Author: BRWC

Wars have seen the most extremes of the human condition, stories ranging from extreme depravity to legendary heroism; and cinema has told its fair share.  Hollywood has given us tales from secret submarine missions under the Atlantic to the search for a lone soldier in war-torn Normandy, an impossible mission to destroy a dam to the conspiracy to assassinate a dictator.  Now, we have something that we haven’t seen before.

The Monuments Men tells the story (based on true events) of a group of art experts drafted into the US Army with the unique mission to protect Europe’s paintings, sculptures, statues and buildings from Nazi capture and collateral damage in the waning years of the war.  We follow their adventures across Western Europe as they sneak behind enemy lines, interrogate fleeing officers and trade fire in demolished streets.  In their quest, they chase swathes of art stolen by the fleeing Nazis before it is lost, destroyed or captured by the Russians closing in from the East.

With a cast of George Clooney, Matt Damon, John Goodman, Cate Blanchett, Bill Murray and more, this film promises a caper where these men and women, all out of their depth, attempt to save these treasures and masterpieces whilst surrounded by the insanity that is this conflict.  Tragically, it doesn’t deliver.  Instead, the film pulls us through a disjointed montage of a film, rushing through the story and events without pause to develop the characters or our investment in their cause.

The film instead focuses entirely upon telling us what the Monuments Men did and achieved.  And sadly that is the risk with all stories based upon real events, real life isn’t as dramatic as it needs to be for cinema.  And as such we do not become invested in the men, or their mission.  Where we should be cheering, laughing or crying, we’re not.  Instead, we sit by as spectators to, at best, a dramatised documentary where we care little for those involved.

It’s sad to say that a film that had such promise has come to this.  It feels like that caper script was there, and that film was made with that epic cast, but someone got to it in the editing room.  It’s no secret that the film was delayed, but now we can only guess who had their dark hand in corrupting this movie.  Suffice to say, a film with Bill Murray that does not make you laugh is a film the world should not suffer

The Monuments Men is in UK cinemas 14th February 2014.

Cuban Fury is a story of hardship, persecution, aspiration and, above all, a woman.  For after all, isn’t salsa always about a woman?  As a boy, Bruce Garrett (Nick Frost) was reigning champion on the salsa circuit, until the fateful day a bunch of bully’s called him a girl and his dancing career bit the sequins.  Decades later and his life downwardly rotates around golf with his mates, scoring weekly successes with women and lathes.  Yes, that’s right; lathes.

That is until a new boss, Julia (Rashida Jones), joins his work and he falls for her.  So begins his battle to win her heart, whilst racing and combating his alpha-male colleague Drew (Chris O’Dowd) to be the finish-line of her affections.  But there’s one thing Bruce has that no one else does; salsa.  We watch his love of dance, reignited by Julia, return and he relearn his art, returning to former mentor (Ian McShane) to help him win the girl of his dreams.

In cinema, Cuban Fury is not an original idea.  There have been many films before it where the hero has to learn to dance to win someone over.  Most of the time they are predictable and formulaic, and the only scenes worth waiting for are the well choreographed performances throughout.  Cuban Fury is still formulaic, but it’s art is in making this story a truly British one.  Between these set pieces are moments of utterly ridiculous yet believable comedy pulled together by a great cast and hilarious writing; you’re guaranteed to recognise echoes of someone from your life in the supporting cast.

Cuban Fury gets off to a slow start, but once you get past the prologue and into the true rhythm of the film you’l find yourself creased throughout.  Frost makes an admirable and likeable lead, but it’s the performances of Chris O’Dowd as lady-killer Drew and Kayvan Novak as Persian dance enthusiast Bejan that’ll keep the laughs coming.

Frost introduced this film by saying that when “a fat man dances” people look on with the same  patronising face as if “they’re battling a tumour.”  I’m pleased to say that my expression was far from that when I saw Cuban Fury.  Ensure this is the movie you see this Valentine’s Day.

Cuban Fury is released 14th Febraury 2014.

Imagine a world of complete, 24 hour surveillance where software can recognise your face automatically, a world where robots fight wars on our behalf and mega-corporations own the news and have sway over politics.  Now open your eyes, as this is the world you live in – and this is the reason RoboCop has returned to our screens.

But before we go any further, and in the immortal words of Yoda, you must unlearn what you have learned.  Forget the 1987 icon.  Forget the night you crept downstairs whilst your parents were asleep, popped the VHS on and let Verhoeven’s ultra-violent satire blow your tiny little mind into more pieces than Murphy’s 12-gauge-amputee limbs.

The film follows Alex Murphy, a Detroit cop doing the right thing in a corrupt and broken city whilst keeping as normal a life as possible with his family at home.  But when he starts on the trail of an organised crime boss, he gets in over his head and is all but killed in front of his wife and kid.  In steps Omnicorp, a robotics company on a quest of market domination who turn Murphy into RoboCop, more machine now than man, but not twisted nor evil.  However, once Omnicorp’s made use of Murphy and he no longer fits into their “product family”, things take a a darker turn and Murphy must once again, struggle to do the right thing.

The story is not far from the original, and as in its inspiration is simple yet effective.  The cast are mixed; Kinnaman as Murphy is flat and Keaton as Omnicorp CEO Sellars lacks needed charisma and direction, but Oldman’s Dr Norton gives a great conflicted persona.  The structure is strong in setting the scene effectively in the first two acts, investing more time in Murphy as a character and the development of RoboCop than the original, but towards the last act it starts to unravel as the weak story splits at the seams.

But all is not lost.  This film was never about Oscar performances or original stories.  RoboCop (the original and the new) is all about satire.  It is an observation and judgement upon the dark road we are letting ourselves walk down, lead blindly by government and corporation under the guise of “we don’t know what we want until we are shown it.”  Jackson’s Novak plays ultimate parody to his Fox News inspiration and through his frequent, yet essential, exposition holds the film together and keeps it on track.  This, coupled with lightening-fast action sequences choreographed with exquisite violence make this a film I’m sure, if you keep an open mind, you’ll enjoy.

RoboCop is in cinemas across the UK from tomorrow.

It was dark, cold and I’d just been slapped with a train fine for getting on the train before getting my ticket. I was ill, angry and the prospect of sitting in a small dark room with a bunch of strangers wasn’t an exciting prospect. So when the lights went down I wasn’t exactly in a great mood, then, everything changed. I spent the next 96 minutes enthralled; I laughed, I cried and I completely forgot about my silly little problems. I left that small dark room with a smile on my face, having viewed a world like nothing I’d ever seen.

The Rocket takes place in the war-ravaged country of Laos and follows the story of Ahlo, a 10-year-old boy fighting against traditions that have labelled him as ‘cursed’ from birth. Ahlo and his family are forced to move due to the electrical companies plans to build a new dam and flood their village in the process. In light of this the family sets out to find a new home but tragedy strikes when Ahlo’s mother is killed in an accident and Ahlo’s curse is blamed. The family soldier on with the dream of finding some land to grow his mother’s mango trees. Along the way meet another young orphan, Kia, and her eccentric ex-soldier uncle, Purple; So named because of the purple suit he never takes off and his obsession with James Brown. The band of misfits move across the country and any bad thing that happens is blamed on the young boy, forcing him to grow ever more determined to disprove the curse. His chance comes when the family stumbles onto a rocket making competition, with the prize being land and money beyond their dreams. Ahlo builds a huge rocket to send into the sky hoping to win the biggest and most dangerous competition of the year, and maybe the forgiveness of his family.

This is far more than just a movie; it’s a glimpse into a world we’ve never seen before. The landscapes are fantastic, from fields of unexploded bombs, mountains rich with colour and haunted caves. The cast is flawless, with lead actor and former street kid Sitthiphon Disamoe giving a truly spellbinding performance. There’s actually not anything bad I can say about this film. The score is expertly put together and with a bit of James Brown in there you can’t really go wrong. So, if you want an emotional little ride through an unknown land, then this film is definitely worth the price of admission and you can catch it on limited release from March 14^th.

Two friends encounter a new street drug called “Soy Sauce” that lets you bend time, space and reality to see alternate dimensions, read minds and speak to your dead friend using a hot dog.  It quickly befalls our heroes to save the world from a potential inter-dimensional invasion from a super intelligent reanimated pigs head and his army of devoted followers and giant arachnids.

If that sounds too weird for you, the film doesn’t get any clearer.  John Dies does a good job of world building that is begging to be bestowed with cult status (and probably will) but suffers from a convoluted narrative told in flashback and severe pacing issues arising from this.  The film has no clear direction or development, almost becoming a collection of “cool” ideas strung together with a fast and loose story.

A film to watch with friends and laugh it its insanity, but don’t look for cinema gold.  Its a fun piece of entertainment that will keep you laughing throughout, though I’m sure you won’t be dropping references and quotes a week later in the pub.  There are those who adore this film and will say, if you didn’t, that you “didn’t get it”.  But fear not, there’s nothing to get.

John Dies At The End is released on DVD and Blu-Ray February 17th 2014.