Elysium

Movie Name: Elysium
Year of Release: 2013

Director: Neill Blomkamp

Stars: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga, Diego Luna, Wagner Moura, William Fichtner, Brandon Auret, Josh Blacker, Emma Tremblay, Faran Tahir

Genre: Sci-Fi, Action, Drama

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7

Synopsis:

Neill Blomkamp's second feature after the success of his debut "District 9", is another futuristic story. The film introduces us to a future where Earth is overpopulated and where the rich have left the planet and created an orbiting station named "Elysium", where there's no sickness and where few people are in fact allowed in. This "privileged moon" is overrun by Delacourt, a ruthless leader who wants to instate her iron will and control the destiny of Elysium and to a certain extent, Earth. A young man named Max challenges her plans - Max grew up wanting to go to Elysium, but after a life of petty crime is stuck working in a plant. After an accident occurs, Max is given 5 days to live, which propels him to find help to get to Elysium. He gets the help he needs, but also gets a new chaser in the shape of Kruger, a psychotic henchman under the orders of Delacourt.
Neill Blomkamp knows how to create realities that though apparently remote, reflect a lot of the current concerns of society. "Elysium" tackles a lot of current issues related to healthcare, immigration and class struggle. The film is pertinent in it's depiction of a world that is more universal: language itself has altered to reflect the multiple ethnic groups that populate it, the scenery itself is a mix of "District 9" but also Pete Travis' "Dredd" - bleak and chaotic. And of course, the film is extremely successful in it's visual style, special effects and action set pieces. The cast is uniformly good, with Matt Damon and Jodie Foster creating good characters, even if a bit unidimensional, but nonetheless serving the film's narrative perfectly. A very good film worth watching.

Blue Jasmine

Movie Name: Blue Jasmine
Year of Release: 2013

Director: Woody Allen

Stars: Cate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin, Sally Hawkins, Andrew Dice Clay, Bobby Cannavale, Peter Sarsgaard, Louis C.K., Michael Stuhlbarg, Alden Ehrenreich, Max Casella, Tammy Blanchard, Annie McNamara

Genre: Drama

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8

Synopsis:

Woody Allen's anual film output is out and follows the tepidly received "To Rome with Love". "Blue Jasmine" focuses on the life of Jasmine, a socialite from New York, who sees her life unravel when her husband Hal gets accused of all sorts of financial wrongdoings, and ends up arrested and eventually killing himself in prison. Jasmine finds herself completely bankrupt and forced to go to San Francisco, and live with her more humble sister Ginger, and her two young sons. Ginger and her ex husband were affected by Hal's financial miscalculations, and though Ginger has moved on, she continues to be involved with men who are of dubious taste and nature. Jasmine on her hand, is going through a complete nervous breakdown, and is trying to restart her life, with some encouraging results, that come in the form of a diplomat who shows a romantic interest in her.
Woody Allen's latest films have been of uneven pertinence and interest. Though his depiction of some of the emptiness of the lives of the privileged continues to be on the spot, there has been a distinct lack of depth to some of his more recent efforts, including "Midnight in Paris" and "You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger". His universe continues to be very familiar, but has also felt contrived and in films such as "Match Point", like a distant echo from some of his masterpieces from the 80s. "Blue Jasmine" manages to overcome some of his traditional pitfalls, and becomes a fantastic display for one of the most talented actresses currently working, Cate Blanchett. Her performance encapsulates the dynamic of the film, truly giving the narrative the raw nerve that seems to be at it's core. She manages to create the central character as someone who is just barely surviving, scraping whatever sanity she has left to keep going. It's a character that is not entirely likable, and Blanchett makes her feel alive and to a certain extent, relatable. The supporting cast, has somewhat less developed characters, but Sally Hawkins, Andrew Dice Clay and Bobby Cannavale, all manage to create good companions to Cate Blanchett's solo tour de force. A very good film worth watching.

The Conjuring

Movie Name: The Conjuring
Year of Release: 2013

Director: James Wan

Stars: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Lili Taylor, Ron Livingston, Shanley Caswell, Hayley McFarland, Joey King, Shannon Kook, John Brotherton, Sterling Jerins, Kyla Deaver

Genre: Thriller, Horror

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7

Synopsis:

Following the highly successful "Insidious", director James Wan is back, with another horror story that builds upon on atmosphere and tension, this one in particular based on true events. The film follows the story of Lorraine and Ed Warren, paranormal investigators, who in the 1970s were involved in examining and detailing paranormal events. They are confronted with a particularly dire situation: the Perron family, having bought a house, see themselves confronted with a presence that is haunting them tirelessly. The attacks grow in intensity, until Lorraine and Ed start unveiling the story of the house and of how those presences started to exist.
James Wan is a resourceful director: he builds tension and atmosphere, relying on suggestion to create a sense of unease. He also deftly details the existence of a peaceful and familiar existence that is menaced by something clearly overwhelming. His films are smartly constructed, almost classic in their approach to the hidden menace that makes itself known but not exactly visible. It's a way of creating films that do not rely on gore or extreme violence to entertain the audience. The film has an impeccable production design that recreates the feel of the 70s perfectly. The cast is uniformly good as usual, with highlights going to Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson (he is also part of the "Insidious" franchise). A tense film worth watching.

The Hunt/Jagten

Movie Name: The Hunt
Year of Release: 2012

Director: Thomas Vinterberg

Stars: Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Annika Wedderkopp, Lasse Fogelstrom, Susse Wold, Anne Louise Hassing, Lars Ranthe

Genre: Drama

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8

Synopsis:

Thomas Vinterberg, director at one point associated with the cinematic movement Dogme 95 (which he co-authored with Lars Von Trier) is back the with celebrated "The Hunt". The film follows the story of Lucas, a divorced father, who is a teacher in a kindergarten, in a small town in Denmark. Lucas is beloved by everyone, and starts a relationship with a fellow co-worker. That relationship comes to a halt when Lucas becomes the target of a serious accusation which stems from the young daughter of his best friend: Klara accuses Lucas of having inappropriate sexual conduct towards her. The police gets involved in the situation, and Lucas' reality worsens by the minute, with the entire community responding with violence to his presence.
"The Hunt" is a film that is relentless in it's approach to detail what occurs when a person's life slowly starts to unravel endlessly. Lucas is a regular man, with an innate kindness towards children and people in general - when the accusation appears, the community who always knew him, rapidly forgets the years of common living, and attacks him endlessly. Thomas Vinterberg smartly creates a reality that is close to anyone, inhabiting this world with people that could live anywhere. Lucas is a man beaten down, hunted in more than one way, and it's devastating seeing the persecution that is created around him. Mads Mikkelsen creates a character that is fully dimensional: a father who's trying to lead a normal life, and yet finds himself cornered by a situation that is overwhelming, abandoned by most of the people he thought were friends. His anguish and sadness are heartbreaking. A devastating film worth watching.