CINEMA: Breach

The murky world of intelligence and counter-intelligence is by its very nature a place of cloaks and daggers, smoke and mirrors, and in this complex and absorbing movie it just gets darker and dirtier. Based on the true story of FBI double agent Robert Hanssen, who sold American secrets to the Soviets, it is the tale of a man whose strange, warped religious conviction led him to betray his country because he believed it was going to the dogs – or more pertinently, to the devil.When his bosses begin to suspect that Hanssen (Chris Cooper) may be leaking secrets to the former Soviet Union, they handpick rookie agent Eric O’Neill (Ryan Phillippe) to cover him. O’Neill is chosen because he’s a lapsed Catholic and as Hanssen is a devout member of the church it is up to O’Neill to gain his trust and infiltrate his life. What he discovers is shocking, even to him. Why would a man who seems to be a bastion of American society endeavour to help to bring it down? But as O’Neill gets closer to Hanssen he finds a man whose unquestioning belief in the teachings of his faith (he’s against gays, lesbians and planned parenthood) blind him to his own acts of treachery.

This is a slow burning, deliberately paced movie that pays meticulous attention to detail. There are compelling performances, especially from the charismatic Cooper who makes Hanssen a totally believable character. There’s also great support, not only from Phillippe, but also from Gary Cole as an FBI minder, Kathleen Quinlan as Hanssen’s dutiful wife and Caroline Dhavernas as O’Neill’s new bride who does not take kindly to his newfound religious zeal.

CINEMA: Two Days In Paris

Hurrah for Julie Delpy, an actress who proves the essence of the auteur is truly still alive and kicking with this peach of a movie she not only stars in but also wrote, edited, produced and directed (oh, and contributed the music as well).

Free-spirited Parisian-born Marion (Delpy) now lives in the States with her phobic boyfriend Jack (Adam Goldberg) who has a thing about bugs, cleanliness and all things un-American. After a less than successful romantic trip to Venice, the pair travel to Paris for two days before embarking on their journey home. Here, they stay in Marion’s old apartment that just happens to be in the same building as her parents’ (Albert Delpy, Marie Pillet), who very inconveniently don’t speak English. So the scene is set for much bickering, misunderstandings, glorious family bust-ups, Jack’s jealousy over Marion’s exes and much poking of fun at the Yanks.

It’s a classic tale of a stranger in a very strange land, being totally at sea and not knowing which way to paddle. Highlights include Marion’s very fat cat, her father’s hatred of cars parked on pavements and trying to get Jack to eat the head in the rabbit stew, arguments with taxi drivers, the inadequate size of European condoms and a row about a certain famous dead singer’s grave. It’s all utterly charming in a quirky, kooky, Gallic way – no wonder Jack looks so bewildered.

This is a film with real laughs and acts as an excellent calling card to any big budget projects Delpy may wish to put her name to in the future. Vive le France!

CINEMA: 1408

Based on a very short story by Stephen King, this is another horror/thriller where the protagonist isn’t human (dead or alive) but a seemingly inanimate object. 1408 just happens to be a room within the luxurious Dolphin Hotel, but not just any room – it’s meant to be the most haunted in the world. Which is exactly why Mike Enslin (John Cusack), a hack writer currently researching his next book is so eager to stay there. The hotel’s manager (Samuel L Jackson) can’t dissuade Mike from his mission, even after showing him a scrapbook cataloguing the disastrous and fatal stays of other guests in room 1408, and so Mike makes himself comfortable for the night. Armed with his notepad and trusty laptop and Dictaphone he thinks he’s in for another disappointing stay, and then the alarm clock/radio starts playing The Carpenters’ ‘We’ve Only Just Begun’….

From here on in 1408 gets more and more claustrophobic as director Mikael Hafstrom starts to ratchet up the suspense. Mike discovers he may well be able to check out, but he can never leave as lights mysteriously wink on and off, the temperature thermostat goes on the blink, the walls start to ooze what looks like blood and Mike’s mind keeps dredging up memories he would rather not revisit.

This is a movie that really does get progressively more spooky and freaky but what stops it from getting tediously silly is the fact John Cusack plays it so straight. Mike Enslin is a been there, seen it all cynic and so instead of throwing his hands up in horror and screaming for his mum, he suspects a con and looks for a plausible explanation. When things start to get really out of hand he doesn’t get catatonic, he plans on getting even. As the book was so short the film makers have had to pad things out somewhat and so inevitably there are a few false endings too many, but overall this is a satisfyingly scary ordeal for those who want more than a blood-frenzied slash fest.

CINEMA: No Reservations

Those who have seen the original of this movie (the sweet little German film Mostly Martha), or the exceedingly cheesy trailer for this American remake, won’t be expecting a masterpiece. And in some ways they would be right for there is much that could be improved on here, but there are also some lovely performances and light touches.

The story remains the same: anally-retentive, perfectionist chef Kate (Catherine Zeta-Jones) lives for food and her work in a trendy New York restaurant. In Kate’s book relationships with living people come second to her relationship with fresh truffles, soufflés and her caramelising blowtorch. But when her sister is killed in a car crash Kate becomes guardian to her young niece Zoe (the amazing Abigail ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ Breslin) and her life changes in ways she could not imagine. Her boss (Patricia Clarkson) forces her to have time off and on her return to work she finds a new chef in her kitchen, the laidback, opera-loving Nick (Aaron Eckhart). That old adage about too many cooks spoiling the broth threatens to become reality as sparks fly over the hotplates. The nascent love/hate affair between Kate and Nick keeps things hot in the kitchen, but much more relevant to the story, and much more important to the whole film, is Kate’s growing relationship with Zoe whose bereavement has left her floundering. It is the scenes between the lost and forlorn Zoe and her aunt that prove to be the most touching and emotionally convincing. Strangely, as Kate becomes more empathetic and human, so Zeta-Jones actually seems to become more physically attractive – softer and warmer.

By trying to sell the movie as a romance the ad men are playing down what really makes the movie tick; the relationship between a child who has lost her whole life and an aunt who has never really kick-started her own. Of course, Breslin out-acts everyone and proves to be the real star while Eckhart’s performance is so big to begin with it hardly fits in the kitchen, but he brings it down to a simmer in subsequent scenes. Zeta-Jones does well to stop the puritanical Kate from becoming obnoxious and watch out for a lovely light performance from Bob Balaban as the shrink with a taste for fine cuisine.

COMPETITION: Disturbia

Disturbia (cert 15), the chilling #1 US box office smash, is at cinemas everywhere from September 14. To celebrate its release Paramount Pictures UK is offering you the chance to win some cool film merchandise including a USB wristband and Disturbia T-shirt.

After his father’s death, Kale Brecht (LaBeouf) becomes sullen, withdrawn, and troubled – so much so that he finds himself under a court-ordered sentence of house arrest. His mother, Julie (Moss), works night and day to support herself and her son, only to be met with indifference and lethargy. The walls of his house begin to close in on Kale. He becomes a voyeur as his interests turn outside the windows of his suburban home towards those of his neighbours, one of which Kale begins to suspect is a serial killer. But, are his suspicions merely the product of cabin fever and his overactive imagination?

Produced by Steven Spielberg and starring Shia LaBeouf (Transformers), David Morse and Carrie-Ann Moss, Disturbia is set to top the film chart following its US success. Find out more about the film and its cast at www.disturbiamovie.co.uk

 

To celebrate the release of Disturbia, Paramount Pictures UK is offering you the chance to win some cool film merchandise. Your prize will include a USB wristband (left), Disturbia T-shirt and poster.

For your chance to win simply answer the following question:

Transformers was directed by:

a. Steven Spielberg

b. Michael Bay

c. Michael Mann

Send your answers to competitions@the-void.co.uk. Good luck!

….

© 2007 by DreamWorks LLC and Cold Spring Pictures. All Rights Reserved

CINEMA: Knocked Up

This film looks like being a summer comedy sensation and it’s not difficult to see why. For years boys have been wondering how to get their girlfriends along to the nerdy, gross-out movies they love, while girls have had to resort to bribery to get their boyfriends along to their favourite romcoms. The solution? Simple, just stick the two genres together to create a gross-geek-romcom that covers all bases.

So, here we have chubby loser Ben (Seth Rogen –more of whom later) who spends his days with his buddies drinking beer, smoking his bong and generally mucking about with computers. Across town is much more together Alison (the lovely Katherine Heigl, now well known as beautiful Dr Izzie from Grey’s Anatomy). She may well be living in her sister Debbie’s (Leslie Mann) pool house but she has big dreams of becoming a TV presenter. When her boss (Alan Tudyk) finally confirms she is being promoted, Alison and sis hit the nightclubs, which is where Ben drunkenly scores with Alison, who promptly takes him home for a one-night stand. A few weeks down the line and Alison is hitting her stride professionally, but it’s also clear she’s pregnant and the only candidate for daddyhood is Ben.

From here, the comedy starts to go through the gears as Alison decides to keep the baby and the big softie inside Ben rises to the challenge and stands by her. There are morning sickness jokes, having sex while pregnant jokes, raging hormone jokes and one hilarious male bonding scene when Ben and Debbie’s husband Pete (Paul Rudd) drive to Vegas where they take shedloads of drugs and then sit through a performance by Cirque du Soleil. Although the growing relationship between Alison and Ben is the central theme of the movie, the ups and downs of Debbie and Pete’s marriage add another comedic dimension to the film. It’s really all about a would-be loser who finally learns to grow up and face his responsibilities, but far from alienating geeks countrywide, they’ll love it because he manages to get the kind of girl he’d usually only have in his dreams (and he becomes reasonably successful to boot). Females may initially find it hard to believe Alison would want anything to do with Ben, but his loyalty to her will win them over.

Director Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen (both previously involved with The 40 Year-Old Virgin) are riding high in Hollywood at present and you can see why. They’ve hit a comedy seam that is pure gold and they are mining it for all they’re worth. Later this year check out their next collaboration Superbad, it’s even funnier than Knocked Up. Dee Pilgrim

COMPETITION: The Reaping

Winning stuff is cool. It means you don’t have to spend your hard-earned cash on things like shiny plastic discs. Aren’t you all lucky then that we’ve got five copies of The Reaping to give away on DVD , thanks to Warner Home Video.

Set in Louisiana, The Reaping is a shocking horror story, which sees the small town of Haven plunged into terror and darkness as it relives the ten Biblical plagues. Follow Oscar-winner Hilary Swank in this supernatural thriller, as she treads the thin line between faith and superstition.

The DVD is out now to buy (check here if you want it now), but for a chance to win a copy of The Reaping, simply answer the following question:

Which state of America is the town of Haven in The Reaping?

a. Alabama

b. Mississippi

c. Louisiana

Send your answers to competitions@the-void.co.uk. Good luck!

Terms and Conditions: This prize is not transferable. No cash alternatives apply.

2007 Warner Bros Entertainment All Rights Reserved.

CINEMA: Lady Chatterley

It is a fascinating and unusual experience at the cinema to see a French language film of a British novel set in Britain.

We have been very lucky this year, getting some real quality on the silver screen from our brothers and sisters across the Channel: Tell No One, Not Here to be Loved, Private Fears in Public Places, Moliere, La Vie en Rose, Arthur and the Minimoys, Orchestra Seats and The Science of Sleep, plus Paris Je T’Aime. Phew! A bumper year for Francophiles.

Now we have Lady Chatterley, directed by Pascale Ferran, and written by Ferran, Roger Bohbot and Pierre Trividic. This is not based on the original novel by D.H. Lawrence, but on a second version – titled in France, Lady Chatterley et l’homme des bois, and over here, John Thomas and Lady Jane.

 

In the aftermath of the First World War, lord of the manor Clifford (Hippolyte Girardot, who you may remember from the fantastic Manon des Sources) has returned paralysed from the waist down. His wife, Lady Constance Chatterley (Marina Hands, seen earlier this year in Tell No One), is bereft of emotional and physical love. The home is weighed down with melancholy, coupled with strong political disagreements. Constance slowly begins an explicit love affair with gamekeeper Parkin (Jean-Louis Coulloc’h). A plot as simple as that actually deals with ambitious themes, such as fallout from war, class, relationship dynamics, as well as sexual expression, repression and satisfaction.

Hands, in the lead, is expressive and charismatic, but Coulloc’h is a bit too wooden, and consequently the chemistry is not particularly charged. Nudity and sex does not always equate to passion.

The camera-work appears to represent the moods of Constance – whether fixed and closed down, or verité and free-spirited – but Lady Chatterley lacks a cinematic sheen (feeling made for television) and has a ponderous pace, which on several occasions stretches patience when considering its running time of almost three hours. The full piece is actually nearer to four hours and was shown on French television in two parts, which one imagines would ultimately prove more satisfying. Hemanth Kissoon

CINEMA: The Bourne Ultimatum

He’s back – and he’s better than Bond!

Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne has become the action hero for the noughties; a mean, lean killing machine who always manages to stay one step ahead. This third installment of the super assassin’s story takes us through Europe and England, into Africa and across the Atlantic to America.

When newspaper reporter Simon Ross (Paddy Considine) writes a story mooting that Bourne is still alive, the ultra-secretive Blackbriar Special Ops goes into overdrive. Agents Noah Vosen (David Strathairn) and Pamela Landy (Joan Allen) are soon tracking Bourne using every form of electronic surveillance open to them as he attempts to make contact with Ross. But Bourne’s not about to let them catch him and with the help of CIA agent Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles) he starts to close in on the men who made him what he is. Jason Bourne wants answers and he’s going to get them no matter how many trained killers are sent in to take him out.

Director Paul Greengrass choreographs the action superbly with the chase and fight scenes having real drive and energy. Two astonishingly detailed sequences – shot on Waterloo station’s crowded concourse and across the rooftops and through the alleys of Tangier – give maximum exhilaration and have the audience whooping in their seats, while the obligatory Bourne car chase (this time in New York) is a (literally) smashing scene.

Damon brings real depth to the Bourne role, showing the vulnerable man inside the cold killer, while Allen and Stiles both show moral fortitude in the face of their bosses’ immorality. This is truly exciting stuff with the camera zooming and swooping over the action at such a fast pace you’ll need to concentrate to keep up. However, if you pay attention you’ll discover this is an action movie with more than one layer. Basically Bourne is the bees’ knees: bold, brilliant and breathtaking.      Dee Pilgrim

CINEMA: Sparkle

Back in 2001 writing/directing partners Neil Hunter and Tom Hunsinger produced ensemble movie Lawless Heart. Now six years later they have redeveloped and refined some of the themes which ran through that movie and have created another ensemble piece with a far more complicated storyline. In fact, Sparkle has multiple storylines that run parallel to eachother through the film until all coming together in a very satisfying manner at the end.At the heart of the film is the character of Sam (Shaun Evans) an ambitious young man who wants to make his mark on the world. When he leaves Liverpool for London, his mum Jill (the great Lesley Manville) comes too and they move into the spare flat of Vince (Bob Hoskins), a real gentleman.

Sam is introduced to the older, professionally successful Sheila (Stockard Channing) and starts an affair with her, but then he meets the lovely Kate (Amanda Ryan) and falls for her too, while all the while shy Vince adores Jill from afar. So far, so understandable, but things get much more complicated before sorting themselves out and the film may have benefited from losing at least one story strand. It’s also a little self-conscious, but it has a sweet nature with each of the characters just looking for love, or trying to preserve the love they already have, however imperfect it may be. Lesley Manville should now be considered a national treasure – her performances are always so well judged and would-be singer Jill (whose ambition outweighs her talent) is no exception, while it is a great pleasure to see Bob Hoskins playing a straightforwardly nice guy rather than a gangster of some sort.     Dee Pilgrim