Inside Llewyn Davis

15, 2014, Directed by Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Starring: Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake, John Goodman
  

Pluck a film from the back catalogue of those brothers Coen and sure as anything it'll have a leading character oozing hapless self-obsessed schmuckery; a leading character who - in any other filmmaker's feature - would traipse around on-screen with an air of teeth-baring unlikability; someone that you'd walk past on the street and never ever look back at.

...and so, add Llewyn Davis, our titular guide through the 1961 New York folk scene, to that list (the same one including both Barton Fink and Jerry Lundegaard, just resting under Larry Gopnik). An immensely talented guitar-strumming musician attempting to make a break in a scene that offers him no breaks, Llewyn is fundamentally a sofa-dwelling layabout who makes no effort to appease those closest he has to friends.

With the loving attention-to-detail the Coen's are so adept at layering over every shot, their films live a life different to most others with Inside Llewyn Davis bearing no difference. Such is the conviction of their period setting, dabbled with the effortlessly fluent screenplay setting a tone that flows with no specific apex, at times it is saddening to recalibrate to the notion that you aren’t watching a biographical documentary, but a work of fiction inspired by real-life musician Dave van Ronk (which, if you didn’t know, makes for a world class soundtrack - songs come in full here).

That’s no negative. Cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel creates a lavishly bleak locale for the events that befall ole’ Llewyn and bleak has rarely looked so beautiful. Oscar Isaac embraces the opportunity to become somebody, breathing life into this character potentially having the worst week of his life. In between performing songs to a near-packed Gaslight Café (the basement coffee house situated in Greenwich Village, which famously introduced an unsuspecting world to Bob Dylan) and deciding whose sofa-space he can scrounge the following night, Llewyn’s half-hearted futile attempts to earn a record deal are dampened further by his unwitting theft of the hospitable Gorfein’s orange tabby cat and Jean, the girlfriend-of-a friend that he may or may not have knocked up (a deliciously frosty Carey Mulligan, churning Coen Brother dialogue like a pro and Justin Timberlake at home in woollen jumpers).

An offbeat middle section follows, with Davis hitching a ride to Chicago with a strangely menacing John Goodman (no surprises) as a travelling jazz musician and his beat poet driver (Garrett Hedlund).  Serving as an opportunity to make discoveries of his troubled past he wouldn’t dream on reflecting upon otherwise, the sequence also presents that now-classic Coen notion of presenting a sequence of importance that leaves as rapidly as it comes - introducing a scenario that departs before a resolution - capturing that unknowing essence of life: if we encounter a stranger on the street, what happens to them later on that evening will simply never be known.

But here is a Joel and Ethan film with a beating heart that pulsates a little harder than usual; in Davis, we’ve a protagonist that bit different to the others featured throughout Coen canon. Sure, his future remains as uncertain, yet you’re left with a tint of optimism that if returned to in years to come, Llewyn Davis could be a cat-owning, home-dwelling, sofa-lender all of his own. In what has been a milestone year for cinema, these brothers effortlessly show that you don’t need 3D glasses or tear-jerking subjects to provide cinemagoers with what is quite evidently yet another emotive masterclass in filmmaking.  

5/5

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Iron Man 3

12, 2013, Directed by Shane Black
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow, Guy Pearce, Ben Kingsley

Robert Downey Jr is Iron Man. Having developed the self-professed billionaire philanthropic ‘mechanic’ over three films before it (Jon Favreau’s original two and Joss Whedon’s assemblage of those Avengers,) this third outing is as intricately layered as those new iron suits Tony Stark has been creating during his sleepless nights following the climactic events of Avengers Assemble. Be sure of this: Iron Man 3 - what many have been touting as the commencement of Marvel's second phase - should immediately be re-touted inexplicably as the single best Marvel flick yet. Step forward, Shane Black.

A writer/director who’s something of a pioneer of action movie scriptwriting (Lethal Weapon, The Long Kiss Goodnight,) it was the scriptwriter’s 2005 directorial debut Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang that led Downey Jr not only back into the clutches of Hollywood, but towards Stark himself. Quick-witted, punchy as hell and often hilarious, the words of Black spoken by RDJ are music to the ears. You can only imagine how funny Iron Man 3 can be.

Top rated dialogue. Check. An on-form Downey Jr. Always. Genuinely thrilling action? You betcha. Whereas Iron Man 2 dabbled with bloated action motivated by underdeveloped motives, this third venture immediately embarks upon establishing actions in an unnerving yet convenient manner: voiceover (this is a Shane Black film after all - and yep, you guessed it; it’s set at Christmas.) As the film opens, we join Stark and cast-addition Rebecca Hall’s Maya Hansen at a 1999 New Year’s Eve party in Switzerland; they are enthusiastically approached by Guy Pearce’s grimy Aldrich Killian, a scientist who expresses interest in working with them both. After Stark's snub, we're teased with the notion that this moment has since come back to haunt him. Cue present day, where a mystery-cloaked terrorist, known only as The Mandarin, continually intercepts the airwaves to spread forewarning of the horror he is about to induce upon America. This leads the way for Black to throw in more breathlessly-paced and edited mammoth sequences than is usually permitted, and ones that will leave you gasping for air.

Stark, battling with post-Avengers anxiety attacks and – for the most part – no Iron Man suit to aid him is stripped-back and as human as can be, pushing his relationship with Gwyneth Paltrow’s Pepper Potts to the limit. A stretch of the narrative sees him partnered with Ty Simpkin’s young kid and under the supervision of most, these moments would have undoubtedly swayed into snore-inducing schmaltz; these scenes light up the film. Structurally, Iron Man 3 nails it - if perhaps in need of a slight trim. Character-wise, Guy Pearce is effective (as ever) as the slime-ball scientist, whilst Ben Kingsley will prove to be the film’s talking point. Although more established here than before, Don Cheadle’s Captain James Rhodes/Iron Patriot is star of the film’s baggier scenes, and the less said about James Badge Dale’s eye-rolling villain‘s accomplice the better; motives may be explored, but they don’t completely convince.

Although Iron Man 3 may not sway the more cynical viewer, it will shoot the fan’s expectations to sunshine in being something nobody anticipated. Fit with zingers galore (one of which includes, against all the odds, Croydon) and one incredibly brave make-or-break twist, audiences should simply sit back and admire a film that is better than it had any right to be. Impressively, Stark’s fellow Avengers are pushed to the back of the memory. The ball's in your court, Thor.

4/5

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The Imposter

2012, 15, Directed by Bart Layton

Nicholas Barclay disappeared when he was 13 years old. Four years later, the boy is found...only the boy, as the director of this mesmerising documentary pits to us from the offset, wasn't Barclay - but a 23-year-old imposter named Frédéric Bourdin. A plot twist perhaps more suited to the high-octane third act of an art-house indie flick, but here is brandished in the audience's face and smeared with the knowledge that these events are true-to-life, barely after the film has commenced. So with no scriptwriter placing words in actor's mouths, Layton is tasked with something he adapts to with sheer skill: he places his subjects on screen and, with unadulterated bravery, gets them to talk. What emerges just so happens to be even more gripping, tantalising and chilling than what even the most noted screenwriter could conjure.

To talk more of the real life case at the forefront of The Imposter would be to tarnish the suspense that is maintained for almost the entire running time. Suffice to say, all the questions are addressed: why did Bourdin decided to 'become' Barclay? How did Barclay’s family come to welcome Bourdin into their home? Through editing, manipulation of the sound track, archive footage and the controversial Crimewatch-esque recreation scenes, an uneasy sense of dread is no doubt present off the back of these points. Once all the strands are placed together, and slotted into their place - when the proverbial penny drops - your breath will have long been taken from you and will not be given back until the film reaches its strangely unresolved climax.

This is one you'll want to talk about.

5/5

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The Ides of March

2011, 15, Directed by George Clooney
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Evan Rachel Wood, George Clooney

After directorial efforts like Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and Good Night, and Good Luck, it’s crystal clear that George Clooney is more than capable of constructing a frame as he is filling one. With his latest, The Ides of March, he has made a savvy (and recurring) decision by handing main credit to a top-of-his-game star – step forward Ryan Gosling – in a film that tracks a presidential campaign as much as it tracks corruption, greed and temptation. Of course, the candidate himself, Governor Mike Morris, is played by Clooney - but he does well to pry the focus from the character all eyes are on and onto Gosling’s campaigner Stephen Myers, a young duckling who appears to be effortlessly swimming the depths of the massive pool of politics. But combine Paul Giamatti’s trouble-making rival campaigner with Evan Rachel Wood’s young intern embroiling herself into the increasingly endangered race and Myers realises that to swim these depths, some evolving might have to occur.

Character’s personalities and their allegiances shift to the point of predictability, but somehow The Ides of March remains an extremely thrilling ride. With every scene comes a new plot twist that succeeds in changing the tone the film exudes and this is largely thanks to Steven Zaillian’s script. Clooney’s presence as director is felt but almost underpinned by the film’s events – which is maybe his point: with the gold-dust cast he has on his hands, why would highlight be placed on directorial flourishes?  Ides may prove too by-the-numbers for some viewers, but thanks to a particular scene where Philip Seymour Hoffman enticingly rants to Gosling about loyalty or Marisa Tomei’s spineless reporter claws for some scoop, the whole affair is elevated. George Clooney has provided yet another enjoyable, watchable and thrilling feature.

4/5

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The Inbetweeners Movie

2011, 15, Directed by Ben Palmer
Starring: Simon Bird, Joe Thomas, James Buckley, Blake Harrison

Even though each series of The Inbetweeners – the hugely-popular British E4 sitcom that follows four teenagers through increasingly ridiculous and embarrassing situations – was greeted with huge acclaim, the step from small to big screen is always quite a leap; other shows have tried and commercially failed (The League of Gentlemen; Kevin and Perry) whilst most haven’t taken the time to bother. But crucially here, unlike those other efforts, the gamble taken by creators Damon Beesley and Iain Morris is wholly necessary. Why? It's placement in the record books as the highest grossing British comedy of all time is surely answer enough. The series has a fanbase that yearned to be fed.

The series revelled in its main characters reacting to familiar situations in the worst possible way, deriving laughter from their every action. The Movie has translated this well, only Rudge Park Manor is swapped for ‘sun, sea, sex, booze and more sex’ as Will, Simon, Jay and Neil head to Malia. To divulge the hideously awkward situations the boys find themselves in would be to taint the laughter, for shock factor is a big element here. Just have it on good authority - the hilarity is amped up as far as it can go (too far?). Bird, Thomas, Buckley and Harrison's equal ability to remain endearing proves testament to the lads’performances, completely nailing every awkward characteristic they attempt to inhabit. Whenever Jay snarls a filthy slice of dialogue or Simon (still) whines on about Carli D'Amato, it is always delivered from a place where the masses can easily relate. Underneath their grotty teenage veneer are kind-hearted blokes whose friendship is made of steel. Maybe this is the secret to The Inbetweeners' success? 

Bravely introducing a group of female characters - who prove a neat match to the characters we know and love - combats the outing nicely, balancing out the appeal to both male and female. These are led by Laura Haddock's Alison, a charming addition who forms an unlikely friendship with one of the boys. Although the film tends to feel like a feature-length episode, as long as the jokes are thrown the audiences way, this shouldn't matter. Admittedly, there's the odd misfired quip or throwaway gag - but this is certainly not trying to be Airplane!. The importance lies in remaining true to the show's success and through positiviely puerile dialogue and easily the cringiest moments ever seen in cinema, Beesley and Morris have done just that. The result - for fans of the show - is that The Inbetweeners Movie will be the most fun you'll have for a long, long time.

Only when the credits roll accompanied by the series' theme tune (Morning Runner's Gone Up In Flames) does it hit you that this will probably be the last time these characters will be together on screen, whether it's big, small or anything inbetween. Not for everyone by any means (which knocks off half a point) but to all fans, bring your wellies... you won't only be knee-deep in laughs - you'll drown in them.

3.5/5

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