Reviews of Films, DVD and Music
(Review originally published on the Laura Hird website)
Equilibrium
Libria is an Orwellian world where emotions have become illegal. No one is happy or sad, angry or frightened. Art, music and literature are frowned upon as causes of emotions, and anyone found reading or enjoying a painting is called a ‘sense offender’ and suffers a terrible death. Libria is overseen by ‘Father’ (played by the excellent Sean Pertwee), who, while the people go about their daily business, spouts rhetoric on the danger of emotions and shows the results of anger, greed, jealousy and spite in films of Hitler and the Hiroshima bomb. Twice a day the inhabitants of Libria have to take Prozium II (a clear reference to Prozac), which protects them from sense offences. The penalty for a sense offence is incineration without trial. Young children are used as spies who point out people on the street who dare to smile. People spend a lot of time trying to trip each other up, asking questions like ‘how do you feel about that?’ John Preston (Christian Bale) is a ‘Cleric’, a sort of police officer, whose job it is to bring sense offenders to book. He is almost empathic in his ability to sense other people’s emotions. His own wife had been incinerated four years previously for a sense offence, though he did not report her, which raises questions. It is not giving anything away to reveal that her offence was to be in love with her husband, which is shown in flashback. When Preston has to kill his partner (Sean Bean in a role that’s brief, even by his standards) for sense offences and then fails to take his Prozium II, he is forced to question to the justification of denying emotions. This is further complicated when he becomes attracted to Mary O’Brian (Emily Watson), a sense offender due to be incinerated.
Though its tagline suggests yet another shoot ‘em up martial arts type film, Equilibrium is far more intelligent than that. Shot in monochrome shades, Libria is a world without colour. Clothes are dull grey or black, as are buildings and their contents. Even beds are functional with nothing luxurious that might incite emotion. Homes are minimalist, and Preston’s children have no toys or other items that might stimulate them. Only when entering the Netherworld, where sense offenders hide, does colour creep through. In a nice analogy, a small bottle of perfume owned by Mary O’Brian, and carried by Preston to remember her by, resembles the small phial used to hold the Prozium II, yet it is made clear that the smell of the perfume incites emotions that the Prozium II suppresses. You know Preston is really a good guy when he saves a puppy, yet it’s done in a non-sentimental way, with much humour.
There is something of the Keanu Reeves about Christian Bale with his expressionless face, but he is a better actor, and has a good supporting cast, including Taye Diggs, Angus McFeyden and Emily Watson. It’s fair to say this film owes much to films like The Matrix. A scene where Preston shoots his way through the lobby of a large building resembles a similar scene in the first Matrix film, as does the martial art involving guns that is used throughout the film.
There are a couple of things that didn’t quite make sense to me. Taye Diggs, as Preston’s new partner, spends a lot of the film smiling, when he isn’t supposed to, so why doesn’t Preston report him? It’s actually a clue to something we learn later, but it was inconsistent for him to smile in front of Preston when he knew that he might be reported. The other inconsistency is the existence of Preston’s children. How were they conceived? Sex involves emotions, even if that emotion is only lust, yet as all emotions are illegal, how could Preston and his wife have sex without being accused of sense offences? How did they decide to marry each other in the first place? It’s probably not important, but it bugged me that such an intelligent film failed to address these questions.
Despite those little quibbles, this is a good, thought-provoking film that works on lots of levels, philosophical and physical.
Matrix Revolutions
Viewers hoping that the final DVD in the Matrix trilogy will clear up the confusion of the second DVD, Matrix Reloaded, will probably be disappointed. After ten minutes of watching Matrix Revolutions I decided to stop thinking too much and just accept that despite all the confusing allusions to various religions and philosophies – the train-driver is clearly meant to be Charon, who takes the dead across the river Styx and they actually tell you that, just in case you don’t get it - the child Satai is supposed to be an Eastern goddess – it all comes down to one thing. The fight between good (Neo) and evil (Agent Smith). If you can grasp that, just switch the brain off, and this movie will be much more enjoyable.
Part of the problem with Matrix Revolutions is that the Wachowski brothers still insisted on keeping in a load of characters that Matrix fans just don’t care about. We are expected to root for heroes that we barely know and hiss for barely realised cartoon villains. Why have Monical Belucci (Persephone) in a film and then just have her sitting in silence? Okay, so she was dressed in red rubber and showing rather a lot of cleavage, which I’m sure most men will think reason enough. But to me that negates the whole feminist angle of a series of films that has the ass-kicking Trinity as one of the strongest movie women ever (yes, I’ve noticed she wears a lot of rubber too…).
Agent Smith, who is played by one of my favourite actors, Hugo Weaving, had the potential to be a legendary screen villain. In the first movie, Smith had depth, as shown in the stunning scene where he is torturing Morpheus, and he reveals the extent of his misanthropy. It’s certainly what made Smith the star of more fanfiction than any other Matrix character. I know because I am that fanfiction writer. In the second and third Matrix films, Smith is reduced to cartoon villain proportions, wisecracking in between karate kicks. Luckily, Hugo Weaving is so talented that he is able to transcend that and impart a little more depth, but I was still left with a feeling of disappointment that the psychological aspect of Smith was not explored more thoroughly.
Morpheus, played by Lawrence Fishburne has lost much of his regal bearing in this film, turning into nothing more than a soldier, and actually plays second fiddle to Jada Pinkett as Niobe, who we barely care about, in a battle scene.
The only character who doesn’t change is Neo. Keanu Reeves plays him with the same deadpan face as he’s always had, so you can’t help thinking that maybe Keanu Reeves has just been playing Keanu Reeves all along.
It seemed to me that the Wachowski brothers cut rather a lot from this film, perhaps because of the adverse reaction to Matrix Reloaded, and the first casualty was characterisation. We are given mere snapshots of people, then during a major battle we’re supposed to care whether they live or die. My personal view is that they should have kept the core characters; Neo, Morpheus, Trinity, the Oracle and Agent Smith, and jettisoned the rest. Even when one major character whom we do care about dies, the death scene was drawn out that I was actually shouting at the screen ‘Get on with it, there’s a computerised world to save you know!’
It is fair to say that the Wachawski brothers had problems during filming. The actress who first played The Oracle and had to be replaced. There follows a rather confusing explanation about her changing shape to avoid capture, but, oddly enough, not apartments, so that Smith knows exactly where to find her.
Of course the real ‘star’ of The Matrix films are the special FX, and they are all present and correct. From the breach of Zion, to Neo entering Machine City, to the final showdown, the special FX are as breathtaking as we’ve come to know, as are the fight scenes. The final showdown alone is worth sitting through the movie for. There is also a hint that there may be more to come.
One problem with the DVD was that the sound was poor when the characters were speaking. We ended up putting the subtitles on, though it didn’t really clear up what was going on!
The DVD contains dozens of extras (though navigating them is rather confusing), including short documentaries on how the stunts and special FX were put together, with all the cast members being interviewed, plus pictures screensavers for your desktop. The most interesting documentary, for me, was how they created hundreds of Agent Smiths. In many ways, the extras are more interesting than the film itself, which is a shame really.
However, none of these negatives will prevent die hard Matrix fans from buying this DVD anymore than it stopped me when I’d heard negative reports. Fans will want the whole trilogy, despite the obvious imperfections. And how knows? Maybe on the tenth viewing it might all start to make sense…
Dancer Upstairs
(Also available as a novel by Nicholas Shakespeare) Set in an unamed South American Country, Chechuan Indian Det. Lt. Agustin Rejas (Javier Bardom) must bring to book the revolutionary leader, Ezequiel (Abel Folk), who has a habit of leaving dead dogs stuffed with dynamite all over the capital. No one is safe from Ezequiel's cause, whether they be corrupt politicians or innocent children used as suicide bombers. Rejas' investigation is hampered by the fact that, first of all he hasn't been paid for two months, raising questions about where his loyalties should lie, and secondly the government in his country actually deserves to be overthrown and insist on sending the army in to help Rejas 'solve' his case, which in their case means killing every suspect without questioning. However, the film does raise questions about whether a terrorist, however good his intentions, is the person to run an already corrupt country. The story draws much from Enlightenment philosophers, such as Kant and Diderot, though anyone studying the Enlightenment will know that the philosophers of that era only wanted freedom for a select few. Similarly, Ezequiel only gathers the elite, doctors, professors etc, around him.
Rejas is further hampered by the fact that he is becoming increasingly attracted to his daughter's enigmatic dance teacher, Yolanda (Laura Morante) - the 'dancer upstairs' of the title (though she actually lives downstairs, which is confusing) who may or may not be tied up in Ezequiel's cause. Their fledgling affair is played against the backdrop of Rejas investigation, though in a nice touch, he is obviously still smitten with his aspirational wife (Silvina, played with glee by Alexandra Lencastre) so there is always a question of how far he will take the relationship with Yolanda.
This film is as cerebral as you'd expect from director John Malkovich. The English subtitles help not just to clear the maze through the range of South American accents, but also to explain some of the deeper philosophical arguments. The atmosphere is haunting, the city decaying, but beautiful all the same.
The cast is excellent, especially Javier Bardom as Rejas. His face is exquisite, not in the 'movie star' sense (though he's pretty hunky!), but in the range of meaning he can convey with just one look. Judging by the number of times the camera focuses just on him, Malkovich agrees with me. Laura Morante as Yolanda is suitably vulnerable, which makes her choice at the end seem even more heartbreaking. Solid support comes from Juan Diego Botto as Rejas' sidekick Sucre, who has obviously watched too many American cop films. Despite that, he has the most profound line at the end of the movie, when he says something like 'I thought he was a revolutionary. He's just an old, fat man.' It was nice to see Oliver Cotton again too. I haven't seen him since he played a scenery chewing role as Cesare Borgia's in The Borgias, though I gather he's done some horror flicks. In this he's a police chief who would rather be fishing than trying to keep the government off his back.
If you like your movies thoughtful, then this is definitely for you. It's slow but very satisfying.
Extras include a director and actors commentary, which you can run along with the film if you choose, and two featurettes, including a profile of John Malkovich, and another 'Revealing the Dancer Upstairs'.
Subtitles are in English and English for the Hard of Hearing only. You'll need them, even if you don't have hearing difficulties. As I've said previously, most of the actors speak with accents, and the sound is not brilliant.
Ultraviolet
(Not the recent film but the television series)
How I missed this series when it was shown first time round in 1999, I’ll never know. But that’s me all over. It took me over thirty years to watch It’s a Wonderful Life and realise it’s the best film of all time. Ultraviolet is probably the best British sci-fi series of all time. This DVD contains all six episodes, Habeus Corpus, In Nomine Patris, Sub Judice, Mea Culpa, Terra Incognita and Persona Non Grata, and is a must for fans of both the vampire myth, and a good detective story. This will please them on both counts.
This is vampire hunting done in the British way, with science and quiet bureaucracy rather than the high-kicking, wisecracking exploits of Buffy – not that Buffy isn’t fantastic for its genre too.
In Ultraviolet, science is used against the vampires, known as leeches, and to explain their origins. All vampires have a virus called Code 5, and they pass it onto others by draining their blood. The usual vampire myths are there, but with a twist. The vampires inability to see themselves in a mirror becomes an inability to be photographed, filmed or recorded. The usual ways of deterring vampires – crucifix, bible or holy water - are useless unless the vampire is as superstitious as his assailant. Instead they are ‘killed’ with charcoal bullets that make them explode like a rocket on bonfire night. The ‘leeches’ act as a sort of bloodthirsty mafiosi cum business executives, involved in corporate fraud, pharmaceuticals, IVF treatment and even nuclear physics, for reasons which our heroes have to investigate. Are the vampires trying to find a way to live peacefully alongside humans, or do they have more sinister motives?
Hot on their trail are the officers of CIB, Angie March (Susannah Harker), Vaughan Rice (Idris Elba) and the inscrutable (God, I love inscrutable!) Catholic priest Pearse Harmon (Philip Quast).
Policeman Michael Colefield (Jack Davenport) is thrown into their company when his best friend, Jack (Stephen Moyer) jilts his bride Kirsty (Colette Brown) at the alter. Michael, not a little in love with Kirsty, suspects CIB of having something to do with it, and takes the first opportunity he can to join them to find out what happened to Jack. What he learns, about vampires and their modern day pursuits, is more shocking than he ever thought. What I particularly like is that you never know whether the vampires are more sinned against than sinning, until the very last episode. I won’t spoil the surprise by giving it away.
As well as being a very polished production, the series boasts a mainly strong cast, with well-realised characters from both the human and vampire world.
Scientist Angie March, played by Susannah Harker (apt surname for a Dracula series!) lost her husband and one of her daughters to the leeches, and now watches her other daughter possessively for fear that they may come for her too. Angie’s resolve is tested when there’s a chance that her husband could be regenerated and returned to her.
Vaughan Rice (Idris Elba) is an ex-soldier, who had to wipe out his entire troop in the first gulf war after they were all taken by the vampires. He’s clearly the muscles of the outfit. His resolve is tested when he’s trapped in a wharehouse with four vampires near sunset, and must decide whether to be taken, or to commit suicide.
Father Pearse Harmon (Philip Quast – another favourite actor of mine) is a man of God, the only one in CIB who has a religious view of vampires, and life and death, but he is uncompromising in his attitude to their destruction, even when it might involve the killing of children (We learn it was he who ‘killed’ Angie March’s husband and daughter). That is, until he is diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphona, and is offered the chance eternal life by the uber vampire ‘John Doe’ (Corin Redgrave, giving a great turn as a morally ambiguous vampire).
Michael Colefield (Jack Davenport) was probably the weakest character for me (well, after Colette Brown as Kirsty, who only seems to manage sulky and stroppy in any role she plays). His role called for a lot of reactionary acting, but I didn’t feel he did that very well. He had his mouth open a lot, but other than that, his expression is rather blank. He was supposed to be hot-headed, but was so childish and insubordinate that I wondered how he ever managed to get into the police force, let alone CIB. Of course, as the ‘crumpet’ the outcome of all events rested on him, but as everyone else played their parts so well, I can ignore his weaknesses. I suppose if he had been that bad, it wouldn’t have worked. His friend, Jack (Stephen Moyer) was much more interesting.
Written and directed by Joe Ahearne, Ultraviolet was a short-lived series. Ahearne said in an interview that he was reluctant for it to turn into a ‘dracu-soap’ and feared that a second series would go too far into the characters lives, losing something in the process. I wonder if this is the real reason it wasn’t continued. The last episode very clearly leaves the way open for more. American attempts to recreate the series failed, as do most attempts by the Americans to borrow British ideas. The feel of Ultraviolet is so essentially British that it could never have travelled well.
The sound and vision on the DVD is excellent, with subtitles for the hard of hearing. The extras are a bit ‘thin’. I got the feeling things were thrown together when they decided to release a DVD. There is a PC screensaver, weblinks, trailers, a gallery of stills and cast and director biographies, but no cast interviews or deleted scenes.
Despite the lack of extras, this is well worth watching for all sci-fi/vampire/detective fans. Yes, it crosses many lines, and does so with sophistication and intelligence.
Dead Like Me
Georgia 'George' Lass (Ellen Muth) is an 18 year old college drop out, heading for a dead end job in a dead end life when she ends up dead. Killed by a toilet seat falling from the Mir Space Station. For most people this would be the end, but for George things don't quite end at her funeral. She is approached by 'Rube' (beautifully played by my favourite, Mandy Patinkin) to become a Grim Reaper, whose job it is to take the souls of those about to die by accident. Sounds a bit 'grim', well it isn't. This quirky series is a pleasure to watch. In fact I enjoyed it so much I watched the entire first series on Sunday!
George hates her new role, especially as it means she also gets to see the grief her family goes through as they try (and fail) to come to terms with losing her. She hates taking souls and tries several ruses to get out of it, each with catastrophic consequences, until she realises that she has no choice. She soon learns that being 'undead' sucks just as much as being alive, especially as to earn a living (she still gets hungry, falls in love, all that 'living' stuff we think we're going to get away from when we're dead) she has to return to the Happy Time agency, and the dreadful Delores, where she had her first job. By the way, they don't know it's her as she now appears differently to those who are alive, and we get brief glimpses of 'un-George' (played by Laura Boddington). As George learns more about death, she also gets some good lessons about the life she wasted.
The series is, as I said, very enjoyable, though sometimes the grief of George's family is too much to bear and I wonder how they'll survive the second serie (which I haven't seen yet). Mandy Patinkin, as Rube, the 'middle management' leader of the undead, is fantastic, both loving George and being infuriated by her at the same time. Mason, hilariously played by Callum Blue, is a junkie who died whilst drilling a hole in his head. He lives by stealing from the dead, which seems to be considered okay as long as one doesn't dupe their relatives. The series suffered a bit of a setback when the actress playing Betty left (apparently the actress was involved in a car crash) and was replaced by another actress, playing a different role, but basically the same slutty, self-absorbed character.
Though I enjoyed the show I got a bit fed up of everyone saying how beautiful George was. Ellen Muth, though cute in a rather pug-nosed way, is not a beautiful girl (and has a very strange smile) and I wondered why this had to be reiterated time and time again. Was it to convince her or the audience? Also, when people who were alive said she was beautiful, as with a schitzophrenic who falls in love with her, they weren't actually see George, they see 'un-George' who is depicted as rather shabby, like a drug addict on her way to rehab, so not that pretty either.
Despite that, I enjoyed the ethical questions this series raised and the quirkiness of it. Another thing I enjoyed was bit part actor spotting. Those who were nobodies when this was filmed but have gone on to find fame elsewhere (or alternatively more bit parts in CSI or Lost).
I've got another quirky series to review too. Tru Calling, which I've also watched over the past few days. Watch this space!
(all the episodes from first and second season)
(note: amazon.com link is only for first season set)
Tru Calling
This is another one of those American series that sets up a great premise, before being cancelled. The box set I watched is of the entire first and second series (though series 2 only has 6 episodes).
Tru Davies is a med-school student who learns she has a gift passed down from her mother. Tru can relive days, but only if a recently dead corpse asks her for help (so it's quite lucky that Tru ended up with a job in the morgue). I'm not a huge Eliza Dushku fan, but she plays the part of Tru well, going back in time to not only prevent an unnecessary death but the mistakes made by her gambling addict brother, Harrison and cocaine-sniffing sister, Meredith. Tru's nemesis is Jack, played by Jason Priestley. Jack also rewinds days, but believes that fate should be left to its own devices. So the clock is ticking as Tru fights to prevent a death and Jack fights just as hard to ensure it takes place (and it could be argued changes fate himself a little in order to do so).
I'd recommend this for anyone interested in speculative fiction. I'd also get down on my knees and beg Fox television to please carry on where they left off, and let this story have time to build.