Lé Results

Released 30th June 2000, Chicken Run follows Ginger, the chicken, as she prepares her fellow chickens to escape from Tweedy’s farm. It is worth noting straight away that the film takes delicate inspiration from 1963’s The Great Escape in its narrative and even the soundtrack (more on that later). While the animation seems to pander to a younger audience, the film manages to establish a threatening atmosphere early on which you likely wouldn’t see in many other animated films. That said, much like The Great Escape, the film manages to strike a balance in its laid back humour with the imminent threat to the chickens. Most of the film’s humour derives from the creative use of human apparatus in the chicken’s settings and the quirky personalities. I cannot fault any of the voice actors in this film; everyone has perfect delivery and characterisation throughout the narrative. Julia Sawalha does a great job as the hopeful protagonist Ginger; she is fuelled by the hope that the chickens may all live free of egg counts and fences. Aiding this dream is the smooth talking Rocky the Rooster (voiced by none other than Mel Gibson). Much like Thomas O’Malley from The Aristocats, Rocky acts as the beacon of freedom in life by providing unorthodox experiences which give joy to his peers. That said, he also faces his own troubles of deceit and dishonesty which enable him to have fantastic character moments in the third act. Benjamin Whitrow is distinctly entertaining as Fowler the Cockerel. As a likely tribute to it’s the Great Escape roots, he is characterised as a military veteran who bickers with everyone using the ‘back in my day’ argument; this also means he is honourably wholesome and impossible to dislike. The pairings of Timothy Spall’s Nick and Phil Daniels’ Fetcher as well as Tony Haygarth’s Mr Tweedy and Miranda Richardson’s Mrs Tweedy are hysterical in their own rights. While stop motion films were not a new concept in cinema, this film feels like the cornerstone of modern stop-motion through its seamless movements and detailed set designs. As previously stated, the soundtrack is generally adopted off of The Great Escape with many leitmotifs being carried over into this film. However, John Powell retools the pre-existing music with loftier symphonic choices to better suit the rest of the production. However, the application of these motifs are absolutely astounding and captivating in their respective scenes. Overall, while Chicken Run isn’t the most original film, it makes extremely nuanced decisions which make for a truly engaging and delightful experience for anyone to enjoy.

Released 25th March 2020, Mulan follows an adaptation of the legend of Mulan; the woman who joined the army and saved China. In credit to this Disney remake, it takes a fresh approach to the story of loyalty, bravery, truth and family; an approach that arguably puts greater emphasis on its themes than the original. That said, many of the changes made are questionable; granny was replaced with a socially conforming sister who fails to dominate the scene like granny ever did. Mushu is also replaced with a phoenix which, while still aiding Mulan, feels very contrived due to its lack of traditional phoenix characteristics. This leads to one of the greatest problems of the film; chi. Much like phoenixes, which derive from Greek mythology (not Chinese), chi is passed off as ‘natural superpowers’ despite chi actually being the spiritual force which imbues life into all living things. What makes this more frustrating is that chi is used as a central device of the plot thus rendering the cultural appropriation difficult to ignore. Another aspect which is hard to ignore is the poor acting across most of the cast. Liu Yifei is perhaps one of the weakest lead performances I have ever watched; she only seems to be trying in four scenes with the rest being simple line reading thus making her harder to engage with. Yoson An gives one of the two good performances of the film as Chen Honghui, Mulan’s best friend in the army. However, the best performance overall would have to be the new character of Xianniang. Brough to life by Gong Li, Xianniang is a fellow female ‘chi’ user who is shunned by Chinese society for her power; power that a woman supposedly shouldn’t have. She is fascinating as she acts as an intriguing mirror towards Mulan with their allegiances, treatment and use of ‘chi’. Gong Li also performs the role well with my only qualm of her character being one contrived exchange at the end of the second act. Besides these three notable performances, everyone are passable with little else that I can say. Being a Disney budget, the visual effects are really good throughout. Despite the prowess in the effects department however, the choreography of the action scenes is a very mixed bag with some interesting angles used to shoot them but also a very malleable use of ‘chi’ in what the characters can do. The soundtrack is fairly good and I can’t really fault it (despite a lack of memorable original music). Overall, Mulan had great promise in how it diverted from the original film, however, the malleable actions of Chinese culture and weak performances make the film feel ingenuine and disappointing for how well some of the ideas could have been.

Released 29th January 2015, Kingsman: The Secret Service follows Gary ‘Eggsy’ Unwin as he joins Kingsman: a secret spy organisation based in merry old England. This film is, at its core, a parody of any most spy films ever released; whether it’s the nifty tech on offer or the unnecessary drink concoctions, this film takes every single opportunity to make fun of its genre. That said, the film manages to strike a balance between parody while also having sufficient drama and emotion with its selection of characters. Before I begin to talk about the characters however, one frustrating part of the film is its British stereotypes. While they are somewhat funny for a scene or two, the chavvy and pompous accents and idiolects are irritating and really suck you out of the film from time to time. Taron Egerton brings life to the protagonist ‘Eggsy’. While he nearly falls into the heavy chav accent, he manages to strike a balance where he clearly has a traceable accent but does not aggravate the audience. Eggsy also succeeds as the audience surrogate in his commentary of the overt stereotypes of the spy genre. Sophie Cookson is rather good as Roxy, Eggsy’s only friend out of the Kingsman candidates as is Edward Holcraft as Charlie (albeit an overbearing snobbish accent for most of the runtime). Colin Firth and Mark Strong are particularly memorable as Harry Hart and Merlin, respectively. Whereas Merlin monitors the progress of the candidates, Harry fills the mentor role for Eggsy while also following the plot of the villain; Valentine. As perhaps the most memorable performance of the film, Samuel L. Jackson steals every second as the lisped eco-terrorist Valentine; much like Eggsy, he is extremely self-aware with the genre’s tropes and takes them in his stride. The cast also encompasses Mark Hamill and Michael Caine; cast additions which clearly took a toll on the VFX budget. While some shots look really polished, most explosions are extremely noticeable as a visual effect alongside other shots here and there. That said, the amalgamation of neo-noir and grindhouse action makes for such exciting, stylised action that you can sometimes accept the dodgy effects. Finally, Henry Jackman’s soundtrack is fuelled with a fantastic energy with numerous leitmotifs across the narrative. Overall, Kingsman: The Secret Service is perhaps the most entertaining spy film ever made with its comedy, unique action and engaging characters.

Released 22nd December 1955, Scandal in Sorrento follows the licentious retired marshal Comandante Carotenuto as he returns to his home in Sorrento and becomes involved with several females. Being an older film, the narrative isn’t particularly complicated or deep with its theme of love, instead opting to be pure entertainment. This lofty tone results in many occurrences of laid back jokes which make the experience all the more enjoyable. For an old film, the pacing is also really strong and you never feel a moment is drawn out or wasted. Vittorio De Sica gives an entertaining performance as Comandante Carotenuto. While he doesn’t give a layered performance, he has great timing with comedic moments and certainly has a screen presence. Sophia Loren displays an aura of promiscuity which makes Sofia particularly comical; her character is heavily sexualised (with some outdated actions) which separates her from the other women that Carotenuto desires. In contrast, Lea Padovani is a far more reserved and modest as Violante Ruotolo who, much like Mario Carotenuto’s Don Matteo, is able to move Carotenuto onto a more respectable path. Antonio Cifariello is funny enough as Carotenuto’s romantic rival but, even for the period standards, his acting is exceedingly poor. Finally, Yoka Berretty is the Swedish tourist Erika who Carotenuto is also enticed towards; she is fine throughout the film but she is eventually dropped in the third act which leaves the ending dissatisfying without her closure. This abruptness also carries through to a handful of side characters and scenes (even the ending occurs in fast-pace and is rather jarring). Sorrento’s sets are made with explicit charm and beauty; designs which aid Carotenuto’s description of the area as heaven on Earth. The sets are able to utilise a diverse colour palette without looking out of place which manages to consolidate the lofty tone. While not overtly memorable, the soundtrack is able to carry its scenes with the pleasant Italian symphonics. Overall, Scandal in Sorrento is an easy-watch rom-com from early cinema with likeable archetype characters which carry it’s passable narrative.

Released 24th October 2014, John Wick follows a hired hitman as he uses his skills to claim revenge on those who have wronged him. So, it’s a revenge story (perhaps the most cliched action narrative) so it can’t be that good can it? It can. The story is kept very simple with establishing John Wick in a domesticated setting, a catalyst for vengeance occurring and he goes on the hunt. However, this simplistic story works wonders due to the stupendous world building which is established throughout the narrative. You really gain an understanding of this film’s world and how hitmen & hitwomen interact and operate; it works astounding wonders to ground the film even more than it feels. Keanu Reeves gives, what I would consider, a career best performance in this film as John Wick. While I wouldn’t go as far as to say it’s Oscar-worthy, he truly insinuates his rage and sufferance across the narrative while managing to remain likeable. Michael Nyqvist also gives a phenomenal performance as Viggo Tarasov, the father of the man Wick is after. He is established as a powerful man by his interactions with characters, yet you are reminded that he is a human being who has fears; those fears being John Wick in this film. It works wonders to have a mutual understanding (and even respect) between the two characters and it makes you understand the severity of the predicament they are in. Everyone else give performances of merit too; John Leguizamo and Lance Reddick give Aurelio and Charon a calm yet authoritative demeanour in their respective establishments through the narrative; both are grey in their allegiances yet honourable in their actions. Alfie Allen does a brilliant job as the little twerp that is Iosef Tarasov; he conveys a weakness in every action which makes you realise he doesn’t belong in this world and that he likely won’t survive for the credits to roll. While the soundtrack doesn’t have a particular identity to it, it underscores its scenes well enough hand isn’t bad. One of the film’s strongest features is its visual identity; from its perfect action choreography to its South Korean neo-noir feel, you are always engaged in the action and the atmosphere it creates. Overall, John Wick exceeds the quality of the modern action flick with visual aesthetics, genre-best acting and an indulgent world.

Released 18th March 2021, Zach Snyder’s Justice League tells the narrative of the Justice League uniting in the wake of Superman’s death. Sound familiar? Well, that may be because 2017 saw the release of Justice League; a hotchpotch attempt by Warner Bros to reshoot the film to their liking with minimal success. That said, we now have the original version of the film as planned by director Zach Snyder; the follow up film to Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice. The film makes a grand push to establish themes of isolation, unity and self-worth; themes which are not as obnoxiously plastered as Man of Steel. Unfortunately, despite being helmed as the main character, Ben Affleck’s Batman doesn’t feel well-realised in his performance alongside ill-fitting moments of loftiness in his writing. Gal Gadot and Jason Momoa do good jobs as Wonder Woman and Aquaman. While their characters are perhaps the weakest constant characters, their performances are solid and Aquaman receives moderate growth. For what we see of him, Henry Cavill does fine as Superman; due his minimal screen time however, you are never engrossed into his scenes as you might be for Cyborg or the Flash. Ezra Miller is hugely the loftier member of the Justice League who is also coming to terms with becoming a hero; a narrative thread which comes to a head in the final battle where he is the centre of a significant scene which will leave you in awe. Despite this, the absolute star of the film is Ray Fisher’s Cyborg. He is perhaps the most tragic character in the way he has to adapt from trauma and an unconventional powerset; Fisher is able to encapsulate every emotion you would want to apply to this character and more. Surprisingly enough, Ciarán Hinds’ Steppenwolf is also a villain who is given sufficient depth. While his dialogue is typical villain-speak, he actually reacts like a living being in his facial performance; subtlest ques which make him engaging and enjoyable. The visual effects of the film are rather mixed; character models are generally quite good (with two exceptions); however, the landscapes don’t quite look right and subsequently suck you out of key moments. Junkie XL’s soundtrack is also an unfortunate downgrade from the previous films in this series with its overuse of Wonder Woman’s new theme and a few tracks which don’t feel very applicable to the scenes. Another aspect which is a bit frustrating is that the last 6 minutes feel tacked on and staggered compared to the denouement before it. Overall, Zach Snyder’s Justice League is a vast improvement over it’s estranged cousin, however, it still suffers from poor writing, technical misfires and a dissatisfying ending.

Released 30th September 2020, The Trial of the Chicago 7 connotes the 1969 trial of 7 defendants who were on trial for inciting violence in Vietnam war protests. The film has a similar tone to The Big Short and Vice in the way it communicates a sometimes harrowing story based on real events while maintaining a comedic tone through the most-part. While the film is very funny, it also tackles the themes of corruption, peace and even race; themes that weave naturally into the narrative while remaining poignant in key moments. Due to there being 7 defendants straight out of the gate, the cast of the film is quite expansive; that said, they all give a successful performance which is believable. However, this also means that many characters feel rather underdeveloped and even dropped with the drop of a hat. Frank Langella is a notable standout as the trial’s incompetent judge Julius Hoffman. Much like Gordon Northcott and Percy Wetmore from Changeling and The Green Mile, respectfully, Langella instils a feeling of injustice and subsequent rage whenever he appears with his obnoxiously unapologetic misconduct towards the defendants. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II provides a suave yet combustible attitude to the Black Panther member who is inappropriately roped into the trial that he has no opportunity to defend in due to his racial identity. Eddie Redmayne and Mark Rylance were great as defendant Tom Hayden and defence lawyer William Kunstler; both characters acting within the legal grey area of the defendants while gradually realising that the law is far more malleable than it should be. Sacha Baron Cohen manages to bring his universally known comedic timing and delivery to the wisecrack defendant Abbie Hoffman (“And the record should reflect, that defendant Hoffman and [Julius] are not related.”); a character who is a lot more grounded than he lets on… Joseph Gordon-Levitt also gives Richard Schultz, the prosecution lawyer, a well rounded performance which conveys an acknowledgment of the injustice occurring. Whilst not particularly stylised, the visual atmosphere is achieved very well through the editing of actual periodic footage and alternate narrators of certain events; choices which make the pace flow much greater than it may have otherwise. While working well in the moment, the soundtrack isn’t really memorable and never heightened any specific moments too much. Overall, .The Trial of Chicago 7 carries is discomforting story with great performances of characters who could possibly have been utilised better.

Released 16th October 2014, Whiplash follows aspiring Jazz drummer Andrew Neiman and his struggles while working alongside totalitarian conductor Terence Fletcher. The film hinges on the ever-present themes of obsession and success; mainly conveyed through Andrew and Terence. That said, the supporting roles all aid in connoting the impacts on Andrew’s connections with family and loved ones. Paul Reiser gives a great performance of Jim Neiman, Andrew’s father, as he acts as the mundane marker of Andrew’s life; he gives further incentive for Andrew to strive for greatness. Melissa Benoist is Andrew’s girlfriend Nicole; a character who provides the only moments of quiet and relaxation from the intense narrative. That is probably the strongest aspect of the narrative; with the exception of occasional interaction with Nicole, the film manages to sustain an anxiety-inducing atmosphere which keeps you on the edge of your seat at all times. A particular aesthetic which aids this is the choice of Andrew being a drummer; the part of the band which often sets the rhythm for everyone else. We frequently find this in the film’s soundtrack (diegetic and non-diegetic) where the pace of the drums will accelerate across the scene. Many films have particular scenes where you are tense, but I feel that Whiplash is the only film where I can say the whole film sustains the tension across the full runtime. It is also worth noting that, despite how engrossed the narrative is in music, you are able to understand everything without a sophisticated knowledge of music (I myself am very intermediate in my in-depth knowledge). Returning to the cast, Miles Teller gives such a palpable energy to Andrew Neiman throughout the film. He always has an aura of overconfidence which would possibly alienating an audience, however, the sheer tumult that the character endures through the narrative makes you feel pure sympathies for Andrew. Despite everything, he remains laser-focussed on his goals and you discern that his path will only descend as his ability ascends further and further with the aid of Fletcher. To say J. K. Simmons’ Oscar winning performance of Terence Fletcher was well earned is a gross understatement; he becomes Fletcher. He is scrupulously hellbent on forging his students into the next Jazz-star with his fiery rage which he lets loose upon those who are anything less than perfect. Simmons gives every single moment his utmost energy; energy you can feel whenever he dominates the screen. With this in mind, he also has moments of halcyon where the audience’s guard is let down, thinking he will begin a denouement, only to elicit greater response in his latest outburst. The stellar performances are made all the more engaging by the stark colour grading of the film; there is a heavy use of dim greens but also humid oranges and yellows. The radiating heat felt off of the oranges and yellows work as an extra boost to the pressure and tension of the scenes they’re applied to. Damien Chazelle also works to make a fantastic visual emphasis on the musical instruments; we see how they work and the symbiotic actions they share with their musicians and therefore infuses further life into the musical atmosphere of the film. In conclusion, Whiplash is a film which works in every conceivable way to the point that I can genuinely say that I see no flaws in it; a statement which consolidates this as my favourite film of all time.

Released 7th March 2014, The Grand Budapest Hotel tells the story of Zero; an old lobby boy of the esteemed Grand Budapest Hotel. While the film does confront ideas of loneliness and unity through a couple of characters, the film is not particularly deep in its messaging; instead, it connotes these ideas with a very laissez-faire attitude. The film achieves this to the credit of the striking cinematography where every frame’s a painting; from the perfect symmetry of scenes to the dual narratives playing out in a shot, you will be guaranteed something to be visually drawn to. There is also a lot of humour, however, there are not any active jokes in the film; they are all a product of perfect delivery and the aforementioned visual storytelling. While F. Murray Abraham brings life to Zero exogenous of the frame narrative, Tony Revolori embodies him for the majority of the narrative. Both do a fantastic job at presenting this character at contrasting points in his life. Whereas Abraham tells a more aged and isolated Zero, Revolori is a younger, inexperienced Zero who is the lobby boy to Ralph Fienne’s M. Gustave. M. Gustave is the concierge of the Grand Budapest Hotel at the time of Zero being lobby boy. Fiennes manages to illustrate Gustave with a perfected sophistication and chivalry towards everyone and everything he interacts with; he is very much the archetype of a good man from a long-gone age of his ideals. Besides the two protagonists, there is a large expansive cast of the film which feels completely perfect; the cast includes names such as Jeff Goldblum, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Adrien Brody, Saoirse Ronan, Jude Law, Willem Dafoe and Edward Norton. As previously stated, the most attractive part of the film is its expressive visuals; these visuals make use of bold lighting and colours in its production design and costuming which help to distinguish characters and settings with complete ease. Stop-motion animation is also applied to various scenes which enhance the visual artistry achieved by the production design. Even the soundtrack is enthralling with it’s regional symphonics and motifs for certain characters. If I had anything negative to say about the film, it would be that its laid back nature sometimes makes several moments abrupt and that the frame narrative is not fully realised. Overall, The Grand Budapest Hotel may not have the richest characters or story, however, the culmination of literally everything else makes it an unattainable experience for any other film to encapsulate.

Released 12th June 2013, Man of Steel is the latest reimagining of Superman on the big screen and also the start of the (rather in-prestigious) DC Extended Universe. Man of Steel shares a similar identity to Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy through it’s grittier presentation of its world as well as its deeper themes. This film places a great emphasis on choice with undertones of religion attached to the pathos of the character. Whilst varying in its subtly, Superman frequently draws parallels from Jesus throughout the film which add a great layer of sophistication to how humanity would view a real-world Superman; the novelty of this idea really aids in forging a fresh identity in what was already becoming an oversaturated subgenre. Henry Cavill is great as Clark Kent / Superman. Much like the rest of the film, he performs his character with complex nuances that make him feel human while also acknowledging his struggles in blending in with human society. Russel Crowe and Kevin Costner also do great jobs as Jor-El and Jonathon Kent; the biological and adoptive fathers of Clark. They both give a sincere warmth to their interactions with Clark which helps to connect with their perspectives, albeit hindered by some choppy dialogue given to Costner. Michael Shannon is an especially fascinating part of the cast as the antagonist, General Zod. As a character, Zod is written as a static character who is unable to change, however, Shannon is able to deliver so much raw power with every single action that he becomes one of the standouts of the film. Despite a great all-around cast, my only real qualm is Amy Adams’ Lois Lane. Whilst Adams does a great job, Lois often feels like a tag along in the narrative that, with minimal rewrites, could be cut out of the narrative all together; a flaw which drags you out of the 2nd and 3rd acts at times. This isn’t solely down to Lois Lane though. Whereas the 1st act lays the foundation for an eloquently made narrative (with a semblance of indie quality to it), the 2nd and 3rd act become little more than visual noise at many points. That said, the visual effects are great throughout; they are only dragged down by some compositing in aerial shots and the lack of substance they are often applied to. As for the soundtrack, Hans Zimmer produces a delicate yet powerhouse of a soundtrack which really helps to tie the ideas of the scenes together; an aspect particularly helpful in the final 2 acts. Overall, Man of Steel remains a unique take on the superhero genre with a powerful cast and consolidated technical features. This only gets it so far however due to the plunge taken in the 2nd act which the film is never able to fly above.

Released 24th April 1955, Godzilla Raids Again continues the story of Godzilla from his 1954 debut film. While this does raise the question of how Godzilla is back after being obliterated at the end of Godzilla (1954), the film is able to somewhat develop the original’s ideas in a believable way. Godzilla himself isn’t as prevalent in conveying nuclear power, however, the film does a great job in establishing Godzilla as a natural animal in his animalistic conflict with Anguirus, a descendant of the ankylosaurus. As well as this, the characters accept from the get-go that Godzilla cannot be killed without the oxygen destroyer from the original; as a result, the characters work more to stall him until they conjure a plan. The characters are surprisingly well acted, considering the standard of the time, however, the film opts to establish so many narratives that it is difficult to connect to the characters and their drama throughout the film. This is made more unfortunate by a couple of scenes which draw upon the themes of the film with bittersweet beauty. Instead of being very character driven, the narrative is more of a mindless action film as a result of its various battles and lowered concentration on direct characters. Godzilla is the only character that the film tries to focus on in depth; this is achieved through expansion of his lore and also quiet moments of reaction to the events surrounding him. Moments like these really set the stage for monster movies to have cognitive-thinking creatures with their own wills and identities thus forming a richer film experience. Even in the space of a year, the development of visual effects is notable in this film with a sophistication in its blend of models and to-scale effects. The suits for the monsters are also phenomenal and are impressively detailed. As for the soundtrack, there not a great variety of new tracks with only one track reoccurring through the film. Godzilla Raids Again is certainly a good sequel which doesn’t disregard its predecessor. However, its lack of concrete characters make large portions of the film slow to get through and a subsequent detriment to the viewing experience.

Released 28th June 2007, Ratatouille follows Remy the rat and his pursuit to become a chef in Paris. While its premise sounds very fantastical and pandering, the execution of this journey is a pure stroke of genius. By making the aspiring chef a rat, there is a highlighted sense of Remy’s rejection from the culinary world due to his physical appearance; this idea is accentuated across several other characters too. The film also feels as though it was primarily written for adults to comprehend before children which makes the final product feel all the more sincere and sophisticated. Patton Oswalt applies his memorably voice to Remy through his journey to reach his dreams. He conveys the spark of passion which directs his every interaction across confrontation and indulgence in this delicious world he desires to be a part of. Lou Romano voices Remy’s human friend Linguini; an innocent yet flawed character who has natural ups and downs with Remy through the narrative. Besides these two; the other character who deserves sufficient praise is Anton Ego. Voiced by Peter O’Toole, Ego is a natural antagonist for Remy’s journey whilst also providing a rich introspective into artistic criticism which, being something of a critic myself, speaks volumes to me. Janeane Garofalo also does a solid job as Colette, Linguini’s love interest. Colette is a fantastic character due to her early mentoring of Linguini and her concrete ideals which she abides by. She also insinuates messaging in regard to feminine influence in a professional environment. If I were to illustrate qualms with any character, it would be Ian Holm’s Chef Skinner. While Holm does a fantastic job delivering Skinner’s lines, he often brings out the more pandering elements of the film which clash with the naturalistic quality of the rest of the narrative. Whether it be fantastical chases or no particular reason to show in the third act, he feels like a misstep in an otherwise perfect cast. Being Pixar, the animation is spectacular and really serves to establish the identity of Paris and its subcultures. However, the stunning visuals are most certainly aided by Michael Giacchino’s awe inspiring score for the film. He is able to capture the symphonic language of Paris and translate it into every single scene with such flourish and charm that you cannot forget it. As well as this, there is also the original song Le Festin by French artist Camille. This song is used frequently in the film but never overstays its welcome; it is warm and uplifting for every application it has. That is what Ratatouille is; it is a warm and uplifting underdog story with refreshing nuances and only a character away from being a true masterpiece.