JANE MAYNE reviews
[star rating=”4″] DUNKIRK. Directed by Christopher Nolan, with Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh, Cillian Murphy, Harry Styles.
A stirring piece of film-making by Nolan which transports you back to 1940. His combination of ground and aerial photography and soldier cameos makes for an absorbing replay of this real-life wartime saga. But there is much to quibble about and if you’re looking for a complete overview of the mess that was Dunkirk this is not it. The movie is a partial account of a tragedy with many legs – but nonetheless Dunkirk provides an expansive land/sea/sky drama that reminds of this awful story.
While it’s slim on context, Dunkirk engrosses from start to finish. The film orbits around the rescue mission (dubbed Operation Dynamo) where apparently over 900 British vessels heeded the call to rescue soldiers stranded in France. Foregoing what could have been a grand, emotive display about the heroism of ordinary folk, Nolan swings the focus to one small boat’s occupants. This is offset by a young beached soldier’s will to live as he strives for home against all odds. A minimalist war movie which rewards with weighty cinematography. EXTRAS: None
[star rating=”3.5″] WAKEFIELD. Directed by Robin Swicord, with Bryan Cranston, Jennifer Garner, Beverly D’Angelo.
Wakefield is an intense study of the confines of relationship – particularly the conventions of marriage. The thrust of the commentary highlights the often unspoken claustrophobic margins implicit in this popular union and the buy-in of a potentially mundane lifestyle.
Cranston takes the role of an unlikeable git whose cup has runneth over with years of suppressed resentment and frustration. Essentially snagging his wife (Garner) in a subtle play of one-upmanship with a friend, he steered himself into an unfulfilling space, yet his whole meaning has become imprisoned there.
Based on an E.L. Doctorow short story – a ripple in the routine of Howard Wakefield (Cranston) leads to him hiding out in his own attic, where he watches his wife and twins play out the continuum after he’s disappeared. It’s all relayed through Howard’s eyes, and while not particularly cheery, Cranston holds the focus as he unravels. EXTRAS: None
[star rating=”3″] LOGAN LUCKY. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, with Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Riley Keough, Daniel Craig, Seth MacFarlane, Katie Holmes, Hilary Swank.
This little down-on-your-luck heist movie perks up as the smell of the cash gets bad. Propelled by the catchphrase – “see how the other half steals”, Soderbergh directs a couple of low-lifers who execute an innovative robbery during the popular Coca-Cola 600 race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
It takes a while to set up the parameters of the personnel and the specific value they add to the film, but there’s a burst of colour once the grab gets underway.
Daniel Craig is an absolute exact dead ringer for Terrence Stamp, and his enthusiasm bubbles over in the role – which makes for quite a nice diversion from his slick Bond routine. Bulky shuffler Jimmy (Tatum) centres the story as a reserved construction worker laid off from his excavation job. Thankfully there are no car chases, and this crime caper just fritters along at a predictable velocity. EXTRAS: None
[star rating=”2″] HOME AGAIN. Directed by Hallie Meyers-Shyer, with Reese Witherspoon, Michael Sheen, Candice Bergen.
Reese Witherspoon brings a solid presence to every role, and while this is evident here, Home Again is much like an empty balloon. Casting is fine, but the story just bleeds out till the credits roll.
It’s a Nancy Myers movie (The Holiday, The Intern, It’s Complicated) which presents Alice Kinney, the daughter of a dead filmmaker, who, after separating from her husband moves back to her dad’s mansion in the Hollywood hills. When she’s out on the town she meets three cash-strapped brothers to whom she offers temporary shelter. The boys impact her life and that of her children in more ways then one. It’s a tepid rom-com, but wow it’s great to fleetingly see Candice Bergen again! EXTRAS: None
DVD REVIEWS: Dunkirk, Wakefield, Logan Lucky, Home Again
WS
