In my review of Drake’s debut album, Thank Me Later, in the summer of 2010; I pinpointed a parallel that could be drawn between the artist in question and Chicago hip-hop revolutionary Common. On Common’s second album, which was released in the Autumn of 1994; the artist weaved together a collection of lyrically pugnacious, challenging, socially aware hip-hop – penning one of greatest allegorical rap songs ever put together in I Used to Love H.E.R. (more…)

Upon their signing to Smalltown America records, More Than Conquerors now find themselves in both familiar and esteemed company in the Northern Ireland music scene – including but not limited to And So I Watch You From Afar, LaFaro, Fighting With Wire, Oppenheimer et al. It is clear though, that this propound to have something more subtle, and more profound to offer. (more…)

Title: THE WAY BACK
Running time: 128 minutes
RRP (DVD): £19.99
RRP (Blu-ray): £24.99
Ratio: 2.35:1 (16×9)
Certificate: 12
Subtitles: English
Special features: ‘Making of’ featurette,Cast and crew interviews
Starring: Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris, Colin Farrell, Saoirse Ronan, Mark Strong.

Directed by Peter Weir

The story is told through the eyes of Polish prisoner Janusz (Sturgess) as he finds himself thrown into a Siberian Gulag on the testimony of his wife, obtained under torture by Stalin’s men. Sentenced to 20 years he is thrown into a world of turmoil and pain. A world where kindness can kill.

A small group of prisoners, out of desperation and necessity, band together to make their escape. Little do they know that Communism will be harder to escape than they think and that beyond the 1000 miles of Siberian wilderness is another 3000 miles to freedom.

As they battle through beautiful desolation they traverse the harshest terrain on the planet facing certain death with every step. It is only after they are joined by innocent waif Irena (Ronan) that the humanity lost in the harsh prison world is slowly reawakened.

The Way Back is a visually stunning film as Director of Photography Russell Boyd takes us from icy Siberian Wilderness through snowy forest, empty desert and eventually to the Himalayas. The scenery is as engaging as the story, reflecting the desperation in the characters with the sparsity of features. The conflicting colours of each terrain changes along with the character of each of the men as they fight for survival against the elements. The Siberian landscape is a dark and empty world for dark and empty hearts as the men retain the ethos of prison life  Colours brighten as they slowly start to rely on each other when they have spent so long living with no-one to rely on but themselves.

The outstanding ensemble cast, led by the infallible Ed Harris, keep the story grounded with the emmense combined talent on show here. Harris is Mr Smith, the inevitable gruff loner who trusts no-one. As usual there is a heart there to be found, especially when they are joined by Irena, played by the fantastic Saoirse Ronan taking another step on her meteoric rise to fame. Ronan and Harris easily portray two lost souls who form an uneasy friendship in adversity. Mark Strong makes a short but memorable appearence as Khabarov, Janusz’s first friend in the Gulag. He (Strong) plays this with the usual menacing and untrustworthy undertone that always leaves you questioning his integrity. Unfortunately the weak link in the cast is Colin Farrell who plays career criminal Valka. His acting here harks back more to ‘Bullseye’ in Daredevil, a role any Farrell fan would surely wish to forget. This is only compounded further by a rather half hearted story arc that tries to soften his harsh exterior at times but to no real effect.

The stand out performance of the film is definately Sturgess. With the combination of innocence and a forced and de facto leadership role placed upon him by the group, he is able to show a great range of talent as the conflict inside is evident throughout. It is, through every beat, his story and he lives up to it with fantastic emotion often seen in a fleeting glance or moment of weakness. While Saoirse is a very talented actress it is Sturgess who comes out as the rising star of the film and is certainly a young man with a very bright future ahead of him.

Director Peter Weir does a great job combining the scale of the surroundings with a rather intimate story about perserverance and the determination of man. The only problem is that at times, in order to move the story on, it becomes a little flitting with quick cuts from explanation of a plan to the men after completing the plan without showing the actions that got them there. I understand that he has 4000 miles to cover in a little over two hours but it takes away some of the urgency of the characters plight.

The Way Back is a beautifully shot and thoroughly entertaining film that is definately worth a watch.

The Way Back is out on DVD and Blu-Ray on 9th May.

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Chris Writes

Twitter: @Chris__Writes

Website: www.chriswrites.net

For fans of the famous Haruki Murakami novel, it was a very mixed reaction at the announcement of a film adaptation.  With negative remarks from his readership in Japan and a somewhat more welcomed success worldwide, Norwegian Wood is one of the most talked about films to be released outside of Japan this year.

Watanabe is a disillusioned college student unshaken by the 1960’s student rebellions, as he seeks something greater which he doesn’t fully comprehend yet.  He becomes unwaveringly devoted to the beautiful Naoko, a childhood friend with whom he shares the tragedy of their best friend’s death. Naoko’s strange and sudden disappearance is matched by the enchantingly confident Midori who marches into Watanabe’s life unassuming.  Watanabe soon begins to come to terms with the gravity of his feelings for the two women and unknowingly embarks on a quest for soulful gratification.

Murakami is considered a literary genius, both in Japan and worldwide due to the universal nature of his themes.  His works translate into languages without diminishing any of his narrative developing skills or dissolving the intimate detailing of his familiar yet surreal characters.  It’s just about time that somebody took a hold of the reigns and attempted to translate Murakami for the big screen.  That unfortunately is where the problem lies, in translation to the filmic form.

As the novel is fast paced, witty and stunningly sad, there’s only room for so much in the space of just over two hours.  Trying to cram in all the elements that make Murakami’s novel a spellbinding read is just too daunting a task it would seem.  Narrative aspects are completely neglected in favour of a slower narrative pacing and prominence of some beautiful cinematography.  Director Tran Ann Hung is best known for his captivating cinematography in The Scent of Green Papaya so his mark will surely be felt in his ideals of how film form functions.  None the less, it looks stunning and without being overtly orientalist in its gaze, Norwegian Wood definitely has the inspirational warming quality that is at the heart of Murakami’s work.

What is lost altogether is the intimacy that transcends the barrier between reader and characters.  It’s deeply unsettling that there was no genuine misery shared alongside protagonist Watanabe as he struggles through love and loss.  Almost wooden acting is forced upon the viewer as an artsy

distance is given the go ahead by director Tran Ann Hung, so much so that a growing unfamiliarity develops.  The essence of the novel is how the themes of love and loss are something everybody shares experiences of and can become attached to the narrative in a sympathetic understanding.

Featuring an original score by Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, the music is a treat.  Well edited, it explores the purpose of the soundtrack, but comfortably allows an entertaining viewing.  Don’t go expecting edge of your seat experimentation with the score, but awareness is more than toyed about with, at times serving as the often too needed nudge to revitalise your focus.

The merits of Norwegian Wood are few, but endearing qualities and the signs of skilful filmmaking practise help pull the wool over your eyes.  Fans will be disappointed by the adaptive format, but then considering a novel this charming, is it even possible to present an impersonal representation?  Not the reaction audiences will be hoping for, but as the damage is already done, it deserves in its own right some creative acclaim.  Perhaps Tran Ann Hung has bitten off more than he can chew.

Rango

Surprisingly not presented by a well known animation company, Rango shows that it’s independent flourish of originality is on a par with the big studio contenders.  Possibly the best animation this year so far, Rango is a little bit of what you know muddled up with the enigmatic.  A creation to be proud of, it’s surely a work worth the box office success it’s receiving.  The simple tale of Rango, just your ordinary chameleon living inside his desert island of a fish tank, he spends his days dreaming of what could be and questioning who he is.  When an unexpected incident occurs Rango finds himself stranded in the desert alone in desperate need of water.  A quirky character with a passion for acting, he’s not exactly the survival expert that the native creatures of the desert are.  Rango’s adaptability is put to the test when he rides into the town of Dirt, the real Wild West seemingly stuck in the heart of American history.

Directed by Gore Verbinski, there’s no huge reveal to learn that Johnny Depp is voicing the lizard in question.  Working to and relying on those eccentric previous roles, Depp is not at all out of his depth, seemingly more than comfortable as the self-interrogating chameleon.  A surrealist element that feels too delicate at times and in places too much for younger audiences to completely understand, this lizard is an individual on a quest for reinvention.  Having lived alone for as long as he can remember, there’s a great social commentary that comes as unexpected from a cartoon chameleon.  Depp provides a wonderful array of emotional development and opens up his full voice acting skills for this hilariously awkward colour shifter.

Nothing negative can be said about the acquired level of scripted humour, backed up by the consequential slapstick humour and background jokes that audiences familiar to popular culture and the Westerns film genre will adore.  Sit back and relish the beauty of the intricate details in this animation as introverted strangers of the desert are brought to life in a way that makes sure you notice the finer points.  Every little aspect of the characters are there for your enjoyment, be it the stereotypical spoon playing old man in the hairy mouse or the on the loose gunslinger formed in the evil rattlesnake.  The soundtrack is well utilised with anthems that will get the film buffs nodding at their clever interaction with the script.  There’s plenty there for the children to giggle at, but what really spoke volumes was the laughter coming from the parents and the variety of audience members drawn in.  Released at half term time in the UK, it’s become a favourite for its unique style that offers something you’ll find truly refreshing.  Worth a watch while still in the cinemas, you won’t feel embarrassed for catching yourself laughing aloud.

The only dilemma here is why people are paying good money to suffer this mess of a drama.  The websites have it right when they simplify the plot synopsis down to one single sentence, there’s really not much else to it.  Basically a man sees his best friends wife cheating and has to decide how and when to tell him about the affair.  The unfortunate weight that is put on his shoulders is that he is witness to the affair and as a friend he has to deliberate first if he should tell his best friend come business partner and then of course how to tell him.

Starring as the man in the middle is Vince Vaughn, pretty much acting his over the top self and by no stretch of his talent.  If you’ve seen anything Vaughn has had a partially comic role in you’ve seen his role in ‘The Dilemma’.  Going round and round in circles, it’s a drama where Vaughn takes on most of the typical script based emotions and responses, never creating anything distinguishing, new or memorable.  The script itself seems to spend a great deal of the time creating and explaining little twists which aren’t very original and could easily be stolen from any drama/comedy where people have to make decisions that are part of a cause and effect schema.

Kevin James is the best friend in question, a work obsessed car engine developer.  His character is quite the unstable genius, so debatable motives have driven him into a rut of banality with his wife played by Winona Ryder.  Ryder plays an even more unstable wife, driven by her selfish desires and definitely a woman on the edge as she happily creates for herself a second life of idealism with lover Zip.  Channing Tatum doesn’t feel like he’s acting terribly much as Zip the tattooed wild boy with a sensitive side and the push is the joke about his beloved fish.  At this point it’s clear somebody down the lines of production had the idea of blunt jokes that are played out bluntly and unskilfully are what sells.  This is evident in Queen Latifahs role as high up business woman who makes continual reference to erection jokes as her way of fitting in with the male focused car industry she works in.  In feminist terms this is both inefficient and a poor display of how females can work in powerful roles.

Any endearing qualities have been neglected from this films creation and what results is a comedy drama that neither gets the laughs nor manages to thrill dramatically as it might have suggested it would.  The budget has been spent on the names and yet it’s got a made for TV sensation that develops throughout, but I can’t help thinking that splitting it up into episodes would make it even less dramatic.  Not much is going in favour of a film which could be original and perhaps even done something new in narrative terms.  Instead it opts for the overdone and flops in popularity.

I’m starting to wonder where it all went wrong for Michel Gondry. Cast yourselves back to 2004, he was the coolest commercial and music video director about, and he just released the absolutely marvellous and nearly unrivalled Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – one of my favourite films of all time. Then regrettably and inexplicably he’s steadily got more unimaginative and uninspiring as his films have progressed, though Science of Sleep was hardly terrible, when compared to his previous effort it all felt a bit too samey, while lacking even less cohesion. Be Kind Rewind promised so much on paper but failed to deliver on the quirky trailers, resulting in something that was, well, boring.

Unfortunately for the French born director, his latest film, The Green Hornet takes his prolonged spat of banality to new heights. Loosely based on the classic pulp superhero of the same name, the film tells the tale of, obnoxious, newspaper editor, Britt Reid (Seth Rogen) as he decides, essentially out of spite, towards his father (Tom Wilkinson), to become the masked vigilante, The Green Hornet with the help of his associate, Kato (Jay Chou).

The film was a gamble that ultimately failed for both star and director. Though I’m not a fan of Rogen in the slightest, I can see his appeal across the dozens of comedies produced by Judd Apatow, and kudos for the amount of physical work he put into the preparation of the title role, but as a superhero he just failed in all departments. Yes, I get that was partly the point, and Gondry was clearly trying to poke fun at the whole superhero mythology but Kick-Ass this was not. Similar to Kick-Ass the film had a protagonist who obviously had no idea what he was doing, but unlike that film it lacked the sincerely brilliant comedy and the genuinely likable and well-crafted characters. Rogen once again was the idiotic, bumbling, buffoon who I cared little for – he might as well have stayed with his original rotund appearance if he wasn’t going to use his new found strength to good use.

His co-star Jay Chou fared much better but the themes played on in the story were premeditated from the moment the film began. Seriously, even Batman and Robin even tried to crafted a better ‘strained partnership’ story than this (Okay, that’s perhaps a slight exaggeration). It felt as though Cameron Diaz was seemingly slotted into a role to add an extra name to the poster, as she was ultimately quite needless to the overall story.

The Battlestar Galactica fanboy in me smiled in delight at Edward James Olmos’ small role, in the feature. However, the highlight, unsurprisingly, was Christoph Waltz’ (last seen as the stand out star of Tarantino’s brilliant World War 2 romp, Inglourious Basterds) insecure and colourful villain who also shares the best scene of the entire film alongside a cameo appearance from James Franco, during the film’s opening moments.

Admittedly I don’t know enough about the character in a comic book context to complain about the inaccuracies when compared to the source material, but then I didn’t know a thing about The Crow, 300, Blade and other such properties but found them all easily accessible and ultimately very enjoyable. I can’t really imagine the original creators, George W Trendle and Fran Striker quite envisioned this shockingly unamusing parody of the character, when a straight action mystery in vein of some of the original pulp serials might have been more fun.

The special effects and action pieces were done relatively well but sadly lacked the visual magic of the director’s films to come before. I also never quite got this “Spidey-Sense” the two main protagonists kept on possessing, and I can only imagine it was served for the purposes of the film’s 3D conversion – once again I stubbornly and cynically stuck to my guns and caught the film in 2D.

Final Thoughts
The Green Hornet was littered with all the ironic quirks and parodies seen in previously like-minded films such as Kick Ass and Mystery Men. However, it lacked two key elements which made those films enjoyable, namely some heart and (heaven forbid) some humour. Seth Rogen was presented a chance to prove he was more than the hapless goof we’ve been subjected to, in recent years, but failed to make the most of it. Hopefully the other superhero film, with Green in its title, will fare a bit better later in the year…

2/5