Assassin's Creed Review

Stunning costume and set design is present throughout. As is some 

gorgeous cinematography.

Assassin's Creed, the video game turned film that was intended to break the video game film curse, the very same film that has been taking a hammering from critics. Many claiming it to be an incoherent and hard to understand mess and others hammering it for its acting among other factors. First before I get into the meat of this review I fell obligated to note that I am someone who has played and enjoyed several of the games, so I likely take some level of baggage into the film.

Assassin's Creed stars Michael Fassbender as Calum and Marion Cotillard as Sofia, a Templar who has kidnapped Calum with the hopes of finding the location of an apple of Eden artefact she thinks can cure violence. Why she suspects or believes this is sadly not present in the film, which lives her reasoning for searching for this artefact questionable at best. None the less Calum is put in a machine called the Animus and relives the history of an ancestor of his from over 500 years ago in Spain. How this works isn't really explained in much detail (as it is in the first game) and it really should have been. As it stands it likely well feel a little silly to people new to this fiction as well as being reminiscent of the Matrix films. It none the less all flows rather nicely and is a core component of every Assassin's Creed that you have to be willing to accept to have any chance of enjoying the rest of the film. It simply needed a better explanation as to how it worked for newcomers.

Whilst Assassin's Creed boasts a strong and exceedingly credible cast, 

the performances are at times uneven.

The pace is swift and we are quickly introduced to Aguilar, Cal's descendent in the past sequences. These sequences are those which mostly focus on high levels of action, which is fast frenetic and enjoyable if a little over edited. The visual pizzazz on display is quite the feast for the eyes, the costume and world design of 15th century Spain is fantastically dirty, dusty mess. This contrasts nicely with the overly sterile appearance present in the modern segments. Both of which are nicely complement by the score by Jed Kurzel, the directors brother.

Unfortunately as the sequences set in the past start to build some solid traction the film either cuts to Calum doing the same actions in the Animus machine, or much like the game returns as to the modern portion of the film where we come to a screeching halt. It is not that these sequences are bad per se, they certainly are far better then such sequences in the game series. But I can't help but find the return jarring that left me wanting more time with Aguilar as apposed to Cal. It certainly doesn't help that the performances are at times uneven, though unlike some reviews I was never confused by what was happening. Though perhaps this is due to my familiarity with the game series, I still none the less find it suspect that some have claimed the films story is difficult to follow (much like happened with the first Silent Hill film).

No doubt a gorgeous film, but sadly  hurt by some overly frantic editing.

Sofia and the Templars search for the apple of Eden all which leads to a finale that is surprisingly restrained which I found quite refreshing in a market of blockbusters that far to frequently have city's crumbling. All of which adds up to an experience that is a visual and audio thrill ride that is largely only let down by it's previously mentioned issues resulting from some overly aggressive editing, uneven performances and characters that simply aren't as fleshed out as they really should have been.

Assassin's Creed is far from a masterpiece, it however is also hardly the disaster many have painted it as. It is undoubtedly a flawed film. Maybe I am simply being blinded by my enjoyment of the games, but I found the film to be a flawed but none the less enjoyable film that has a great sense of style present throughout along with some solid action. For some that may not be enough, which is understandable. None the less Assassin's Creed comes tentatively recommended.


What about the 3d? I sadly was not able to see this film in 3d, but based on the trailer I have seen in the format along with comments from people who have seen it in 3d, it certainly seems to be a film that best seen in that format if you are indeed choosing to give this film a watch.

Fish Tank Review

Fish Tank follows Mia a pugnacious fifteen year old who having been kicked out of school spends her time aimlessly wondering around the streets. In vacant buildings she practices hip hop dance which she both takes comfort in and aspires to become a professional dancer of sorts. Her mother Joanne and sister provide for little support and one day Mia meets her mothers new boyfriend Connor, who initially seems to take on a father like role for Mia and along with Mia is the only at times likeable character.

Expectedly as the film progresses the few good relationships break down as the characters discover the truth of one another’s situation. This of course makes what is an undeniably bad situation even worse. As Mia's life falls further into disarray the film stumbles as it seemingly doesn't have anything of worth to say about the situation at hand. Instead Fish Tank presents that notion that people are simply irredeemably repulsive but doesn't go beyond this. The result is a film that presents a refreshing, unflinching, gritty and immediate portrayal of disturbed characters living in poverty, but unfortunately it is also a film that carries a message that is ultimately adolescent.

As always Michael Fassbender provides for an excellent performance as Connor and newcomer Katie Jarvis provides for an equally compelling and nuanced performance as Mia. The strength of the performances in Fish Tank are unfortunately one of the few saving graces present and are ultimately wasted on a film that simply has nothing of worth to say and is ponderously slow.

Fish Tank is a film brimming with potential. Performances are a particular strength along with its willingness to portray life with little to no hope for the future of those present. Unfortunately the film carries an adolescent message that devolves the film into an uninteresting chore to watch. Hence Fish Tank does not come recommended.

The Counselor Review

From director Ridley Scott and Pulitzer prize winner Cormac McCarthy comes The Counselor a film about greed and the consequences of ones actions. The Counselor starts as a character only known as The Counselor enters into a drug trafficking arrangement. Many may immediately take issue with The Counselor as it doesn't explain how The Counselor is involved and is shown to have little knowledge of the exact workings of the deal. But to do so would be to miss what The Counselor is striving for. The Counselor at its core is not a film about drug trafficking rather it is a film about how the decisions of today can effect tomorrows decisions and the horrific consequences that they can eventually lead to.

The Counselor is an unapologetically slow film that despite being classified as a thriller provides for little to no thrills. This in of itself isn't an issue and I quite enjoyed watching the consequences of the various characters actions slowly unfold on screen and how they react in a desperate attempt of self preservation. This is especially helped throughout by the performances which are mostly sublime throughout with Michael Fassbender as The Counselor Brad Pitt as Westray being particular highlights. Those however looking for the film to delve into the Drug Trafficking beyond a very cursory surface glance will likely be disappointed.

The most notable issue present with The Counselor is the quality of the writing which varies dramatically from scene to scene. Some dialogue is razor sharp and often impressively oblique, however other lines are borderline laughable. Thankfully the razor sharp lines overwhelm the relatively small portions of poor writing. None the less the borderline laughable dialogue is accentuated by the serious tone the film maintains throughout and whilst some of the actors and actresses are able to make some of the more egregious dialogue work, others simply come across with delivery that simply fells off. Characters motivations are also in most cases only surface deep which leads the film lacking the impact it so clearly is striving for. Thankfully The Counsleor himself has enough relatable albeit simple motivation behind his greed to keep the films slow but ever present forward momentum present.

The Counsellor is a film that with its at time ponderous pacing, lack of thrills and at times inconsistent writing has the signs of disaster written all over it. Despite this I found the majority of performances coupled with the at times oblique writing to provide for a fresh change of pace and compelling narrative. Hence whilst The Counselor doesn't come with the strongest of recommendations it still comes recommended for those who enjoy a slowly paced dialogue heavy film and are not looking for the edge of your seat thriller it was advertised as.

Most Anticipated Releases for the Remainder of 2013

As we move out of the  winter (or summer depending on where you live) blockbuster period and towards the award and Christmas movie release schedule the quality of recent releases can become rather heterogeneous. It is a time of year where we often find some hidden gems or films with niche audiences released (like the recently released Riddick). Sadly it is also a time when studios often release films that are expected duds in terms of quality presumably to try and take what advantage they can of what tends to be a less competitive release schedule. Despite this their are several film releases I am anticipating. Below are my most anticipated titles for the remainder of 2013.


The Counselor

My main interest for The Counselor comes from the involvement of Ridley Scott who is of course directing and Michael Fassbender (who was easily the highlight of Ridley Scoots most recently released film Prometheus). I do have some concerns and reservations regarding this film which I justify based on some of the issues present in Ridely Scott's most recently released film Prometheus. In spite of these concerns I cannot wait to see how The Counselor turns out. I however am disappointed that both Ridely Scott and Martin Scorsese have seemingly abandoned 3d despite numerous comments both have made and of course as both Prometheus and Hugo are simply breathtaking in 3d.



The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

No doubt an obvious choice and one that needs little explanation, afterall how many times can one here and read that it looks to be a fun filled fantasy adventure film. Admittedly The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was a colossal disappointment and its trailers (especially the teaser) where even more tantalizing then what we have seen for The Desolation of Smaug (which looks as if it could also contain more fan service then I would like). None the less the prospect of seeing the next chapter still has me excited. It also helps that it has been shoot at 48fps (often refereed to as HFR) as apposed to the traditional 24fps which provides for a much smoother image and an experience that currently cannot be experienced at home. Furthermore it also stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug and The Necromancer (both of which briefly appeared in An Unexpected Journey) and who doesn't want to see that?



Carrie

Carrie is easily my most anticipated film for the remainder of 2013. I am far from a large horror fan and remakes are something I am usually not all that fond of as they are notorious for adding little that the original didn't already cover and are far to often simply terrible films (this is especially true when it comes to remakes of horror films). However in this case I have not seen the original film and some excellent 'remakes' such as Let Me In and The Girl With T he Dragon Tattoo coupled with some excellent trailers has me thrilled to see how Carrie turns out. Hopefully it is not only a good film but provides a new twist on the source material so that it can stand on its on and not be viewed as simply a remake of a much better film (as Let Me In was able to achieve which also starred Chloë Grace Moretz).