Jack the Giant Slayer

Jack the Giant Slayer opened in theaters a few weeks ago, playing to the current public fascination with retooling classic tales for modern audiences. Growing up, "Jack and the Beanstalk" was always one of my least favorite fairy tales, due primarily to a distinct lack of any sort of romance -- or, at the very least, the presence of any female character with whom I could identify. (The only retelling of this story that I enjoyed at all was the 1967 film version starring Gene Kelly -- PLEASE tell me I'm not the only one that's seen this!) Trailers for this film promised not only a hint of romance but a healthy dose of humor as well -- and as a decent Saturday afternoon entertainment the film (mostly) delivers, even if it falls a bit short in my view of being a truly memorable fairy tale retelling, lacking a certain spark that I look for in film and bookish retellings of this type.

According to the film's Wikipedia page, the script for Giant Slayer was based on two "Jack" stories -- the widely-known "Jack and the Beanstalk" (English in origin, Jack living with his widowed mother, steals hen that lays golden eggs & a harp from giant, NO romance) and "Jack the Giant Killer" (Cornish fairy tale, King Arthur figures into the plot, and there is a lot about Lucifer, magical accouterments, Jack ends up marrying a Duke's daughter, etc.). Personally I think I would've liked Jack a whole lot more growing up if I'd been exposed to the Cornish version of his story -- I mean HELLO?? Jack has loads of adventures, a magic sword, and a CAP OF KNOWLEDGE! Clearly I spent my childhood reading the wrong fairy tale compilation. *wink*

While I enjoyed this film well enough, on the whole I think it was something of a missed opportunity as it felt like it couldn't decide what it wanted to be -- an old-fashioned fairy tale, an epic war adventure with modern sensibilities, or something more...slapstick, and ultimately forgettable. Something just felt "off," and while it is hard for me to pinpoint exactly why this movie didn't work for me quite as well as I'd hoped, nonetheless it gets points for making Jack a winning character on the big screen.

This film positions Jack from childhood as a boy with a longing for a life bigger than his father's farm, one in love with the legends of his kingdom -- particularly Erik the Great, the king of Cloister who defeated an army of invading giants by crafting a magical crown that allowed him to banish them (as long as the crown remained safely in his keeping). Now right off the bat this movie loses a ton of points with the gosh-awful CGI flashback of the giants and Erik. It was BAD...I mean like ten years ago, in a video game, this maybe, maybe would've been cutting edge. So I'm immediately predisposed to think of the giants as ridiculous instead of fearsome...but clearly that is something the filmmakers were conflicted about as well, given how things play out.

But back to earth, for a moment...the script makes the smart decision to introduce a female lead early on, juxtaposing the young Jack's fascination with his kingdom's history, an interest unbeknownst to him that he shares with the current king's only child, the Princess Isabelle. Years pass and Jack grows up under surly uncle's care, having lost his father years earlier -- a loss he shares with Isabelle, left struggling against her father's desire to be the "perfect," protected princess after her mother's untimely death.

Even though this film hasn't been loved by critics or the box office, one cannot deny that as Jack, Nicholas Hoult is having a pretty good year. Following his turn as R the zombie in the charming (yes, CHARMING) zombie-romantic comedy Warm Bodies, Hoult tackles more traditional Hollywood fare here with this throwback to classic Hollywood adventure spectacles of yore. He's adorable as the poor boy longing to make good, and has an appealing chemistry with Eleanor Tomlinson as Isabelle -- but both tend to come off as a shade too...sincere, is perhaps the word I'm looking for (though I tend to blame the script rather than the actors...they don't have a great deal to work with here).

The absolute best thing about this film is its stellar supporting cast, particularly Ewan MacGregor as the dashing and PERFECTLY COIFFED Elmont, leader of the king's guard. According to Buzzfeed, MacGregor's hair was the best thing about this movie, and I've got to say I'm inclined to agree with that assessment -- only I'd take it a step farther. MacGregor seems to be the only one having any real FUN here -- he knows he's in an absurd film and clearly relishes every opportunity he's given to ham it up for the camera (i.e., when he's about to become a human "pig in a blanket" in the giant's kitchen -- his bravado is hilarious). I really rather wish that if this movie was going to be made, it had been given the greenlight five or so years ago, when perhaps MacGregor would've had a shot at playing Jack instead of stealing the show in a supporting role.

How did I get in this movie?

Me and my awesome hair, totally responsible for any and all ticket sales.

Eddie Marsan (Lestrade in the Guy Ritchie Sherlock films) plays Elmont's ill-fated sidekick Crawe. He doesn't have quite as much fun as MacGregor (considering the end he meets at the hands of the giants' general, that's the understatement of the year), but I love any opportunity I'm given to see him on-screen. The always adorable Stanley Tucci plays the villainous Sir Roderick, who first strives to conquer Isabelle's kingdom through marriage, and failing that, brute -- GIANT -- force. Tucci chews the scenery as Roderick in very much the same fashion he does as Caesar Flickerman in The Hunger Games, only with measurably less biting wit. *wink* As a point of reference, Roderick reminded me quite a bit of Cary Elwes as Edgar in Ella Enchanted. That.. *ahem* ...ridiculous. :P

Ooooohhhh, SHINY.

Last, but certainly not least, Ian McShane plays Isabelle's father, King Brahmwell. Now I love McShane. L-O-V-E him. But I kinda want to weep if this is what he's doing now...I just hope he didn't take this job and turn down the Gabriel Byrne role in the new Vikings show on the History Channel...because goodness THAT would've been a mistake. If you're interested in seeing McShane being AWESOME watch the all-too-short-lived series Kings, where he plays a memorable Silas -- and for a taste of Ian in his younger years, check out Gypsy Girl. It's a weird, WEIRD movie, but oh my WORD is McShane hot in it. :) As the embattled king, McShane exhibits a lot of strum und drang, but the second he turns out in gold-colored armor he loses all credibility. I don't know WHAT it is about gold armor, but it is SUCH a buzzkill for me. True story. I mean who can own THAT?

Seriously, WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?

Bill Nighy, phoning it in...

The vocal talent behind the giants is much more impressive than the actual giants themselves, sad to say. Led by Bill Nighy as General Fallon (seriously, BILL NIGHY...disguised as a cartoonish giant...what. a. WASTE), the giants skitter between moments bordering on menace and bathroom humor stupidity. While the CGI that brought them to life was better than the "flashback" at the beginning of the film, it still didn't quite work for me...too cartoonish, too much of a rip-off of the Ents from Middle-earth.

While this movie is a decent enough popcorn flick, as a "classic" fairy tale retelling it misses the mark in too many respects for me to truly love it. Throughout I felt as though it was struggling with a split personality -- wanting to either be a silly, kid-friendly flick or something more epic in scale and scope, as evidenced by the battle scenes in the final act. And while there is plenty of likeable talent to be found, the script and therefore the characterizations are either a mess or colorless caricatures. This latter point is what makes me most concerned about director Bryan Singer's return to the X-Men universe next year. I was thoroughly impressed with Matthew Vaughn's handling of the First Class universe and it's sprawling cast of characters, and I really wish he'd been given the chance to test his mettle with the sequel. (At least he's on board as producer.)

The end of this movie is the icing on the cake of COMPLETE RIDICULOUSNESS, but maybe that's just me. I mean I don't mind exploring folk and fairy tales as part of history but this movie took things a little too literally IMO. But John Ottman turns in a fun score for this hot mess! And any script/story problems aside, this is totally worth renting for Ewan's hair alone...it should be classified as a certified wonder of the filmic world. If you've seen the movie I'd love to hear what you thought!

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

I saw Salmon Fishing in the Yemen during its theatrical run, shortly after I finished reading the novel on which it is based by Paul Torday. I never got around to writing about the film after my theatrical experience, but now that this gem of a film is on DVD I intend to rectify that oversight. 

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is a charmer of a film, one that takes the best aspects of the novel (to my mind, at any rate) -- the characters of Alfred and Harriet, and builds the film around how one man's radical dream leaves their lives irrevocably changed. As I mentioned in my review of the book, the Paul Torday novel is less of a traditional novel (which is what I expected when I first saw this movie's previews) and more of a biting social commentary, with some really wickedly funny, sarcastic passages lampooning government and bureaucratic red tape. The movie wisely refocuses on the character of Alfred Jones, fisheries specialist, a man who lives his life like a well-oiled clock, not a jot or dash out of place, and looks at what happens when a well-ordered scientific mind such as Alfred's encounters a man who dares to dream the impossible , one who somehow has the faith that Alfred can make his dream a reality. Ewan McGregor OWNS this movie. I cannot think of another actor more ideally suited to play the somewhat shy, mild-mannered Alfred whose passions only seem to be roused when someone dares to suggest an impossible task that flies in the face of scientific logic.

It is a rare book adaptation that improves upon its source material, but I would argue that director Lasse Hallstrom and screenwriter Simon Beaufoy (the latter responsible for scripting the intimate, character-driven Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day and the eagerly anticipated big-screen adaptation of Catching Fire) have done just that. While retaining much of Torday's biting humor and sarcasm, they've managed to craft an intimate, character-driven piece that examines what happens when one man challenges the world to believe the impossible -- and what happens when a straight-laced, logic-driven man such as Alfred finds his worldview challenged, left wanting, and is left with the choice of how to respond. 

The role of Dr. Alfred Jones, fisheries specialist, is tailor-made for Ewan McGregor's acting strengths, and for my money it's one of the best performances of his career. In the wrong hands Alfred could become a caricature, a cardboard cut-out of a straight-laced academic whose lack of vision and social skills are played for nothing more than laughs. And while the script it saturated with warmth and genuine humor, it is McGregor's performance that imbues Alfred with life and vibrancy, heartache and hope. When Alfred first receives -- and quickly dismisses -- Harriet Chetwold-Talbot's e-mail detailing her client's vision of bringing salmon fishing to the friggin' Yemen (he'd rather work on his oh-so-exciting Caddis fly paper), he little realizes that Sheikh Muhammed's dream will turn his life on its ear. Alfred is stuck...he has his work, his straight-laced, buttoned-up work clothes (the vests!), and the routine of a marriage that has long since lost anything resembling a spark. 

Alfred and his wife Mary (Rachael Stirling) may share a name and a home but live very separate lives. I typically like Stirling as an actress so seeing her in the pretty much completely unsympathetic role of Mary is something of a jolt. But she carries off the ice queen quality the role requires with aplomb. Stirling should be a familiar face to Masterpiece Mystery fans -- she's appeared in Poirot, Miss Marple, and Inspector Lewis episodes, and earlier this summer she had a memorable supporting role in Snow White and the Huntsman. Now here's the thing about Alfred and Mary's marriage...I take the idea of marriage and that commitment very seriously in real life and how it is portrayed in entertainment. But going into this film I was predisposed to despising the character of Mary, because I could not STAND her in the novel. And Alfred, especially as portrayed by Ewan McGregor, NEEDS to move on with his life. Desperately. Trust me on this. :P

Harriet (Emily Blunt), the financial consultant who enlists Alfred's expertise for the fishing scheme, is everything Alfred is not. Effervescent, energetic, full of life, she's a woman unlike anyone Alfred has ever encountered. As the film opens, she is in the heady early days of a new relationship with Captain Robert Mayers (Tom Mison). Mison has appeared in both Lewis and Poirot, as well as a wholly memorable turn in the delightful skewering of Pride and Prejudice that is Lost in Austen, where he played Mr. Bingley. He's adorable. Scant weeks into their relationship, Robert receives orders sending him to Afghanistan. The deployment alone is stressful enough for the whirlwind "in love" couple, but when Robert is reported missing in action Harriet's fear over the potential loss and guilt over not knowing him well enough threaten to consume her -- a threaten to set her on a path of settling for the less risky, more conventional, safer option -- something with which Alfred is all too familiar. 

Blunt is one of my favorite up-and-coming British actresses. In everything from The Young Victoria to the off-beat and quirky Wild Target, she brings a poise and sensitivity to her performances that just light up the screen. As Harriet she's positively luminous. Like a moth to a flame, as their acquaintance develops Alfred cannot help but be drawn to her -- and to the character's credit that is as far it goes. His marriage may be on the brink of imploding, but Alfred is a very deliberate individual here, one who doesn't undertake any action or change lightly -- and that ultimately is one of his best attributes. McGregor and Blunt have a wonderful on-screen chemistry -- from their characters' early meetings where he gripes and she teases, to the later moments where they've both learned to listen and value and appreciate one another, they bring a subtle, nuanced maturity to the story unfolding on-screen. One of my favorite moments is when Alfred shows up at Harriet's apartment shortly after she's received the news about Robert's disappearance. She's sure he's come to "bully her" back to work, when in reality he's brought her a sandwich because he's worried she's not eating well. Adorable? I DIE, IT'S SO ADORABLE. Unlike her physical relationship with Robert, Harriet's relationship with Alfred is built on getting to know each other at a much deeper level, a friendship that holds the possibility of something more, a slow burn all to rarely seen in films today -- and I loved that. 

Much hinges on the role of Sheikh Muhammed, the man whose dream is responsible for upending Alfred's life. The sheikh is brought to life by Amr Waked, an Egyptian actor I'm more than a little in love with following his turn in this film. I loved Waked's portrayal of the sheikh's passionate belief in his dream and vision, and his calm manner and extraordinary sensitivity. But best of all, the way in which this film develops the friendship between Alfred and the sheikh is just superb. On the surface the two men couldn't be more dissimilar -- but with the entree of a shared passion for fishing, an understanding of that world, the shiekh slowly earns Alfred's trust, respect, and admiration. Needless to say I couldn't be happier that the film substantially revises the ending of the novel since I love Waked's performance so much. :)

While this film is first and foremost a hearfelt character study, the script doesn't neglect Torday's wickedly funny political jibes. The novel's male Press Office of the Prime Minister agent is re-written for a female -- and as such Kristin Scott Thomas delivers a scene-stealing performance. She is hilarious as the cutthroat politico. She's larger-than-life, oft-times ridiculous, and perfect character vehicle for conveying Torday's biting send-up of government ridiculousness. *wink* Conleth Hill also delivers another scene-stealing performance as Alfred's much-loathed boss Bernard Sugden. Hill is perfectly cast as Sugden and spot-on in his portrayal of the character's sheer laziness. Absolutely hilarious!

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is a beautifully-constructed film. The color palette, the cinematography, the gorgeous shots of Morocco as a stand-in for the Yemen -- this film is a visual feast. Dario Marianelli delivers a beautifully-rendered, emotive score -- a must-have in my opinion for any fan of this composer's work. While some might find the film a bit slow-paced, I loved it, and to my mind it doesn't miss a beat -- every scene, each line of dialogue, every nuance of the performances are woven together to create a beautiful, wholly absorbing, heartrending and poignant film.

This film took my best takeaway from the novel -- the power and importance of belief and dreams to one's life -- and ran with it. On his most unusual journey to see the sheikh's dream realized, Alfred must confront the question of his very identity and who he wants to be. Can he change, can he risk trying? Or is his future programmed into his very DNA? Expectations versus dreams, belief, and how the very idea of hope can be a powerful, transformative force in one's life -- if we let it in. Without a doubt one of my favorite films of the year.

upcoming films...

So I took the afternoon off and went to the movies this afternoon (more on that a bit later), and was pleasantly surprised by three trailers that look very promising --

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen



Ewan McGregor! Emily Blunt! SALMON! Color me intrigued. According to the IMDB, the film is slated to open in the US March 9th -- though I suspect that is a limited release date.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel



Isn't this cast amazing? Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Penelope Wilton!? Did I mention BILL NIGHY?! According to the IMDB, this is slated to open May 4th.

W.E.



This film has been on my radar for a while now thanks to my interest in the history. But this film - James D'Arcy is playing Edward, LAURENCE FOX is playing his brother Bertie, and the rest of the cast of the historical portion of the film is equally pedigreed. I could care less about the Madonna connection...but with D'Arcy and Fox in this film I'm so there. :) According to the IMDB this one opens February 3rd, probably in limited release first.