film
by Keiron Self
CAPTAIN PHILLIPS ****
THOR: THE DARK WORLD ****
Dir: Paul Greengrass (12A, 134 mins)
Director Paul Greengrass specialises in raw, frenetic camerawork and storytelling,
from the nailbiting Bourne movies to the gruelling docu-dramas Bloody Sunday,
United 93, and Green Zone. Captain Phillips is another story based on fact, a
pulsing drama about the hijacking of an American cargo ship, the Alabama, by
Somali pirates in 2009. Tom Hanks plays Captain Richard Phillips. At first the
Captain repels the small skiffs of the pirates, but with no real security their
boarding is inevitable. Barkhad Abdi, making his film debut, is hypnotic as the
pirate leader enjoying his moment of power and aiming to make millions from his
captives. The scenes where he and Hanks face off are spellbindingly tense. This is
only heightened when the pirates leave the ship in a small lifeboat, with Phillips
their sole bargaining chip. The sweaty claustrophobia escalates before a fateful
run in with a US Naval destroyer. Hanks is solid as ever as the everyman caught up
in events beyond his control but it is Abdi that steals the film. Greengrass ratchets
up the tension, the initial boarding of the ship is a superb sequence of suspense,
and his trademark handheld kineticism places the viewer in the heart of events.
Muscular, edge of seat film making. Opens Oct 18
Dir: Alan Taylor (12A, 123 mins)
The Marvel domination continues. Following Iron Man 3, the next superhero
sequel belongs to the hammer-wielding Asgardian Thor, who returns to his
homeland to find it in danger from a new threat. Tom Hiddleston’s mischievous
mewling quim of a brother Loki will be needed to help Chris Hemsworth’s blonde
man beefcake to repel Christopher Eccleston’s Dark Elf Malekith. The former
Doctor Who star has returned from exile, having lost everything that was dear
to him, and wants revenge on Anthony Hopkins’ Odin and all the nine realms.
Caught up in it all is Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, Thor’s squeeze, who is cross
at being abandoned by the thunder-god at the end of the first film but is soon
transported to Asgard to witness even more mayhem. Other returning humans
Stellan Skarsgard and Kat Dennings mostly gawp open-mouthed as Greenwich
is destroyed. Epic smackdowns happen on the Gherkin and Elves unleash some
serious dark magic. Grander and grittier with Game of Thrones director Alan
Taylor at the helm, this second instalment will hopefully entertain as much as
Tony Stark’s third outing. Thunder Thunder Thunder God Go!!! Opens Oct 30
MACHETE KILLS **
PRINCE AVALANCHE ***
THE SELFISH GIANT ****
Dir: Robert Rodriguez (18, 100 mins)
The first Machete film spiralled out of an amusing trailer
made by director Rodriguez as part of his and Quentin
Tarantino’s Grindhouse film experiment. As a trailer that
lovingly embraced the kitsch and gore of 70’s exploitation
films Machete works, the expansion to feature film
proved that it didn’t really have severed legs despite a
classy/cheesy cast. It made money though, hence the
sequel. Danny Trejo returns, again cutting people open
and beheading left, right and centre with another classy/
cheesy cast. This time Machete is given orders by Charlie
Sheen’s President to take down Mel Gibson’s arms dealer,
who is about to launch a weapon into outer space. Aided by
various scantily clad women, including Michelle Rodriguez
and Jessica Alba, who in turn fight other scantily clad
women, Amber Heard, Sofia Vergara and Lady Gaga. Very
violent, loud and silly, with few redeeming qualities. This
is unedifying cartoon cinema, which is the point. Machete
don’t tweet. Opens Oct 11
Dir: David Gordon Green (15, 94 mins)
A character-driven comedy drama set in 1988 that ably
demonstrates the acting chops of its central duo, Paul
Rudd and Emile Hirsch, as mismatched highway repair
men in a quirky slice of Americana. Rudd plays loner
Alvin, a shy type who likes solitude but takes on his
girlfriend’s brother Lance (Hirsch) to help him out in
his very lonely job. They squabble and bond occasionally
as they go about menial tasks and share world views,
encountering only two other people a truck driver, played
the former TV A-Team’s nemesis Lance LeGault, and a
woman whose house has been destroyed in a fire. There’s
not a lot of plot but there’s a great deal of winning
observation amidst the languid pacing and beautiful
cinematography. Director Gordon Green has gone back
to his quiet indie roots, after the noisy excesses of
Pineapple Express and Your Highness,
to satisfying, big hearted effect. Opens Oct 18
Dir: Clio Barnard (15, 91 mins)
Oscar Wilde’s charming short story gets a Ken Loach
like makeover in this superb social realist drama. Connor
Chapman and Shaun Thomas play Arbor and Swifty,
two misfit boys with paternal problems who start stealing
metal and selling it to dodgy local dealer Kitten, played by
Sean Gilder. Kitten organises illegal horse and cart races
and the boys want desperately to be involved. Swifty,
easily led but with a love of horses, looks set to be a jockey
much to Arbor’s dismay. Inevitably this leads to a tragic
and heart-wrenching conclusion, bereft of Wilde’s original
comforting religious allegory, and all the more brutal for it.
Director Barnard gets superb performances from the young
Chapman and Thomas and stages the horse and cart races
with suspenseful aplomb. A more straightforward drama
than Barnard’s innovative debut, The Arbor, The Selfish
Giant is a touching, gritty film, beautifully photographed
and deeply human. Opens Oct 25
ALSO RELEASED: THE CRASH REEL (12A) Fantastic documentary about extreme snowboarder Kevin Pearce, from Lucy Walker. EMPEROR (12A) Historical war drama following a General
trying to ascertain if Emperor Hirohito of Japan will be hanged for war crimes. Tommy Lee Jones stars. FOR THOSE IN PERIL (12A) Scottish drama set amidst a small fishing community. A
youngster is blamed for the deaths of his fellow fishermen in an accident at sea, he sets out to prove them wrong. Engrossing. HOW I LIVE NOW (15) Great drama with teen angst heightened