Blade Runner 2049
Dir: Denis Villeneuve
2017
*****
Like many film lovers, I regard Ridley Scott's 1982 noir epic Blade Runner as one of the greatest works of cinema ever committed to celluloid. It's one of those rare films whereby I become undefensively immersed by it, it engulfs my senses and films me with that hit of movie heroin so many other films wish they could administer. I adore everything about it. I watch it regularly and it never gets tired, indeed, there is always something new to see in it, another question to ask and there's always another treasure to find. The neon-noir vision of a dystopian future Earth, filled with the unfortunates who can't afford to live in luxury 'Off-World' is the perfect blend of Philip K. Dick literary vision and Fritz Lang's visual flare, but with all credit to Scott whose direction and writing were second to none. I listen to Vangelis's glorious soundtrack nearly every day - and that's no exaggeration - I can loose myself in his music just as much as I can watching the film, maybe even more so. The big question, among the many, was always whether Harrison Ford's Deckard was indeed a Replicant without even knowing it himself - the jury is still out, with Scott suggesting he is, Ford, like his character, not realizing this at the time and many a critic suggesting that the idea's ambiguity being the main reason the film is so revered. I'll be honest - I didn't want to know. I didn't want to know what happened to Deckard and Rachael, I agree with the critics, the film was open to interpretation, I'll liked both options and the open possibilities. I didn't want a sequel. If there had to be one, I always thought it should come from Scott himself, that was until 2012's Prometheus anyway, since then a Blade Runner sequel is the last film I wanted to see. The announcement came as a shock with far more anxiety than excitement. I wasn't a huge fan of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, I liked the new elements but I hated what they did with the old characters, especially Ford's Han Solo. He clearly had no love for the franchise and I did not want to see the same fate for Deckard. Denis Villeneuve is a great director, but I still didn't want anyone near my beloved Blade Runner. but of course I had to see it. I watched it through my fingers and my wife thought there was something wrong when she noticed that I hadn't touched my popcorn an hour into the film. When the final credits rolled up she looked at me with concern, knowing how much of a big deal this film was to me. I could have cried. That same feeling I had after watching the original for the first time was washing over me, the movie magic I crave was making its way through my veins and I was watching the credits roll up through a haze, not unlike post-coital bliss. Villeneuve's sequel was a true continuation of the story and something entirely new. I saw it in 2D, I think 3D might have finished me off. It's perfect in every detail, and I think it might just mark a new chapter in cinema, much like it's predecessor achieved back in 1982. Philip K. Dick didn't like the original film, it was far removed from his book 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep' and he died soon after seeing it, just before its release. I think he would have liked Blade Runner 2049, it's actually hard not to think he didn't write it himself. All of the subjects his book and the film explored are explored further for a future audience. Technology and the attitude towards Artificial Intelligence has changed since 1982, just as it would have between Dick/Scott's fictional 2019 to 2049. The world 'real' covers too much subject, this film is about what is genuine, which is exactly what fans of the original want from the sequel. All of the content that the fans loved in the first film is present in one way or another in the follow up. It is not a carbon copy, history does and doesn't repeat itself, as ideas are explored further and history is researched. My heart sank only once during the whole film when a certain technique was used that divides current audiences and has the possibility of being overused. This was addressed seconds later with a defiant, brutal and striking action that I'm sure was intended as a big statement on modern sci-fi cinema, one that nearly had me on my feet in ovation. In fact, the film is full of statements, some directed at the original film out of admiration but many directed at modern cinema as a whole. Blade Runner 2049 has raised the benchmark for sure. If ever a sequel was going to have such an impact, it had to be Blade Runner. The script is not as iconic as the original, I'm not sure you can beat the 'Tears in the rain' speech but then 2049 doesn't really try, its real triumph is in its silent scenes. It builds on the original film but it also develops its own strengths. I never would have guessed that I'd be saying it but Blade Runner 2049 stands shoulder to shoulder with the original. Star Wars take note! Ryan Gosling was perfect for the role and is brilliant. Ford clearly cares for Blade Runner (more than Star Wars anyway) and it really shows. Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Robin Wright, Mackenzie Davis and Carla Juri are all exceptional in what is a refreshingly female-fronted film. Jared Leto makes amends for his portrayal as The Joker and there are a few surprise appearances that will keep fans of the original very happy. The soundtrack is something I was concerned with but Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch developed Vangelis's cult original beautifully and I will certainly be listening to both religiously from now on. Blade Runner 2049 is a dream come true, everything I could want but never thought possible. I'm so happy I could cry and if this is anything to go by, the future of cinema is bright - if you're going to make a sequel then....don't, it'll never be as good as this. It is already one of my favorite films of all time.

Arrival

Dir: Denis Villeneuve

2016

*****

If you like your sci-fi (specifically alien/alien invasion/UFO/Extra Terrestrial sci-fi) on the intelligent side, then this is the film for you. If you like your sci-fi on the mindless action side, then this film could still be for you but to be fair you've had your turn, you have a hundred films to choose from, Arrival is the first of its kind and a long time coming. It is utterly thrilling though, so don't worry about that. It has more intensity than any other sci-fi I can think of but it also cuts to the chase and isn't all about long shots and atmospherics (although I do love long shots and atmospherics). All good space themed sci-fi is about puzzle solving but more than that it is about how the universe works. 2001: A Space Odyssey led the way, it gave an audience something deeper to consider but it is an opera and the hard work is almost all done for man (in the film) and the viewer, all mankind has to do (in the film) is to read the instructions and carry on (and on, and on). Intersteller, one of the best made since, is about time and how it can be perceived, it was less easy to solve but it came from a completely different perspective. Arrival, on the face of it, covers much the same ground. It deals with first contact, which takes place on our planet, and it explores the different protocols each country may have in dealing with such an event. The big question would be whether this was a friendly visit or a hostile introduction, so the first point of call would be to open a line of communication. How on earth would one do that? Now I'm the first one to admit that a film, sold as a sci-fi thriller with UFOs and aliens, which is actually about language, determinism and Linguistic relativity, doesn't initially appeal or indeed scream 'adventure'.  However, Arrival is by far the most exciting and intriguing sci-fi of its kind, or any kind for that matter, in the last few decades. It is never complicated either, the idea is totally feasible and easy to follow, although it does ask that the audience be a little more open minded than usual. It's much like Close Encounters of the Third Kind in many respects but instead of getting bogged down in the wonder of meeting intelligent life from another world (which it still covers rather beautifully), it embellishes a little more on what the five musical notes and the flashing colour lights may actually mean and the possibilities that come when communication with an advanced species becomes a reality. I love this kind of sci-fi but I am often annoyed when film makers interject pointless action sequences and unconvincing love stories to the fold and thankfully Denis Villeneuve feels the same way. He sticks to Ted Chiang's original short story 'Story of your life' and never muddies the water. The idea is simple but unique and what starts as a would-be analysis of alien life, soon becomes quite a profound look at the human race and how we function and communicate and how important language really is. I like Amy Adams but I did wonder whether she was right for the role she played. I couldn't have been more wrong for doubting her, she is perfect in her performance and utterly believable. Jeremy Renner is strong, Forest Whitaker is cleverly cast and Michael Stuhlbarg is impressive in a role I wouldn't have thought would suit him but this is very much Adams' film and all the better for it. The direction is beautiful, Villeneuve gets the balance just right. The UFO design is classical but different, a contradictory shape and form that projects the striking contrast needed for full visual impact. I really liked the alien design too, although I'm sure many are sure to disagree. The structure of the film is unlike any other in the genre, it could be compared to countless alien films but at the end of the day this is something rather special and utterly unique. I think what I like the most is that while it raises many questions, some of them subjective, it never relies on the audience to fill in the gaps. It's not at all lazy in that way, it explores ideas and provides a conclusion but without answering the impossible and without covering subjects that have been covered more than once before. It almost makes you wonder whether this is actually a sci-fi film or in fact just a sci film. Alien/space films can be clever, full of action, intrigue and mystery but few can achieve all four so effortlessly. One of the best films of 2016. 

Sicario

Dir: Denis Villeneuve

2015

*****

Conceived in 2010 during the height of the violence seen in Juárez, Sicario (Hitman) explores the often unorthodox tactics used by American and South American governments in combating the Cartel-run drug trade. The audience is kept in the dark for the best part of the film as is the film's protagonist, FBI Agent Kate Macer (played by Emily Blunt). After Macer and her team make a gruesome discovery at a Cartel address in Arizona that cost the lives of two officers, she and her right-hand man Reggie Wayne (Daniel Kaluuya) are recruited to a mysterious CIA task-force who ask them to help them catch the men responsible for their team-mates murder. They are teamed up with U.S. Marsials and a Delta Force squad lead by Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) and his partner, the mysterious Alejandro Gillick (played by Benicio del Toro). After an nail-biting first mission to recover a prisoner from Mexico across the boarder to the US, Macer starts to wonder if everything they are doing is entirely above board. As the film progresses, more and more is revealed about what it is the team hopes to achieve, how they intend to achieve it and who they really are. While Macer and Wayne understand the idea of fighting fire with fire but the ethics of the situation, morals and the threat to their own safety weighs heavy. The answer to their questions and the reason behind all the secrecy is eventually revealed in an intense and fairly devastating manner. What follows is even more shocking and then the final conclusion is nothing short of chilling, especially when you think of the validity of the situation. Just when you think there is a reprieve, you realize that you've just been set up for another startling revelation. Sicario is a non-stop thriller that is consistently intriguing and almost painfully intense - it's what director Denis Villeneuve does best. The performances are impressive, particularly from Emily Blunt and Benicio del Toro, with Josh Brolin and Daniel Kaluuya in strong supporting roles. The brilliant score adds even more tension to the story and the direction and cinematography is exquisite, with every frame thought-out and composed beautifully. It's the ultimate crime-thriller/special-ops action film, with a little bit of politics thrown in for good measure. I can't fault it and I don't want to, one of 2015's best.

Prisoners
Dir: Denis Villeneuve
2013
****
I won tickets to secret screening of Prisoners and as well as having a free glass of wine given to us when we got there, we were also surprised with a special guest appearance from Director Denis Villeneuve and stars Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal. I met Donnie Darko and The Wolverine! Whoo hoo. I have of course left all additional bias and enthusiasm at the door in reviewing this film, my opinion is a totally honest one. It's brilliant. I was saying only the other day to my wife (who is still on cloud 9 after meeting Hugh Jackman) that I haven't seen a really good thriller in a long time and now I have. From the very beginning, Prisoners is an intense and thrilling experience. Intensity and thrills aren't always easy things to get right but here, director Denis Villeneuve stretches both for the whole length of the film with loosing any quality or strength. It is an easy 153 minutes to sit through, although it is exhausting. Everything is important though, nothing you are shown or told is there to throw you off pace or play for time, it's all important to the story. I think it's a triumph and easily one of the best thrillers of resent years and one of the top films of the year so far.