Cesare (Luca Marinelli) and Vittorio (Alessandro Borghi) are a pair of twentysomething best friends, dancing, dealing, snorting and brawling their way around the Tyrrhenian coast of Rome in the late 1990s. Most of what they do or what they want to do involves scoring drugs, taking drugs, dealing drugs, and scoring some more drugs. Eat, sleep, rave, repeat. I mean, they’re fairly bloody violent for a couple of pillheads but, well, maybe that’s all the coke they hoover up like a pair of G-Tech Air Rams. I dunno. Anyway, this is their life, this has been their life and this, it would appear, will be their life for the foreseeable. They, and everybody they know, bicker and snap at one another ceaselessly, like velociraptors – when they’re not popping pills, snorting coke or hallucinating busloads of carny folk and mermaids, of course.
Non Essere Cattivo (Don’t Be Bad)
Then, Vittorio meets Linda (Roberta Mattei) and, as is so often the way with these things, everything changes. He gets a job – a real one, on a building site, as opposed to the street-level drug peddling he was doing previously – he lays off of the drugs and, subsequently, begins to drift from Cesare who, coincidentally, is becoming more chemically dependent as time moves on. Both miss their friend, but will Vittorio pull Cesare out of the murk into which he’s sinking and into the light, or will Cesare bring Vittorio down with him?
Non Essere Cattivo (Don’t Be Bad)
Writer/director Claudio Caligari was 67 when he made Non essere cattivo (akaDon’t Be Bad) in 2015 and, sadly, he died mere days after completing the editing process on the picture. He was not the most prolific of filmmakers; Non essere cattivo was only his third movie in 32 years having made Amore tossico (akaToxic Love) in 1983 and L’odore della notte (akaThe Scent of the Night) fifteen years later in 1998. Still, he remained theatrically consistent, with each of his movies depicting different elements of the underbelly of Rome. Toxic Love was about heroin addicts and their trials and tribulations on the streets of Italy’s capital from the center to the shores of Ostia (wherein Non essere cattivo is also largely set), and The Scent of the Night focused on a Roman cop turned fully to a life of crime.
Both of those movies were set in the decades in which they were made and, in this regard, Non essere cattivo differs slightly in that it’s a 21st century pic set in the 1990s, making it a period piece of sorts. It certainly feels as though Mr. Caligari was attempting almost to filter the redemptive facets of Brian De Palma’s Carlito’s Way (1993) through the kinetic lens of Danny Boyle’s smack-tacular Trainspotting (1996), although Non essere cattivo – selected as the Italian entry in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 2015 Oscars, although it ultimately didn’t make the cut – doesn’t come close to scaling the dramatic heights of either of those hedonistic monoliths. That doesn’t make it a bad film, of course; it’s an expertly-crafted piece featuring engaging performances across the board but particularly from Messrs. Marinelli and Borghi in the lead roles and, provided you have a great affinity for urban drug-fuelled lowlife crime capers, you’re going to find much to enjoy here. But, if you don’t, Non essere cattivo breaks no new ground in that area and will likely not be a movie for you.
Non essere cattivo is widely available on various VOD services now.
Many film-makers have used this theme in order to propel their hero’s into a life-defining journey. Ultimately transforming their character from a position where they are confined by what is expected of them by their society and family, rather than what they truly desire to become, into something extraordinary. Rock Dog is one such story, starring Luke Wilson, Eddie Izzard and J.K Simmons. Bodi (Luke Wilson) a Tibetan Mastiff is struggling to live up to the position that both his father and society has envisioned for him, guarding the sheep who live on their mountain.
Instead, Bodi desires to play his guitar and sing, much to his father’s frustration. One day a radio drops from a plane flying over the mountain which Bondi finds and tunes into a station where hears an interview with rock legend Angus Scattergood (Eddie Izzard). The rocker advises aspirational musicians to follow their dreams and should never stop pursuing it, even when their dad says stop. Bodi embarks upon a voyage of musical discovery to become a rock star in his own right and meet his hero Scattergood.
To celebrate the release of Rock Dog, in cinemas from 16th June, we’ve had a look at some of our favourite characters who’ve been on an adventure to follow their dreams…
Mulan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVcLIfSC4OE
The Oscar-nominated 1998 Disney film, continues the precedent established by Disney animation by focusing on female lead characters. Mulan (Ming-Na Wen) is supposed to become a young maiden, when her father threatened by an opposing army. In order to save her father, she disguises herself as a man and joins her father’s army, and is crucial in winning the war. Mulan remains one of Disney’s early progressive animated films. The film remains ground-breaking in dealing with a number of issues including gender, and positively inspiring a new generation of women.
Billy Elliot
Released in 2000, the film follows a young boy Elliot (Jamie Bell) growing up in the north-east of Britain during the miner Strike in 1984-85. He has a strong desire to dance, hiding it from his father and brother who are both miners. Billy is sent by his father (Gary Lewis) to a boxing class, which Billy quickly discovers is not to his liking and instead joins a formal ballet class taught by the formidable Mrs Wilkinson (Julie Walters), quickly discovering his talent as a dancer. Upon discovering Billy’s dancing ability his father ends the lessons fearing that their own society will judge Billy.
After a series of confrontations and heated arguments between Billy, his father, Mrs Wilkinson and Billy’s brother Tony (Jamie Draven). The money is raised for Billy to travel to London to attend The Royal Ballet School, and 15 years later Father and Son watch Billy for the first time in Swan Lake. The film was such a roaring success that it was adapted into a musical on stage, again re-defining gender norms.
How to Train your Dragon
The unlikely pairing of Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and his dragon Toothless. In a world where dragons are categorised as dangerous monsters, Hiccup discovers that they may not be as dangerous as they believed. Hiccup’s Viking culture, led by his father Stoick (Gerard Butler) who is also the chief, is raised to fight against the dragons who continually steal their livestock. However, Hiccup is an inventor, and small in stature and does not possess the Viking love of war and conflict. Upon discovering an injured Toothless, he invents a means of using the dragon to fly and explore the world beyond sail boats and war. By the end of the film, Hiccup is able to totally alter the perception of the Vikings village to the extent that dragons and people happily coincide.
La La Land
The Oscar award winning film stormed through the award ceremonies with its heartfelt story examining the relationship between Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) and Mia (Emma Stone). Set against the world of actors and Jazz music, both characters are trying to pursue their own dreams. Sebastian’s intense love of older Jazz holds him in confliction between his dreams of owning a nightclub where he would play classic Jazz music, whilst trying to survive the wave of new age music. Mia’s dream is to be become an actress, exposing the gruelling process of casting audition after casting audition.
The pair work together to support each other’s dreams, providing the perseverance and
determination required to be more than you are.
The Pursuit of Happyness
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89Kq8SDyvfg
The real-life story of Chris Gardner (Will Smith), a struggling salesman who invests his entire life savings in portable bone density scanning machines, which he sells as an innovation over the larger X-Ray machines. Gardner is able to generate some income but the time between each sale is long, meaning he and his son Christopher (Jaden Smith) struggle to live day to day. Gardner spent nearly a year being homeless until a chance encounter enables him to enter an internship which will allow him to become a stockbroker if successful.
The film is an inspirational example of one man pursuing his dream to support his family, and that despite the numerous step-backs he endures, Gardner is an example of someone turning a set of truly unfair life conditions into a huge success. He now owns his own multi-million dollar brokerage firm.
ROCK DOG is released in UK cinemas from 16th June.
Few things stir an audience as much as a rousing battle sequence, something evidenced in the gloriously enjoyable The Great Wall, coming to Digital, 4k Ultra HD, 3D Blu-Ray™, Blu-Ray™, DVD and On Demand from June 12th. In Zhang Yimou’s English language feature debut, Matt Damon fights hordes of scaly dragon-like creatures who are threatening to wear down the eponymous wall’s unparalleled defences and sweep across feudal China in a murderous rage. Incredible set design and explosive action sequences pepper a gloriously colourful and inventive 100+ minutes, all the time reminding audiences of the power of a fantastic cinematic battle.
In honour of The Great Wall’s release, we take a look at some of the best battle scenes out there. Take aim!
The Great Wall: Final Battle
The Setup: There is a huge amount to admire in The Great Wall, not least of which is the scale and magnificence of the fight sequences. This is never better illustrated than in the triumphant final battle, taking place inside the royal city, as dragon-like alien creatures, telepathically linked to the Queen, threaten to overwhelm a populous woefully under-prepared.
The Battle: Matt Damon, having pitched into the fight against the dragons at the Great Wall of China (following an attack of conscious midway through robbing the place of its gunpowder) jumps onto a hot air balloon and flies to the rescue of the royal city, chasing the Wall’s imperial guard and mastering balloon flight years before Da Vinci had the idea. We cannot tell you how amazing this is. Next, Damon employs a potentially lethal decoy mission to lure the Queen into position, just as a myriad of the scaly green critters eat the upper hand as they gain it. Honestly, a combination of winning production design, inventive creatures and some genuinely thrilling wire work combine to make this an air-punching final battle in a film set to become a classic.
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | Battle Of Helm’s Deep
The Setup: The good guys (including Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Legolas (Orlando Bloom) et al, are holed up at Helm’s Deep and the Orc army has arrived. Despite manfully facing up to the challenge, the odds are stacked until a resurgent Gandalf The White (Sir Ian McKellan) shows up with some help.
The Battle: There’s a lot to admire in the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, as well as a lot that hasn’t aged well (Orlando Bloom surfing on a shield, anyone?) but there is no doubt that the Battle of Helm’s Deep was a game changer in cinematic terms. Lasting for around 40 minutes, the sequence is breathtaking in both scope and scale, providing tiny, human moments and, beat after beat, jaw dropping, sweeping shots that beggar belief. Even if the audience is essentially waiting for the rescue from the off, it’s no less incredible when it comes, with Gandalf cresting a mountain in a shard of light only to usher in thousands of valiant saviours on horseback to turn the tide against what felt like an unstoppable wall of angry green guys. Go! Run, Watch again!
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983) | The Battle of Endor
The Setup: With the second Death Star nearing completion, the Rebel Alliance launches a gutsy three-pronged attack against the Galactic Empire. What the Rebels don’t know is that the Death Star is already operational, and the Emperor has been awaiting their arrival.
The Battle: Star Wars fans have a strong loyalty to the battle on icy Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back, but we prefer the series-ending Endor battle for its rousing underdog charm and non-stop action. Logically, there’s no reason for the Empire’s elite to lose, but who’s keeping track? Do we want the Empire to win? No! This battle scene is a keeper because it continually engages the audience with a trio of compelling story threads. In space, Lando Calrissian and the rest of the Rebel Fleet are scrambling to avoid Death Star hits by dangerously engaging the powerful Imperial ships. On Endor, Han Solo, Chewbacca, and the furry Ewoks are taking on stormtroopers and AT-ST walkers. The most suspenseful moments come from Luke Skywalker’s final showdown with Darth “Dad” Vader and the evil Emperor on board the Death Star, though.
The Revenant | Opening battle
The Setup: Andrew Henry’s (Domnhall Gleeson) band of early-nineteenth century American fur-trappers are led through unorganised territory by Hugh Glass (Leo DiCaprio) and his half-Pawnee son, Hawk. In the opening scene of The Revenant, Henry’s camp is disastrously and brutally attacked by Arika, a Native American Tribe of North Dakota, whose land has been invaded by Western peoples…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbzbUj7M4E8
The Battle: The battle between the fur-trappers and the Arika begins with one arrow fired through the back of an escaped American prisoner fleeing towards the riverside campsite. What follows is a truly memorable, show-stopping massacre in which Henry loses the majority of his men at the hands of the Arika tribe. In one graceful, long shot, choreographed beautifully by Alejandro G. Iñárritu and his long time collaborator cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, the opening battle sequence flows elegantly from one character to another as each man comes into violent and often gruesome contact with another. The sequence was reportedly rehearsed for an entire month prior to filming due to its complexity. And because Lubezki was committed to using only natural light to shoot the film, the window to capture a scene of this magnitude was extremely small. Should the entire one-shot scene go wrong or lose valuable light, the entire sequence would have to wait another day for just the right light…
Saving Private Ryan | Omaha Beach
The Setup: June 6, 1944. Captain John H. Miller (Tom Hanks), Sergeant Michael Horvath (Tom Sizemore) and Private Daniel Jackson (Barry Pepper) are among the Allied forces arriving by sea to Omaha Beach to face the German army.
The Battle: With this merciless and shockingly realistic 24-minute battle, Steven Spielberg proved once again why he’s one of the best. The sounds of crashing waves against the fleets of dedicated (and seasick) soldiers make for a chilling opening of what is arguably the most true-to-life war scene ever filmed. To bring this historical battle scene to life, $11 million was spent on the scene, which features genuine WWII crafts and more than 1,000 extras (among them Irish soldiers). Not content to focus solely on the land elements of the battle, Spielberg also utilized dozens of underwater cameras and fake blood to re-enact the plight of soldiers who were fighting from the water. We’re not alone in naming this battle scene the best. Empire magazine and TV Guide have both recognized it for its gripping visceral qualities and its lasting memories for any viewer who witnesses it. There simply isn’t a signature moment to choose from when the entire scene functions at a level above the rest. It’s all top-notch.
Game of Thrones |Battle of the Bastards
The Setup: Jon Snow and his merry band of cohorts from north of t’wall face off against Ramsay Snow/Bolton in a battle that, even by Game of Thrones’ standards is brutally realised
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsFeIVJfKsA
The Battle: Where to start? Poor old Rickon Stark learns too late the value of running in a zig-zag before the battle has even started. Then, Jon Snow’s army, consisting largely of Wildlings and other ne’er do wells, is quickly overwhelmed by Bolton’s forces. Corralled into the middle of the battlefield they are soon surrounded and things are looking unnervingly bleak for the rumoured Prince That Was Promised. Enter, stage left, the duplicitous Peter Baelish and a much needed army (summoned by the hand of Sansa Stark in a move that may yet foreshadow the events of the final two seasons) and the tides are suddenly turning. Acclaimed as one of the best sequences in a series replete with staggering battles and knife edge politics, Battle Of The Bastards astounds from the off. The sequence involving Snow and the Wildlings practically suffocating one another was impossible to tear your eyes away from and the sheer weight of the world that is practically visible on Jon Snow’s face is hard to forget. Still, it ends (SPOILER) with Ramsay Bolton getting his comeuppance; there is now show currently on air which understands the importance of the pay off as well as Game of Thrones and the Battle of the Bastards pays off in spades.
300 (2007) | The Battle of Thermopylae
The Setup: In Sparta, a Persian army of 1 million is expecting to conquer King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and his 300 Spartans. Their initial fight would be only the first in a gruelling three-day ordeal that still holds strong as a symbol of courage.
The Battle: After the Persian forces demand their enemies put down their weapons, the Spartans boldly yell, “Come and get them.” What follows is a claustrophobic battle with both sides pushing against each other before Leonidas leads a valiant and bloody onslaught against the Persians. The scene’s calling card is a slow-motion, sword-slicing charge by Leonidas that results in prolific (and stylish) carnage. There’s also a visually arresting cliff-side confrontation that leaves the Persian enemies falling to their deaths. The battle’s ultra-stylized look stays true to Frank Miller’s graphic novel and was accomplished by filming on a Montreal soundstage and digitally adding the backgrounds later.
The Great Wall is available on Digital, 4k Ultra HD, 3D Blu-Ray™, Blu-Ray™, DVD and On Demand from June 12th
Norman Oppenheimer (Richard Gere) is a ‘Fixer’ character, stuck on the margins of New York trying to gain entry into its inner workings through a series of negotiations, connections and financial schemes that never reach fruition. Norman is constantly scanning the horizon for his big break when one day he meets an Israeli politician, Micha Eshel (Lior Ashkenazi), a man at a low point in his career.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCvf_gbpQVY
When the pair first meet, Norman realises the potential of this new relationship and so gifts a pair of expensive shoes to Micha who is deeply touched by the gesture. Three years later the pair meet once more, Micha is now Prime Minister, a title that Norman quickly capitalises on. Utilising the new social circles that he is now a part of in order to make a series of quid pro quo transactions using Micha’s name.
To celebrate the release of Norman on the 9th June we have looked at other films featuring the ‘Fixer’ type character trope similar to Norman…
Michael Clayton
The 2007 film sees George Clooney play the title role Michael Clayton, a fixer for a high-end Law firm who is brought in to remedy a situation. Attorney Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson) has had a manic episode during a deposition against U-North. U-North is an agricultural products firm whose products are having toxic effects on the on both the agriculture and the local farm families in Wisconsin. When Clayton arrives to bail out the now arrested Edens, he discovers the man to be off his medication and in possession of confidential U-North Documents and it is up to Clayton to remedy the situation. Though Clayton is well paid in his position, he is still somewhat of an outsider, divorced and addicted to gambling for which is now in huge debt. Clayton uses his skills with people, his many connections over the city and his vast knowledge of legal loopholes to broker various deals with companies in order to effectively perform his job.
The Ides of March
A second Clooney vehicle, this 2011 film covers a US campaign trail where Governor Mike Morris (Clooney) is running in the Democratic primary election. Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling) is not only the junior campaign manager for the Governor but also an ambitious staffer whose talent is being noticed by both Campaign parties. Both campaigns are trying to gain the endorsement of North Carolina Democratic Senator Franklin Thompson. Stephen becomes the Fixer character when secrets emerge from the campaign trail that Morris has tried to hide, escalating quickly when it is revealed that one of the staffers Molly Stearns (Evan Rachel Wood), who Morris has slept with, is now pregnant with Morris’s child and it becomes Stephen’s role to fix the situation. Stephen must also recover the campaign’s status after his meeting in secret with the opposing campaign. Ides of March provides a political backdrop for the Fixer character much in the same way Norman’s world becomes political after this meeting with Micha.
Pulp Fiction
Although not strictly focused on the ‘Fixer’ theme, the 1994 film does contain one of cinematic histories’ most iconic ‘Fixer’ characters, ‘The Wolf’ (Harvey Keitel). In the film, The Wolf is requested when characters Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) accidentally shoot a civilian in the back of their car. Owing to the blood now covering the entirety of the back seats, they decide to pull over at friend’s house so as not to be spotted by police. ‘The Wolf’ is now called to fix the situation, though his scene is short, it is an iconic moment and one that sadly is now probably more synonymous with the Direct Line adverts.
The Godfather
Perhaps one of the most famous mafia films of all time, the 1972 Ford Coppola directed film explores the Corleone family as one of the most prolific families in New York. Like any successful mafia family, a Fixer is required to not only manage to numerous business connections the family will have gained over time, but must also contend with any problems that arise for the family. Tom Hagen (Robert Duval) is the ‘Fixer’ for the Corleone family in both The Godfather and it’s sequel The Godfather Part 2. The quintessential ‘Fixer’, Hagen is respected by those in the family. He is aware of who everyone is and how they are connected within the city, but he is never at the forefront of any business deals and must remain clear-headed to prioritise and solves many a dark and difficult situation for the family over the course of both films.
Inception
Not the most conventional of ‘Fixer’ concepts, Chris Nolan’s 2010 film explores the world where through technology people are able to illegally entire someone’s dreams in order to not only influence their decisions but also to steal information from them, such as corporate secrets. Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is hired to alter the decisions of a rival company through the owner’s son, Robert Fischer (Cillian Murphy). Cobb assembles a team of people with the various skills required to complete such a task successfully. One such member is Eames (Tom Hardy), who is the team forger. A forger is someone who, once in another’s dream, is able to manipulate their target into believing the person they see is a figure they can trust by impersonating that individual.
In Inception, Eames manipulates the target by impersonating Fischer’s bodyguard, a man Fischer regards as a father figure. Though this may not be regarded as ‘Fixer’ in the traditional sense of the character trope, Eames’s role is something quite similar in the regards to the narrative of the film. Eames is required to learn Fischer’s family, know their connections, and control the situation by manipulation in order to change the client’s mind and ultimately fix the problem. Though Eames is acquainted with all members of the party, once the mission begins they traditionally must remain on the margins of the operation as they are nearly always in close proximity to the target, persuading, bargaining and manipulating the target to achieve the aim of the mission.
Probably all of the students would agree on one thing – studies can often be a great source of stress. Most of them would describe their college period as a constant race against time; this is because students usually don’t have enough time to fulfill all of their academic obligations. It is easy to imagine this – tons of tasks, essay writing, lessons, exams, tests, extracurricular obligations, and just 24 hours in one day. The additional problem is that in these circumstances students basically don’t have free time for recreation and relaxation, and it is well known that it is impossible to be efficient without regular periods of rest.
One of the most common and at the same time the most complicated obligation is writing custom essays. These assignments can cause a lot of troubles to students because they need to invest a lot of time in these tasks. However, they should be aware that there are many online tools that they can use in order to facilitate the whole process of writing.
Some of them will be mentioned in the text below.
Grammarly
This is a great solution for all of those students that often make grammar and spelling mistakes. However, to be honest, everyone makes these mistakes; the trick is to notice them. It is easy to spot a spelling error in a text of 200 words, but if there are 2000 words, things are a little different. Fortunately, Grammarly can do this in a few seconds. One just has to attach his paper to this tool and it will show him where he has made grammatical and spelling errors. The technical aspect of the paper is very important; some of the best essays can receive a low grade just because of these mistakes.
Hemingway App
Besides grammar and spelling checking, there are also tools that can help students to make sure that their sentences are syntactically correct and easy to read (i.e. that they have structured the sentence in a proper way). By using Hemingway application, students will detect all of their problematic sentences, and thus will provide an error-free paper.
Dragon Dictionary
This is a great option when there is very little time available and when a student has the most of his paper already organised. By using this application, one can write his paper not by typing but by speaking. Dragon dictionary allows students to finish their paper without using hands. This is also a great solution for those students who are not very skilled at typing.
Online writing assistance
Despite their hard work, effort, and commitment, students sometimes just don’t have enough time to finish their writing assignments, so they have to look for assistance. Fortunately, some of the best essay help can be easily found online. For example, on this website, students can find excellent essay writing service https://myessaywriting.co.uk/. How exactly these websites work, what is the procedure? It is very simple. A student just has to make a specific order (i.e. essay) on any topic imaginable, and that is pretty much it. After that, experienced professionals will write high-quality content and it will be provided in almost no time.
So, this is highly efficient and easily available solution that students can consider as an ace up their sleeve.
Write!
Thesauru.com
This is a place where students can find synonyms for almost every term that they can think of. Anyone who has written an essay knows how irritatingly it can be when a suitable word can’t be found. Even if one finds a proper word, often it doesn’t fit the context. This is why Thesauru.com is a great tool, as it can provide the whole list of synonyms in a blink of an eye, so student just has to look it up and find the word that he was looking for.
PaperRater
A lot of students have experienced a situation in which they receive a lower grade that they have expected. This is because they often have different, more subjective perspective of their own work, and it is easy to understand why – when they invest a lot of time and effort, students consider their paper as a high-quality one. Besides mentioned, this can also happen when a student is tired and can’t evaluate his paper in an objective way. Fortunately, PaperRater can evaluate his work by comparing its quality with thousands of similar papers. This way, a student will receive an objective estimation of his work and will have a chance to modify his paper if needed.
Conclusion
When it comes to writing assignments, many students say:”I just can’t do this, I can’t write my paper”. However, they should remember one thing – everything can be accomplished with dedication and adequate time management.
With this kind of attitude and with the help of mentioned websites, every student can provide a high-quality essay.
