Iron Man (2008) May 7, 2008
Posted by gproject in : Cinema, Recently Viewed , add a commentDirected by: Jon Favreau
It’s the start of May, so it must be summer! Right? Well the sunglasses are out in Hollywood, as the first of the big summer releases hit theatres last weekend, hoping to grab an early share of audience blockbuster spending before the busy school holiday period kicks in. And it may just work. Iron Man reaches us with plenty of that positive ‘buzz’ which seems so important these days, and there are expectations for this film way beyond its built-in comic fan base. It’s almost as if this is the sequel to an already popular original – which it isn’t, and that might be its biggest problem.
As far as Marvel comic adaptations go, the story is fairly typical: Tony Stark is a well educated engineering genius, who has applied his knowledge into weapons manufacture for Stark Industries - the company he owns. When Stark flies out to Afghanistan for a sales pitch however, his military convoy is attacked and he is captured by rogue forces, who desperately want his weapons knowledge for themselves. With potentially fatal shrapnel wounds, Stark is given an electromagnet device that protects his heart from damage.
It is while in captivity, and surrounded by his own merchandise, that Stark realises those inside his own company have not been dealing weapons strictly to American forces and that it is time to make a change. Charged with the task of building a mega-weapon for his captors, Stark instead puts his mind to something else: a metal suit, powered by his heart device, that allows for a dramatic escape. Once back on US soil, he works to redesign a better version of the suit - intent on restoring order to the damage his company has done.
At its core this is an origin story film, and so contains all the hallmarks of that particular narrative style. Unfortunately, Iron man doesn’t have the dark brooding of Batman’s origin story, nor the troubled relatability of Spider-man’s, which adds up to a slightly empty first feature. Being a wealthy, hard-drinking, womanising arms developer certainly makes him unique, but in a narrative sense the film has little else to offer. As long as you can follow the progression from successful businessman to “I am Iron Man” then you’ve pretty much got all you need to know.
Director Jon Favreau is probably still better associated with his acting roles in films such as Swingers and Made, yet his directing roster continues to build with family projects like Elf and Zathura under his belt. Iron Man proves to be a little less all encompassing than his previous films, but Favreau brings his confidence to the screen, and even pops up in a subtle background role as one of Stark’s bodyguards. Maybe his family feature background is also behind the commendable decision to not make an unnecessarily dark or graphically violent turn, too. The film certainly earns its 12A, but does a good job of keeping itself in check of what is suitable for that age range.
The script, on the other hand, can be a bit sporadic, sometimes taking witty jabs at the conventions of action and superhero movies (usually out of the mouth of Downey Jr), while other times conforming to those conventions in a by-the-numbers manner. It is Gwyneth Paltrow who is forced to endure the worst of these utterances, although Jeff Bridges gets his fair share towards the end. On the whole, the story is quite well told considering that it is, by its very nature, fairly simple. The writers haven’t tried to convolute the tale into something more than it is, which is refreshing but does leave a few slow gaps during the 126 minute running time.
If there was one strength that this film always had up its sleeve, it was the casting of Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark. And he makes a great Iron Man, or at least a likeable screen presence that translates into a good protagonist. Rather surprisingly, his usual motor-mouthed smart-alec routine seems to gel nicely alongside the special effects-laden action moments. All the other central characters have significantly less involvement. Jeff Bridges takes the rather predictable villainous role (if the beard doesn’t give it away, the bald head will), while Gwyneth Paltrow is relegated to the background as Pepper Potts - a name that’s annoying almost to the point of distraction. Terrence Howard gets the most play, but his character follows suit by being mostly one-note.
When trying to fathom where the $180+ million budget has gone, the natural reaction is to turn to the special effects, which luckily are pretty spectacular. Everything from the Iron Man suit to the film’s big set pieces are convincing enough to let you forget that it’s not real. If anything, this realism helps you notice the film’s other holes, like the fact that the final showdown between Iron Man and Iron Monger is a bit muddled and anticlimactic. For all the build-up, fans will be more excited by a thirty-second scene that occurs after credits (stick around), than the entire last quarter hour.
If nothing else, this film sets itself up very nicely for a superior sequel. For once, the ability to say that I would actually welcome a sequel is a more than weighty argument for the fact that we haven’t yet seen the best from Iron Man. Whether this first instalment quite hits the mark, I’d say maybe not. It’s a little too slow and dragged down by a padded origin that garners little wider significance than just becoming Iron Man (which occurs in the first hour). It will entertain though, and as a summer distraction you could do a lot worse than Robert Downey Jr zipping around, blowing things up and being witty. This film has dealt with all the baggage – now it’s time to see what the character can really do. Cue Black Sabbath.
Iron Man is currently on UK general release.
Ratatouille (2007) May 5, 2008
Posted by gproject in : Recently Viewed , 1 comment so farDirected by: Brad Bird
As the propagation of computer animated movies continues unhindered into summer and winter schedules alike, there’s one notable through-line that joins all these anthropomorphic tales together: genre. They’ll all be knockabout comedies with some colourful over-emphatic characters and enough jokes-per-minute to make you forget that Ice Age 2 [review] is just Ice Age in reverse, or that The Wild seemed more original when it was called Madagascar. In traditional style there might be some gags for the older audience slipped in, and if you’re lucky they’ll actually be good, but it’s basically the same meal on a different plate.
So thank goodness we have Pixar at hand to prove that there is another way, by creating something that breaches its traditional audience with unhindered storytelling and a sense of the existential: “Where are you going?” asks Remy’s father after lecturing the would-be chef on the unsurpassable differences between the nature of humans and rodents, “With luck, forward” replies Remy. A pandering children’s fable, this is not.
The story itself is one of simplistic contradiction: Remy is a passionate food-lover and dreams of becoming a chef – a dream that is hindered only by the fact that he is a common street rat. As impossible as his ambitions may be, when he finds himself in Paris there is only one restaurant he wants to visit: Auguste Gusteau’s. There, a chance meeting with bumbling kitchen hand Linguini shows Remy that maybe there’s hope for him yet. With Linguini as his puppet, Remy sets out living his dream, albeit hidden underneath a chef’s hat. All is well until revered food critic Anton Ego sets the restaurant a make-or-break challenge, and wants to meet the chef.
Billed as the least genre defined of Pixar’s productions, Ratatouille’s strongly held morals about not judging anyone because of their differences are right at the fore, yet shrouded by a tale so steeped in fantasy that it hides all sense of education in its narrative. But if living toys and monster worlds were deemed fair sources of material for previous movies, then surely the unnatural account of a rat who wants to be a chef shouldn’t raise any eyebrows in the believability department. The fact that it even comes to mind, suggests that this film has the most ‘real world’ setting of any Pixar movie, and that those who find Remy and Linguini’s kitchen control system a touch absurd have maybe bought into the film more than they thought.
You might say that it has ideas above its station, but it’s those higher aspirations that drive all the Pixar movies to reach above the still prevalent opinion that “cartoons are for kids”. Ratatouille is the animation studio’s bravest film given that it so forthrightly drops the laugh-a-minute crutch of traditional animated fare and goes for something that can survive on its own: a dramatic work of story and character the likes of which Shrek will never be able to touch. There are laughs in Ratatouille, and it maintains the light-hearted nature of the creators who bring it to life, but you can also feel the sense of experimentation in their work that pushes the boundaries of what you should expect from a computer animated film.
Speaking of which, the animation presented here is of standard Pixar quality, which is to say that it is spellbindingly brilliant. The street settings, the bustle of the kitchen, the effect of light and shadow, or rain on stone cobbles, are all beautifully rendered with loving care. Attention to detail has never been their shortcoming, but they’ve paid particular attention here to Remy’s fur (the way it moves and brushes, the way it looks when it is wet or in motion, even how it reacts after a lightening strike!) as well as the various foods that are on display and appear, however much of a cliché it might sound, good enough to eat.
The animators have chosen to stick with the slightly cartoon-styled human look that saw them through The Incredibles [review], although the range of different characters has increased somewhat this time around. As for the rodent contingent, someone deserves an award for turning a stereotypically dirt-ridden vermin into the loveable and innocent Remy the rat. While Flushed Away [review] didn’t make rats look entirely displeasing, Ratatouille makes them positively cuddly; maybe an association that heralds danger given their actual predisposition for carrying disease.
On the vocal acting front, Incredibles director Brad Bird once again plucks from the ‘best of the rest’ in Hollywood. Comedian Patton Oswalt takes helm as the talented cordon bleu rat and does a fantastic job at relating the passion and emotion of his tiny character. Meanwhile we have Lou Romano doing similarly great work as the bumbling kitchen-hand Linguini, and Janeane Garofalo’s convincing French accent playing the strong-minded female cook, Colette. Also lending their voices are Ian Holm as the scheming but diminutive Head Chef Skinner, and Peter O’Toole as the frighteningly composed food critic with a dangerous air about him. Brad Bird himself writes the screenplay, from a project that was originally started by Geri’s Game director Jan Pinkava. In fact, Pinkava still receives a co-director credit on the final film, although it became entirely Bird’s project around 2005, leading to a story re-write and subsequent character changes. Where to attribute the most praise for the style of this film is hard to say, but the result is a confidently shot cinematic treat.
The story and its telling almost belie the ‘U’ certificate, bringing an element of the dramatic that may exclude younger audiences from its charm. This is not necessarily a mistake; in fact I would argue that it should receive applause for the effort, although I feel there are parents of entertainment-craving children who may disagree. Plus, even at its one hour and fifty minute running time, there are still some themes which are touched upon without proper exploration - especially Remy’s dissatisfaction at his lack of credit and subsequent betrayal of Linguini. I’d be misguided too, to think that Pixar hadn’t held back slightly on the emotional engagement that guided Monsters Inc or especially Finding Nemo, and that this film’s incessant attention on story and plot forwarding seems to mislay. Still, you’ll struggle not to feel something for the little protagonist, if for no other reason than the artistic styling that makes you believe a rat can be cute.
What Ratatouille lacks in typical joke-feeding, it more than makes up for in story and a welcomed sense of venturing into the unknown. The whole movie is evidence of the resolve that Pixar have to push animation into a different league from that which it currently resides. Their use of it as a storytelling art form has long been in evidence, but now they are moving those boundaries again, challenging our perception of what can be achieved using this so-called ‘children’s medium’. Where are they heading? With luck, forward.
Persepolis (2007) May 1, 2008
Posted by gproject in : Cinema, Recently Viewed , add a commentDirected by: Vincent Paronnaud & Marjane Satrapi
Best Animation has become an Oscar category that is typically under-nominated (only three entries in 2007) and over-represented by the CGI family flicks that pack the houses over major school holidays. Every so often though, a little rebellious entry makes it in and sometimes, but not always, shows up the pack. Notably, they’re always foreign. Hayao Miyazaki did it first in 2002 by taking home the award for Spirited Away, while French animation The Triplets of Belleville grabbed a nomination in 2003. Since then, there has been little that diverts from the norm – until last year. Persepolis may not have gone home with the golden statue (Pixar’s Ratatouille came out on top), but did it matter? With a Jury Prize from Cannes and a wave of critical applause, it already had more exposure than the historical issues it presents.
A heartfelt and sometimes shockingly honest film, Persepolis follows a fascinating single life that lived through some of Iran’s most tumultuous times. Starting around the period of the Iranian Revolution in 1979, young Marjane Satrapi witnesses the oppressive rule of the Shah and the eventual public uprising that leads to civil war. Worried for her safety, Marjane’s family send her to study in Vienna, but once there she suffers a different kind of persecution which sees her apartment hopping around the country. With the chance to return home, Marjane discovers that maybe her place in the world is not where she thinks it is.
In what some considered a rather brave move, France submitted this work as its official Oscar entry for ‘Best Foreign Language Film’. In the end, it wasn’t nominated and only competed in the animation category. Yet, watching it on the big screen, you can’t help but understand the confidence put the put behind it, as the story fearlessly attacks some controversial issues and manages to innocently present the horrors of dictatorship through the eyes of its young protagonist. In terms of overcoming a potentially depressing subject matter, it more than does its job.
Like a moving picture diary, there are frequent breaks in both the action and the timeline, which often help the narrative move along without too much dwelling, but it can also give the film a bit of a disjointed feel. The ending too, comes on very quickly, and although real life does not often wrap itself up in the typical Hollywood way, I still couldn’t help but feel abandoned when the credits started to roll. Maybe I just wanted something more clear cut, and that’s really not Marjane Satrapi’s point at all.
The simple, mostly monochrome animation style is very effective. Or rather, I should say that it is made very effective by the interesting use of the visual aesthetic created for Satrapi’s graphic novels. There are no strict rules, which allow for plenty of imaginative settings and wild over-exaggerations, while the sometimes anecdotal story lends itself well to these background reconstructions and referential interpretations. Moments that occur in Satrapi’s mind usually form the most humorously animated sequences – like her description of going through puberty, the confidence-rousing ‘Eye of the Tiger’ routine, or simply the vision of being pinned to a wall by her ears. Everything from wartime fear, to love struck contentment is conveyed by a drawing style that tells it like it is: in simple black and white.
The United Kingdom will be getting the English dubbed release, and as such it is hard to comment on any translation difficulties or changes from the original French language version. Actress Catherine Deneuve is the consistent 
link, having performed the vocal for Marjane’s mother in both variations, yet there are others, most notably Sean Penn playing the father, who work just as well. The English dub also features voices from Gena Rowlands and Iggy Pop, who, along with Penn, are named in the title sequence but went uncredited for their work.
Persepolis is a sometimes sweet, sometimes deeply affecting social drama that should probably be on the school curriculum as a teaching aide. In terms of historical recreation, it is a very accessible lesson in recent Iranian political movements, although it does feature a host of themes and content that suggests this is not a film strictly for the kids, despite what you may think about animation or its 12A (a US PG-13) certificate. I couldn’t find it completely engaging though, and it was this distance that made it more educational than entertaining. The best moments are its ridiculous parodies on the strict regime - the rule-abiding life drawing class is a great example of this. Like Satrapi’s punk rock teenage years, this is a film that revels in the rebellion of it all. Oscars? Who needs Oscars?
Persepolis is currently on UK limited release.