Darkest Hour -- November 22, 2017 -- directed by Joe Wright -- starring Gary Oldman, Lily James, Ben Mendelsohn, Stephen Dillane, Kristin Scott Thomas
Not to be confused under any circumstances with The Darkest Hour, the 2011 science fiction romp starring electricity-spewing aliens, this drama depicts the early days of Winston Churchill's first term as Prime Minister. With Nazi Germany inching closer to invading Great Britain and intrigue brewing within his own party, Churchill needed to hold on to his ideals and love of country in order to lead his people. My first question about the trailer is: who is Gary Oldman not capable of playing? The man is a true chameleon and I am hoping that this film finally leads him to an Oscar, the one accolade that he has been deserving of since the dawn of time. I do not think that there are many people who can successfully play Sid Vicious, Beethoven, a futuristic arms dealer, a tech mogul and one of the most iconic British politicians. Scott Thomas is always a regal, intellectual presence and her portrayal of Clementine Churchill is also sure to be talked about come award season. James has been getting intriguing roles lately -- from Cinderella to Pride and Prejudice andZombies to Baby Driver, just to name a few -- and has another chance to show off her dramatic chops here. It is great to see Mendelsohn (Orson!) and Dillane (Stannis!) again; they are fantastic character actors who bring something extra to every project. Director Wright (Pride & Prejudice, Atonement, Hanna) has experience with bringing grand, emotional stories to the big screen and is the perfect director for this historical tale. With an amazing cast and a director who never shies from his vision, Darkest Hour looks like a winner.
Before I Fall (2017) -- How much time do we have in this world? No one knows. Anything can happen at any moment and nothing is ever set in stone, so we had better live this life to the fullest. Based on Lauren Oliver's novel, Before I Fall takes this idea and twirls it into a lyrical, thoughtful story, one that makes the viewer rethink their choices and contemplate how their present will spiral into their tomorrow. **THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS** When Samantha Kingston's (Zoey Deutch) life ends on what started as a perfectly ordinary day, she wakes up again the next day... only to relive yesterday. No matter what she does differently, awful things keep occurring and a piece of the puzzle is missing. Baffled, stuck in a loop and unable to share her predicament with anyone, Samantha needs to figure out what is happening and change the course of the day... The film's view of the eternal 'what if' question is unique. Using Samantha's reflections and decisions, Before I Fall ponders themes of high school isolation, family, the human desire to love and be loved. Think of it as Run Lola Run without the kinetics. Do we love enough? Do we open ourselves enough? Do we listen -- actually listen? We rarely stop and think about our actions during any given day, but Samantha finds herself needing to do precisely that for the sake of herself and for the sake of the people around her. We go through our existence much too fast to realize that everything we do ripples not only throughout our realm, but throughout the wider world as well. We do not need a second chance. We need to make the first one count. The story also beams through the surface of the teenage characters' careless words and reckless actions in order to examine them as human beings. Not one of the characters is perfect, just like no one in life ever is, and Maria Maggenti's (Puccini for Beginners) screenplay delves into their background to see what exactly made them behave the way that they do. The film's subtle yet sharp look at high school hierarchy is one of its strongest aspects. Who knows what the lonely girl is thinking? Who knows why that boy keeps to himself? Who can tell what kind of consequences taunts can have? The film clearly concludes that the brutal structure of this environment does not do anyone any favors. If not for social conventions -- who made these rules, anyway? -- and the established order that these children have been conditioned to follow, friendships would not be limited to cliques. In a sense, it is these popularity laws that lead to the story's tragedies. The script wins by projecting an uncompromising anti-bullying stance, an approach that should be more frequent in teen-oriented works.
The cast is good. Deutch, who was so charismatic in Vampire Academy, is an effervescent presence. She has a natural appeal, always making the audience sympathize with her plight. Elena Kampouris and Liv Hewson are standouts as students bullied for daring to be individuals, while Halston Sage explores a mean girl's vulnerability and creates a three-dimensional human being in the process. Before I Fall teaches us numerous lessons and offers a lot for the viewer to think about after it ends. Be kind. Care for people. Get to know them. Dance and sing and enjoy every moment. Do not throw words around without thinking. Do not ignore, torment or leave things unsaid. Do not waste time.
Reels of the Week -- More "Game of Thrones", something old and something remade
So much news and so many months passed... I do apologize, but life does happen and it happens fast and often. Let us get to the good stuff, shall we? Your Dose of Westeros News
HBO has just announced the titles and the usual succinct plot descriptions for the first three episodes of the juggernaut's seventh season. Check them out here. They sound amazing, don't they? Some people dislike these broad descriptions; personally, I cannot get enough of them. I love surprises, of which this show has plenty, and hate spoilers with a passion. Trust me, you do not want to know what happens in advance. You might think that you do, but you really do not. In any case, we are now in the single digits -- eight more days!
Dolce (and Bloody) Vita
Capa Drama, the production company responsible for "Versailles", is developing fantasy thriller Dolce Vita,about a war between the Vatican and a vampire clan. The central character is thrust into the conflict and the series takes place in 1950s and 1960s Italy. It is a nice twist on vampire lore and, if you want power struggles, look no further than the Vatican. I am hoping that the show will be innovative with its vamps as well, possibly similar to what 30 Days of Night did with its creatures. No cast has been announced, although producers Arnaud Figaret and Aude Albano have stated that the cast would be international. An interesting take on the fantasy subgenre, this looks like a show not to be missed. We need fresh blood. Yes, I had to. The cinematic Swan Lake
Felicity Jones, of Inferno and Rogue One fame, is set to star in Luca Guadagnino's adaptation of Swan Lake. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's ballet has been adapted into film a few times -- it has even been animated! -- and this version looks like it might just be the lushest one. Having directed the multilayered I Am Love among other films and currently hard at work on the Suspiria remake, Guadagnino is an interesting choice for director. He has a unique, solemn vision and it will be fascinating to see what kind of dark mystery he can mine from the story of a cursed princess. I also like the artistic choices that Jones is making -- the roles of Jane Hawking, Sienna Brooks and Jyn Erso could not be more different and her performances always seem to be concealing something in the shadows. The film is definitely something to look forward to and I hope that it manages to capture at least part of the original work's magnificence. The most cannot-in-my-wildest-dreams-believe-it moment of the week: The Grudge is getting ANOTHER remake! This time, it is Nicolas Pesce behind the camera and Sam Raimi producing once again. My first question is -- why? The 2004 remake was not great, although there were some memorable scenes, and the 2006 sequelwas two hours that I will never get back. It is really not necessary, but we all know that Hollywood has been out of ideas for a while. Who would you cast as the lead? Personally, I would either cast an unknown actor or someone like Alexa Davalos(The Mist, "The Man in the High Castle") or Natalie Martinez ("Under the Dome", "APB") -- an actor who has not quite had their breakout film role yet. This remake needs to be good or we might all end up holding a grudge. Oh, yes.
