THOR (2011 - Cert 12A)

I can’t decide whether I’m excited about this whole Marvel Avengers thing. Yes I know it’s going to be epic, and the accumulation of lots of hard work and other films introducing us to all the heroes building up to this moment. Granted Marvel seem to have got their house in order with Iron Man 1 and 2 after the low point of Hulk (not to mention things like Daredevil). In fact, even Marvel and the producers involved have disregarded the existence of Edward Norton’s Hulk by casting Mark Ruffallo as the not so jolly Green Giant in the big ensemble piece. Despite all of this, I can’t help but feel that it’s all a little too late. Superhero films have been around a long time, there have been good ones, bad ones but in recent years they have become more and more fashionable, therefore the gang of Avengers are entering a very saturated market. Also, the genre has evolved and grown into one that is interested in being seen as smart and clever and wants to explore intelligent issues. The phenomenal success of The Dark Knight and it’s predecessor Batman Begins has really changed the game. Even Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns with it’s lukewarm box office impact wanted to get inside what it meant to be a hero and whether we need one, Sam Raimi’s Spiderman trilogy was fascinated with the pressure of being seen as a savior and how it affects someone, Watchmen last year was an attempt, all be it not terribly well-executed, to translate the most grown up and heralded superhero story of them all. This trend is all set to continue with the imminent arrival of X-Men: First Class where we see the early relationship develop between Magneto and Xavier set against the back drop of the Cuban Missile Crisis.  The two Iron Man films were fun and entertaining but they weren’t exactly thematic or interested in being anything much more than Friday night popcorn fodder. How is this approach going to fare in conjunction with this supposed demand for ‘thinking man’ superheroes?

And so we reach Thor, the next introduction piece in the Avengers universe. As you might expect from a film about a God with a massive hammer it’s not exactly grounded in realism. From the moment the film starts up it’s clear that this isn’t a Nolan-esque origins story, but if you invest into the spirit of it all it easily ranks alongside the first (and better) Iron Man, and arguably even exceeds it.

Asgard, the realm where Thor is from, is beautifully realized, if a little overly CGI’d. Towering and architecturally stunning structures loom over an idealistic plain that reminded me of Naboo from The Phantom Menace but benefiting from the advancement in technology that ten years gives. The rainbow bridge that leads to the gateway to the other realms is visually impressive, standing out and becoming an instantly memorable image to add to the fantastical cinema archives. The inhabitants of Asgard are all big beards and stupid haircuts, dressed up to the nines in colourful armour and massive boots.  In fact, if I were writing a Time Out guide for Asgard, the best way to sum it up would be to explain that as I lay in bed after watching Thor, I couldn’t shake thoughts of Flash Gordon. Camp, colourful, over the top, tongue firmly in cheek and all in all a bit daft. It does all work rather well though, the contrast between the arid desert plains of Earth and the lavishly coloured fantasy other-world from where out hero hails gives the film an extra edge. 

This isn’t an advert for a long and dirty weekend in a Godly realm though, it’s a story of how Thor became the hero that would soon get the call-up for The Avengers. Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth (formerly of Home and Away I am told), seemingly genitcally built to play a massive Scandinavian hulk of muscle with a beard, is about to become King of his realm, the crown being passed to him by his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins having the time of his life hamming it up like you wouldn’t believe and looking like Arnie in armour that must be padded with the muscle of several horses). Only just as he’s about to become king, he gets a bit cocky and arrogant and reignites an age old war with the Ice Giants (yes, you really must enter in to the spirit of it all). Odin, understandably is a bit irritated by this threat to peace and outcasts his son down to Earth to live as a mortal until he learns his lesson.

We then follow Thor the mortal, as he gets picked up in the desert by Natalie Portman’s scientist Jane Foster, and her pals Stellan Skarsgard and Kat Dennings. His new friends help him as he tries to get his powers back and save Earth from destruction, as the hands of his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston adding to the Flash Gordon vibe with a sprinkling of Zod from Superman 2). Standard superhero fare. Although with a nice touch of humour. The main laughs from the film come from Thor’s usually acceptable godly arrogance not quite fitting with rural American custom. The ‘California Man’ approach. Hemsworth does it all well enough and through this managed to quickly win me over, as Thor’s arrogance at the outset is far from endearing. Although this could be jealousy because he looks very impressive without his top on. 

Portman though looks a little lost, or perhaps just wasted (I don’t mean drunk of course). Her role is pretty irritating, but saved from the fact that we know it’s Portman

That said, that really is my only gripe with the film. It’s great fun, the action is superbly done although you don't ever really think Thor isn't going to be victorious (I suppose it's the problem with a superhero film where you have a God involved, which is likely to continue when you look at how nigh-on invincible the other Avengers are - how does one get around that?), the comedy fits nicely, it’s all handled very well by Kenneth Branagh, who I wouldn’t have thought was the most obvious choice for this project, but hats off to the man. It’s tone is pitch perfect, standing comfortably alongside the Iron Man films making this build up to The Avengers feel like a proper series. I don’t want to tempt fate but it does appear that they are doing a very decent job at building nicely towards that 2012 release.  Going back to how I kicked off this review, it has increased my excitement levels for the big one, not to boiling point but it’s simmering nicely. It’s not done anything to address concerns with the light-hearted tone of this run of films though…..

Next up Captain America. What have you got for us skipper?

BLACK SWAN (2010)

I signed up for my Curzon membership in New Year's Day and since then I've been spoilt by the offerings released during January. First The King's Speech, then 127 Hours and now Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan. Rarely do films live up to the hype quite as much as these three, but to have them all released within a fortnight of each other is incredible.



Thought of as a female companion piece to his last film The Wrestler, Black Swan is also the moment where Natalie Portman really steps up a level. Sure she has been in great films and impressed before, but this is a hell of a performance. At the beginning of the film, her Nina is a introverted, overly controlled, almost cowardly dancer who strives for perfection. The dancing is her personality, the be all and end all, nothing else. Portman is a big screen presence but she seems to almost shrink herself during the opening scenes. Her fragility is very convincing and makes her transformation and what comes after even more impressive.

Once she is cast as the Swan Queen in a huge production of Swan Lake the film really gets going. She is told by the sexual predatory artistic director of the production, Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) that she must find the Black Swan within her in order to really make the part her own. What follows is a transformation in Nina's character that is at times terrifying, which tests her sanity leaving her constantly questioning what is reality. The duelling personalities and disturbing visions give Portman plenty to get her teeth into and she really excels. The story of the film has parallels to the story of Swan Lake and it very cleverly refers to the story in a lot of the developments.

The world of ballet gives Aronofsky a fantastic canvas to spread his genius across. Rivalry and insecurities are rife in a cut throat world that make it all the more believable that Nina's situation is as serious as a matter of life and death. The main rival (well apart from herself) is Lily, played by Mila Kunis, last seen being as exciting as scenery in The Book of Eli. She is much better on this occasion though, being everything that Nina is not. Confident, unpredictable, impulsive. She acts as the embodiment of the Black Swan that Nina must find in herself, only causing Nina to be even more unsure of herself.

My description so far makes it seem a little like a normal sport-type film, much like the wrestler in fact. Girl wants to succeed but must overcome barriers, blah, blah, blah. However, while The Wrestler is all gritty realism, and to be fair Black Swan does start very much grounded in reality, this film quickly takes a shift into fantasy - dream-like (well more nightmare-like) sequences represent Nina's sanity unravelling. And who better to handle these trips than Aronofsky? There are fantastic moments, involving mirrors, drug-induced visions, some are genuinely terrifying and jumpy, with some quite brutal violence thrown in for good measure. In fact at times it does resemble a horror film and is all the better for it.

Aronofsky also pays a lot attention to the detail of the dancing itself. You see muscles flexing under pressure, you hear bones and toes creak - I was really left under no illusion as to the strain these dancers put on their body. He also manages to put you in the thick of it, the camera twirls with the dancers, almost choreographed itself, the intensity of the performance passed onto the viewer. It's important that special mention goes to Portman's dancing. I've heard that she went through some very intense training, which included a broken rib, to make the performance scenes completely convincing, but it's all worth it as when she is dancing it's beautiful to watch. I'm almost tempted to go to the ballet......

The supporting cast are a mixed bag. Barbara Hersey is very good as Nina's overly controlling and pushy mother, adding to the claustrophobia of Nina's situation. Vincent Cassel does what he is asked to do well, but much of his dialogue is pervy innuendo, a bit Carry On Plie. It's good to see Winona Ryder back in something more fitting to her talent as a bitter, has-been performer. She gets possibly the scariest and most brutal scene which is still sitcking with me now 36 hours later.

Go and see it, I urge you. From the trailer you wouldn't expect it to be one that must be seen at the cinema, but I'm telling you it benefits hugely from the big screen. It won't be what you expect either, you are taken on a ride that you do not want to end. It's an epic piece of film-making, by a creative film-maker with a absolutely first class central performance. Much like 127 Hours then, and if it were up to me, the Best Director Oscar would be a two horse race between Aronofsky and Boyle.