role.

Likewise, the same opinion applies for the superb performances of acting giants Sally Field (Norma Rae, Forrest Gump, Brothers & Sisters, Not Without my Daughter, Mrs. Doubtfire, Steel Magnolias) and Tommy Lee Jones (No Country for Old Men, In the Valley of Elah, Men in Black, The Fugitive). Both of them ooze virtuosity and thespian stamina, able to support and equally perform next to Day Lewis. A special thumbs up for Field, who portrays Linconl's wife. Her unwavering passion and focus for this role is another proof of what a remarkable actress she is. Not to mention the rest of the astounding cast with actors such as Joseph Gordon-Levitt, James Spader, David Strathairn, Hal Holbrook, John Hawkes, Jackie Earle Halye, Lee Pace etc. 

As always, the glorious music score was composed by world famous composer John Williams. Needless to say of how brilliant his score is. His music investment aides the editing perfectly and smoothly to fit precisely into the narrative.

In all, and to finally be done with reviewing this film, I believe this is not one of Spielberg's greatests, but that however does not imply it is not a fantastic film. Even if it is just for the acting, this film excels in its own right. Whether over-appreciated or not, the themes alone stand for a unique two and a half hours in dissecting the life of the greatest president of the United States ever had. 

Hope you enjoy it, if you decide to sit for a viewing. Let me know your thoughts!

Argo (2012)

8.1/10

"Argo, fuck yourself!"

So, I shall start big this year. The biggest favor to win Best Picture in the Academy Awards for 2013 is (unavoidably) ‘Argo’. Producer/Director/Actor, Ben Affleck, has long been longing to take on his role behind the cameras and with this film not only he managed to achieve gloriously his goal, but also he proved to be a worthy contender.

In a few words, what Argo’s about: In 1979, the American embassy in Iran was invaded by Iranian revolutionaries and several Americans were taken hostage. However, six managed to escape to the official residence of the Canadian Ambassador and the CIA was eventually ordered to get them out of the country. With few options, exfiltration expert Tony Mendez devised a daring plan: to create a phony Canadian film project looking to shoot in Iran and smuggle the Americans out as its production crew. With the help of some trusted Hollywood contacts, Mendez created the ruse and proceed to Iran as its associate producer. However, time was running out with the Iranian security forces closing in on the truth while both his charges and the White House had grave doubts about the operation themselves. (sourse: www.imdb.com)

Granted, this film does not scream ‘fun-jolly time at the movies’ from miles away. What it does sound like, is “hmmm-now-I-see-why-HOMELAND-is-so-damn-good”. Without comparing the two though, let’s start from analyzing the film in general.

The story is most certainly a most compelling one. Only to think about that these events really did happen to the real Tony Mendez, has you gasping how in the first place he managed to come up with such a daring and risky plan. Chris Terrio, the newbie screen-writer, managed to make the plot speedy, compelling and above all easy for any viewer to follow, thus not scaring away any non-so-film-lover. As per the description, this is not a very happy theme film, but the wittiness and the vigorous plot line, keeps the viewer glued to the screen. The main point, which they succeeded in this film, is that it keeps you hanging…are they gonna make it? Is it going to work?

All this questions however, could not have been achieved if indeed it wasn’t for the ‘leader’ of this film itself: Mr. Ben Affleck. Of course any film go-er recognizes Ben Affleck from films such as Good Will Hunting, Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, Daredevil and by his recent directorial debut (featuring his younger brother starring in it Casey Affleck in the film) ‘Gone Baby Gone’ – another strong contender in the Academy Awards back in 2007. In all honesty, and hands down, Affleck did come a long way, and now it is his moment to shine as he’s always wanted to in Hollywood. Not only he manages to find the balance between a delicate political subject but also makes sure he delivers both acting-wise and directing-wise to its audience the facts, besides the gimmicks of a horrible situation. His direction is solid, cut and precise. He doesn’t beautify the events of that time, and does not look for immediate sympathy from his audience. He lets them judge the events from an outside scope, thus providing the safety of truth in its visual narrative.

As per the more technical elements of the film, cinematography is solid, neat and comprehensive enough for any demanding viewer who is not really too keen in dissecting every angle of the film and what it means. Costume design and production design was right on balance in their re-creation of the late 1970s Iran and USA. Especially considering the chaotic reconstruction of the Iranian revolutionaries of the time, the production team made an excellent work in keeping faithful with the period’s visual thematology.

And a little bit about the actors, how could we not of course when we have actors like Alan Arkin (Little MissSunshine, Rendition, Glengarry Glen Ross), Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad, Drive, Malcom in the Middle) and the master of all John Goodman (The Big Lebowski, Flight, The Artist, Roseanne). These three men are the touchstones of this film; they are what make this film big, what keeps this film going, what makes it a hard champion in its kind. All three actors, are well beyond their prime but they are truly exceptional talents in the film industry. It would be of course unforgivable of me not to mention some of the actors in this film, which are most of the times easily mis-forgotten and underrated in the Hollywoo-land; Victor Garber, Clea DuVall, Tate Donovan, Kyle Chandler, Zeljko Ivanek, Chris Messina. All of these actors were the fundamental element why this film works. The chemistry of the entire cast bounces off so well, that it cannot leave the viewer unaffected on their personal drama.

Just to finish off quickly by giving also the thumbs up for the astounding music composer Alexandre Desplat. His superb original music score guides through the plot marvelously, interchanging from the rusty mellow music of the drama into the light-hearted moments of the “making of” of the fake film.

Personally, I see this film taking home the Oscar for Best Picture. Not because there aren’t better films out there, but because it touches on a very daring subject, especially for the American people of Hollywood. It gathered a lot of force and effort to be made, I am sure that many people would have advised against this film being made so pompously as it did, wanting to avoid any political characters being heralded so gloriously in the Academy Awards. Given the fact though, that in the years’ passed, Kathryn Bingelow won the Best Picture Award for a highly infused political action drama (‘The Hurt Locker’), then this year’s win would not surprise me in the least. After all, when you have as your main producer people like George Clooney involved, you know you’re bound to be served a good political intrigue. And this year, we green-light this one.

Hope anyone who watched this film enjoyed it as much as I did. See you guys soon, with more Academy Award contenders for this year! 

The Iron Lady (2011)

Rating: 6.9/10

" It used to be about trying to do something. Now it's about trying to be someone."

'The Iron Lady' is a much talked about film these days; Having won the Academy Award for Best Actress with Meryl Streep this film has gone to be hailed as an anthem for the English's ex-ruler Margaret Thatcher.

As a political genre film this does not sets its basis only in with the politics factor. The film cleverly takes us on a journey to discover the unknown life of Margaret Thatcher, from the time she was a young lady till the time she became an old lady. Flashbacks were a must for the story, something which made the film quite rough around its edges. The non-linear narration was quite complex, thus leaving the audience at times perplexed and confused as to how they should feel for Streep's role.

Although the directing seems to be sailing with a smooth pacing, Phyllida  Lloyd does not fully succeed in her vision to make us fully sympathize or even understand the purpose of the film; whether we like the protagonist or not and what purpose did her life and actions served at the end. Albeit these minor flaws the film has a lot of emotional background, taking us slowly into the mentality of the Iron Lady and at the end releasing us into her world of hallucinations.

There's too little I can say for the real-life Iron Lady of the cinema though; whatever I put into words for Streep's acting would be pointless enough, as this actress never seems to fail in every portrayal she may give. In my opinion the Oscar was well deserved, not because of the girth and the humanity she brought into this role but because of the pieces she gave from her heart into Maggie Thatcher's character. You could feel her pain, her loss, her hallucinations, her long-forgotten glories, her strength, her ambition and her love for everything she may have tried to do. For Streep it wasn't just to portray the goodness in this character but to present her reality, with the good and the bad equally and in the end to let you decide on the qualities that this character deserves.

A wonderful achievement of the recreation of so many different decades would be in order for the costume designer, Simon Elliot (North & South TV Mini Series), who literally had an overwhelming task to achieve in his creation of the first lady in the English Cabinet. Superb production design.

And it would be a mishap on my behalf if I failed to mention the always breath-taking music score of Thomas Newman (American Beauty, Shawshank Redemption) who as always was not much appreciated for his astounding work. Truly a remarkable musical score.

And last but not least, it is only fair to mention Steep's co-star and brilliant....no brilliant's not too good enough of a word to describe this actor...the extraordinary Jim Broadbent. What a colossal performance each time this thespian gives. He truly is the modern embodiment of a thespian. Always carries his performance on screen with such ease. In the Iron Lady he was so carefree, so pious and willing to give an emotional portrayal of his relationship with Streep that it couldn't fail but move the viewer.

As a last thumbs up I would give to the young, and yet so far unknown, actress who portrayed Margaret Thatcher as a young lady, Alexandra Roach. In my opinion she is among the newly rising British actresses and would love to see more of her in the near future. She had the zeal and the stamina to portray such a crucial character and yet she did not fail.

The film as a whole does not say a lot, but the performances speak aloud. Watch it for the  brilliant acting and the production design and relish for a little while how it must have been for a lady of Thatcher's stature. Albeit many people suffered under her time of ruling, she did leave her political mark in the British people; restrain.


The Iron Lady (2011)

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (2011)

Rating: 7.7/10

"It's the oldest question of all, George. Who can spy on the spies?"

Another one of those award films thrust upon us this winter. This one though is somewhat of a different story. A British espionage story, 'Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy', that is set in the bleak days of the Cold War, about an espionage veteran, George Smiley, who is forced from semi-retirement to uncover a Soviet agent within MI6.

The plot is one of the most complex and intricate plots I have come across during the last couple of years in the British cinema. The film was made into a TV Series back in 1979 with the likes of British thespian Alec Guinness. This is a film adaptation from the world acclaimed novel of John Le Carre, and it is one of the most fascinating espionage thrillers to have been made into film during the last decade.

The superb acting line-up includes an all British thespian cast: award nominated Gary Oldman (Dracula), Award Winner Colin Firth (The King's Speech), Tom Hardy (Inception), Mark Strong (Body of Lies), Toby Jones (Infamous), Ciaran Hinds (Rome), Benedict Cumberbatch (Warhorse) and the always astounding and award nominated John Hurt (The Elephant Man).  So as you can see a sea of actors parading through the screen for 2hrs and 7mins.

The brilliance of the film though, lies in the unravelling direction of Tomas Alfredson. It is one of those films that it starts of a bit slow but guides you and sucks you in the plot so smoothly you do not even realize where and what hit you by the end of it.

The story is told in a non-linear narration, hence there's a lot of back and forth, thus forcing you to stay glued on the screen. Details are extremely important, so that you can put the pieces of the puzzle together with the protagonist.

This film pays homage to the good old days of British cinema, the voyeuristic era of the long lenses shooting approach, almost giving you the feeling of a 1970s italian film. The set and costume design did an astounding job in transferring you back in 1973, and the dark and gloomy atmosphere of London was very distinctive and apparent.

It truly felt whilst watching this that I was grasped by a mighty force of story-telling, thus making me unable to lose focus in the film (something that happens to me more often than not when I watch films nowadays) and not only was I intrigued intellectually but was also faced with the issue of how different and yet similar the world is today since 1973.

Excellent performances, witty dialogue, carefully woven plot, eerie musical score and an even more visionary directorial attempt on espionage drama by Tomas Alfredson. Go rent it, watch it, if you're lucky enough to catch it in your local cinema that would be superb, pay attention to it, and most importantly enjoy the raw British cinematic excellence.


Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (2011)

The Ides of March (2011)

Rating: 7.3/10

"I'm not a Christian. I'm not an Atheist. I'm not Jewish. I'm not Muslim. My religion, what I believe in is called the Constitution of United States of America."

I originally did not want to review this film so early on, because I like films to "sink" in me first, but since February is the Awards season, and we're daily bombarded with what's mainstream, and since I had one of those mornings where I want to watch something of essence, I sat myself down and watched 'The Ides of March'.

The title being literally taken from William Shakespeare's play 'Julius Caesar' - "[...]beware the Ides of March[...]", a soothsayer warns Julius Caesar. Just like that this political thriller sucks you in, into the American political stratosphere of a game where justice is being played upon day by day.

I'm sure that just like this film there are a million political thrillers out there. Ever since 'All the President's Men' hit back in 1976 as a political thriller genre, whose intention was to expose a political figure and the scandalous corrupted political schemes they hide from the public, many directors and script-writers have indulge into this genre.

What constitutes a film apart from all the others is the growth of the plot and the characters. In this film we have a leading cats of titans; George Clooney, Paul Giammatti, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood and the rising star of the last couple of years Ryan Gosling.

I mean how can a director fail with such a recipe?

The dialogue is the key in such films, so that your audience can follow you up. Especially people who will watch this outside of the US and have limited understanding to how their elective system works and so on, you will have to pay close attention to the dialogue so that you don't get lost in translation.

The film talks about "Stephen Meyers; an idealist who's brilliant at communications: he's second in command of Governor Mike Morris's presidential campaign, and he's a true believer. In the middle of the Ohio primary, the campaign manager of Morris's opponent asks Meyers to meet: he offers him a job. At the same time, Morris's negotiations for the endorsement of the man in third place, a North Carolina Senator, hit a snag. A young campaign intern, Molly Stearns, gets Stephen's romantic attention. Republicans have a trick up their sleeves, Stephen may be too trusting, and Molly has a secret. What's most important: career, victory, or virtue?" (www.imdb.com)

The brilliant acting carries you throw into this world of corruption and false idealism. Unlike other political thrillers here we sympathize the young idealist who still has so many hopes for his country. Who wouldn't?

But the shift in the film comes from all the external factors that seem to affect the protagonist. Because as in life, balances are fragile and especially when it comes to politics one false move can send someone packing. This is what unfolds brilliantly in this film.

The circumstances, the false advertisement of hope and progress, the corruption of the demagogs and the unravelling of the truth by the media. The themes in such films are numerous and after watching films like that you're always left wondering to what extend is the public being fooled at?

Are we all just pawns into the candidate's campaigns or do we really have the right to our free-will? How far will they go to sell their 'holy' image so that we believe them?

Gosling is simply a new-rising gem to my eyes and I am hoping he will get to have his skills crafted even more in the future.

Apart from the snide dialogue and the numerous hints on the corruption of the American Constitution, I really enjoyed the smooth pace of the direction. It carries on the plot in steady pace so that it keeps the audience intrigued on the protagonist's fate. So thumbs up for Clooney's direction. He most definitely knows how to work the art and will be expecting to see more of him in the future.

Worthy mention to the score of the film by the brilliant and artful Alexandre Desplat, who seems to be composing the music for quite a few films in the last few years.

I would suggest to see this with a quiet company, since you need to pay attention to the plot as it unfolds and in my opinion this is a worthy political thriller of the political genre evolution.

Hope you enjoy Clooney's direction!


The Ides of March (2011)