Lifestyle MK's Film Critic, Tremayne Miller has been hard at work bringing us her view on two recent releases: CRIMINAL and GOLDEN YEARS.
Starring Bernard Hill, Virginia McKenna, Una Stubbs, Simon Callow, Phil Davis, Brad Moore, Alun Armstrong, Sue Johnson
The film depicts a group of colourful characters, who’ve lived life to the full, yet in private are tackling reoccurring issues. The fondness of the creators towards the characters is apparent, and undoubtedly they are held in high regard.
One cannot help but watch and feel an element of sympathy and pathos, as it reflects back to us what it means to be alive in raw and basic terms but with a sufficient smattering of humour deposited throughout.
The message “laughter is the best panacea” transcends throughout the entirety of the film.
From the outset we deem the film only suitable for a certain age group but as it unravels, we see that this is indeed not the case, and the subject matter is also relevant to the younger generation.
Despite Golden Years following an elderly couple forced into a retirement of crime as the pension crisis hits, it also deals with many other issues including - friendship, what it means to struggle financially, and the impact that illness has on our bodies as they deteriorate with the aging process; our contribution to society as we grow older, and the disenchantment we bear as we are seen as nothing more than collateral damage to the economic structure.
These relevant subjects are approached by the Writers in a humourously, gentle manner, embracing the fact that the aging society will encounter unavoidable issues.
What I have come to coin “The blue rinse scene” sees an ultra curious and seemingly ill Martha Goode, played by a brilliant Virginia McKenna, entering into her beloved husband, Arthur’s shed, depicted as ‘the man’s domain.’
She gazes around, looking for something out of the ordinary, then spots something in the corner, stashed underneath a blanket; and as she proceeds to lift it up she recognises the money case, the kind used by security services to transport large sums of money around.
However, as human nature gets the better of her at the thought of being in the possession of a huge sum, she clicks the case open, and in so doing covers herself in blue dye.
Martha's strands of hair as she stands upright are now a powdery blue, whilst a stream of indigo flows down one side of her face, all the while the household cat remains in its basket, completely oblivious, void of any emotion. Although the scene lasts but seconds, it is priceless!
If this film sought the advice of a doctor, it would prescribe the drug of humour every time!!
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3ma8xh59dE
UK film release: 29 April, 2016.
Criminal
Directors: Ariel Vromen
Writers: Douglas Cook, David
Weisberg
Stars: Kevin Costner, Ryan Reynolds,
Gal Gadot, Gary Oldman.
Memories are “missionized” in Criminal,as an arguably
‘old-fashioned Cold War style conflict’ plays out, instead of the more
pertinent terrorist drama we have become used to; where Kevin Costner is cast as a brain-damaged, sociopathic convict, who
undergoes a brain transplant, taking on the memories of a dead CIA agent. In
just three days he must unravel an international conspiracy, and in the process
may come closer to understanding love.
The film also stars Gary Oldman, Gal Gadot, Tommy Lee Jones and Ryan Reynolds.
Reynolds, the focus of the first part of the film, is on the way
to hand over ransom money to a Dutch hacker unimaginatively named “the
Dutchman” (Michael Pitt), however, his location was only known to him.
Therefore, to extract this vital piece of information, London CIA boss Quaker Wells
(Gary Oldman) turns to the expertise of neurosurgeon Dr. Franks,
played by Tommy Lee Jones, who is able to carry out a procedure where
memories are transferable from one person’s brain to another.
Such delicate information is thought to only be safe with a violent
criminal, like that of Jerico Stewart (Costner), who, as a child,
sustained an injury which left him incapable of feeling empathy.
Stewart able to recall Pope’s old address and security code,
manages to break into his house and looks set to rape his widow wife, Jill (Gadot),
that is until he is hit, suddenly, by a whirl of emotions unknown to him, which
render him incapable of laying a finger on Pope’s wife or daughter, Emma (Lara
Decaro).
The film echoes Clint Eastwood’s - Gran Torino and
Face/Off (or ‘Volte Face’, as it is referred to in France), where I
first watched it.
The “Bourne” films also come to mind, with the quick cuts
between jumpy action and CCTV feeds, achieved using handheld cameras.
The film shows the sights of London off in an amazing light, in
the same way that current Sky 1 Series, Lucky Man does; and there’s an
impressive shoot-out scene on top of a moveable bridge on the way to City
Airport.
Gal Gadot (Ryan Reynolds’s wife in the film), the
forthcoming ‘Wonder woman’ puts in a respectable performance; and I am most
impressed with Kevin Costner, who proves himself to be far from a one
dimensional Actor, whose character becomes increasingly interesting as the
monster in him begins to develop a conscience, while the (his) physical
vessel remains unchanged, not, I would say, unlike the story of Mary
Shelly’s – Frankenstein.
Tommy Lee Jones, and Gary Oldman put in their usual reliable
performances, this in part, because they have not succumbed to the hold, the
power of Hollywood.
The intricacies of the special effects, especially involved in
the transplant scene remind me of those found in CSI (Crime Scene
Investigation), the original Series, which in an enthralling way draws me in.
The script skillfully weaves its humour in and out, and there
truly are some classical moments, for example, when Kevin Costner refers
to the librarian as a “sugarpuss”, and in the Pharmacy when he questions his
out-of-character politesse towards the Pharmacist, as he says “Cheers”!
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNfRQ4NBjUU
UK film release: 15 April, 2016
Golden Years
Starring Bernard Hill, Virginia McKenna, Una Stubbs, Simon Callow, Phil Davis, Brad Moore, Alun Armstrong, Sue Johnson
The film depicts a group of colourful characters, who’ve lived life to the full, yet in private are tackling reoccurring issues. The fondness of the creators towards the characters is apparent, and undoubtedly they are held in high regard.
One cannot help but watch and feel an element of sympathy and pathos, as it reflects back to us what it means to be alive in raw and basic terms but with a sufficient smattering of humour deposited throughout.
The message “laughter is the best panacea” transcends throughout the entirety of the film.
From the outset we deem the film only suitable for a certain age group but as it unravels, we see that this is indeed not the case, and the subject matter is also relevant to the younger generation.
Despite Golden Years following an elderly couple forced into a retirement of crime as the pension crisis hits, it also deals with many other issues including - friendship, what it means to struggle financially, and the impact that illness has on our bodies as they deteriorate with the aging process; our contribution to society as we grow older, and the disenchantment we bear as we are seen as nothing more than collateral damage to the economic structure.
These relevant subjects are approached by the Writers in a humourously, gentle manner, embracing the fact that the aging society will encounter unavoidable issues.
What I have come to coin “The blue rinse scene” sees an ultra curious and seemingly ill Martha Goode, played by a brilliant Virginia McKenna, entering into her beloved husband, Arthur’s shed, depicted as ‘the man’s domain.’
She gazes around, looking for something out of the ordinary, then spots something in the corner, stashed underneath a blanket; and as she proceeds to lift it up she recognises the money case, the kind used by security services to transport large sums of money around.
However, as human nature gets the better of her at the thought of being in the possession of a huge sum, she clicks the case open, and in so doing covers herself in blue dye.
Martha's strands of hair as she stands upright are now a powdery blue, whilst a stream of indigo flows down one side of her face, all the while the household cat remains in its basket, completely oblivious, void of any emotion. Although the scene lasts but seconds, it is priceless!
If this film sought the advice of a doctor, it would prescribe the drug of humour every time!!
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3ma8xh59dE
UK film release: 29 April, 2016.
© Tremayne Miller
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