Wednesday, November 6, 2013

ENDER'S GAME


  • Starring Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, Hailee Steinfeld, Ben Kingsley
    Directed by Gavin Hood
    I never read ENDER'S GAME (I know, shame on me), so I went into this film with no overblown expectations. I was pleasantly suprised at the darker tone of the story itself and the relevance of it even now.
    If you, like me, haven't read the book and have only seem the truly vague (for good reason) trailers, the story follows Ender (Asa Butterfield) as he is recruited into the International Military. The military is a means to stop the Formics, an alien race that, fifty years previously, had come close to putting the human race into extinction. As a brash colonel (Harrison Ford) takes an interest in him for his strategic mind and a slight tendency towards violence, we learn that not everything is as it seems.
    Butterfield is quite the presence, bringing much needed humanity to this character; Ender himself is a tactical machine, which Butterfield turns into both a blessing and a curse. Ford is fantastic as always and (to me) hasn't looked this young and vibrant in about two decades; as Graff, Ford portrays a constant grey area and you never really know where his morals lie (or if he even has any). Hailee Steinfeld plays a fellow cadet who takes an instant shine to Ender and helps him almost instantly. Abigail Breslin and Viola Davis have very minor roles, both having to do with trying to keep Ender's humanity intact. And now, we come to Ben Kingsley. In a small but important role, his role was a shock (I may have gasped, but that's just because I didn't read the book....again, shame on me).
    The story itself is a study of a loss of innocence in general and whether the big picture is all that should be viewed. It was a great experience. However, if I'm going to recommend a film that is primarily based in space, this would be my second recommendation. Once again, it's quite enjoyable, but a second choice none the less.
    *Asa Butterfield is fantastic in another film based on a book called HUGO. It's directed by Martin Scorsese and is quite a great film. Please, if you get a chance, watch it; I promise you'll fall in love with it.

ABOUT TIME

  • Starring Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy
  • Directed by Richard Curtis
    I know how this sounds, but I went into this film knowing I was going to have a profound experience. My other favorite Richard Curtis film, LOVE, ACTUALLY, is a film that comprehends the human experience and all its frustrations. More on that later.
    Domhnall Gleeson (Bill Weasley in the HARRY POTTER films) is Tim, an oddly normal (or normally odd) man who learns he can travel back in time. This piece of information is provided by his father (a superb Bill Nighy), who tells us that this ability has been passed down to all the men in this family. As with any film that features time-travel, there are rules (which I won't spoil here, due to the simple fact that Nighy does it way better than I ever can). The film never feels like a work of science fiction, however, because it is truly a story about how a boy met a girl(Rachel McAdams), perhaps more than once.
    Gleeson oozes nothing but manic charm as Tim; yet, at the same time, there is a cool calm about him as well. It's no wonder Mary (McAdams) falls in love with him. McAdams is fantastic as always, having a great chemistry with her co-star. And, while the supporting cast is great, particularly Tom Hollander as a frustrated, pessimistic playwright, it is Nighy who steals the show. You cannot fathom how much I love Bill Nighy, which leaves me slightly biased here; but, seriously, he is fantastic and all his scenes with Gleeson will bring a smile to your face and perhaps a tear to your eye.
    Earlier, I mentioned LOVE, ACTUALLY, which (to me) has one of my favorite endings to any movie ever. In case you've never seen it (which, if you haven't, means you need to go rent it AQAP), it ends at Heathrow Airport, showing regular people arriving to their destination (I promise it's way better than I'm describing it). ABOUT TIME, to me, is just like the ending of LOVE, ACTUALLY: damn near perfect.