The Guard

You know the drill.

A hardened sheriff with a heart of gold stands as the last barrier between his town and lawlessness. He rides alone, a little rough around the edges, but he’s a man who always gets the job done. Evil strangers arrive threatening his very existence, and only a good old fashioned standoff will put things right. And then a tumbleweed rolls across the lush green hillsides of Ireland.

Yes, that’s right, Ireland.

The Guard, written and directed by John Michael McDonagh and starring the wonderful Brendan Gleeson, is not your average Western. The elements are there - themes, Western music and epic gun fight.  But transported to the wild west of Ireland, more specifically to the beautiful but often grey Galway, the film gives a much fresher take on the old genre.

It’s bitingly funny, moving, gritty and sometimes violent, but the key to what makes this movie so enjoyable is how much you care about Gleeson’s anti-hero at the centre. He plays Sergeant Gerry Boyle, a Garda in a small town suddenly faced with an upsurge in drug running, FBI agents and vaguely ritualistic murders. It’s his light and shade that provide both the best comic, and moving, moments. Don Cheadle, in fine form and wonderful velour suit, plays the straight laced FBI man sent into unfamiliar territory and the two create a kind of buddy pic vibe, each trying to figure the other one out.

Facing off against them is a chillingly villainous Mark Strong as the leader of the new criminal gang who will stop at nothing to succeed.

In a way it’s a small story, but made epic by the characters who populate it. The direction captures the essence of small town Ireland (I know, I’ve been there) and doesn’t shy away from the big action moments. Some audience members might take a few minutes to clue into the accents as I did, but after that it’s real gem, the comedy flowing from the film’s very Irish nature.

4/5

Cowboys and Aliens

It’s been a big season for popcorn blockbusters. Now Cowboys and Aliens is muscling in- throwing it’s weight around and waving that multi genre mash up title in the faces of other box office contenders.  It’s also got the benefit of being directed by John Favreau whose past projects include the wonderful Iron Man, plus heavy weight producers Ron Howard and Steven Spielberg backing it up. I remember hearing about this film a while back, when the first teaser trailers started doing the rounds. ‘Oh my god!’ I thought. ‘It’s Indiana Jones vs James Bond….. with aliens! Weeeeeeeee!’

What could go wrong?

Well, a few things, but we’ll get to that in a moment.

Cowboys and Aliens is pretty firmly grounded in the world of Arizona circa 1873. Daniel Craig, bringing great physicality (and lovely eyes) to his role, wakes up in the desert with a nice new metal bracelet on his wrist and not much else; he can’t remember a thing.  He makes his way into town and is about to start the process of figuring out just who the hell he is, when a few complications arise. One is Woodrow Dollarmyte, Harrison Ford in gruff mode, who seems to know the stranger’s identity but wants him dead. The other is… well, the afore mentioned Aliens. They proceed to attack the town and kidnap some of the locals. From then on the movie shifts up a gear, as the remaining ragtag townsfolk set out on a mission (now read in Southern Accent) to get back their kin.

Cowboys and Aliens looks great, the scenery is equal parts forbidding and stunning, and there’s some great creative steps taken with the Alien spacecraft. What keeps it ticking along are the many mysteries at it’s core. Just who is Craig’s stranger with the bracelet (known as ‘Jake’) and what’s with the Aliens?  But some viewers might find it frustrating that by the dusty climax, some questions aren’t fully answered.

The main issue, is that the film plays very straight with an outlandish concept. I’m not sure if I was just expecting more of that Iron Man wry humour, but there’s not a lot of laughs here to break up the action. Daniel Craig as the leading man doesn’t do much more than look tough or brooding and occasionally hit someone, but boy does he do it well! He’s a presence on screen, matched by a tough talking Harrison Ford. The conflict between the two leads isn’t explored enough, and it’s a missed opportunity. What I would have given to see these two actors really get stuck into each other!  It’s an avenue which could have been explored to up the stakes and the chemistry. Ford’s main interactions then are with members of the town who see him as a father figure, touchingly played by Adam Beach and Noah Ringer. Olivia Wilde offers nice support as another mystery stranger in town, but she’s let down by a weaker plot thread.

There are some really great tense moments as the Aliens take shoot em’ up action to a whole new level, but the resulting film doesn’t really push the boundaries enough to live up to it’s megawatt title, and probably not enough to knock Rise of the Planet of the Apes off it’s ‘Hit of the American Summer’ pedestal. It does however entertain, and there’s enough in there to keep you wanting more.  I just wish it had given that bit more to me.

3/5

Friends With Benefits

I’ve noticed something odd. In the lead up to watching the new romantic/raunchy comedy Friends With Benefits, all of my girl mates pondered the same question; why did Mila Kunis and Natalie Portman, cast mates in the Oscar ordained Black Swan, choose nearly the exact same film to be their next vehicle? Was this a filmic version of both turning up to a party in the same dress? And if so, who chose the best frock?

Right from the get go, Friends with Benefits knows it has to fight against the wave of No Strings Attached comparisons. The film therefore tackles this by upping the raunch factor and stepping into the territory of self-referencing humour:  poking fun at the fluffy romantic comedy genre it’s knowingly entrenched in (there’s a particularly good line aimed at Katherine Heigl, and all she has done to woman kind).

But the plot is nothing new. Justin Timberlake is a guy (witty, handsome but disappointed by relationships) and Mila Kunis is a girl (funny, beautiful but incapable of keeping a boyfriend) and when they meet, sparks fly. The two decide to be friends to avoid all that messy love stuff, but surprise surprise, romantic complications ensue.

Having said that; the two leads inject a real spark and chemistry into their banter and relationship, bringing the heart of this film alive. Timberlake has proven he has potential acting chops with films like the Social Network and as Dylan in Friends with Benefits he lets loose such a mix of charm, comic timing and adorable vulnerability that you become temporarily blinded to any clichés and weak portions of the plot. I also caught myself smiling goofily at the screen when he spoke.

 He’s evenly matched by Mila Kunis, even though I have a sneaky suspicion she may be playing an extension of herself. Her portrayal of Jamie, the bubbly, driven, romantic comedy loving career woman shines particularly bright in all scenes in which she’s arguing playfully (which is most of them). All in all they’re a likable pairing, especially in the early and flirty part of the movie and you enjoy their connection enough to care about what happens. Rounding out the cast is Woody Harrelson having so much fun as a gay best friend with a difference, and Patricia Clarkson, Jenna Elfman and Richard Jenkins as family members both helpful and hindering. Director Will Gluck injects the film with brightness, but it tends to lag when the two leads aren’t on screen together.  There are some jokes that don’t quite work, for example ALL scenes with Shaun White.

I’m not going to lie; I love romantic comedies. I can quote you any line from Love Actually and firmly believe that nobody can put Baby in a corner. I don’t really care if they’re contrived, as long as my heart skips a beat when the guy gets the girl. Friends With Benefits doesn’t quite hit those lofty heights, but what it does do is get you involved in a bright and happy story, even if it does descend into some very sugary sweet territory. It’s funny, a little bit edgy, and there’s enough in there to keep reluctant boys entertained. And the best dressed? It seems Mila Kunis chose the Top Shop strapless number, while Natalie went a little more Target Basic.

3/5