Black death-If braveheart had the plague

Christopher smith is a director i like.He made the train creeper called you guessed it Creep.Then moved onto severed comedy with Danny Dyer (the only watchable Danny Dyer film) Severance and then onto clever horror flick which surprised and divided audiences Triangle about the mother of all Bermuda triangles .But now the attention has been turned to medieval England, swiping away the "pestilence" in Black Death. If you can't remember a great swords and sorcery epic,slight on magic and more on story, then your in for a treat.

Sean Bean stars as fearsome knight Ulric "bringing death" where ever he goes, traveling the lands of the 13th century woods and villages with his band of blood swaggering,teeth grinding, dirty and bald headed merry men. The one the thing they are missing: a guide. Monk Osmund opens the films generally shaky start, trapped in a dungeon persuading the guard to be set free, seeing his loved one for the last time pushing her towards leaving her beloved town, escaping the pestilence. so far and so average. There should be nothing to separate Black Death from the average period action er (last years Solomon Kane is the closest in comparison) and in thinking back, Black Death is better than it should be. But as you continue through this medieval game of minesweeper you get an assuredly tense film with an atmosphere to perfectly suit the time, the era and the journey of solders hacking everything in their path.

Osmund prays to god for guidance "give me a sign" and Christopher smith's film walks the fine line between preachy religious subtext and an out right sword, dungeons and dragons epic and the swords in this are deadly. From the decapitated heads, to torture device which cut you from, well lets put it nicely, you won't be walking for weeks or talking. But no longer are we set aside on quests to evergreen hill to meet frodo at the mountains of madness, no this is quick but painfully gruesome fun. To quick even.

As the film begins it feels like it should be renamed "The Twin Tower Fellowship to the King".In the first 10 minutes i have seen the ground work for the Fellowship of the Rings, moving halfway through to the Twin Towers and reaching the climax of the Return of the King. It's all choppy, almost sluggish exposition at the start but once the action hits, it grows on you. Sean bean is at his strongest for years, playing the archetype father figure who watches over Osmund as he guides Ulrick's crew to the land where there is no pestilence. The rest of the cast are fine supporting characters. Darlywag (Andy Nyman) adds humour to the tale before it becomes too serious. But the bum note is the main lead Eddie Redmayre, there's no ignoring how wooden his performance feels, lacking the tough man approach to forgetting about his religious obligations or the man (or boy) who is doing his service out of love, his performance never reaches the emotional high it should but maybe this can be down to everyone up staging him from the supporting cast or a lack of experience on his part. His performance is cold, not hot and firery

But who cares when there's a snarly witch/ con artist who can bemuse her servants with just her ravishing locks of blond hair. The action reaches a technical high point and on such an obvious low budget, it is impressive. Christopher smith hasn't created a film where the fighting is the action and the drama but if the drama is to unbelievable for you, the fighting and deadly weaponry (finally showing a bit of blood) will have you weeping with joy, he keeps the tension and the excitement throughout. Osmund then meets blond goddess Langiva (Carice Von Houten)and so begins the films climax's. She is seen as a witch, but is praised for it. This is very different form the time in which it is set. Witches were burned and anyone who was against god was frowned upon. It becomes a test for Osmund primarily, to see if he will banish his god, he asks "why did you take her" (his wife is killed early on) and to save his life he must repent against god. "Repent" that is the one word which sums up Black Death, which by the end is up for question on whether the debate between atheism and Christianity works, some have argued that it is anti religious movie by the ned. Posh-tosh is the answer it shows both frontiers;you have the 'holy warriors' doing god's work which includes killing and you have the non-believers who will kill those who believe because they think they're wrong to do so.

The issue isn't who is right or wrong but that there are two sides to an argument. To simple and slight sure but it's earnest simplicity and it does it well. It isn't on the grand scale of the lord of the rings but if you were let down by Season of the Witch ,then this will serve as grimly violent substitute.

***/**** (3/4)


This your thing if you liked
Vahalla rising
solomon kane
centurion

Lourdes- Is there a God?

Lourdes is a hard film to get right, a paralysed women giving a miracle awakening at the hands of the almighty himself. Lourdes is a miracle to watch a story of a young paralysed women Christine, a prisoner of her own paralysis trapped in her dormant condition with the realisation that all she can hope to do is move her head. She tells a priest that she feels angry, almost constantly asking "Why me, why was i giving this illness?". The priest replies "Why do you think that people who can use their legs are happy".

The director Jessica Haunser (Hotel) never pulls away from the issues at hand. Lourdes is a themely rich and ambiguous tale, like Of God's and Men, of Religious debate. Haunser never Verge's towards something we have seen before, every night Christine is put to bed by the volunteers and every night they pray for her but Christine never takes part in praying for her own miracle. But Christine isn't looking for a miracle really, more recognition than to walk again.

She is taken to the baths everyday, she touches rocks of a mountain face, all in the hope that she will be "blessed" with a miracle. In my mind (out of context of the film) a miracle has something else behind it than the will of the almighty himself and taken that this is fiction allows us to think of Lourdes as something else. A film that isn't about wanting a miracle but what happens when one happens, by god or not. Christine is miraculously through the night cured of her disease and the recognition she wants is handed to her with a mixed reception. Some are overjoyed that she can walk, while others show a back hand to her new found freedom asking "why her". Well God works in mysterious and God is free is one reply.

With that in mind Lourdes works in mysterious ways. Hourdes never goes for the obvious. In one crucial scene the "pilgrims" go to one of the many services in Lourdes, held by one of the hundreds of priests and the director leaves the camera hanging never focusing on anyone apart from the effect, the effect that the priest has on everyone and in turn the effect that religion has on everyone. It empowers the hopeless, the stubborn and later mystifies the curious.

But the crucial reason to love Lourdes is down to Christine played by Sylvie Testud. I loved her character, she is hopeful in the bleakest of situations, fights to be heard and stands up for herself, one of the volunteers has a conversation with another about the night before and Christine is pulled over and they steer clear of the topic talking about how lovely the service was,even talking down to her .Is Christine an attention seeker? A little bit yes, A narcissist/egotists? never, by the end you'll be convinced that a "miracle" can happen There's one line by the end,actually the last one i believe where Christine is having a dance "i feel happy" and by that point so do we.

LOW DOWN
Lourdes is as quietly empowering and as it is funny. Lourdes is handsomely acted and Thematically rich, with a performance that won't escape you by Sylvie Testud.

*** 1/2 out of ****

TRON:LEGACY-The force is weak with this one

Summer has come home early it would seem with Tron Legacy, a futuristic sleek film 28 years after the original was released. This was the one everyone was waiting for, the game changer to make avatar look like an outdated effect, the one 3D film to make you say "money well spent", but yet Tron Legacy is an tantalising tease one to marvel at effects but to throw away right after seeing with a nasty headache.

We pick up the action 28 years after Sam Flynn (Gareth Hedlund), a rebellious 20 something who has nothing to say and wants nothing to do with his fathers company, giving him the biggest share in the company after his fathers disappearance. But after an opening sequence of daring stunts, Sam is thrust ed back to the old arcade "FLYNN'S". Walking in, switching on a light and the games begin. Sam eventually finds the the back entrance, a cob webbed spiral of stairs and locks. The door is open, the laser is set and we enter the Grid.

This is where it starts and not a minute to late, The grid is a world to behold on first viewing. Sam is forwarded to "The Game's" a futuristic version of an outdated Laser tag. Like Sam we don't really now what is happening, thrown into the world of Tron Legacy we see the camera move up, 360 spirals and sideways movements. It's a Dark neon lit world with deeply depressing colours and futuristic beholdment, evoking more of the same range as Blade Runner (the final,final cut). But even with it's no hold barred approach to show of it's budget Tron legacy comes of as Avatars lesser known cousin lacking the complications in it's plot or even a story that is worth telling. Tron is a feast for the senses but never the imagination.

James Cameron's AVATAR was passion project of epic fantasy proportion's, Tron Legacy comes of as Hollywood running out of ideas. Where Tron works can all be found in it's budget, using a burst of colours to lighten up the dark place, this is most useful in one rather thrilling light cycle battle ( I'll admit I'm still a teen, any sort of Battle will do me fine). But that's just it though, where Avatar-no matter how simple- was hyped up as the most expensive film ever made, it had a story to tell relying on a good old fashioned tale to allow Cameron to empower us with his imagination. Tron then comes off as colder and less visionary than it thinks.

The Dude is back though that will get anyone excited for sure "stop messing with my zen man". Man is the one thing that gets repeated over and over with Jeff bridges. . The one thing that drew the team back though was the capture control and through this CLUO is born an alternative and younger Bridges to create the perfect system. Even with my love of Sci-fi , i would pull out the old man card-it's nonsense?. Legacy is bogged down in the same way Air bender was bogged down by Exposition. One minute it's kids fantasy, Flynn escapes, something about a grid and the sun being beautiful and with not one but two Jeff Bridges. Is it petty to think that the film can only not work because of it's story. Tron is distinctively simple, treading familiar waters of overly long special effects adventures (the rec cent star wars, the very last outing for the matrix) Tron is big on power but little of it works dramatically and on a different note the 3D is pathetic with the disclosure saying that it is mostly in 2D. All the 3D does is make Tron even darker.

Gareth Hedlund, possibly comes off as wrong choice for a lead. He has none of the spark with dramatic range to allow us to feel for his character. In the climactic scene Jeff bridges sacrifices himself, this will be the last time Sam will see his father and we see not even a sense of emotion. But the catastrophe continues with Michael Sheen's "Zeus" camping it up to dizzying heights, Daft punk play over the top and all we get is another performance by Michale sheen which promises to show that he may go down the path of Nicholas Cage.


But should we care, the norm of Blockbusters are defined by emotionless expressions and throwaway entertainment but here is the crucial difference with Tron Legacy, a "movie" which relys heavily on the Borrowed cliches of not it's first outing but of all the other movie's that exceeded Tron. Legacy is of colours Blue,Red,White and black and at that Tron becomes incredibly dull. Tron Legacy could have been a sight to behold but with it being short on ideas, it comes of as a spectacle of effects and nothing more.

LOW DOWN
Speed racer 2.0 a spectacle of effects and the dude wearing the gown again. Tron at times is inventive but frustrates with it's familiarity and at that Tron came off as the rushed video game tied in with the film. The only way tron can be sighted is in visuals and that just about shows all of it's wounds and weaknesses.

** out ****

Spread- Like a virgin for the very first time

Aston Kutcher spreads like a virus, catching people with his cheap tricks. These people are mostly rich well to do women who have enough time on their hands to pamper him with clothes, their money and even their affection. This would seem as an exact opposite to somewhere - a movie about the nothingness of life and of the bubble that doesn't just surround celebrities but us- well Spread is built around the seediness of it's shallow protagonist. He's all about looks, money and any way where he has to do little work.

Aston kutcher plays player Nikki,a playboy who went to LA with his dashing good looks, easy going attitude and mindset of Bikini wearing women, no stop partying and a place that would be like van haling video "and you know what most of it came true". He meets Samantha or maybe he meets Samantha's house. She's a high flying business women with nothing left to give apart from her body to Nikki, unless you count the car, clothes, money and all expenses payed bachelor pad of Samantha's which he continues to "crash in"

But then he meets the girl of his dreams, a waitress who he can't woo with his simple tricks and charms. Spread now at this point could have turned into a routine Hollywood affair, guy tries endless tricks, gets the girl happy ending and to some extent it is; the writer Jason dean heck gives little room for originality with the film coming off as the indie film that tried but honourably failed. Honourably?.The film is well intended with Kutcher being a likable lead for the film even though lacking in substance,can work on it's own breezy charm but yet he has the charm but none of the sophistication. But saying that ,Nikki does (eventually) begin to reflect on his past.

You watch the film and it gives out some punches and regularly misses but the ones that do hit may not be affecting but they are relevant: "Your just a whore" "Those good looks will run out". That's more Aston Kutcher and less Nikki perhaps, telling us that there may not be anything left after the charm of a young hip teen actor wears off. Maybe that seems a little desperate but as far as "celebrities comedies" go this one is smarter and partly more funny than most of the Hollywood norm.

LOW DOWN
it works at what it works at. A sex comedy that isn't demeaning of it's female leads and isn't overly gratuitous. A big mess with good intentions that works mostly down to the viewer and it's charmful leads. An above average Romantic comedy.

** 1/2 out of ****