The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

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Over the years, one consistent curse of Hollywood has been the endless exploitation of successful franchises, dragging beloved movies and characters far beyond their ideal life spans and ultimately tarnishing the effect of the original. Star Wars is a principal example of how a trilogy of wonderful adventures can be tainted by the studio necessity to delve deeper into the story (or as it’s known to studio executives, milking the cash cow) and ultimately this leads to the magic of the originals being dimmed. The Star Wars prequels immediately came to mind upon hearing the announcement that the film adaption of J R R Tolkien’s novel The Hobbit was to be split into a trilogy of films and this made me nervous. A late comer anyway to The Lord of the Rings I certainly didn’t want the films to be tarnished by a studio desire to maximise profits, but rest assured, Stars Wars prequel The Hobbit is not.

Peter Jackson has already vividly expressed his loving homage to Middle Earth in the LOTR trilogy and once again his passion and energy towards the project is obvious from the get go here. The use of revolutionary 48 frames per second camerawork may have been met with muted enthusiasm earlier in production but in 3D it has found its home, the imagery and colour of the Middle Earth scenery bought to the viewer in breathtaking realism adding another dimension and in many ways more scope to the now familiar epic story of the shy little hobbit Bilbo Baggins. The titular character being portrayed by Martin Freeman (of The Office fame) in a role he seemed born to play. The awkward but resilient nature he depicts through Bilbo exemplifies all that is so important about the hobbit race to the overall story arc, small in stature but big in heart and no doubt his portrayal will become an iconic character in modern cinematic history. It already feels as if Ian Holm’s elder Bilbo from LOTR grew out of Freeman’s performance and that is quite an achievement by both actors perfectly cast to the character by Jackson.

As a whole the film doesn’t have the slow building start felt in LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) and this is in part due to the confidence of director, cast and indeed audience that we are merely revisiting a beloved memory rather than having to adapt to a new concept. To put it bluntly it is as if we never really left Middle Earth and while there is a mixture of old and new with regards to the characters we follow, the journey they undertake is now a welcome and familiar cinematic experience for us all. Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf and is consistent throughout the film, his portrayal as the one continual throughout all the films is as settling to the audience as it is exciting. The new band of Dwarves who take Bilbo on his journey look set to add a light-hearted and more comical dimension to the franchise and more than make up for the loss of Frodo and his loyal if hapless Hobbit companions, while the Orc antagonists ensure tension and continual conflict to our heroes which is a much enjoyed returning aspect of the franchise as a whole.

One of the most memorable aspects of LOTR which audiences eagerly await in The Hobbit from the first minute is the return of the charismatic Gollum, a CGI revolution over a decade ago which still resonates with audiences of all ages. Andy Serkis will forever be known for this portrayal and this fact is less a hindrance and more a welcome embrace from the actor, who once again threatens to steal the show with his depiction. The Riddle game in the cave brilliantly exploiting the contradicting persona’s of Gollum in a humorous but dark manner which provides the audience a foundation of what to expect from his involvement in the trilogy. Smaug the Dragon may not have played a central role in this film but he will in the trilogy and from the Jaws like snippets of the dragon the director allows us, it is clear to see another CGI masterpiece could quite easily define this prequel trilogy.

Overall, The Hobbit offers up all we have come to love and expect from the fantasy world of LOTR under the stewardship of Peter Jackson and while only a 1/3 of the way through, promises much more to come which could easily match or better the epic trilogy it leads towards. One criticism from me would be the over reliance on comic moments at times and this in my opinion isn’t needed, the brilliance of LOTR being its ability to unite light hearted comedy with a darker, grittier epic  tale of tragedy and sacrifice.  However I am in no doubt that The Hobbit exceeded expectations, a feat not lost on the audience who burst into heavy applause at the credits (no easy achievement to gain from modern cinemagoers) and barely takes a bite out of the wonderful story which will no doubt explode and unfold in the next two chapters under a director who seems totally at home amongst this fantasy world of hobbits and wizards. In short, go and see this film!

Rating: 4 Jakes (the elusive 5^th I'm confident will return in the 2^nd instalment)

 By Jake Roche

Pinewood Expansion Plans

My latest studio piece is now up and ready!

Please click on the 'Studio News' tab on the homepage to find my piece on the Pinewood Expansion Plans, this is a hot topic right now and all thoughts are welcomed. 

If anybody knows of any other studios that are currently in danger or having problems with government support in the UK, do let me know. Enjoy!

 

Welcome to my new blog!

A warm welcome to my new blog, home of all my best and most detailled pieces from the world of film. Over the coming months I hope to add film reviews of some of the biggests new realeases in Hollywood, as well as continue my series on the state and preservation of British studios.

Please also keep an eye out for new features including my diary tracking my on running quest for celebrity autographs.

I genuinely hope you enjoy my Blog and all feedback is welcomed.

Please share and discuss!

Jake

Skyfall (2012)

The release of Skyfall coincides with the 50^th anniversary of the first James Bond big screen adventure Dr No (1962) and perhaps signifies how cinema’s most iconic spy has come full circle. Daniel Craig returns for his third outing as Bond, though the indestructible force he possessed in the first two is greatly questioned here, as is the relevance of Bond in a changing world landscape.  The one inevitability in life is ageing and director Sam Mendes is keen to highlight that even 007 isn’t immune, perhaps for the first time in any of the 23 films, genuinely showing a Bond who struggles both physically and mentally with the expectations of his job. 

All three Craig films have attempted to revitalise Bond, to recreate a grittier, more realistic Bond better suited to the 21^st century. In my opinion, Skyfall is the first film to have truly asserted this intention and run with it. Casino Royale (2006) although bold and darker, stayed close to the traditions of Bond, eager to test the waters with a new leading man, while Quantum of Solace (2008) never really managed to get going due in part to the financial difficulties at MGM Studios and the Writers Strike in California. But in Skyfall, Mendes has allowed a rebirth of Bond which incorporates all that has made the spy so iconic over the past 5 decades, but redirects it to make sense in a post 9/11 world. 

This leads me to the films main villain Raoul Silva, played to eerie perfection by Javier Bardem, a former spy himself under the wing of M during her earlier stint in Hong Kong, he has returned to seek revenge against the woman he felt used and abandoned him. Immediately, this sets this antagonist apart from the usual Bond nemesis, in as much as his ambitions are personal and singularly focused. Traditionally, Bond comes up against men eager to overthrow governments, steal the country’s gold reserve or of course the old chestnut, take over the world. But Silva’s aim to take down M makes this films focus around MI6 personal and intimate. Bardem’s portrayal is very much like Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight (2008), a demonic individual out to cause chaos. Such a villain is much harder to understand and control and M perhaps says it best with her line to the public inquiry ‘The world has changed; today we don’t know the identity of the people we are trying to defeat’. Suggesting how terrorism makes the world of espionage harder and less controllable than in the past. Goldfinger was very much one man with a plan, a singular threat to the world, Silva is any man with a desire, a goal to terrorise and destroy. 

Mendes uses the personal threat to MI6 and M to re-examine the corporation and its role in the Bond universe. Skyfall reintroduces us to Q after a two film absence, but this new Q is much younger, less a scientist and more a technical wizard. Bond cannot believe the younger man is experienced enough but Q (Ben Whishaw) counters with ‘I could do more damage sitting in my pyjamas with my laptop then you could in the field’ again symbolising the changing status of modern warfare which threatens to leave Bond behind, obsolete. The wonderful gadgets of old replaced with a simple radio homing device and gun again illustrating how this new Bond will be in touch with reality and simplicity. The reintroduction and modernisation of Moneypenny is another key moment, less a secretary with a school girl crush, she is now an experienced field agent disillusioned with her role in the field, but somebody very much able to match and counter Bond. But perhaps the most significant change of all is the Death of M. Dame Judy Dench made the role her own when first introduced. The first female M in Goldeneye (1995), she brought much more depth to the role and this is best signified by how she alone avoided the cull of characters between the Brosnan and Craig eras. Her connection with Bond often went further than professional and their relationship can be seen as more Mother and son than boss and employee. This judgement potentially leads to her downfall in Skyfall and yet her relentless dedication and belief does payoff when Bond finally takes down Silva, her dying line ‘I got something right’ a loving homage to the agent she trusted above all others. The decision to make Ralph Fiennes character Mallory the new M is a strong indication that the realistic approach to Bond will continue, his M being one who has experienced the field of duty rather than just dictated it as past M’s have. 

 But with all true Bond films, the focus should be on the man of the moment himself and certainly Skyfall is no different. Daniel Craig’s rough and ready Bond has already won critical acclaim but here the extension of the character is what will define his place in Bond legacy. For the first time we get to delve into Bonds upbringing, his childhood and maybe get a glimpse of why this man is the man he is. Craig’s Bond is less a smooth talking ladies man and more a human male entering mid life suffering from anxieties common to many a man in his position. In this he has managed to make Bond accessible, yes we love to aspire to be Bond, the smooth talking, sex god spy with a license to Kill, but Craig’s 007 also allows us to realise that Bond, like us, has his weaknesses, his worries and this only serves to make him more relevant in today’s society. The destruction of his childhood home and his beloved Aston Martin DB5 acts as a metaphor to the progression of Bond in cinema over the last 50 years. As the world adapts to changing circumstances, so must Bond if this franchise is to succeed. But the message in the film is clear and simple, the world will change, MI6 will change and the nature of evil will change, but James Bond can and will adapt and continue, longevity the reason the franchise and indeed the man will continue to inspire and entertain cinema audiences for years to come.

Film Rating: 5 Jakes

By Jake Roche

Bray Studios, the House that built Hammer: An Obituary

 

Bray Studios, the home of Hammer during its heyday has recently been closed by its current owner after the local Windsor and Maidenhead council agreed to plans to convert the sacred site into housing. Citing a lack of demand for future projects and the closeness to powerhouses such as Pinewood Studios, the fate of this greatly historic little studio has been sealed. Next to Bray Studios is Oakley Court, a Victorian Gothic manor which became home to many Hammer films during a period of 14 years while it lay uninhabited. Bray joins a list of many Studios and sets lost over the years and yet neighbouring Oakley Court is now a luxury hotel, its derelict charm which captured so many imaginations of the audiences watching those films, all put gone, however it still stands. A visual and very real monument to a period of British cinematic genius, okay the rooms have been altered, the grounds manicured, but its essence is still alive. Fans from all over the world can and still do visit this site, eager to just catch a glimpse of the location where their favourite movie was shot, eager to feel close to the giants of early British Horror, the pioneers who revolutionised low budget cinema. For me it is an opportunity to immerse myself in a bygone world of filming brilliance, where dreams could so easily become reality and a 2 hour escape from reality could so easily be achieved. I am grateful for Oakley Court in its modern capacity because at the very least it is a preservation of such an important film set which can now be shared with generations to come. 

If only the owners of Bray Studios could have found a way to make their plans for modernisation more accessible for the public like Oakley Court did. To embrace the past and bring it with them into the future, to celebrate the impactful role such a past has had on our community.  If this reality was a movie, then no doubt in the nick of time Hammer, now heading back to the top of the production world, would come to the rescue of its beloved spiritual home and restore it to its former glory. A gift to say thank you for all that Bray Studios and its creative souls did for the company, alas I fear this is just another dream, another form of escapism so I and countless genuine film fans the country and world over won’t have to contemplate the sad facts that life moves on, money conquers all and sentiment is left for the heroes in our Hollywood silver screen heydays.

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Far too often, the ‘final chapter’ in a Hollywood trilogy tries too hard to be bigger, better and busier than its predecessors and ultimately ends up as a cluttered affair. The reminder of the lure of the original and the anticipated promise of the second often means the third seemingly struggles to stand on its own two feet. Spiderman 3 is an all too recent example of a directors desire to fit in as many iconic characters as possible into the finale in a desperate attempt to outclass the previous showing and yet through Nolan’s bat universe we dared to dream that finally we had a director who wasn’t capable of making such mistakes. Nolan had already succeeded in bringing the darkest, most realistic portrayal of Gotham and its anti-hero to the silver screen; likewise he had already managed to re-write cinema’s perceptions of an iconic villain in The Joker (played to perfection by the late Heath Ledger) and smash the Billion Dollar Box Office in the process, so with the third and final outing of his trilogy imminent, many began to wonder just how could he top these already astronomical achievements? What too many of us seemed to have forgotten then was that this wasn’t any ordinary director, this was Christopher Nolan, a man whose entire career so far had done nothing less than change our perceptions of cinema, and with his final foray in to Gotham, that record wasn’t about to change yet. 

Prior to the film’s release, the focal point for many was the inclusion of Bane as the Batman’s nemesis. The Joker had far exceeded any loyal fans wildest anticipation in The Dark Knight and the tragic circumstances which followed for Heath Ledger only heightened the sense of awe in watching his performance. Nolan to his credit chose not to attempt another show stealing feat of acting ability with the inclusion of Bane (depicted by the ever impressive Tom Hardy), simply put, he had instead chosen to darken the tone and provide a rival who exposed the very real vulnerabilities of our hero. Bane’s involvement helped bring the story arc full circle, challenging Bruce Wayne’s Batman to understand the role he was to play in the future of his city, whilst forcing him to come to terms with his own past and the inevitable restriction of life, ageing. Tom Hardy’s muscle bound villain may not have had the irresistible presence that Ledges Joker brought, but he manages to serve purpose in making this final chapter focus on the two most important elements of this trilogy; Bruce Wayne and the City of Gotham as a whole. Bane’s gruff tone, though inaudible at points, remained true to the comics and exemplified the dystopian uprising his army of thugs had bestowed upon peace time Gotham.  The physical battles with Batman were the first of their kind in the trilogy, no previous villain physically had been so able to match Wayne’s alter ego and this perhaps provided Batman with his most demanding of challenges, one which reminds both the audience and our protagonist that regardless of his wealth and technology, his biggest weakness lay within his own mortality.

If the inclusion of Bane served to test Batman’s physical and mental strength, than the presence of not one but two strong female characters was designed to challenge Bruce Wayne’s. Miranda Tate lacked the feminine desire of previous screen ‘Wayne girls’ but her innocent, almost angelic design worked well in hiding the eventual plot twist from the audience, her sheer presence in the film helping the narrative find its way back to the first films foundation in Ra’s Al Ghul and the League of Shadows, the institution which underlines much of the trilogy’s progression as a whole. While Tate may have been the key to helping the trilogy return to its roots, the inclusion of Anne Hathaway’s Selina Kyle was a master stroke by Nolan. In Hathaway’s Kyle he had finally found a woman capable of matching Bruce Wayne’s complex and contradictive mindset, a woman independent enough to not need his concern, but fragile enough to warrant it anyway. Anne Hathaway to her credit moulded the role to her own styling and much like Ledger managed with his re-envisioning of Jack Nicholson’s iconic performance, so too has Hathaway managed to revamp Michelle Pfeiffer’s ‘Catwoman’ and make her more plausible in Nolan’s gritty, realistic Gotham.

The portrayal of Gotham City in Nolan’s Bat universe has, since the first outing opted away from the fantasy depictions of previous films and instead closely intertwined with a city based in reality, New York. That has never been more obvious than it is in The Dark Knight Rises; the film’s opening sequences highlighting how the crime infestation and mafia rule of yesteryear are all but gone, the mayor’s office successfully stamping down on organised crime and the streets finally safe for the ordinary public. A city it seems in harmony finally, only to be devastated by an unexpected act of terror, one which leaves its police force powerless to intervene. Sound familiar? Well it should, Nolan’s reference to the 9/11 attacks on New York acts as a way of pushing the city towards its reckoning (In the words of Bane), leaving redemption in the hands of its people.  By deliberately linking this terror to a real life situation, Nolan is willing the audience into a state of recognition, something incapable in previous ‘Gotham’s’. His final battle scene which see’s the Gotham police united in their defiance exemplifies the courage of New York’s finest during their darkest hour some 11 years ago.  Gotham, like any real city, isn’t ever capable of being a perfect utopia, yet in overcoming the very possibility of its own destruction; Nolan is suggesting Gotham acts as a microcosm to society as a whole. Suggesting perhaps how only through adversity can we truly learn to grow and progress. Hope is a word so often mentioned throughout the trilogy and never more than in this final instalment; and yet it identifies the key emotion for all. A way of uniting social classes (which in Gotham evidently exist) and racial backgrounds in a singular ‘hope’ that through defeating adversity and evil, a better future can rise.

Despite all of Nolan’s achievements in the Bat universe throughout the trilogy, none are more significant and important than the development of Bruce Wayne. Christian Bale’s Wayne has singlehandedly added more depth to the character than all other film incarnations combined. The Dark Knight Rises begins with Bruce Wayne confined to the restored Wayne Manor in a homage to the late reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes. Since peace fell on Gotham and Batman (taking the blame for Harvey Dents Murder) had been forced into retirement, Wayne’s inability to settle into a ‘normal’ life has left him frustrated and isolated, unable to force himself into the fake civilities of the higher class echelons his persona required him to accommodate.  Ironically, it is only with the criminal activities of both Selina Kyle and Bane that he is able to find purpose again and revisit his alter ego. The ability to hide behind the mask, a common analogy throughout the trilogy, once again helping Wayne find what he believes is his purpose. Nolan’s hero has suffered much hardship through the previous two films and this was to be no exception, but in stripping Wayne of his assets, making him effectively just another ordinary Gotham citizen, the director was signifying much more. His ever loyal servant Alfred (played brilliantly by Michael Caine, delivering an emotional performance) questions his motives and indeed his ability to continue his crusade as his body inevitably declines, eventually being dismissed as he refuses to stand by and watch Wayne’s reckless disregard for his own life. This ultimately leads to Bane providing Batman’s first real physical threat in a time when his physical ability is all that’s left to his disposal, forcing Bruce Wayne to identify his demons, to understand what he was truly hoping to accomplish in his plight as Gotham’s anti-hero and find a way of adapting his approach in order to defeat evil and restore the city. By finally ‘rising’ (the title reference literally occurring as he escapes the hellish jail) Wayne’s Batman was able to unite with Gotham’s authority and sacrifice himself in order to ensure peace was restored and the police power re-instated.

As I write, plans are already in place for a new trilogy featuring a new director and cast, how is that possible so soon after you ask? Nolan once again provides the answers in the closing stages of the film. Detective Gordon (Gary Oldman) famously asking Batman who he was, only for Wayne to reply ‘Batman is a symbol, he can be any man’. A line which not only resonates with the ideology that one man can make a difference, but which perfectly sets the future of the franchise in motion. When Gotham believes Batman dead, it matters not who the face behind the mask is, only what he stood for, finally he is revered as a hero, a man whose self sacrifice aimed to inspire and unite a city and its people in a period of despair (I shall leave biblical references here as a matter of opinion). This also allows Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s John Blake to lead the transition for the future via a cheeky reference to his first name ‘Robin’ (a trademark teaser from the original where the Joker card in the final scene set the stage for the second instalment) as he is solely left responsible with the location of the bat cave. The Hollywood ending for Bruce Wayne may seem a studio necessity, however it also acts as a just reward for a character who has so dedicated and sacrificed for a city which for so long has failed to understand him. Wherever the next cinematic chapter of Batman takes us, one thing is certain, thanks to Nolan’s incredible trilogy, of which I arguably rate the third his crowning achievement, the future of this screen icon is all but assured for generations to come.

The Dark Knight Rises Rating: 5 Jakes.

By Jake Roche