Quick Thoughts: Ex_Machina

See this movie!
Those three words pretty much sum up what I want to tell people about this film.
Ex_Machina came out earlier this year but due to it being nominated for a BIFA (British Independent Film Award) it was played once more at my local cinema.

Ex_Machina has got to be one of the tensest films I have ever seen, from the opening shot right through to the end credits I was filled with a sense of dread of what dark and twisted revelation may or may not be round the next corner.  This is all thanks to the terrific scrip and cinematography.
The former creates tight dialogue between the three main leads (Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Issac and Alicia Vikander) that is friendly enough on the surface but has subtle hateful undertones that really set the tone for the movie extremely well.
The latter bathes the shots in a futuristic glow that is strangely clinical on the eye and gives and sense of unease to the facility where a vast majority of the film takes place.

The real star of the show however is Alicia Vikander as Ava. She manages to give a distinctly robotic performance (which is good as she is playing a robot) whilst having it be sympathetically human in parts. Vikander also imbues a child like quality to the charterer that, on the surface, is endearing but the more you see it in action the more it becomes unsettling.
 

I came away from Ex_Machina with my head spinning with questions about humanity and conscience and other morally ambiguous topics. For me this is a great feeling when a movie genuinely makes you think when leaving the theater. If however you like seeing movies just for a bit of brain switch off fun then I might give this one a miss.

Overall Ex_Machina is an incredibly slick and inventive sci-fi that poses some important questions to mull over, all wrapped up in an unnerving physiological thriller. Great, great stuff.

-Joe

Captain America: Civil War Trailer Breakdown

As you are probably well aware, the trailer for the new Captain America movie, Civil War, dropped not too long ago and its pretty damn good.
The Russo Brother presence is definitely felt here again as all the shots have the same clean and shiny quality they did back in the previous movie, The Winter Soldier. The muted cinematography is also very nice and gives the wide array of colourful characters a chance to shine.


We also get our first real look at Black Panther in this trailer. Being a new hero to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (to be getting a solo film in 2018) he has to make a big impact to be taken seriously among the more well developed and loved characters. Well he sure does make an impression in his excellently designed suit that looks both quite ridiculous but strangely tangible at the same time, a balance that makes him fit into the universe well.  There is also an impressive shot of him sprinting down a highway followed by Captain America, if this is anything to go by he could really be a force to be reckoned with.

By far the best thing about this trailer however was the last shot of Bucky and Cap double teaming Iron Man, it is an incredibly well choreographed sequence with some really complex moves. It is also some great acting from Chris Evans, it really looks like he hates what he is having to do but is still doing it, great contrast to the other times we have seen him all jokey in a lot of his previous fights.


Overall this was a pretty great trailer and I liked how it really retained the identity of a Captain America movie whilst incorporating a larger cast of heroes. Can't wait for this movie and personally I am more excited for it that Batman v Superman.

Thanks for reading.

-Joe

Update

Sorry I haven't been able to get my review of Steve Jobs out. Its been a joint effort between my university work and my bad internet to stop me blogging.
I will get back to a better schedule soon, a week or two at the most.
Thanks for being patient

-Joe

James Bond: Where to go Now?

With Spectre getting very mixed reviews from critics and fans alike and the likelihood of Craig reprising the role once more decreasing, it is time we think of what direction Bond 25 should go in.
This is also very relevant as the distribution rights for the Bond franchise are up in the air and when a new studio picks it up it is highly likely they will want to do another semi-reboot with the property.

New Bond:

 I really like Daniel Craig as Bond, I think he is the best we have ever had. Saying this though, after Spectre wraps up his story quite well there is really nowhere that his version of Bond can logically go without it being forced. This is why we need a new Bond.
There are a few good choices for this but as I have said in my previous article about new Bond actors, I think Tom Hardy is the best choice.



He possesses a lot of the same charming, rough qualities that Daniel Craig does so the transition would be relativity painless. The key thing however is that he also has a Sean Connery vibe which means that the series could go back to the the old days with the realistic gadgets and action, not the over the top comedy sections that Spectre had too many of.

Another contender for the Bond title is Idris Elba. Many have wondered if he is right for the part as he would be older than any of the Bonds have been in their first movie.
However this could really be used to his advantage as it could give a whole new spin on Bond that hasn't been seen before.


Picture this. An old and James Bond in retirement form the service bought back in for one last job. It would be like the Dark Knight Returns of Bond movies and would mean that not much of the Bond character we know and love from the Craig films would have to be changed.
It also creates the possibility that Elba could be the Second Bond to only star in one movie because whilst the premise is good I'm not sure how much staying power it has.

As far as the rest of the MI6 regulars go, all of them bar Moneypenny should be kept. They do great in their roles, especially Ben Whishaw as Q. However I think that the new Moneypenny's help define the new Bond eras almost as much as the new Bonds themselves so a new one will be needed to proper fit the tone.

New Director:

Sam Mendes has stated that he will not be doing the next Bond movie. I personally think this is a good thing as it feels like he has run out of ideas following Spectre.
Christopher Nolan's name has been thrown around for this role and while I think that is quite a good choice, the doubt would be in if he 'knows' Bond enough for the job.

This is why I think the perfect person for this job, especially if we are getting a new Bond, is Martin Campbell.
He has already successfully launched 2 Bonds as he was the director of Goldeneye and Casino Roylae and knows Bond inside out. This means he can play around and reinvent the formula to keep it new and interesting whilst retaining the essence of Bond like no-one else can.


Tone.

I think people have had their fill of the broken, depressing Bond for the moment. This why I think the new Bond (if its not Elba) should revert back to the Connery era tonally. This way we can have a more quipy Bond but one that could, at a drop of a hat, turn into a cold killer when needed.
I feel this would add an interesting dynamic to Bond and more depth than we have seen before. It could also create some interesting dynamics with the supporting characters, shifting their opinion of Bond accordingly, especially with the Bond girls.

As for the other little things, the DB5 should still be Bonds personal car, he should still use the DB10 for missions (as that thing is beautiful) and as far as the MI6 building goes, it should just be reinstated and lets pretend it never even blew up.

Thanks for reading my thoughts on where the Bond franchise will go, I'd love to hear yours in the comments below.


-Joe

Spectre Update

Well I went to see Spectre again the other day as I really wanted to see it through objective eyes as opposed to the fan-boy ones I viewed it in the other week.
I must say, I had a good time with Spectre this time around. I still stand by the points that I made in my review in that its not particularly interesting but if you go in with a really empty head (and I mean really empty) you will probably have a good time with it.
As far as it fits in with the other Craig films, Skyfall is still the best, then Casino Royale, then Spectre then Quantum of Solace.

So yeah, I would still recommend you go and see it in theaters but just don't expect too much.


Thanks for reading the update.

I was supposed to post something I've been formulating over the weekend but I honestly have been too caught up in playing Halo 5 that I totally forgot. I will get it out in the next few days, its a pretty good one if I do say so myself.


-Joe