Growler's Cool Movie Picks! (Volume One)

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Quality movie!

Click here to check out the District 13 [DVD]  

This was the first French language film I had seen and I’d heard the action was quite spectacular. Guess what? I wasn’t disappointed. Set in Paris of 2013 we’re introduced to an urban ghetto, which is so dangerous it’s sealed off from the rest of the country by a massive wall and has a border checkpoint manned by police. This ghetto is called District 13. It’s ruled by a local druglord Taha who sends his henchmen led by K2 (the man mountain) to keep order. The police are quite happy to keep a hands off role as long as the action stays behind the walls.

Leito is one of the ghetto citizens who resists the druglord’s power and he and his sister, Lola, live a dangerous life of pure survival. He knows the town inside out.

This has made him, shall we say, extremely resourceful and extraordinarily agile. He’s an honest man in a sea of corruption, determined to stay and redeem his hometown.

Damien is an elite police officer in the French Special Intervention Unit who only wants to serve his country and his people. He’s an expert in martial arts and a master at infiltration.

Quite simply, he’s the best there is at what he does. His badge is worn with pride and he jumps at the chance when he’s given 24 hours to stop a bomb going off inside District 13. A bomb so big it could kill thousands.

But all is not what it seems and some quality action adventure unfolds. And then Damien and Leito meet…

The film is based on an idea by the legendary Luc Beeson who is one of the giants of French cinema. Directed by Pierre Morel, he has crafted a strong vision which electrifies the screen with raw excitement. On being asked if this film was part of a trend of the stuntman becoming the actor, Morel replied “This is more than a trend. The public needs real heroes, not actors that are pretending. Action films now are less and less faked and the athletic stuntmen are now becoming the true stars. Audiences are more impressed by reality, especially young Europeans. They want to see more Chinese, Thai and Korean guys playing their true roles.”

He wasn’t wrong. It’s all here with a bang. This is indeed a new breed of action film. More real, more dynamic and therefore more dramatic. You feel the pain of every blow, every kick and every punch.

It’s as if someone has grabbed you by the shoulder and forced you to run for your life. As you sit watching you almost feel the adrenalin rush and wind on your face of this fast paced movie.

As a Marvel Comics fan watching this I couldn’t help but see the perfect Daredevil and the Punisher casting right there on screen.

And hey guess what? They meet, they fight and then they team up. Cool.

Cyril Raffaeli plays Damien. His fighting style is more direct and brutal. He gets the job done and you know when you’ve been tangoed by him.

Cyril got into the prestigious Annie Fratellini Circus School (named after the first female circus clown in France) at 14 and later joined the circus.

There, his passion for acrobatics led him to find work as a stuntman. His love for martial arts led him to become France’s Chinese Boxing Champion in 1998.

In 1999 however he decided to devote himself to his movie career. He was a stuntman in Ronin, Joan of Arc, Brotherhood of the Wolf and Kiss of the Dragon where he fought with Jet Li. He choreographs all his fight scenes. David Belle is Leito. His fighting style and movement is more agile and fluid than Raffaeli and is breathtaking to watch. A real blast of fresh air. When he was 15 years old he developed the street art of Le Parkour (or Free Running) with his co –founder Sebastien Foucan.

This athletic art is soon to seen used in the pre – title sequence of the upcoming James Bond film Casino Royale. David was introduced to his future co- star, Cyril Raffaeli by Luc Beeson who was impressed by his athletic talent. District 13 is David’s first major starring role in a movie.

Le Parkour is defined as the uninterrupted , efficient forward motion over, under, around and through obstacles (man –made and natural) in one’s environment. This movement can be in the form of running, jumping, climbing or other methods.

I guarantee you won’t have seen anything like it. And it’s all real action, no special effects! Jaw dropping!

If you enjoy watching a decent portion of ass-kickery and crazy action then you’ll love this movie. I did, and it’s well worth your time. So go see it. It’s released on 7 July 2006 by Momentum Pictures.

I give it 7 out of 10 for sheer entertainment.

District 13 is told in the French language with English subtitles.

See more about District 13 at it's website,

http://www.districtb13.com/

Running time: 85 minutes, certificate: 15

A new Alice in Wonderland!

Click here to check out the Mirrormask [DVD]  

I'd heard about this movie and seen various pictures but faithfully stayed away from any story details. All I knew was that it was a fantasy story written by Neil Gaiman and designed by Dave Mckean. Dave Mckean also directs the movie and Neil Gaiman provides the screenplay. Mirrormask follows the best traditions of Narnia, Alice in Wonderland, the Wizard of Oz, Labyrinth and Spirited Away. In this case, a fifteen year old girl is taken to a fantasy world and explores the wonder of it.

Gaiman has crafted a wonderful, modern fairy tale set in Brighton, England. The elements of the circus are rampant as the lead character plays the only child (Helena) in a family who run a struggling circus troupe.

The story sets off when Helena's mum takes ill and is rushed to hospital. This is the cue for the coming of the Dark Lands and the quest for the Mirrormask.

All the cast were new to me except the voice actors Stephen Fry and Lenny Henry, both of whom I recognised instantly. This was good as I could focus solely on the story. Big names tend to distract.

Stephanie Leonidas plays Helena Campbell and is a refreshingly good presence on screen. I felt she commanded the role well and displayed the right amount of emotion to be believeable.

The world of the Dark Lands is as quirky as it is weird as it is wonderful. Stunningly original, Dave Mckean's designs are brought to life by the Henson Company (whose founder, the late Jim Henson, created the Muppets).

Wait til you see the sphinxes. Excellent!

The sense of dark and forboding is prevalent as it tells the tale of two queens, the Queen of Dark and the Queen of Light. The Queen of Light has been immobilised by a spell and only the mirrormask can save her. Helena's companion through this world is Valentine (played by Jason Barry). He provides a comic relief but doesn't overpower the story. The fear throughout is well portrayed. The world is created with CGI using Dave Mckean's designs and brought to life by the Henson Company. They've done a good job and the film never once feels borrowed from something else as so many movies do nowadays.

I loved the music too. Composed by Iain Ballamy, it really sets the tone for the whole story. Haunting melodies caress every scene.

One scene concerning floating giants particularly stood out for it's simple brillance.

It's great to see British created and cast, fantasy films being made full stop and this can sit side by side with Harry Potter with ease. I hope this inspires more efforts for the world to enjoy.

Mirrormask is well worth seeing.

Neil Gaiman and Dave Mckean have collaborated before on Sandman, the DC Vertigo comic book, now available as graphic novel collections (trades).

Neil Gaiman will be writing the eagerly awaited (by me at least) Eternals for Marvel Comics this year. His previous work for Marvel was 1602 which is also available as a trade.

My initial verdict was to give Mirrormask 6 out of 10 but on reflection it moves up a notch to 7.

See more about Mirrormask at it's website,

http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/mirrormask/

Mirrormask is rated PG and has a running time of 101 mins.

A stunning period piece!

Click here to check out The White Countess [DVD]

I attended a screening of this film back in February and missed the opening credits due to arriving a little late. Trying to find an empty seat in the pitch black was not fun but anyway, here's my take on it. It was Shanghai of 1936. Filled with refugees escaping the turmoil of the beginning of the second war. Teetering on the brink of Japanese invasion. Enter a blind American former diplomat, shattered by the loss of his family in political violence and thoroughly disillusioned by the world’s inability to make peace. Also taking centre stage is a beautiful Russian countess, exiled from her home country and reduced to serving her family as a bar girl and dancer.

The diplomat and the countess forge a bond in this uneasy maelstrom and she becomes the star attraction in his dream vision, The White Countess. This is an elegant nightclub, which he creates to shut out the chaos and tragedy around him.

Ok, so that’s the brief outline. Director James Ivory has put together a fine tapestry of life enduring through chaotic, troubled times. The White Countess was shot entirely on location in Shanghai.

Of the film’s main venue he states “The nightclub couldn’t be just a hole in the wall; we had big themes, and for that we needed room.” This involved juxtaposing the broad canvas of geopolitical conflict and intimate drama between the characters.

I felt he pulled it off well with the end result being a quite a charming piece of work. The casting was excellent and all actors produced a sterling effort. The film revolves around two central characters. The diplomat, Jackson, is played by Ralph Fiennes. His immense talents are on show for the entire world to see and he makes it all look so easy. Jackson’s passion for life and his dreams are plain for all to see as is his vulnerable, considerate side. Ralph Fiennes has an illustrious film career that goes from strength to strength.

Initially trained in theatrical productions he went on to star in such screen gems as Schindler’s List, The English Patient and, most recently, The Constant Gardner. He also starred as Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

In the White Countess, Fiennes character, Jackson, hides a painful past, which directs his escapist tendancies. This leads into his relationship with the Russian Countess, Sophia.

Natasha Richardson plays Countess Sophia beautifully. The Countess is part of the once-aristocratic Belinsky family whose power and prestige have been greatly reduced since the Bolshevik Revolution displaced Russia’s nobility.

The family now lives in a run down flat in Shanghai and the Countess works nights to support her young daughter, Katya. Always pining for her former privileged lifestyle she keeps a humility, no doubt learned from her reduced status. Richardson is part of the Redgrave acting dynasty. Honing her acting skills on the stage she went on to star in such films as Widow’s Peak, Wakin’ Up In Reno and Asylum. Also in this film are her mother Vanessa Redgrave (who plays her aunt Sara) and her aunt Lynn Redgrave (who plays her mother-in-law, Olga) both formidable talents with a wealth of acting experience behind them.

The director James Ivory has had success in a number of previous features including A Room With A View, Howard’s End and The Remains Of The Day.

These films were produced in collaboration with the legendary Ismail Merchant under Merchant Ivory Productions, a company both founded in 1961. The two produced over thirty films since that time.

The White Countess was the last in their collaboration as Ismail Merchant died in May 2005. It’s also the first Merchant Ivory film I’ve seen and on the strength of this I’ll be looking to watch the three mentioned above.

The entire principal crew and cast have to be commended for a truly wonderful period piece that is well worth seeing.

The quality quotient for this film is stratospheric so make a date to see The White Countess.

My verdict, 7 out of 10.

See more about The White Countess at it's website,

http://www.sonyclassics.com/whitecountess/

Running time: 135 mins, Certificate: PG

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