— enemy —

Enemy is a film that you will most likely have to watch twice, to fully understand it. Director Denis Villeneuve is not one to take on light subject matter. Enemy is not a light film, which is surprising, considering its only 90 minutes long. Enemy is dark and suspenseful, it’s also encouraging us to think deeply about it.

Spiders are a recurring theme in the film. So much does Denis Villeneuve want us to think about this, that the cast have signed a confidentially agreement that doesn’t allow them to speak and/or explain the meaning of spiders in the film. Denis runs the risk here, of excluding passive film watchers from understanding it, therefore narrowing his target audience. It’s almost as if he made this film with the intention of providing some deep and meaningful for those that truly want to dig a little deeper and gain enlightenment. The result is that Enemy has received mixed reviews, and generally people will watch it and ‘not get it’, and therefore, not like it, or people will want to get it, and appreciate the artistry of it.

Jake Gyllenhaal, again, delivers a performance that only he can deliver. He has the ability to convey emotion and feeling, without saying much, you quickly get a sense of how his character is feeling. It’s a delight to watch him play two people in the same film. This is a must watch film for all Jake fans!

The colour palette of this film, gives you the senses that something is wrong, its almost a sickening colour, very pale and muggy. Along with this, the score is very foreboding, but enjoyable to listen too. You really have to be in the mood for this film, and I believe that you have to be willing to make the commitment to think about it, after the credits roll. The director has peppered the film with small hints and clues, that help you in the deciphering process. I dare you to watch Enemy is attempt to solve the mystery!

Enemy is a clever film, with multi-faceted elements of mystery and intrigue. Turn the bass up, and give your sub-woofer a workout. Who is the Enemy?

TRIVIA COOKIE: This film was completed before Denis Villeneuve’s Prisoners, but released after it.

— olympus has fallen —

Sometimes I wander how good actors or actresses feel when they are making a film, that seems to be a great idea, but when the final product is released, and it’s actually rather appalling. Olympus Has Fallen is such a film, there are so many many inexplicables, that there is no excuse. Some may argue, ‘its just a movie’, but come on, are we really just going to sit back and be the most gullible generation of movie goers?

Antoine Fuqua has directed good films in the past, Training Day, being his stand out piece. It’s a shame to note that he hasn’t been able to match, let alone top it. He does have an impressive 11 upcoming projects, so time will tell. Southpaw with Jake Gyllenhaal being the sooner to reach cinemas. I really want it to be a good movie, but my confidence is skewed by Antoine Fuqua’s Olympus Has Fallen, and The Equalizer for that matter.

Olympus Has Fallen is a movie that feels way too far-fetched, that instead of making you feel tense and at-the-edge of your seat, you really just want to laugh. So in that sense, it is entertaining, but not because you’re marvelling at how amazing the visuals are, and how amazing the performances are. The visuals seem rushed and clumsy, Gerard Butler does his best to carry the film, and if it wasn’t for his Bruce Willis/Denzel Washington fierceness, I really don’t see how this film would have even had a theatrical release, straight to DVD release, perhaps.

Politically it places North Korea and the Unites States of America as enemies, which even today is still relevant. According to Antoine, he felt that doing the staple, bad guys from the middle east was overdone, he’s right, by the way, and chose to do the North Korean bad guys instead. The Interview, comes to mind, and the political fiasco that caused. If Antoine wanted Olympus Has Fallen to be a political statement, he failed. If he wanted to make an entertaining action disaster movie, he failed too.

This film falls short in a number of ways, the story isn’t believable, the villains are almost super-villians, and having 1 guy, almost, single-handedly save the day doesn’t cut it as being an instant classic. It’s forgettable, so don’t expect much from this Antoine Fuqua piece. Oh, and why was Morgan Freeman in this movie?

TRIVIA COOKIES: One of the TV spots in the United States included Emergency Alert System tones to promote this film. Since it is illegal to air these tones in non-emeergery situations, the Federal Communications Commission fined ESPN, Viacom and NBC Universal $1.93 Million.

Yes, you guessed it, there is a sequel in the making entitled London Has Fallen, Ooops!

— nightcrawler —

*NOMINATED FOR 1 OSCAR*

Dan Gilroy’s directional debut is compelling and intriguing, it is also captivating and shocking. Jake Gyllenhaal is unbelievably good! What’s even more unbelievable is that he wasn’t nominated for an Oscar in his amazing role as Louis Bloom. There has been a lot of chatter concerning this Oscar snub, but lets not focus on that now, lets just strew over what makes Nightcrawler a great piece of cinema.

First of all, there are some beautiful shots in this film, cleverly scattered to create a grand but solace space.

Jake Gyllenhaal really brings to life this anti-hero. I say anti-hero because the Bloom character is likeable, but at the same time very dislikable. The sunken cheeks and accentuated cheek bones, with a close to never blinking look, given by the obsessive commitment from Jake makes Bloom a scary, hungry ‘coyote’ looking for prey, not just to survive, but to ravish for the sheer pleasure of it! I say coyote because Jake visualised his character as a hungry coyote, so much so that the movie, at one point was going to be entitled along the lines of ‘something, coyote’. Commitment is a light word in comparison to the intensive preparation that Jake put himself through, losing 20 pounds, hospitalising himself, and working out 8 hours a day, running and/or cycling are just some examples of what the Jake machine is capable of!

Jake Gyllenhaal has some interesting roles coming up, it will be exciting to see what new limits he is able to take himself to!

Dan Gilroy. One to watch. I know that he is working on a couple of upcoming scripts, Stan Lee’s Annihilator and Battle for Bonneville, but I am not sure what he will be directing next. It is worth keeping a close eye on this guy, because I am certain he stunned everyone with this influential piece.

Nightcrawler is raw as sashimi, but heavily nutritious! You will want to keep watching, you will be glued to your seat with anticipation, and there will be moments when you will be thinking, “what the…”. Nightcrawler is thought-provoking and elegantly written, join Louis Bloom as he crawls all over the city at night.