The Zero Theorem (2014)

A film that, looking at my local cinema's screening schedule, isn't having a big release.  Although I believe it is set to be another cult gem in Terry Giliam's already well adorned crown.

Directed by the man who brought us Brazil, The Fisher King, Twelve Monkeys, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, I wasn't surprised to be one of the select few in the cinema when I went to see it.  It would be quite easy to take The Zero Theorem at face value and wonder quite what the hell is going on.  Whilst it isn't as painfully stylised as the likes of Only God Forgives, it is sure to prove divisive to any watchers.  You will either love it, or hate it.  Little to no middle ground exists here.

I am a big fan of Terry Gilliam's work.  In this way, I had some understanding of what I was letting myself in for.  After seeing it, I later read that Gilliam described it as the final part of an Orwellian triptych the started back in 1985 with Brazil, and now has 1995's Twelve Monkeys sandwiched between it and The Zero Theorem.  If you are familiar with either of the other two films mentioned above, you will get a good idea of the type of world The Zero Theorem is set in.

Christoph Waltz plays Qohen Leth.  A very eccentric, and reclusive computer genius he works for a very large corporation.  Tasked with 'crunching numbers' and solving formulae all day, Qohen cannot understand why he is unable to work from home.  He believes in this way he can not only be more productive, but he can also await his precious phone call.  This phone call is one that he has been waiting for all his life.  One that Qohen believes will instruct him as to the meaning and purpose of his existence.

Qohen finally gets what he wants when Management agrees to let him work from home, with one condition.  He has to work on The Zero Theorem.  A theorem notorious for breaking people, the idea behind the theorem is to prove that '0 must = 100%', many would advise against taking on such a task.  As it gives Qohen the chance to work from home though, he gladly accepts.  Things then start to go wrong as Management tries to distract and manipulate Qohen to keep him on track.

You can most likely tell even from the paragraph above that the stand out theme of the film is the question, "what is the meaning of life?" if it has any.  There's no subtlety, and thankfully it makes no attempt to give us an answer.  The best part of the film for me was the way the film explored what this very fundamental theme meant to each of the characters, and how it shaped their lives.  Then of course there is you and I, the viewer.  What does it mean to us?

The film approaches these things in a way that, whilst oddball and wacky, is relevant to the technological, and somewhat disconnected age in which we live now.  I enjoyed it very much, and will undoubtedly be seeing it more than once.  My only advice is take as many people with you as you can, then afterwards go to the pub and talk about it over drinks.

It will make for one hell of a night!!

The Matrix....revisited?

Although they are certainly nothing more than rumours at this point, there are lots of stories out there saying that Warner Brothers are gearing up for a return to The Matrix.

Whilst it can be argued that the trilogy got weaker as it went on.  It wouldn't be that surprising that Warner Brothers are trying to reignite a franchise that has earned over $1.6billion at the box office.  Even the least commercially successful of the franchise, the final instalment 'The Matrix Revolutions', made a tidy profit of just shy of $300million.

As a huge fan of the first film, I was very forgiving of the trilogy.  What the second and third films lack in story, they more than make up for in spectacle.

Most interesting will be where they decide to go with any future films.  Smart money would have to be on a prequel (or series of).  Either looking at the origins of The Matrix itself, or the original escapees and their story.

I can't even begin to imagine what craziness The Wachowskis could muster up now, with SFX at their current standard.

I look forward to further developments on this one.

Oscars, Oscars, Oscars

It's the final countdown once again.  Predictions have been made, bets have been placed.  One thing's for sure though, I wouldn't like to be one of the 6,028 members of The Academy who've had to pick between this bunch:

That's just for the Best Picture category too!!  They've got another 23 to decide on as well.

Here's an interesting graphic for you though:

Best Picture nominees and their box office takings.  Granted there are a couple in there that haven't been out for very long, but will you just look at Gravity!!

Either way, I have my fingers crossed for 12 Years a Slave.  For Best Picture, and for Steve McQueen for Best Director.

We'll soon see.

Star Wars, new episode, new line up.

This isn't the first we've heard of the new Star Wars Episode VII, and it certainly won't be the last.  Especially with principal photography due to start anytime soon.  So we should be hearing lots more casting news over the coming weeks.

The latest of this is the potential big bad being Adam Driver.

Known most recently for his role in the TV Show Girls, and a big screen outing for Inside Llewyn Davis, Driver may be a relative unknown to many.  With names such as Hugo Weaving and Michael Fassbender also being linked to this project, many may wonder how Driver got a shoe in.

Some think that this is an indication that we may be in for a number of bad guys.  I think it may just be a wise and inspired decision for revitalising the franchise.

What better way than to bring in relatively new blood as opposed to more 'household' names.  It may simply be a move for longevity of character.  If we're to expect more Star Wars episodes in future, and our bad guy is set to star across a few, aging will then start to become a factor.

Most likely he was the best man for the job, and all of these musings will be forgotten once he makes his first appearance.

Never the less, there's likely to be much more news to follow.

Dredd Sequel.....please....

So it looks like the speculative talk has started again following an interview in which Karl Urban said talks were happening about bringing a Dredd sequel to production.

Much has been made of the hash job that was the marketing prior to the films cinematic release, which was the films ultimate downfall.  Then came the fans, who propelled the film up the DVD sales and download charts.  Something that I'm sure would give any potential investors pause for thought.  DVD and Blu Ray sales alone have brought in half of what the film made at the box office....worldwide!

It's no surprise then that talks are ongoing.  What is important is that the people with the money, who make the decisions see that the strong following isn't going anywhere.  There are several ways you can do this:

1. If you haven't already, buy a copy of the film! Blu-Ray, DVD, Digital, whichever.
2. Buy a copy of the one-shot follow up comic.  Let's send a clear message that we want to see more Dredd.  Go to your local comic book store, or pick up a digital copy from Amazon.
3. Sign the petition: http://2000adonline.us5.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a6e40236aa24d482cfff600d2&id=62906ebdcc  Let the decision makers see just how many people want to see a sequel get made.

I don't want to live in a world where rubbish franchise after rubbish franchise can get churned out at the cinema.

I want to live in a world where the public can speak up, the fans can be heard, and we can see a great character brought back to the big screen where he belongs!!

Guardians of the Galaxy finally gets it's trailer...

What better way to start than by letting you watch this glorious trailer (again)...

After getting their first full length trailer aired on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Tuesday night, you'd be hard pushed to still be in the dark about Guardians of the Galaxy.

Scheduled for release later this year, Guardians of the Galaxy represents the first significant step into the unknown since the MCU gained centre stage back in 2008 with the cinematic release of Iron Man.  I'm aware that all characters within the MCU require a certain suspension of disbelief.  Also that this was tested, some might say, to it's limit when Thor took us on a whistle stop tour of his nine realms in The Dark World.  There we were subjected to multiple alien races, fighting wars on far off planets.  Even Aether toting Dark Elf Malekith, played by Christopher Eccleston.

One thing all of them has shared up to now, is an Earth in peril, and a hero/team of heroes fighting to save our bacon.  It's safe to say that we're going to need to be a little more open minded on this one.  The clue might be in the word galaxy.

Even though the appearance of Benicio del Toro gives us our tie back into the MCU as we currently know it, I for one am very keen to see where Marvel Studios runs with this one.  If Guardians is a hit, the world (or galaxy) becomes Marvel Studios' oyster.  Forget The Avengers and Phase 3, this has the potential to go way past that.

Glean what you will from the trailer, as many already have.  I just intend to sit back and enjoy the ride!

An audience with Meryl Streep

I'm no film critic.  I enjoy watching films, and I enjoy writing.  Writing my blog is a nice outlet, and has the added bonus of helping me to write more regularly.

The upshot being that I can decide on the films I want to watch at the cinema.  If I don't like the look of something I can avoid it, and then catch up with it when it arrives on Blu-Ray or an on demand service.  The only time I try and make sure I see all releases, regardless of their genre, is Oscar season.  I really enjoy watching the awards ceremonies, The Oscars and The BAFTAs.  Like some, I love to make predictions on who and what will win.  Congratulating myself when I get it right, telling myself how wrong the judges are when I don't.  In order to do this, I am currently living at the cinema.  As I do at this time every year.  Sometimes this sees me having to sit through films that I'd rather not, to put it mildly.  Other times, I uncover some gems that I would have otherwise avoided.

It's almost like the studios planned the whole thing out.  Crazy right?!

August:  Osage County was very much the latter.  Even though it didn't look like the high octane, explosion riddled adventure that usually catches my eye, the more than impressive cast list made it difficult to ignore.  Lead by Meryl Streep, there are also Chris Cooper, Ewan McGregor, Juliette Lewis, Benedict Cumberbatch and a stellar performance from Julia Roberts.

Osage County was adapted for the big screen by Tracy Letts, who also wrote the play from which it was developed.  I was completely unfamiliar with the stage show, so I had no idea what was in store for me.  Whether it has changed much, for better, or worse, I am not sure.

I'd be wrong if I didn't say that Meryl Streep steals the show with her depiction of Violet Weston.  The matriarch of a dysfunctional family, all brought back to their childhood home in Oklahoma after a family tragedy.  Her performance is mesmerising, and one that could very well see her claim her 4th Oscar win.  That isn't to say the supporting cast doesn't do their bit.  In particular Julia Roberts, playing daughter Barbara Weston.  You could even argue that they share lead roles on screen together.  The strength of the assembled cast is showcased in one of the best scenes of the film, a family dinner that sees them all gathered at once around the dinner table.  Anyone who's endured an awkward family meal may well be watching that scene from behind their hands.

With great performances all round, August: Osage County is well worth a watch.  Whether Meryl Streep wins her fourth Oscar from this remains to be seen.  Whoever wins it, one things for sure this year.  With the calibre and strength of the films this year, they'll be worthy winners.