Early on in The Crew, army pilot Alexey is forced to make a choice when his plane is deemed too heavy to fly above a storm. Some cargo needs to be dropped: two four by four cars being transported on the orders of Alexey’s commander, or a collection of gifts and items being sent to an orphanage. It should be pretty clear at this point which choice our hero Alexey is going to make. Fired from the army, Alexey gets a job as a trainee with a commercial airline. Everything seems to be picking up for him, until the plane he is on receives a distress signal from a nearby island. A volcano has erupted, all the inhabitants need to be evacuated, and Alexey’s plane is the only aircraft in range.
Looking past this pretty simple set up, the film is overloaded with clichés: the brash young pilot whose mouth writes checks his body can’t cash; the veteran boss whose respect he must earn; the female co-worker whose only purpose is to fall in love with him. Credit is due to the actors for not inducing even more eye rolling. As pilot Alexey, Danila Kozlovsky brings a strange vulnerability to the role that doesn’t quite fit in with his bravado, but isn’t entirely unwelcome. Agne Grudyte is underused as co-pilot Alexandra, but Vladimir Mashkov keeps dialogue heavy scenes alive with his portrayal of captain Zinchenko.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6XsEo7N1c4
As with any disaster movie, the crew face problem after problem in their efforts to rescue everyone: blocked runways, damaged aircraft, trapped victims. But don’t worry, along the way the writers (5 people are credited as having contributed to the script) drum up some emotion between the characters. Shoehorned in is a subplot focusing on Zinchenko’s relationship with his son, who is unfortunately along for the ride; as well as various attempts to flesh out the victims – one man struggles to tell a young child that his mother hasn’t made it, whilst a woman worries about the last thing she said to her family.
Despite the lack of originality (or watchability) of these scenes, there is genuine adrenaline in the action sequences. The effects are well done, and portions of the film are just as stimulating as any Western, city destroying example of disaster-porn. Visually, the film bounces pleasingly between the dark of the sky and the orange of fire, but what is truly impressive is the sound design. It is a real shame, then, when director Nikolay Lebedev fills time between these set pieces, returning to his film textbook to show the characters struggling faces reflecting in screens and surfaces.
The team behind The Crew most likely mean well, but they have ended up with a film that not only resembles every other disaster movie ever made, but also represents everything Jim Abrahams and the Zuckers were making fun of in Airplane! nearly 40 years ago. In fact, the only thing separating The Crew from similar Hollywood fare is the notable absence of Dwayne Johnson. In a world where studios fight viciously to hold an audience’s attention, why choose to make something that became outdated before most of the cast had even been born?
My favourite film of all time is Jurassic Park; so, when a sequel is announced, of course I’ll be going to see it. To re-cap, Jurassic Park does have issues but what’s good is much too good, better than any other film in my opinion. The Lost World: Jurassic Park on the other hand was a disappointing film – it was dull, messy and was clearly made by a director whose heart wasn’t in it – but that director was Steven Spielberg, and so we still got some clever filmmaking and fun action scenes.
Jurassic Park III is a bit of dumb fun, with emphasis on dumb – it’s short and efficient in its thrills, so it’s not a bad time in my book. Jurassic World was a nice revitalisation for the series, taking nostalgia and new things in a good mix and making one of the most entertaining film’s I’ve seen in a long time – even if it lacks the wonder and awe of the films before it. Now we get the ambitious looking Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. We have high promises; how does it deliver?
The volcanic island that homes the dinosaurs is about to blow up. Claire, from the last film, is part of a group attempting to safe them, and when a business man offers his help to save the dinosaurs, it’s an offer too good to pass on. Owen, also from the last one, gets involved to help save Blue, the last surviving raptor, who he still has a bond with. Thing’s go wrong almost immediately, and when the dinosaurs are taken from the island, it’s clear that the business man has a far more sinister agenda for the creatures than what first appears. If you want to know more, watch the trailers as hey spoil way too much of the film for my liking.
I do have issues with Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. There is the issue that has plagued all the other sequels in this series – the script. I don’t know what it is, but Jurassic Park scripts, outside of the first one, always have issues. But I’ll give it credit, this is the strongest script of the sequels. Despite starting off as a fun adventure and disaster film and ending as a Gothic horror sci-fi film, the pace and tone are never unbalanced and it all flows together very well. The issue is with character and some moments of dialogue. While Bryce Dallas Howard’s Claire and two of the newer characters – a sharp-tongued dinosaur vet and a little girl respectively – no one else stands out. Chris Pratt and Ted Levine are great to watch in all their scenes, but that has nothing to do with character – it’s because Pratt is a funny and charming actor and Levine has always been a darkly amusing presence. The villains in particular come off as cartoons and are very hard to take seriously.
Despite this, director J. A. Bayona works wonders with it, shooting the most visually amazing film in the series since the original. The cinematography alone is worth praising, with no shot wasted, all shots looking spectacular and some of them are exceptionally creative. What also helps is the film featuring the best effects of the series. Saying that CGI is amazing feels redundant as it’s almost constantly great these days, only standing out when it fails – but the CGI was amazing here. It was also in surprisingly short supply, with animatronics and practical effects taking up a good majority of the dinosaur scenes. The two effects blend so well together, that at times I couldn’t tell the difference between them.
There’s no denying that the first half of this film, involving the volcanic explosion and the reveal of something sinister, is the better half of the film. That’s where most of the dinosaur action is too – which is some of the most spectacular of the whole series. The opening scene and the eruption being the stand out moments. Even in the latter half of the film we get an excellent chase and dino-battle – there’s even a great moment involving a head-butting dinosaur (I think it’s called a stygimoloch for those dinosaur fans out there). It’s constantly amazing and fun – whenever a dinosaur is on screen, I’m happy. The second half does slow down, and it starts getting a little bogged in science fiction and gets a little too silly in moments.
It’s moments of silliness and too many call backs to other films in the franchise that really shoots the film in the foot. Some call backs – like a tear-jerking moment involving a brachiosaurus and the introduction of the t-rex looming over the trees – were nice touches, but then we get a re-enactment of the t-rexes final roar from the first one and a painfully obvious call-back to the raptors in the kitchen, that went a little too far. We also get things like a smiling dinosaur and a velociraptor who could apparently read that a tank was flammable. We also have Rafe Spall and Toby Jones giving us some bad American accents and James Cromwell giving us a bad British accent, which was a little bizarre. Unfortunately, a major issue too is that despite blowing up the island, changing the setting and in some ways completely changing the path of the series, we are still stuck with the formula of dinosaurs escaping cages and eating people. I wouldn’t have minded too much if we weren’t promised something a little different this time around.
Despite that though, this is the first time a Jurassic Park sequel has had me calling it great. I loved this film overall, despite these issues. Jurassic World was one of the most entertaining films this decade for me. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is the most entertaining film this decade to me. It also takes its time in moments – we don’t get much wonderment again, mores the pity, but we do get something else. We get upset. This is at times a dark film, with some unflinching depictions of animal cruelty. As cartoony as the villains are, they did have me feeling rage at times. That’s an emotion I’ve never felt from a Jurassic Park film before. They’re still hard to take seriously, but they do make the heroes easier to root for. Great performances and simple but effective themes are a good help too.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is a flawed yet great film to me. It’s more dinosaur fun, with something a little more thrown in for it. We are still worlds away from the original master-piece and it’s very clear that we will not hit any closer to that mark. There is a tease for another film, which I honestly hope is the last one now, as much as I’ve liked these last two films. I do know that I like this film more than most people will, I know many already who do prefer Jurassic World to this one, but still, they all came out having enjoyed it. If you are hoping for a revitalisation of the series, then you will be disappointed. But if you want a fun and exceptionally well directed blockbuster, then you couldn’t ask for more.
Horrifying. Shocking. Tense. Masterful. Vile. Brilliant. Iconic. Several words could come to mind when attempting to describe Roman Polanski’s 1968 film Rosemary’s Baby. However in their new book, author James Munn and photographer Bob Willoughby attribute a whole new sentiment towards the movie. Intimate.
The book is reminiscent of Peter Biskind’s bestselling work Easy Riders and Raging Bulls (This should come as no surprise as it features extensive coverage of Roman Polanski’s work on Chinatown) which chronicles the rise of several filmmakers during the 60’s and 70’s in captivating detail. But Munn’s voice and talents as a raconteur are not lost in imitation. He paints a vivid picture of the inception of the project, from purchasing the rights to the movie from novelist Ira Levin, bringing a promising European director into the Hollywood system, the feuds and complications that ensued in the production through to the aftermath of the film.
Regardless of how one feels about the film or the people involved, and Munn does not shy away from covering the gruesome details of Polanski’s personal life, it is undeniable that the book offers an intriguing and inviting insight into the makings of the movie. Through its detailed description of not only the events at play but also the lives of the people involved, the book allows for the reader to be wholly immersed in that moment in time. Structured in true cinematic fashion, the author offers glimpses into the infamous relationship between John Cassavetes and Polanski as well as Frank Sinatra’s difficult intrusions at the start, but reveals them only in due time.
Not second to Munn’s narrative, is Bob Willoughby’s on-set photography. As an up and coming photographer who had just been featured on the cover of Life magazine, Willoughby worked tirelessly to chronicle the making of the film, all the while remaining invisible behind the front lines. His photos perfectly match that sense of intimacy portrayed by Munn’s words. Featuring never before seen photos, this work allows the reader to glimpse into the world of the film beyond what was captured in the frame. It showcases a wonderful selection of behind-the-scenes images of Mia Farrow and her fellow actors in their most candid and earnest moments.
The book is clearly split into two parts. The first being Munn’s narrative, which allows for even a casual reader that for some inexplicable reason has never heard of Rosemary’s Baby to not only understand the machinations behind a film production but also to understand the basic plot elements of the film. Following this are 100 pages of Willoughby’s photography, bringing life and texture to the words that preceded it.
It is almost pointless to state that this book is a must read for fans of the film and the director. However, through their anecdotal retelling of the events of the production, coupled with the capturing images of Willoughby’s photography, the authors have made This is No Dream into absolute must for anyone who has an interest in cinema, photography, or simply looking for a glimpse into that particular moment in Hollywood history.
All images are cleared for reproduction in the context of This Is No Dream: Making Rosemary’s Baby and can only be used in the context of the book.
This Is No Dream: Making Rosemary’s Baby by James Munn is published by Reel Art Press RRP £29.95/$39.95.
For further information and full list of stockists visit www.reelartpress.com
It’s not often that something can feel so simple and yet so strange at the same time. Everything’s Going to be Okay is definitely one of those experiences. The short is a very simple story – Alex and Jake are on a hike across a desert, which soon takes a turn for the worse. Jake has a wound on his leg and it’s made evident very quickly that it has gotten infected and is quickly spreading. It then becomes a choice for Alex – does she abandon Jake and go get help, or does she help him but further risk the death of them both?
It’s a very simple and very effective story. At only thirteen minutes long, it’s a pretty decent length, making sure that the story isn’t dragged out and yet gets enough time to put its point across. The cinematography for Everything’s Going to be Okay does an excellent job of demonstrating how isolated these characters are. We get some admittedly lovely shots of the desert around them – but we do get an excellent sense of desolation too. We know from the first moment that Jake’s predicament is made clear that they are beyond help from others. Despite the open space, it works to make the audience feel claustrophobic.
Everything’s Going To Be Okay
The film-making and tension that it brings, thanks to perfectly times editing, great camerawork and effective use of sound does make our characters easy to sympathise with and root for. I even liked the colour scheme that the film used, it was a desert yellow covering everything. This does make sense because they’re in a desert. It also makes the film feel gritty, grimy and unflinchingly realistic. It was almost like the first moments in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre in how it made the film feel.
This did make what I assume were supposed to be comedic moments feel very out of place however. If it was never meant to be comical, then something went a little wrong. There’s one moment in particular – Jake is describing how isolated and how much danger they are both in – and the it comes off as a comedy shot. The camera is drawn further back between edits, it felt like one of those action film parodies where the filmmaker is playing with action film dramatics.
While the film-making was on point, outside of the comedy moments, the performances left a little bit to be desired. They certainly weren’t terrible, but there was something about the delivery of their lines that didn’t really work for me. It came off as too dramatic at times and a little too deadpan at others. Again, if I was certain that this was a comedy I wouldn’t have minded, but I’m not entirely sure if that was the point of it. The script is pretty well written, albeit a little preachy towards the film’s close – though, to be fair it’s still well written and feels earned.
Depending on how you perceive the film – whether or not it’s supposed to be comical at times or not – the ending might completely lose you. I’m willing to accept fault here, as I wasn’t sure as to what the film was aiming for, so to me it was a bit jarring. I’ll admit to laughing, but I was very confused by the choice made at the end too. To many, I can see that as being good enough, and even improving the overall film. It just didn’t work for me.
Everything’s Going to be Okay is one of those films where I really don’t know what to make of it. I’m inclined to say that I liked it, even if it was lost on me. I loved the film-making and it, at least until the end, it told a very effective story. I just couldn’t pinpoint its tone. I recommend seeing it as I know many will enjoy it and find it interesting. To me, that at least is a good sign of success.
King of Hearts is a whacky 1966 French anti-war comedy in which a Private Plumpick (played by Alan Bates) is sent to defuse a bomb planted by the German’s in a remote French village. To his astonishment he finds that the town has been commandeered by a kindly group of patients from the local mental institution, and they begin to worship Bates as their leader. Bates is paired off with the cute dancer and acrobat Coquelicot, played by` Genevieve Bujold, and the town prepares to throw them their very own royal wedding.
The film is a humorous, unique satire of war, with the soldiers displayed as monstrous caricatures, blood thirsty and amoral, whilst the escaped patients of the asylum are wonderfully kind and gentle. They are unaware or uninterested in the chaos of war that surrounds them, and it’s no wonder that Plumpick would rather be here than along with his fellow army members. Whilst he desperately searches for the bomb that has been planted somewhere amongst this village, the residents seem to completely ignore the fact that any of this is happening, as if they are deaf to any talk of the war or conflict.
This film is really aesthetically pleasing; with beautiful, vibrant costumes flooding the screen with colour. This is the main appeal when watching this film today, as the storyline may seem at times dated and slightly strange, but true film fans will enjoy it simply for the technique and beauty. The way in which the director sheds light on an appalling situation is somewhat refreshing, and if you can appreciate the motivation behind it, it can be an enjoyable experience. It is most certainly a different kind of war film, and the final scene is one that has been remembered to this day.
Give it a go if you like something a bit quirky and a bit old school!
