Holy Motors

A wonderfully bizarre French arthouse curveball from writer / director Leos Carax, in which the enigmatic Monsieur Oscar (played by Denis Lavant) is chauffeured around Paris in a white limo by his driver Celine (Edith Scob), as he attends "appointments" in various disguises over the course of one day. Using his dressing room in the back of the limo, he transforms himself as required into different characters, first an old lady begging in the street, then a motion capture actor performing an erotic dance with a female counterpart, then a one-eyed ginger-haired tramp gatecrashing a fashion shoot, and so on. The beauty of it is that we never quite know what the hell is going on, or what's coming next!

Featuring an amazing central performance by Denis Lavant, Holy Motors is a surreal, hypnotic two-hour head scratching experience, all the way to the end with the hilariously bonkers final scene involving the limousines and a supernatural twist. It's magical and awe-inspiring, baffling and disturbing, and guaranteed to leave you with more questions than answers in the same way recent films like Kill List and The Tree of Life may have done (i.e. "WTF just happened?").

Eva Mendes gets one of the coolest segments as the speechless supermodel, kidnapped by a grotesque figure and dragged back to his filthy cave. Kylie Minogue's brief cameo / musical interlude on the other hand is probably the lowest point in the film, but at least she makes a swift exit in the most satisfying manner.

Undoubtedly there will be impatient multiplex regulars who will sneer, call it pretentious crap and walk out. It's their loss. Holy Motors may be an audacious and infuriatingly cryptic cinematic puzzle, but it's a welcome change of pace. To try and make too much sense of it is perhaps missing the point. Just sit back and enjoy the ride, one like this doesn't come around too often!

UK release date: 28th September 2012

Killing Them Softly

A gritty gangster thriller from director Andrew Dominik, based on the 1974 crime novel Cogan's Trade by George V Higgins. A pair of junkies, Frankie (Scoot McNairy) and Russell (Ben Mendelsohn) hold up a Mob-protected poker game run by Markie (Ray Liotta). Previously unreliable Markie becomes the prime suspect and soon Jackie Cogan (Brad Pitt) is in town to arrange retribution, along with the heavy-drinking assassin Mickey (James Gandolfini) and the Mob's messenger Driver (Richard Jenkins).

This is a bleak, violent, slow-burn thriller, quite talky with a lot of cynical dialogue infused with black humour, and some patience is required as the film takes its time to get to the admittedly rather awesome pay-off in the final third. By the time Brad Pitt delivers the last crushing line, you'll be enthralled. The direction is assured, the cinematography stylish, with memorable slow-motion executions while sweet old-fashioned music plays gently in the background. It's just a shame Andrew Dominik leans a bit too heavy on the symbolism and political satire to ensure the message is understood. Less is more Andrew!

Brad Pitt brings his usual charisma to the role of a smiling assassin, with a subtle, nuanced performance that should see him collect a few acting nods come the awards season, while Ray Liotta is also very enjoyable bringing back his best Goodfellas persona to the proceedings. In fact the entire cast is fantastic. Bloody and gripping, Killing Them Softly may not be perfect but it's still worth the gamble!

UK release date: 21st September 2012

Untouchable

Wealthy quadriplegic widower Philippe (Francois Cluzet) lives in his luxurious Parisian mansion with an adopted daughter and an army of servants. Paralysed from the neck down and confined to a wheelchair after a paragliding accident, he requires round the clock care. While interviewing new applicants for a live-in carer position, he meets Driss (Omar Sy), a Senegalese ex-con from the ghetto. Driss expects rejection and just wants his social security papers signed, proving he's looking for work. He doesn't mince his words, joking with Phillipe about music and flirting with his female assistant Magalie (Audrey Fleurot) during the interview. His sense of humour and direct no-nonsense approach is a breath of fresh air for Philippe and just what the jaded and lonely millionaire needs. Tired of pity and bland politically-correct professional nurses, Philippe employs Driss on a trial basis despite warnings about his criminal past.

Strangely it has taken ten months for this film to reach our shores, having come out in France last November. Since then it has become a worldwide hit, and it's easy to see why. Based on true events and wonderfully acted by the two male leads with superb chemistry, this is a moving and heartwarming story about friendship, second chances and new beginnings. It exceeded all my expectations, even if the concept of two people from entirely different backgrounds becoming best buddies and learning life lessons along the way is nothing new (Driving Miss Daisy, The King's Speech, Trading Places, etc).

The old pro Francois Cluzet (Little White Lies, Tell No One) puts in another great performance as Philippe, but it's Omar Sy who steals the film with his natural charm, deservedly winning a Best Actor César last year for his troubles. Life-affirming, uplifting and incredibly funny, this is a feel-good comedy you should make every effort to see. Don't wait for the inevitable Hollywood remake!

UK release date: 21st September 2012

The Sweeney

Another week, another reboot. This time it's the much loved 1970s cop TV series that gets the big screen makeover with the all-new cast, featuring detective partners Ray Winstone as Jack Regan and Ben Drew as George Carter. As members of London's Metropolitan Police "Flying Squad", Regan and Carter are tasked with investigating an armed robbery that results in a seemingly needless murder. Owing to their unorthodox methods, the team are also facing an internal investigation led by Ivan Lewis (Steven Mackintosh), whose estranged wife Nancy (Hayley Atwell) is Regan's secret squeeze. Blimey Guv'nor, there's gonna be some conflict there!

Set in present day London, this feels nothing like the original TV series. Still, all the usual police drama cliches are there: the rogue cop who plays by his own rules, the loyal sidekick eager to prove his worth, the police chief breathing down their necks and the cartoonish baddie we all want to see go down for "a long, long time, sunshine". Ray Winstone's Regan is a more ruthless Cockney beast but one which lacks the charisma of the late John Thaw, the original Jack Regan. The ever-so-serious Ben Drew fares even worse as Carter, with his sleepy monotone delivery.

The film looks glossy and dark, action scenes (including a frantic Trafalgar Square shoot-out) are handled fairly well, and there's even a dash of humour to start with, but the script is a regular by-the-numbers procedural with minor plot holes and no surprises. Lorne Balfe's intense score is good but at times ill-fitting, sounding like out-takes from Hans Zimmer's Inception (which Balfe produced!). An unlikely love affair and a drawn out final act seal the deal, and sadly this "update" amounts to no more than forgettable brainless entertainment.

UK release date: 12th September 2012

Dredd 3D

It was a real privilege to be present at a very early Dredd 3D screening at Soho Hotel last Thursday, hosted by 2000AD. About a hundred or so very lucky fans crammed into the small screening room and watched the film in the presence of Dredd co-creators John Wagner & Carlos Ezquerra. Support actor Domhnall Gleeson was also hiding somewhere in the corner of the room, and following a brief intro by writer/producer Alex Garland and Judge Dredd actor himself Karl Urban, the film got under way.

In this new adaptation of the iconic comic book (thankfully unrelated to Stallone's '95 film), legendary Judge Dredd (played by long-term Dredd fan Karl Urban) is given the task of evaluating Cassandra Anderson (Olivia Thirlby), a rookie cop with powerful psychic abilities. When they answer a call to investigate a gruesome triple murder at a 200-storey vertical slum, they stumble upon a ruthless drug lord Ma-Ma (Lena Headey) and her gang. Trapped in the tower and low on ammo, they must battle against the odds to survive and bring the criminals to justice.

Combining the oppressive vibe and claustrophobic tower block setting of The Raid, with dystopian crime-ridden metropolis of Escape From New York and Robocop, along with a dark foreboding Terminator-style score, this is a gritty, brutal and fast-paced Sci-Fi thriller that ticks all the boxes. It's super-violent and unapologetically old-school, and I loved every minute of it.

Made on a modest budget, it's a beautifully shot film with stunning action scenes, vertigo-inducing high above ground shots and excellent use of 3D and special effects (watch out for bullets ripping through flesh in slow-motion). The violence is relentless but not that shocking (I've seen much worse 18 cert. films!), and although the plot is fairly light, Dredd-heads out there should be satisfied. A definite must-see!

Karl Urban (Dr. Bones McCoy in Star Trek XI) perfectly captures Judge Dredd with the grizzled cold-blooded grimace, husky voice and the sarcastic humour. He keeps his helmet on and delivers those crushing one-liners in style, channelling Snake Plisken and Dirty Harry. Olivia Thirlby is also very good as Judge Anderson, an academic failure but youthfully optimistic and determined to make a difference, a positive change in the world. Lena Headey's horribly scarred ex-prostitute drug lord Ma-Ma makes for a suitably menacing villain, with good support from Domhnall Gleeson as her terrified tech wizz-kid assistant.

Should this first instalment prove to be successful, there is certainly plenty of material to inspire further films or even a TV series. I certainly hope so.

UK release date: 7th September 2012