"The Wolf Of Wall Street"

Is it possible to enjoy a film with quite unlikeable characters? Then again, you say characters, that would imply fictional, and the people depicted in this film actually exist, and presumably so did the majority of acts shown on screen.

(Foot note - Since starting this review, I have since seen "Killer Joe", which I highly recommend, and in that film there were some pretty unpleasant characters, so I guess I have answered my own question re. liking a film with unlikeable characters)

Jordan Belfort started his career as a StockBroker at a special time, Black Monday, when an enormous amount of money was wiped from the Stock Exchange. He gets his working life back on track, starting at the bottom but with the experience he gained he soon is riding high with massive success and a huge bank balance.
He starts his own company and revels in the excesses of the World that he works within, and those closest to him, both at home and at work share in those excesses too. It soon reaches the stage where he is making so much money that he does not know what to do with it all. He hatches a plot whereby the money will be smuggled to Switzerland, with a little help from his Wife's Aunt.
But this kind of activity naturally arouses the suspicions of the FBI, and soon enough they come knocking at Jordan's door.

Considering that sat in  the Director's chair is all time great Martin Scorsese, it may surprise many as to how funny the film is, at times laugh out loud, I know that Mr. DiCaprio was surprised to be nominated as Best Actor in a comedy at the Golden Globes. It feels like quite a departure for Marty, but one that is handled with his great brilliance, keen eye, and usual cinematic style. But if one was to see the film without knowing who the Director was, I feel sure that one of the last names to come to mind would be Mr. Scorsese.
It pulls no punches, it is brash, loud, fast, and illustrates the excessive lifestyle that these people had during that time, and probably still have today.
Performance wise, Scorsese has gone with his regular lead actor, and who can blame him quite frankly, as Mr DiCaprio is quite simply the best actor of his generation. Time and time again, in so many varied roles he shows to be an actor who knows his craft, and is at the very top of his game, and his work as Jordan Belfoort is no exception. I still find it remarkable that he has yet to bag an Academy Award, as it is so richly deserved. Just look at his earlier work in "What's Eating GIlbert Grape?" to see why. And he has matured into a truly fine actor.
There is great support too from Jean DuJardin to Margot Robbie, but most notably Jonah Hill who plays' Donnie, Jordan's second in command. He does provide quite a bit of the humour, but it is not just a comedic performance, it stands out and shows what a versatile actor he is.

Overall a good film, not over long, the three hours soon fly by, but it is one that now I have seen it, I have no major desire to see again. Maybe this is one wolf with not enough bite........7 out of 10

"Django Unchained"

It is hard to believe that this is the first film written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino that I have reviewed for my blog.

Dr. King Schultz is a Dentist, and as a side line is a also a Bounty Hunter. He is keen to track down three fugitives from the law, the Brittle Brothers, unfortunately he has no idea what they look like. But he knows a man who may do. Therefore he tracks down Django, a slave who just might be able to point out the nasty pieces of work to Schultz, then he can aprehend them, or if need be kill them, and then claim his bounty.
The pair hit it off, and with the two working together, it could become quite a profitable venture for the both of them. Along the way, Schultz discovers that Django has been seperated from his wife, and is keen to track her down. They continue their journey of dealing with law breakers, and try to find information that will lead Django to be reuniuted with his wife.
It turns out his quest may not be an easy one, as she is a slave for one 'Calvin Candie' a despicable land owner who will not let her go so easily. It will be a case of who can outfox who.

Schultz and Django make quite the partnership, and the chemistry between Jamie Foxx and Christoph Waltz is a delight to watch. There are some hilarious scenes, most notably a group discussion from a group of ranchers, who are about to launch an attack on Schultz and his compatriot, and that with their white head cloth covers, they are unable to properly see when riding. A right slanging match goes on, and the scene descends into farce, and is wonderfully funny.
As the film is at times funny, it is also brutal with some scenes extreme scenes of fighting, there is some bloody violence too, but then again fans of QT will be well used to that by now.

There is also the issue of racism, the treatment of characters, and for me one mof the most racist characters in the film is 'Stephen' and he is played by Samuel L. Jackson. One would suspect that this is deliberate.
With such a long running time, it would be difficult to keep the pace for the whole 165 minutes, and indeed there is a segment of the film, where my attention did flag a little, it was when we are first introduced to 'Calvin Candie' and it is no fault of DiCaprio, just that section of writing, but it is a minor blip in an otherwise excellent movie.

Westerns have been part of Cinema almost since the beginning, but there have been few Westerns like "Django Unchained". It is a remarkable film, coming from the pen of Quentin Tarantino who also called the shots from the Director's Chair. He once again works his magic, bringing together all the elements that make the film such a hit. A compelling story, touches of humour, some nice cameo appearances, especially from Franco Nero, who appeared in the original "Django" and also from Don Johnson who plays 'Big Daddy', nothing to do with wrestling. His trademark wit, violence, there are also some beautifully shot sequences, one in particular when our two Bounty Hunters arrive in a new town, and the silhouettes of them and the town is shot against the fire red of the sky, truly stunning.
And one aspect that cannot be overlooked is the killer soundtrack. I don't know how he does it, but time and time again, QT assembles just the best songs and music to accompany his films.

A great cast, an Oscar Winning lead actor, but for me there is one who shines above all, and he is Christoph Waltz. His performance is charming, witty, engaging and a delight to watch. The almost three hours running time just flies by in his company. Twice he has now worked with QT, and I this second performance will bag him his second Oscar, and very well deserved it is too.

The genius of Tarantino just continues........9 out of 10

"Titanic"

Returning to the Big Screen is one of the biggest Box Office hits of all time. Namely James Cameron's multi Oscar winning "Titanic".

Will just recap the story....the White Star Line has its latest luxury liner about to set sail. On board are Rose and Jack, two people who could not be any further apart if you tried. Yet somehow their worlds coming crashing together, and they become attracted to one another, despite that Rose is engaged to be married.
Also on board the luxury ship is an assortment of people from all walks of life, from the rich to the lower classes. All completely unaware of that tragedy that is about to befall them all.

The story between Jack and Rose does rather detract from the tragedy that befalls the other 2,000 or so passengers on board. They get the occasional bit of side story, but ultimatelty this is about them, and lets face it, they are fictional as well. Their story of making each day count is all very nice, but there are more moving stories to tell, and stories that are very real.

The story am afraid, as is often the case with a Cameron film is a tad bland, the lead characters are ok, but it has all been done before, and frankly a lot better. By far the worst character is 'Cal Hockley' played by Billy Zane, such dreadful writing, he is barely one dimensional, and the acting is dreadful. He is quite like a Pantomime villain, you expect him to start twirling on a large moustache, and cackling to himself.

One thing that you cannot argue with is the technical side of the film, the recreation of the ship, the costumes, the visual effects, all are of a first class standard, and were worthy Oscar winners. I do have a problem with "Titanic" winning Best Picture, personally I still think it should have gone to "L.A. Confidential".

Onto the 3D aspect, something that I have been very critical of. I have problems enjoying films shot in 3D, let alone 2D films which have been converted, like this one.
There was however one major change with this 3D viewing, namely that one saw it on an IMAX screen. Now whether it is the IMAX aspect or not I am not sure, but this was a very good 3D experience, not the best, but for a conversion was very good. There is hope yet.

Nice to re-experience"Titanic".....and the IMAX was superior.......8 out of 10

"J. Edgar"

The subject of the film is John Edgar Hoover, head of the FBI, and a man with more than a few skeletons in his closet, the Director is two time Oscar Winner Clint Eastwood, and a cast most Producers would sell their mothers for. Did this great combination create a winning movie?

Yes and no is the simple if rather cryptic answer. The film is well put together, but like "The Iron Lady" it has a lot of material to address and at times some things are merely glanced at. It is clear the Hoover was very close to his mother, and when she died, this is possibly what triggered his fascination with wearing womens clothing. It looks in great detail about his acheivements, the fact that he became the first Director of the FBI, or that he was instrumental in the use of finger prints to solve crimes.
His rise to the top of the FBI is fast, and once there he only wants the very best officers to serve under him. Also anyone who may look as though are getting equal or more praise & acclaim than Hoover are swiftly moved to other departments.
The film also looks at the relationship that developed between Hoover and his second in command, Clyde Tolson. There has been frequent debate over the years about the nature of the relationship. In the film it is hinted that it was more than just a working relationship, but it also hints that if there were any gay tendancies that they were more on the side of Tolson than Hoover.

An all star cast bring this mammoth story to the screen, from Dame Judi Dench as Hoover's mother, to Armie Hammer as Clyde Tolson. As ever, Leonardo DiCaprio gives another amazing performance in the title role. He has an intensity that you cannot tear yourself from. There will surely come a day when this great actor is an Oscar Winner.

Given the subject matter and the creative team behind the film, it should have been compelling for all of the 137 minutes of its running time, but sadly it did wander a little at times, and this is a shame as it had the capabiltity to be a truly great film

7 out of 10