Spotlight and The Big Short

You might be wondering why I have chosen to write a double review on these two very different movies. 

Although their stories are different, they do share common themes. A large and very recognisable cast, which means a lot of characters to get to know, a lot of names. A complex (and not exactly riveting) subject matter. A lengthy running time. One I loved and one I didn't. Here's my reasoning for why. 

Let's tackle Spotlight first. 

 http://spotlightthefilm.com/

A movie based on a true story about child abuse and the Catholic Church doesn't sound like it will be fun. And upon seeing the trailer for the movie, one of my friends commented that it was in poor taste as the filmmakers were making money out of a horrible situation.

Whilst I agree with that on some level, I also think that you can't deny that the paper that reported on the scandal, The Boston Globe, also made money out of it. But the purpose of the article was to bring the public's attention to this epidemic of dirty priests and those who cover up for them. The film is doing that too, but on a much more global scale. 

So, a film about child abuse within the Catholic Church and the paper that broke the story. Why should you go and see it?

The subject matter is handled extremely well. It's not subtle, but then it can't be when this is the story they are telling. But it's handled sensitively. 

The other reason you should see this movie is because despite being filled to the brim with recognisable actors, they're all excellent. They all lose themselves in these characters and I honestly couldn't fault a single one of them. It's a sterling cast and a film not to be missed. My only niggle (and it really is a tiny nitpick in an otherwise blemish free film) is that the actors didn't really attempt a Boston accent. And the ones that did had mixed results at best. I think as The Town is one of my favourite movies, I have been a little spoiled where accents are concerned, and it definitely doesn't effect the overall message of the film or how good it is. 

On to The Big Short

http://www.thebigshortmovie.co.uk/

The two films are quite similar in the sense that they were potentially quite dull subject matters, Spotlight focusing on the journalism industry, and The Big Short on banking, and both films have a lengthy running time of over 2 hours. But whereas Spotlight handled it's story brilliantly and thoughtfully, creating a layered story with tension, The Big Short felt like it was having to explain things to the audience all the time. And like they were annoyed that they had to do that. 

An approach like that doesn't work for me. It doesn't get the audience on side, it just makes them annoyed, and feel a little stupid. Or at least that's the effect it had on me, and I work in the financial sector. 

The main difference between the movies is that Spotlight doesn't try to glamorise the facts of the case, it's not sexy and it doesn't try to be. The Spotlight team work out of the basement. They live in homes that seem fitting for the jobs they do. I'm not saying Spotlight wins points over The Big Short because it represents "real" people. I know there are two sides to the coin, and that the rich people depicted in The Big Short are also based on people who actually exist in the banking world. Both films are based on horrific real events, but while Spotlight handles the subject sensitively, The Big Short rubs it in people's faces. You might have lost your home but look how much these already rich people made off the back of that. Oh and these guys are the heroes of the story because they saw it coming. There's a very sour taste left in your mouth when a movie does that to it's audience. 

The cast also didn't work for me with The Big Short. They didn't really gel with one another, and why was Brad Pitt even in there? It's like someone said "hey, we need another big name" and they just pulled him out of a hat. None were particularly convincing as banking experts. Which made the whole 'dumbing down' exercises even more unnecessary. 

Ultimately my advice here is to go and see Spotlight. It's a better film, better acted, with likable characters, drama, tension and even the occasional laugh. 

You should also stay and read the sum-up in the end credits. I spotted my home town on the list of places where cover ups involving priests was discovered. One of my friends called it blood chilling. That could not be more accurate. I've never been so happy that my parents weren't religious in my life. 

Spotlight 9 out of 10 / The Big Short 4 out of 10

Viewing Dates - Spotlight 29th January 2016 / The Big Short 6th February 2016
UK Release Dates - Spotlight 29th January 2016 / The Big Short 22nd January 2016

Cast Overview Spotlight:
Mark Ruffalo ~ Mike Rezendes
Michael Keaton ~ Walter 'Robby' Robinson
Rachel McAdams ~ Sacha Pfeiffer
Liev Schreiber ~ Marty Baron
John Slattery ~ Ben Bradlee Jr
Brian d'Arcy James ~ Matt Caroll
Stanley Tucci ~ Mitchell Garabedian
Billy Crudup ~ Eric Macleish

Director ~ Tom McCarthy
Writer ~ Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy

Cast Overview The Big Short:
Ryan Gosling ~ Jared Vennett
Christian Bale ~ Michael Burry
Steve Carell ~ Mark Baum
Marisa Tomei ~ Cynthia Baum
Adepero Oduye ~ Kathy Tao
Rafe Spall ~ Danny Moses
Hamish Linklater ~ Porter Collins
Jeremy Strong ~ Vinnie Daniel
John Magaro ~ Charlie Geller
Finn Wittrock ~ Jamie Shipley
Brad Pitt ~ Ben Rickert

Director ~ Adam McKay
Writer ~ Charles Randolph and Adam McKay (Screenplay) and Michael Lewis (Book)

Out Of The Furnace

http://outofthefurnacemovie.tumblr.com/

The only problem I have with the cinema, and this is not limited to Cineworld, this is all cinemas, including the one I used to work at more than 10 years ago, is that they advertise films that are 'coming soon' that they then never show. 

This happened recently at Cineworld where they showed the trailer for August: Osage County for months leading up to it's release, and then they never got the damn film. The same thing happened with Out Of The Furnace. They showed the trailer, even had the poster up to signal the film's imminent release, and then lo and behold, they never showed the film. I found out a couple of weeks after it's scheduled release date that my local independent cinema, The Duke Of York's, was showing the film, and so my cinema buddy and I went to watch it.

The last film we saw at the Dukes was On The Road. Which was a pretty awful movie by any standards, but the fact that we paid £9+ for the privilege made the film that little bit more awful. I hoped Out Of The Furnace would not leave us with that same ache in our wallets.

The film tells the story of the Baze brothers; Rodney (Affleck), who between tours of Iraq looks after his ailing father, and Russell (Bale), who has a simple but fulfilling life with his girlfriend Lena (Saldana) and a good job at the local steel mill. Russell's life gets turned upside down due to bad decisions made by his brother, all starting with Rodney's involvement with a small time loan shark John (Dafoe), and leading up to him taking part in a shady underground boxing ring upon returning from Iraq. Rodney and John meet some very unsavory characters on the boxing circuit, but none more-so than Harlan (Harrelson). They soon find out they may have bitten off more than they can chew.

From the trailer I knew this was not going to be a fun film, but it looked worthy of seeing, and like the performances would pack a punch. In that respect the trailer definitely sold the film on the right merits. And I have to say that I wasn't especially disappointed with the film, I just didn't love it. 

The performances are all exemplary, and although this is definitely an ensemble piece, Christian Bale yet again shines out the brightest. Something I think everyone has become accustomed to. I don't think he knows how to give a bad performance these days, but it's a good thing because everyone else seems to step up their game around him. I certainly don't think I've seen Casey Affleck or Forest Whitaker give performances this good, maybe ever?  Woody Harrelson on the other hand is another actor who I just think gets better and better with time, and he is a wonderful adversary to Bale's protagonist. I don't think I've ever seen him be more unhinged, and he certainly played a character the likes of which I hope I never meet. 

*Spoiler Alert* I just wish there had been a better outcome for Russell in the movie so that it didn't feel as though you went through this horrible situation with him, and then for him to come out the other side with nothing but his freedom? *End Spoiler*

If you enjoy the darker side of cinema, and want to see some really great acting from some of the best Hollywood has, I would definitely recommend Out Of The Furnace if it's showing at a cinema near you. But as that's unlikely I would recommend you get the DVD when it's out. If you prefer something a little more fluffy with a happy ending then avoid, this one is not for you. 7.5 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 23rd February 2014

UK Release Date - 29th January 2014

Cast Overview:

Russell Baze ~ Christian Bale

Rodney Baze Jr ~ Casey Affleck

Harlan DeGroat ~ Woody Harrelson

Lena Warren ~ Zoe Saldana

Wesley Barnes ~ Forest Whitaker

John Petty ~ Willem Dafoe

Gerald "Red" Baze ~ Sam Shepard

Director ~ Scott Cooper

Writer(s) ~ Brad Ingelsby and Scott Cooper

American Hustle

http://www.americanhustle-movie.com/site/

Allow me to start by saying that I feel like I've been waiting to see this movie for a very long time. In reality it hasn't been that long, but it feels like so long ago when I first saw the on-set photos, the hairdo's starting to take shape, Jennifer Lawrence almost spilling out of her dress as she stepped out of her car, Bradley Cooper in curlers. Now it's finally here.

The movie is definitely an ensemble piece, but at it's heart is Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale), a small time con man who meets his match in Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams). Sydney has always dreamed of having a better life than the hand she was dealt and when she meets Irving, she finally feels as though she has not only met a kindred spirit, but also someone who can help make her dreams a reality. The only problem getting in the way of Sydney and Irving's dream, is that he is married, to a rather unstable woman named Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence), and in doing the right thing for once in his life, Irving adopted her son, meaning his marriage vows are not going to be broken easily. As if the fact that the love of her life is married weren't bad enough, Sydney gets pinched by FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) for taking part in Irving's dodgy deals, and ends up having to bargain for her (and Irv's) freedom by taking down a ring of mafia and politicians, including New Jersey Mayor Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner), in one of the biggest sting operations of it's time.

I hope you managed to follow that because if not, you may have difficulty following the film itself. Thankfully, David O Russell takes it all at a steady pace, resulting in a lengthy but rewarding movie. The actors are all faultlessly fantastic, and the fact that the main two characters of Irving and Sydney should  be unlikable, makes it even more impressive that Bale and Adams make you like them so. Bale specifically really won me over. I have never been a huge fan of his, I appreciate how he throws himself into character more than most other actors do, losing and gaining weight in order to really become the person he's portraying, but I've just never been blown away by him before. I specifically wasn't expecting to like Irving as a character, a shady con man, but his final scene with Carmine was heartbreaking. And the scene at the party, perfectly accompanied by The Bee Gee's 'How Can You Mend A Broken Heart', just sealed his performance for me. It's so clear on his face that he's finally realising the effect of what he's done on those he loves.

Adams is just perfect in every scene, I can't even really pinpoint one in particular, she's just mesmerising. Cooper's character is easily the most unlikable of the bunch, ironic in that he's the supposed 'good guy', but again that just speaks of his ability to play a character that you really want to punch for the second half of the movie. Renner and Lawrence both are very much in supporting roles but again both are tremendous. Renner's character really is the most decent of all of them and you really feel for him getting involved in the operation, while Lawrence manages to steal pretty much every scene she's in, and considering her limited screen time, her scenes are easily amongst the most memorable.

Although I wasn't born until after the 70s and most of their influences were long gone, I do feel Mr O Russell took some liberties with the costumes (especially for poor Amy), but if you have an actress with such a gravity defying bosom, you can't really blame him for dressing her that way. I did however think that he made great use of the styles of the era and certainly the music. I have already purchased the soundtrack after hearing Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, remembering how great a song it was and not being able to stop singing it. Don't get me started on Delilah and Live and Let Die.

Definitely a must see to kick off 2014, and I will stick my neck out now and say this is likely to be one of the best movies of the year. Oscar buzz is certainly justified. 9 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 1st January 2014

UK Release Date (Nationwide) - 1st January 2014

Cast Overview:

Irving Rosenfeld ~ Christian Bale

Richie DiMaso ~ Bradley Cooper

Sydney Prosser ~ Amy Adams

Mayor Carmine Polito ~ Jeremy Renner

Rosalyn Rosenfeld ~ Jennifer Lawrence

Stoddard Thorsen ~ Louis C.K.

Pete Musane ~ Jack Huston

Paco Hernandez / Sheik Abdullah ~ Michael Pena

Carl Elway ~ Shea Whigham 

Anthony Amado ~ Alessandro Nivola

Dolly Polito ~ Elisabeth Rohm

Director ~ David O Russell

Writer(s) ~ Eric Singer and David O Russell

The Dark Knight Rises

http://www.thedarkknightrises.com/

"The movie theatre is my home, and the idea that someone would violate that innocent and hopeful place in such an unbearably savage way is devastating to me." Christopher Nolan following the Aurora shooting.

I felt the need to acknowledge that statement because I share Christopher Nolan's sentiments. The movie theatre is my home too, heck it's likely to be the home of most of the people who read my blog. I feel safe there. It's a place I can go to on my own and not feel self conscious, and it's also a place I go to with friends and family. The thought that someone could be so cruel as to pick on people in a darkened theatre, when the only thing they did was go to see a movie, is horrific to me. I hope the people of Aurora find the strength to put this behind them.

I can't help but think that the tragedy surrounding The Dark Knight Rises is one of the reasons I struggled to write a review for the film. I actually saw the movie way back on the 22nd July but had no time to sit down and pen a review for it as it was my pre-birthday weekend. I then went to visit family for my birthday and since then have been back home and then back up north due to a bereavement. It seems all things were conspiring against me actually telling the world what I thought of the finale to Christopher Nolan's Batman Trilogy.

To refresh my memory of the film I went to see it again this weekend. 

For those uninitiated, the first of Christopher Nolan's Batman Trilogy was Batman Begins. Whilst I have seen (and in fact own) it, I must confess that I'm not a huge fan of the first film. And as such I don't really remember that much of it. So I hope I get this right! *Spoilers Abound* In Batman Begins Bruce Wayne travels the world and receives combat (no pun intended) training in Asia from The League Of Shadows. When he returns to Gotham he puts his alter ego to the test against the Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy). In The Dark Knight, Batman faced two villains, The Joker (Heath Ledger) and Two-Face (Aaron Eckhart) and in the process he loses the woman he loves and is incorrectly accused of district attorney Harvey Dent's murder.

The Dark Knight Rises is set 8 years after the events of The Dark Knight. Bruce Wayne has become a recluse and Batman has not been seen or heard of since he fled the scene of Harvey Dent's murder. A different kind of masked man is threatening to disturb the peace that has been built on a lie. A battle scarred and broken spirited Bruce must bring Batman back to face his most challenging enemy yet.

After not really loving Batman Begins I went into The Dark Knight with a lot of hope. I was a big Heath Ledger fan and I wanted the film to do him proud. And in some respects I think it did. But it still wasn't as good as I'd hoped. Everyone raved about The Dark Knight but I feel it was mostly for the wrong reasons. Because of Heath's death I think people were afraid to say that it was a less than perfect film. I'm not saying it's not well written, stylishly directed and brilliantly acted, it is. But it still has it's problems too. 

So going in to The Dark Knight Rises I was sceptical. Doubly so when the Aurora shooting happened because again I feared that this would be a less than perfect film that everyone heaped praise on for the wrong reasons. I am happy to say that the film surprised me in that respect and that I was proved wrong.

The Dark Knight Rises is a wonderful note to end on. Christian Bale has never portrayed Bruce Wayne better than he does in this final installment. As a broken man - both physically and mentally - Bale plays Bruce as real as a comic book character can be. He is of course supported by one of the finest casts you could ask for - Gary Oldman, Matthew Modine, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Morgan Freeman. And what would a Batman movie be without a couple of stunning beauties on Bruce Wayne's arm? Marion Cotillard and Anne Hathaway both do a great job in their respective roles.

You will notice I left out a very important cog in this movie machine. Sir Michael Caine. He reduced me to tears on more than one occassion. Give the geezer another blinkin' Oscar, he deserves it. I love him as Alfred and here he gives it his all. What a performance. 

*Contains Spoilers*

I was recently lucky enough to see Batman Live and I was over the moon to discover that Christopher Nolan lead his Catwoman down the same path as the stage show creators by having her be a cat burglar rather than a super human woman created by cats (wtf?). And not only that but she was eventually on Batman's side, fighting with him. I really loved that about the show as it put a new twist on the Batman/Catwoman relationship (new in today's culture - not new in the comics obviously) and I was so happy that they went the same way for the film too. I also liked that Catwoman's 'ears' were her goggles when perched on her head. So simple but so brilliant.

Those who have yet to see the film will be relieved to know that for the most part Bane is completely audible. I had very little problems hearing him. Any parts that aren't clear are understood by the next person's dialogue or by actions taken, so fear not. 

One of my favourite scenes in the movie has to be the scene in the football stadium with the only sound being that of a young boy singing the American national anthem. Such a beautiful voice and yet you know destruction is looming.

I saw one of the twists coming a mile off - involving Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character - but not the one involving Marion Cotillard's character. And I know some who haven't seen any of the twists coming at all. So I think the writers/director have done well to keep them under wraps and keep their agendas hidden until the last possible moment. The one thing I won't spoil is the end but I will just say that it's bloody brilliant.

*End of Spoilers*

In conclusion, whatever you thought of the two previous Batman movies, go and see this last installment. And if you haven't seen the two previous Batman movies, go and rent them and then go see this one while it's still in theatres. 9.5 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 22nd July 2012

UK Release Date - 20th July 2012

Cast Overview:

Christian Bale ~ Bruce Wayne/Batman

Gary Oldman ~ Commissioner Jim Gordon

Tom Hardy ~ Bane

Joseph Gordon-Levitt ~ Officer John Blake

Anne Hathaway ~ Selina Kyle/Catwoman

Marion Cotillard ~ Miranda Tate

Morgan Freeman ~ Lucius Fox

Michael Caine ~ Alfred Pennyworth

Matthew Modine ~ Deputy Commissioner Peter Foley

Director ~ Christopher Nolan

Writer(s) ~ Christopher Nolan (Screenplay and Story), Jonathan Nolan (Screenplay), David S Goyer (Story) and Bob Kane (Batman Characters)