Thats right, Monday Review is moving to Friday because I get to see all these movies ahead of time and its kind of dumb to waste the opportunity to advise you guys on what movies to see. Will the name change? No cause it is funny and you'll be able to know whose a noob when they ask "WTFFFFF? it's not monday."



A Golden Film?

One of the major problems with converting a children’s fantasy book like the “Golden Compass” into a film is that the filmmakers must define an entire universe that an author has created via an in depth text in a time span long enough for a child not to lose interest. Hollywood believes this time span is just less than two hours, though if you ask a parent they would probably argue that it’s actually less than two minutes. Either way, it is a daunting task for any film and epically the film version of the “Golden Compass” as the book, the first part in the His Dark Materials trilogy, creates a deep, enthralling and complicated world.


So hot. Want to touch the hiney...if you even joke about me talking about the little girl I'll punch you.

In the steampunk-esque world of “The Golden Compass” human souls take animal forms called daemons and walk along beside them, speaking and advising them, all of which is quickly explained in a rushed opening monologue. In this world – which is not unlike our own - we find Lyra Belacqua (newcomer Dakota Blue Richards), a young orphan girl who lives at Jordan College in England, and her daemon Pantalaimon (Freddie Highmore). As is wont of protagonist children in film she is a trouble maker and soon finds herself caught up in an adventure to rescue her friend that involves witches, talking warrior polar bears, gypsies, a magical Golden Compass which tells the truth, an evil organization called the Magistratum, travels to the artic, a beautifully enchanting woman named Mrs. Coulter (Nicole Kidman), Lyra’s idolized uncle Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig), and a mysterious substance called Dust.
It is a massive amount of information for a film to cover and due to this the movie spends a good chunk of its time feeling more like a rushed explanation on the way the this fantasy world works than true story. Unfortunately, the movie must spend far more time getting where it is going then actually being there. It’s upsetting because surrounding all this exposition is a gorgeously created world full of sights and sounds that enthrall and attract. The special effects are stunning, especially talking bear Iorek Byrinson (Ian McKellen), and the universe has a true depth to it. In fact, once the film does get to the actual action it becomes fantastic holiday movie fun with a grand battle and twist and turns galore. A sort of “Lord of the Rings” for children and adults.


Its a bear in armor, need I say more

The actors, though not always blending seamlessly with their heavily digital environments, all seem comfortable with their roles, with Kidman’s icy Mrs. Coulter and her golden monkey daemon being a stand out. More importantly though Dakota Blue Richards, who the film’s success truly rests on, is thankfully up to the challenge of carrying such a large role and also delivering a whole boat load of expository dialogue, something many child actors usually have trouble with.
Of course the main controversy around this film isn’t its casting or its reliance on digital effects it is the fact that the books suposedly feature heavily atheist themes (I never picked up on them that much) and vilify the church. The film though steers as far away from this as possible replacing the church with the Magistratum and only slightly hinting, via costumes and set design, that they are even remotely connected to any form of religion. If the filmmakers are to be given credit for anything, it is distancing themselves from making any sort of social commentary, which this reviewer finds refreshing in a year jam packed with enough political and social messages.
Four out five. Despite all the expostion its still pretty awesome.

Trailer






Nothing to Atone For

“Atonement” (Rated R, Running time: 130 min.) is probably one of the best put together movies of the year. Based upon the book of the same name by Ian McEwan the movie is well paced, well scripted, well scored, gorgeously edited and has some of the best sound design out there. It is one of those films you point to in order to explain how film should be made well and while it could never truly pack the emotional punch of the original book it sure gives it one hell of a shot from beginning to end.
Far from the soft romance the previews make the film out to be, the film is a hard lesson on love, war and life. In 1935 Briony Tallis (Saorise Ronan), a spoiled English 13 year-old writer, witnesses a few events she doesn’t quite understand, leading to her accusing her sister’s lover, Robbie Turner (James McAvoy) of rape and irrevocably changing his and her life, as Robbie is sent off to war as a get out jail card and her sister, Cecilia Tallis (Keira Knightly) removes herself from the family. The film follows the three throughout the years, as the horrible realization of what she has done comes over Briony and Robbie tries desperately to return home from the war to start a life with Cecilia.


It's an alien!

The beginning of the film is perfectly done, playing a scene from Briony’s point of view and then jumping back in time and showing us the same moments but with the full story revealed. The technique wonderfully encapsulates how a young girl could make such a mistake and sets up the films later narrative twists superbly only failing near the end when the movies bombshell is dropped and the jumping narrative, along with the fact that the two leads don’t have the sort of screen chemistry needed to truly make their relationship work, makes the cue de grace have far less of an emotional impact.
These are small gripes though when encapsulated in a film that is otherwise so well done. Director Joe Wright does a masterful job of interweaving divergent story and time lines and his 4.5 minute long shot through a British troop covered Dunkirk beach is amazing not only for the sheer technical ability it shows off but also because it captures the chaos, camaraderie and fear of the troops all in a single shot with scarcely a word. Seeing this movie for the directing alone is easily excusable.


I'll atone you!

Even more impressive than the directing is the score and sound editing. Interweaving the sounds of Briony’s clacking typewriter into the music and the scenes, the music becomes a character within itself, moving the story forward as well as commenting on it. It is rare that a soundtrack does much more than heighten our emotions but “Atonement’s” does this while tying together the films characters in an incredible way. The music allows for scenes that take place far apart and at different times to flow easily into one another and connect in ways that would truly be lost without it.
There is little doubt that you will hear about “Atonement” a whole lot more as the awards season kicks into high gear and with good cause too. It is not so often that a historical romance film comes along and breaks out of the tropes of its genre to become something more. The only real problem with the film is its title because “Atonement” has nothing to atone for.
Five out of five. See it.

Trailer