300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE **
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER ****
Dir: Noam Murro (15, 102 mins)
More homoerotic slo-mo gore, this time with Eva Green and sea battles. Apparently
a sidequel rather than a prequel to the first blast of CGI nonsense, this has tall
and creepy Persian King Xerxes attacking the Greeks, with Themistocles (played
by beefy Sullivan Stapleton) standing in his way. Thrown into the mix is super
bad girl and Xerxes’ general Artemesia, played by a buff Eva Green, who is out for
revenge against any Greek - as they slaughtered her family. We also get to see how
Xerxes turned into the weird, tall androgynous god-king that came to rule Persia,
plus lots of computer generated water and boats. Like the first film, if everything was
played at normal speed the film would be over in half an hour. Style over substance is
the order of the day with new director Noam Murro aping Zach Snyder’s directorial
flourishes from the 2007 original. 300’s style has been copied endlessly in many
empty blockbusters, and also the superior Spartacus mini-series, and this whateverquel offers more of the same. Stapleton gamely yells battle cries in the style of Gerard
Butler, though none are as catchy as “This Is Sparta!”. Lena Headey and David
Wenham also crop up from the original but the only really worthy addition is Eva
Green, clearly having fun as a female badass amidst the estosterone. Opens Mar 7
Dir: Antony and Joe Russo (12A, 128 mins)
The shield-slinging Avenger returns in the latest Marvel blockbuster behemoth.
After saving New York with the rest of his superhero friends, Steve Rogers is
still having a lot of trouble adapting to the modern world. Brought out of deep
freeze, by superhero loving law enforcement agency SHIELD, into a world where
political agendas aren’t as clear as in the 1940s. Our hero is at sea in a radically
different America than the one he left behind. Drawing on the political thrillers
from the 1970s like Three Days Of The Condor, admittedly with superheroes and
huge set pieces, offbeat choices made by the Russos directors aim to craft a more
intelligent thriller than the thoroughly enjoyable gung-ho action fest of the first
Captain America film. This time Cappy’s foe is the Winter Soldier; a villain who
will make him question his own morality. Providing ass-kicking support is Scarlett
Johansson’s Black Widow, new addition Anthony Mackie’s flying warrior The
Falcon and Samuel L Jackson as Nick Fury, head of SHIELD. Also welcomed into
the Marvel fold is Robert Redford as shadowy intelligence boss Alexander Pierce,
making that 70s political thriller link all the more clear. Action aplenty then, with a
standout car chase but also thought behind the fanboy froth. Opens Mar 28
UNDER THE SKIN ****
THE ZERO THEOREM ***
A LONG WAY DOWN ***
Dir: Jonathan Glazer (18, 108 mins)
A fever dream of a sci-fi film, Jonathan Glazer’s first movie
since the haunting Birth in 2004 unsettles and intrigues
with no doubt divisive results. Based on Michel Faber’s
2001 novel, Scarlett Johansson stars as a vampiric alien
trawling around Scotland looking for men to seduce and
murder with cool detachment. Her motives are never
explained: does she crave love or is she just an angel of
death? Admittedly her victims are mostly horrid, save a
fellow outcast, a man with a bone deformity who suffers
from the same apparent loneliness. Shot guerrilla-style
on the streets of Scotland and full of haunting imagery, a
scene on a beach is particularly unsettling as Johansson
calmly watches a tragedy unfold, this apparent art house
version of Species is much much more, but will no doubt
ostracise some audiences. Johansson is hypnotic to watch
throughout her hallucinogenic travels thanks to Glazer,
who has managed to paint a sci-fi exploitation pic with
poetry. This will get under your skin. Opens Mar 14
Dir: Terry Gilliam (15, 107 mins)
Terry Gilliam returns to the arena that spawned Brazil
in this often chaotic and not as cohesive dystopian
sci-fi. Christoph Waltz stars as Qohen, a bald computer
code cracker set to work on something called the Zero
Theorem by a blond-haired cameoing Matt Damon. It’s
basically find out what the Meaning Of Life is, and the
answer is not 42 apparently. The fragmented and at
times infuriating script propels Waltz around various
characters including upbeat boss David Thewlis and
a winning Melanie Thierry whose off-kilter sex worker
is sent to Waltz’s management in a bid to cheer him
up and keep him on track, as his life and mind spirals
out of control. Gilliam as ever throws a lot of ideas at
the film but few resonate due to the constant blaring
of style, although there are some moments of hilarity.
Tilda Swinton is particularly amusing as a psychologist.
Waltz manages to convey some heart, but not enough to
satisfyingly make The Zero Theorem add up. Opens Mar 14
Dir: Pascal Chaumeil (15, 96 mins)
Nick Hornby’s novel, a comedy drama about a
dysfunctional suicidal group brought together on New
Year’s Eve on a roof from which they are all contemplating
jumping, makes an agreeable transition to the screen,
courtesy of a winning ensemble cast. Pierce Brosnan is
a washed-up TV presenter, Toni Collette a single mother
with low self esteem, Imogen Poots the troubled wild
child daughter of politician Sam Neill and Aaron Paul, a
musician. All have reasons to end their lives, but together
they find a way to deal with their problems and embrace
life once more, with heartache and comedy along the way.
Funny and often moving, A Long Way Down ticks
formulaic boxes with occasionally crackly dialogue, as
each of the characters work through their problems with
their idiosyncratic quartet help group. Feel good and
agreea