DVD review: The Liability
‘The Liability’ sees camera man Craig Viveiros take a seat in the director’s chair for the first time and he certainly wears his influences on his sleeve. Unsurprisingly, it is a joy to watch. After the young and reckless Adam (Jack O’Connell) writes off his Step Dad’s prized motor, he agrees to repay him by driving Roy (Tim Roth) on a routine job. As the carefully laid plans go awry, the pair are soon on an entirely different journey. As enjoyable as it is aesthetically, with slick cinematography, a striking use of colour and some cracking slow-mo sequences aided by an interesting soundtrack, it seems the direction lets it down in the final third, or essentially a lack of direction, as the plot lulls, failing to follow through the opening which promised so much.
Beginning with a brutal murder, the thread of darkness originates in the opening frames and continues through to the final shots. This violent streak interweaves with humour in Tarantino-esque fashion, the tight witty script well suited to Tim Roth’s dulcet tones but as a Brit flick, the jokes could be said to be more aligned with the Guy Ritchie back catalogue than those of QT which matches O’Connell’s style perfectly. The balance is spot on as these two set out on their road trip, Roth’s Roy with an effortless smoothness, smoking Cubans and donning shades whereas driver Adam blasts urban music, chaotically chewing on Twix bars with an appealing naivety, soaking up the thought of the adventure but secretly overwhelmed by the reality of it. This is brought out exceptionally when at one point at the height of his terror he whines ‘I’m just a kid’. This visual juxtaposition between the two central characters is a real treat, as is the dialogue breezing along building suspense albeit slowly but creating a solid fountain to build on as the narrative develops. The story hops along frantically, taking a change of pace not unlike Ben Wheatley’s The Kill List, also set in the North of England, where the conventional gangster film goes surreal, as boss Peter’s murky world starts falling in around him reaching a somewhat predictable conclusion.
The small cast perform as well as can be expected despite the characters feeling underdeveloped. Veterans Roth and Mullan are at ease in their roles, showing the vast experience they possess in the field of the smaller budget production, both also having taken director roles previously. Roth has this aura of attitude that is so easy to watch, perhaps playing off his associations with the big films that undoubtedly had a hand in the making of this such as Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs. At times during certain driving scenes, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to turn the clock back twenty years and imagine Keitel behind the wheel alongside Roth, the on screen relationship with shades of White and Orange. O’Connell is the big talking point of the cast, unwilling to be overshadowed by the bigger names on the posters. He comes out firing on all cylinders as his characters so often do, playing an equally unhinged but perhaps more innocent version of Cook, the Skins character with who O’Connell made his name. With an impressive CV boasting roles in Harry Brown, The Weekender and Tower Block, get used to him because there will be a lot more to come. The disappointment of the cast is Kierston Wareing but through no fault of her own. She is perfect for the role of the gangster’s mistreated partner, having played similar roles to such a high standard in the past, most notably in Martina Cole adapted TV series’ The Take where she was superb as the long suffering wife of Tom Hardy. Sadly, here she is criminally underused, her character barely coming off the page it was written on.
When the strong copycat blend of influences goes a little sour, the film is left with an aftertaste of unfulfillment, the characters lacking the depth and substance they deserve. The film is brave in its ambition and despite being somewhat one dimensional in the execution, it provides a lot of fun and exciting camera work. After all, the filmmaker is a cinematographer by trade. This is where it becomes clear that although Viveiros has a brilliant eye and an active imagination, his directorial vision falls short of those he aims to replicate but as a first outing, it is far from being unforgivable.
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DVD review: The Iceman
‘The Iceman’ tells the true story of mafia hitman Richard Kuklinski, based on the book ‘The Ice Man: Confessions of a Mafia Contract Killer’ by Philip Carlo. He is said to have murdered over one hundred people, mostly contract killings but some for pleasure or just because he could; all of which he kept hidden from his wife and two daughters, with whom he lived with up until his arrest in 1986. Michael Shannon stars as Kuklinski, alongside Winona Ryder as wife Deborah, and Ray Liotta as crime boss Roy DeMeo. The relatively unknown Ariel Vromen directs with a clear, yet unoriginal vision, the style brooding but slick, the violence bold and frequent, but does it stack up alongside the many gangster films that have come before it?
To think a man can keep his dark line of work completely unnoticed from his loved ones suspends disbelief, which can lead us to forget we’re watching an adaptation of real events. Kuklinski initially balances life as a caring family man, and as an evil assassin with relative ease but the moments where his two lives bleed together lend the film its most memorable scenes. Notably, as the journey home from a family ice skating outing is interrupted by an argumentative foul mouthed motorist, Kuklinski sees red when his wife is threatened, showing a glimpse of his hidden persona, but not enough to garner suspicion of the true depth of his disturbed state of mind. The character study raises the question of whether or not he was truly mad. This is alluded to when he visits his jailbird brother, imprisoned for killing a little girl. Is the destructive sickening condition genetic, or brought on by an upbringing filled with ill-treatment and abuse? Instead of exploring these issues in full, ‘The Iceman’ choose a more conventional gangster film structure, a loose biopic stitched into familiar plot. There is nothing necessarily wrong with this, and as an addition to the heavily used genre, it is well above average.
Borrowing from crime drama masters such as Scorsese and Mann, the violence is strong and bloody, but handled well and without overdoing it. A lot of visual contrast is effectively implemented, dark silhouettes in doorways of light, aesthetically representing the constant crossovers between his two facades. Due to the complex central character and Shannon’s portrayal, the story maintains a bubbling intensity throughout, and although the dialogue is less than wordy, and at times from Kuklinski, monosyllabic, when the tension boils over, it is a delight. Taking aspects from his troubled Boardwalk Empire character, Nelson Van Alden, Michael Shannon steals every frame he is in, and furthers his reputation as a magnificent villain. Despite his questionable facial hair, he can be forever taken seriously in his role, chillingly dispatching of victims, earning the ambiguous title he was given by the media. The name coming partly for his unnerving expression, and partly for his trademark of freezing corpses only to dispose of bodies years later to prevent traces of his crimes. By the end, the deaths do become repetitive, but this maybe cleverly deliberate, showing that violence was a career choice for Kuklinski, the recurrence reflecting the day-to-day nature of his actions.
Aside from the eponymous role, Ray Liotta reminds us how good he can be as organised crime boss DeMeo. Fondly remembered for his depiction of Henry Hill in Goodfellas, here he switches sides, taking on a role more closely associated with the De Niro or Pesci ‘made men’ figures in the Mafia. After a string of average turns in one dimensional parts, Liotta is back on form, as a conflicted leader, torn between his Mafioso principles and his loyalty to weak link foot soldier Josh (David Schwimmer) of whom he feels responsible, having raised him as if he was his own son. Also impressive is Chris Evans, as Mr Freezy, a manipulative killer who forms an alliance with Kuklinski, introducing him to the use of cyanide as well leading him to earn his nickname. Mr Freezy, as you may suspect, also kept his victims cold, using an ice cream van as cover, serving from a freezer with human remains stored under the sugary snacks. Leading the support cast in Kuklinski’s not-so-violent segments as his loving but utterly clueless wife is Winona Ryder who put in a decent performance but alongside her co-star she appears rather anonymous, as she buckles under Shannon’s screen presence. The two daughters also struggle under the weight of their father, serving as an annoyance but are nonetheless important to the development of the story.
As a gangster flick, ‘The Iceman’ is entirely watchable. It may be predictable in where it ends up, but that does not take away from the path it takes to get there. The brutal killings are a joy, and the host of interesting side characters carry a lot of weight. Kuklinski is given a slight back story which could have been built upon, and although the character arc features a definitive beginning, middle and end, the potential is there to offer just a bit more if the character study was left to thaw a little longer. With Shannon, he’s shown he can do the multi-layered with past credits including Take Shelter and the aforementioned Boardwalk Empire, and we will soon see how he interprets the ‘superhero villain’ as the deadly General Zod in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel. Even if somewhat hollow in its investigation of the man, ‘The Iceman’ is carried out as immaculately as one of Kuklinski’s many executions.
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DVD review: The Great Hip Hop Hoax
A fascinating and hilarious true story of two Scottish rappers who pretended to be American to pursue their dream to be the next big thing. Jeanie Finlay directs, documenting through interviews and shaky archive footage shot by the lads themselves. Back before the UK hip hop scene had taken off with the likes of Plan B, Dizzee Rascal and Wiley, Gavin McBain and Billy Boyd met at Dundee University and instantly formed a connection, however there was no room for Scottish hip hop – it wasn’t marketable. After a disastrous 2002 audition in London where they were stereotypically branded ‘the rapping Proclaimers’, they thought they had blown the big chance for a breakthrough into the industry. Months later, ‘for a laugh’, Boyd put on an American accent when trying to secure a gig claiming to be over from California to promote an EP and to his amazement, it worked. From then on, they were no longer Bill and Gav from Arbroath. They were Silibil n’ Brains from LA. ‘The Great Hip Hop Hoax’ takes us on their unique journey through the dizzy heights of Sony record deals and appearing on MTV, to the inevitable combustion, and carries it off with style, humour and most importantly honesty, creating an intriguing watch that has you questioning how on earth they pulled it off.
What makes this piece so interesting is the lie that holds it all together, and this is what drew Jeanie Finlay to the project. To completely assume new identities for what was a number of years is astounding to the point that most guys lost sight of who they were and why they were doing it. The talking head segments from Billy’s fiancée, friends and the music moguls who were taken in by their creation are really key in shedding light on how dedicated they both were, never breaking character and even avoiding phonecalls from parents to maintain the new facades. The well developed new characters are also given wacky cartoon personas, the cleverly made zany animation offering a different aspect to the film. There is a great sense of authenticity running through the whole production, Billy and Gavin telling it how it was, ahead of the release of their new EP ‘Eat Your Brains’ which is available to download now on iTunes.
After the screening, I had the pleasure of attending a Q&A session and after party with the director, Billy and Gavin, and it was staggering to see how driven they both still are. Perhaps Gavin more so than Billy as he has now settled down and had a couple of kids. Whilst performing at the after party, Silibil n’ Brains were as captivating as ever, now openly Scottish and proud but keeping up the Beastie Boys attitude and accents, spitting comedic lines to extremely catchy beats. Maybe they haven’t achieved what they set out to originally, but they are treated with respect now in the industry they longed to be a part of, having a lot of fun at the same time and ‘The Great Hip Hop Hoax’ documentary is a worthy account of the brilliant story.
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The Adjustment Bureau: Making a Philip K. of it
It is never an easy feat to develop a book into a successful film, maybe because of one’s closer attachment with literature as you would spend longer with that medium. In saying that, the films adapted from the works of American novelist Philip K. Dick tend to go down well such as Blade Runner, Total Recall and Minority Report which have all translated relatively well to the big screen. In 2005, Bourne screenwriter George Nolfi directed The Adjustment Bureau which is based, albeit loosely, on the short story The Adjustment Team. This was said to have been Dick’s ‘tunnel under the world’ themed tale in which our day-to-day existence is manipulated by an unknown higher power. His directorial debut, Nolfi clearly had a vision but it is a far cry from the complexities of Dick’s, taking the unique concept and running with it to Hollywood convention, squeezing a political action thriller and a rom-com into the mix, whilst trying to stay true to its science fiction origins.
Matt Damon stars as reckless Brooklyn Congressman David Norris alongside Emily Blunt as aspiring dancer Elise Sellas. After failing in his run for United States Senate, David has a chance encounter with Elise and typically, it is love at first sight, which doesn’t bode well with the manipulative Adjustment Bureau. They have a set path for everyone, and watch over from city rooftops as the world goes by, stepping in to tweak as need be, to ensure the human race get the predetermined future they are meant to. For such a menacingly dark premise, there is room to explore the matters further on a cinematic format but instead The Adjustment Bureau plays it safe, which is enjoyable enough but doesn’t take advantage of the original notion.
The romance angle feels forced and unconvincing despite the best efforts of the leads, and this true-love-conquers-all mentality dominates the plot, which leaves the interesting sci-fi stuff looking cool but underdeveloped. The poster tagline reads ‘Bourne meets Inception’ which instantly sets the production up for a fall as by trying to be the best of both, it never matches the quality of either. The action sequences are few and far between with David lacking the charisma of action man Jason Bourne and where Nolan’s dream delving narrative asked questions of its audience, here we are almost led through step-by-step with members of the secret society, explaining the twists as they come and go. When the feared Thompson is mentioned in hushed tones and introduced as villain of the piece, expectations rise but in walks Terence Stamp who looks like he would be more likely to offer David a Werther’s Original than to cause him any great torment. It promises so much and delivers little possibly due to the 12 certificate restriction.
The Adjustment Bureau will, for me, go down as a wasted opportunity, as it fails to capitalise on the potential of Dick’s intriguing twisted conspiracy theory. With so many avenues to venture down, a television series or even a film trilogy probably could have offered enough hours to satisfy the idea rather than glossing over in a film that doesn’t do it justice.
DVD review: Mud
I have avoided the work of Matthew McConaughey in the past, his associations with romantic comedies have put me off to the point that when I see his name attached I tend not to show any interest at all, but as his career has since taken an expected twist, I was intrigued to see ‘Mud’, a story in which two young boys meet a dishevelled man living in a boat come tree house on a deserted island on the Mississippi Delta. Citing Mark Twain as an influence, writer director Jeff Nichols attempts the great American film where adolescent intrigue and curiosity steer the teenage friends Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and Neckbone (Jacob Lofland) to meet Mud (Matthew McConaughey) befriending and assisting him, despite the ‘wanted’ posters in town bearing his face.
Beginning as a Stand By Me-esque adventure tale, Ellis hopping on the back of Neckbone’s dirt bike for a summer of fun, romance at the forefront of the formers pubescent mind, and ‘titties’ on the agenda of the latter. The friendship is magnificent to watch, capturing the humour to a tee but with a genuine essence, and Ellis’ idealistic but naive notion of love holds the narrative together. Though the light-heartedness is short-lived, hinted at early on with symbolic shots of spiders and eerie suspenseful score. The cinematography sweeps us off to the ominous island, crucifixes in the sand leading to the suspenseful encounter with Mud, who with his dirty exterior and scraggy features earns his title. Striking a bond with Mud, going back to the island alone providing food and drink, Ellis escapes from his home life difficulties. His parents are in a turbulent marriage, he has an unrequited crush on the ‘popular one’ in the neighbourhood, and when Mud recounts his quest for happiness with Juniper (Reese Witherspoon) it triggers his true-love-must-prevail attitude which pits him against his family and the criminals searching for Mud.
The performances in Mud are of the highest order throughout, with McConaughey delivering straight from the top drawer. Initially coming across as arrogant, and perhaps a little over confident, as his character develops, his past unravelling, the portrayal continually keeps up, climaxing with a gripping finale. Unwilling to be outshone completely are the two youngsters, Sheridan and Lofland, who are outstanding. It is the norm for these kind of performances to either seem overplayed, or rather flat but the two get the balance spot on, and I think their chemistry helps boost one another, both giving heartfelt, and at times hilarious. With Sam Shepard, Reese Witherspoon and usual Nichols collaborator Michael Shannon filling the back seat in supporting roles, the towering stature of the cast is undeniable. Shannon, for me, was a little underused, as I really enjoyed him in a less serious role, taking the part of Neckbone’s deep sea diving, womanising uncle, offering words of wisdom. It was also very interesting to see Witherspoon used with a different approach, a darker, beautifully trashy side shown, clashing with her customary ‘girl next door’ depictions.
The only criticism I have of Mud is that it overstays its welcome somewhat, the pace dragging along through certain segments, the two hour ten minutes running time perhaps could have benefited with twenty or so shaved the sides. Despite lagging through the domestic scenes in Ellis’ broken home, which I felt were quite heavy handed, the script is at its best during the interchanges between Ellis, Neckbone and Mud, the dialogue exceptional with acting to boot, and it is the connections between these characters and between these three which are long lasting and pull you in, immersing us in their adventure.
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DVD review: The Look of Love
Having previously worked together on a number of projects, including ’24 Hour Party People’ and ‘A Cock and Bull Story’, the friendship between director Michael Winterbottom and leading man Steve Coogan is evident. The latest collaboration ‘The Look of Love’ displays this wholeheartedly, both clearly enjoying themselves in their representation of Soho’s seedy seventies backdrop, following porn mogul Paul Raymond , revolutionising the sex industry, whilst juggling relationships with wife Jean (Anna Friel), mistress Fiona (Tamsin Egerton) and beloved daughter Debra (Imogen Poots). This tale offers a glossy insight into his world, but without getting fully beneath the cracks.
DVD review: The Place Beyond The Pines
Derek Cianfrance previously got the best out of Ryan Gosling with ‘Blue Valentine’ in 2010, and this time around, he’s topped it. ‘The Place Beyond The Pines’ spans three generations, following motorbike stuntman Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling) and rookie cop Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper) in Schenectady, New York, the English meaning of which gives the film its name. When. travelling loner Luke discovers by chance that he has a young son, he abruptly quits his job to stick around, disillusioned by the concept on settling down and starting a family. In a desperate attempt to provide for his child, he begins a life of crime, robbing banks in a smash and grab but calculated fashion, using the ill gotten gains to buy a cot and gifts for his offspring. A brooding illustration of fatherhood and all that comes with it, fixed in an ambitiously brave structure assisted by standout performances, this quietly intelligent tale hits hard.
Split into three acts, shown chronologically, this approach to filmmaking is certainly admirable, though the cinematic impact of the first act is so strong that I feel it outshines the second and third. Hitchcockian in its camera work, the one take sequences and extreme close ups draw the audience into the story brilliantly, straight from the opening over the shoulder scene of Luke as he enters a spherical cage to join his ‘heartthrobs’ ahead of their death defying travelling fair performance. This provides an instant intimacy with the character, giving a very humanistic insight into his flawed and psyche. To jump from the first act to the second through a tragic twist, the focus shifting from Luke to Avery, is a remarkably bold move, which clashes with the traditional method of storytelling, but unfortunately signifies a slight lull in interest, with the moral dilemma of the young policeman failing to garner quite as much likeability as the rock n’ roll fable it follows. Though it picks up again in the final act, coming fifteen years later, showing the sons of Luke and Avery, and the lives they lead, consequential of the paths their fathers led before them, bringing the beautifully poetic arrangement to its somewhat predictable conclusion. Holes can be picked in the plot, like the sons AJ and Jason coincidentally meeting across a school dinner table and becoming friends when their backgrounds are so contrasting, but it is difficult to be over critical when the overriding messages of class and justice are so powerful, and presented in such an effortlessly stylish way, memorable shots throughout and a subtle soundtrack resonating, tying the trio of tales tightly together.
In a story which offers a brutally realistic take on family, a trait which appears a developing trademark for director Cianfrance, the acting is spot on, wholly doing justice to the rich characters. Gosling, who worked closely in developing the ‘Handsome Luke’ creation, is mesmerising. With shades of his portrayal of ‘the driver’ in crime cult hit ‘Drive’, he is again mysterious and moody, and has another super cool jacket, his damaged persona dripping with magnetism, but here he takes it to another level. The performance is multi-layered, and the character is immediately iconic, with his doodle tattooed physique and platinum blond hair. His onscreen chemistry with love interest Romina (Eva Mendes) is electric, though this is probably helped by the fact they’ve been dating off screen for two years. The other star, dominant in the second part is Bradley Cooper, who also gives a career best piece as the dislikeable Avery Cross. Though Gosling is undoubtedly difficult to follow, Cooper does a professional job. Flimsy and overrated in the past, here he takes a deeply conflicted character, with dividing loyalties and surprisingly carries it off exceptionally. A suitably great supporting cast includes Ben Mendelsohn as bank robbing grease monkey Robin, and Ray Liotta as sleazeball cop Deluca, both heavily involved in pivotal plot devices. Even the two youngsters playing the sons in the closing third do very well, carrying attributes of the roles prior, and showing promise for the future. Dane DeHaan with the recklessness of Luke admittedly impressed more so than Emery Cohen as the cocky rich kid son of Avery and Jennifer, his rap star wannabe attitude seemed off-key and unnecessary, but this fault is with the writing I guess, not with the acting itself. Both hold their own in a tense finale to the father and son epic.
A commendable slice of cinema with a unique storytelling method, ‘The Place Beyond The Pines’ is a thought provoking piece of work, boasting a memorable and intriguing character in daredevil Luke Glanton. Ryan Gosling is the stand out, epitomising cool and continuing his working bond with Cianfrance, now competing with his other director/actor partnership with Nicolas Winding Refn who has worked with him in Drive and Only God Forgives. He announced a break from the silver screen, to sit in the director’s chair for his own project ‘The Lost River’, but with the media tipping him all the roles going, let us all hope he isn’t away for long. ‘If you ride like lightning, you’re going to crash like thunder’ is the tagline alongside Luke’s rapid path, but with the Gosling fan base ever increasing, his own ride surely won’t be crashing anytime soon.
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DVD review: Trance
Nobody can fault Danny Boyle’s ambition. He took Irvine Welsh’s beloved drug fuelled novel Trainspotting and created a cult classic, he put the true story of an adventurer stuck between a rock and a hard place on-screen brilliantly with 127 Hours and last year he orchestrated the Olympic opening ceremony showing what he can do away from the big screen. Now he is back in the director’s chair with ‘Trance’, a heist thriller starring James McAvoy and Rosario Dawson but where in the past his risks have paid off and then some, making him one of the most respected filmmakers of his generation, his latest effort falls short, disappointingly appearing more of a muddled mess than a marvel masterpiece.
The premise of the plot is fantastic on paper; an art auctioneer with a gambling addiction is complicit in the theft of Francisco Goya’s Witches in the Air, but when he is knocked out by gang leader Franck and can’t remember where he hid the painting, hypnotist Elizabeth Lamb is called upon to assist Simon in accessing his memory to retrieve the stolen artwork. The films begins well, with the opening sequence heist scene carried off effortlessly, generating excitement very early on. Artistically, this is a film to be admired, boasting bold, but stylish visuals and there are exhilarating moments throughout, improved by an uncomfortably mesmerising soundtrack, but this just isn’t enough. The complexity of the narrative becomes increasingly untidy, and the characters have little to no depth, becoming nothing more than pawns in an increasingly frustrating clutter. Obvious comparisons can be made with Christopher Nolan’s dreamy Inception but where putting that puzzle together was confusing, it was undoubtedly fun whereas Trance is a jigsaw that would make you want to flip the table before picking up all the pieces and putting them firmly back in the box.
James McAvoy shows promise in the lead role, but seems restricted, drowning in a series of sub plots that don’t really go anywhere. I did, however, enjoy the internal monologue segment, reminiscent of Ewan McGregor who provided the iconic ‘choose life’ speech in Boyle’s most impressive work. Vincent Cassel is weak as the villainous gang boss, and his team of goons are no better, none of them given their own identity. As a group of so-called ‘baddies’, I think there’s probably been Power Rangers’ foes’ that have been taken more seriously. With the male leads failing to cause much of a stir, it is left to Rosario Dawson to raise the bar, delivering the goods in a challenging role that develops at an uncontrollable pace, which she manages to maintain control of, holding it together to give a mature performance that steals the film, also earning some unexpected sex symbol status in suspenseful X-rated segments, handled expertly by Boyle’s stylistic direction.
‘Trance’ is not without its strong points, but with a back catalogue as glittering as Boyle’s, this will ultimately be seen as a letdown, not matching his past successes in any way shape or form. With the anticipation and intriguing foundations, it should have offered so much more though I feel we can let him off with one slip-up, as he has earned the right to be experimental. If nothing else, he has shown that his imagination is still as inventive as ever, which can only be a positive thing, even if the execution this time is way off the mark.
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DVD review: The Incredible Burt Wonderstone
As American goofball comedies go, ‘The Incredible Burt Wonderstone’ is probably as good as you will get, due to the all star veteran cast. Set in Las Vegas, we see Burt Wonderstone (Steve Carrell) and Anton Marvelton (Steve Buscemi) find fame as successful magicians. Their glittering career is threatened by controversial street magician Steve Gray (Jim Carrey) and they must put personal differences aside to prevail, recapturing the magic that first kindled the friendship.
The script writes itself here, and there are no surprises, playing off a real life scenario; the traditional Penn & Teller-esque act versus the extreme David Blaine type. It is a reflection of the ever-changing entertainment industry, similar to silent hit The Artist which looked at silent movies phasing out to make way for ‘talkies’, it shows how a tried and tested art form can become stale, and if it’s not updated, can be swept away by ‘the next big thing’. This is easy viewing at it’s easiest, with stereotypical subplots and a radio friendly soundtrack, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Laughs do come thick and fast, especially from street magician Steve Gray and his hilarious attempts at holding in his urine for days, and spending the night sleeping on red hot coals.
At the heart of this film, it is blindingly obvious that the cast are enjoying themselves, bouncing off one another and revelling in not taking themselves too seriously, in particular Buscemi and Gandolfini who are light-years away from their ‘two Tony’s’ Soprano’s relationship. Both have impeccable timing, adapting to the genre with ease. Steve Carrell also puts in an interesting performance, escaping the nice guy typecasting he is so closely associated with for a chauvinistic love-hate character, yet he still seems very much in his comfort zone, and delivers the goods. The real pleasant surprise is Jim Carrey, breezing into the plot about a third of the way in, stealing the limelight as eccentric guerrilla artist Steve Gray, which I think is his funniest piece in over a decade. The part was initially lined up to be underplayed by Adam Pally and was altered at a later stage once Jim Carrey was involved as he apparently wanted to take the character in a ‘Jesus-y direction’.
‘The Incredible Burt Wonderstone’ is a lot of fun, and it’s brilliant to see a cast having such a great time, despite the predictability of the narrative. With a lesser known cast, this would just be another throwaway comedy. It is silly from the off, and once the inevitable US sentimentality kicks in, the jokes do subside a little. Though once the awkward ‘romance’ between Burt and Jane passes through, the laughs do fortunately return. The big positive is the welcome comeback of the funny Jim Carrey, and with his turn in ‘Kick Ass 2’ also on the way later this year, hopefully his return to form will continue.
Cinema Perspective 