GREAT EXPECTATIONS

GREAT EXPECTATIONS
Written by David Nicholls
Directed by Mike Newell
Starring Jeremy Irvine, Helena Bonham Carter and Ralph Fiennes

Pip: How can there be beauty without a heart?

It isn’t a good sign when an adaptation of a literary classic makes me question whether or not the book itself deserves to be called a classic. I’ve not read Charles Dickens’s GREAT EXPECTATIONS, but after seeing Mike Newell’s interpretation of the material, I’m not clamoring to either. While it is often beautifully shot, it is also often so outlandish that it is difficult to take any of it very seriously. And given that this particular tale is one that explores such important themes such as class differentiation and abuse of power, I would have liked to have felt the weight that should go along with it.

It starts out very promising. Cinematographer, John Mathieson, frames the quaint England village where Pip lives brilliantly, with striking colour that grounds the picture in a very realistic tone. Pip, an orphan who is played by Jeremy Irvine (WAR HORSE) in his adult years, is a child put upon by all in his life, safe for his sister’s husband, Joe (Jason Flemyng). Under a bizarre arrangement made to have Pip visit a wealthy spinster (Helena Bonham Carter), Pip meets a girl, falls in love and comes to understand that, as the son of a blacksmith, he will never be able to be with her unless he becomes a proper gentlemen. Pip should have been far more weary of what he wished for. His dreams do come true but they come with a very heavy price, as fortune often does.

Larger than life performances by Bonham Carter and Ralph Fiennes (as a convict who threatens and scars Pip as a child) are certainly standout, but they end up eclipsing much of everything else that is happening. This includes the romance between Pip and Estella (Holiday Grainger) that the entire premise of the film revolves around. If there is no love to root for between Pip and Estella, then there is nothing left but a cold look at tortured, difficult times. GREAT EXPECTATIONS can boast a handful of successful elements that make it a passable effort, but it is a far ways off from being called a classic.

War Horse (rewritten)

War Horse, 2011
Directed by Steven Spielburg
Possible Nominations Include: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Costumes, Best Editing, Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing

Synopsis: Joey is an unusual horse. He is beautiful, and strong, and seems to change the lives of everyone he encounters. While still young, he is sold in an auction to a man, and is instantly loved by his teen aged son, Albert. But Joey is a wild horse, and the family feels they've wasted their money on him. They are already tight on money, and Joey must learn to plow fields in order for Albert's family to keep their farm. While everyone doubts him, Albert steps up for the job. And thus begins Albert and Joey's incredible relationship. But this story isn't about Albert. It's about Joey. He's eventually sold to go to World War I as a Calvary horse, but this film shows us just what happens to these horse, who are as much heroes as the soldiers themselves. We see the people Joey touches and changes, and the hardships he sees, and Albert's hope that he might be able to find his horse one day.

I've been really excited for this movie for most of 2011. I first caught wind of it around March or April, and watched the trailer immediately when it came out back in July, and was captivated by all the photos released over the year. Initially, I'll admit it, I was roped in by Jeremy Irvine's incredible good looks, but while that still remains, I was caught up with the story and the idea. And it just looked fantastic.

After watching the Tony awards and seeing the horses they used for the Broadway show, I decided to pick up the book. Luckily, the library had it On Order, and I was the first on the waiting list, and received it a month ago, and read it over the course of about a week. And I loved it.

I was nervous I wouldn't like the movie, though the book was great. I was a little of weary of how much they would change. It was told from the 1st person point of view of the horse, Joey, and didn't know how that would translate to screen. Also, RT stamped it with a 75%. Though not a bad number, it's not a stellar one either. So I lowered my expectations, convinced myself I would hate it (though knowing I would love, just not trying to expect so much as to ruin it) and found myself completely and utterly enthralled.

The bond we see between Joey and Albert is a very believable one. Jeremy Irvine (Albert) had never ridden on horses before the filming of the movie, nor had he had much interaction with them. But the chemistry between them was quite believable, which is what the first half hour, or so, of the movie is based around. We get a long introduction to build Albert and Joey's bond, through Albert's drunken father buying him at an auction, Albert training the horse, and the financial struggle in which the Naracott family (Albert's family) may lose their house. The solution to this it to plow their fields and to grow crops. But Joey isn't a farm or plowing horse. So Albert, once again, must train him, this time in front of the eyes of the community. By the end of this, Albert and Joey have formed a solid team, and a solid foundation for the rest of the film, making Albert's pursuit of Joey seem plausible.

Jeremy Irvine is a solid newcomer. He had been previously in the chorus of a community play, with no lines, before starring in this film. You can see a passion in him, as he acts out the innocence and earnest Albert Naracott. We see him wide-eyed and simple, but passionate in the first "Albert and Joey" act, and we see him (spoiler) beaten, scared and almost blinded (stop spoiler) in the second "Albert and Joey" act. His scenes in the war were perfectly done, mixing the levels of adrenaline, and fear in the trenches and on the battlefield. He embodied the emotions of a young soldier very well. Already being signed on to several more films (including the upcoming Great Expectations starring Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham-Carter), we shall see much more of him.

After leaving Joey, the film almost becomes a collection of short stories, all bound together by Joey, which shows us all different sides of WWI. We have the professional Captain Nicholls, the kind man who promises to look out for Joey. We have the underage German soldiers, who flee the war, because all they want is life. We have the French civilians, a young girl and her grandfather, who are occasionally raided by soldiers for food and supplies. And we have the horses pulling cannons, seeing the strain on them, and just how much the horses did for both sides of the war, and the men in charge of the horses. This film breaks down the idea of war, not into a good side-bad side, but into a human side. No side was shown as "evil", but were all shown that there are decent humans out there, and all they want is to live through the war and see their loved ones again.

In the height of the film, we see a moving scene of two soldiers, one British, the other German, meeting in No Man's Land to free Joey from an entanglement of barbed wire, which is one of the most touching scenes in film this year. It is an interesting contrast, seeing the two sides come together, something that happened for real in WWI on Christmas Day (though it included kick-about soccer games, and burying their dead), but it was well done, with a touch of humor and the revelation that, no matter what your background, or what country you serve, there are good people out there.

Additionally, the horses used in the movie were quite talented (for lack of better word). I've always found it interesting that they can train horses to 'act' as the filmmakers want them. But the horses used showed such emotion that you almost believed they were human characters. The showing of Joey's character was done well that we started to really understand the horse. Knowing when he was  nervous, or upset, or knew when he would or wouldn't like something.

Lastly, if nothing else, War Horse was a beautifully made film. Polish cinematographer, Janusz Kaminiski is no stranger to Steven Spielburg, or even the Oscars. He's been nominated 4 times, and won twice both for Spielburg made war films (Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan). I have no doubt War Horse can land a nomination this year, though it has tough competition, I have hope it can win. And was that last scene not stunning? The horse riding up the hillside, silhouette, and tiny against the landscape? And that nod to Gone With The WInd? Stunning, to say the least. I know the first time I saw it, I let out an audible "wow" more than once.

 Another non-stranger to Spielburg and  the Oscars is John Williams. While John Williams isn't usually my favourite composer (I respect all the scores he's written, especially his iconic themes like Harry Potter and Jurassic Park, I'm more of a strings-relaxed person, than a brass person) but I adored his score for War Horse. It was simple and innocent, but distinctly British, and early 20th century. It captured the spirit so well, and gave me chills when we see (spoiler) Joey, riding in the forest alone, showing us Captain Nicholls has died. Additionally, that scene was incredibly effective and chilling. The second time I saw this film, with a larger audience, there was a unanimous sigh of sadness, literally. It was a very well done, and effective moment, because you didn't see the death. (stop spoiler). I expect John Williams will be nominated once again. While I feel it's definitely his time to win again, we'll have to see. The Oscars never seems to award what I think should win.

Overall, I really, really liked the film. The strongest parts of it were the scenes with Albert, the beginning half hour, and the last 45 minutes or so, of the Battle of the Somme scenes at the end. While the stories in the middle are admittedly a little bit weaker, they are moving, nonetheless. This film was a very moving one, and taught me a lot about WWI. While I think it definitely has the stuff to compete and win Best Picture, not enough agree with me, though I'll be happy to see it's nomination, and see what awards it can garner in the art and visual categories.

9.25/10

WAR HORSE

WAR HORSE
Written by Lee Hall and Richard Curtis
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Starring Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, Tom Hiddleston and fourteen different horses as “Joey”

The other day, I told a friend of mine that I had never in my life ever ridden a horse. She gasped in horror as if I had missed out on one of life’s most rewarding experiences. I’m not against the idea of it, although I can’t imagine horses enjoy that kind of weight on them for hours at a time. I have just never had the occasion and therefore, I have never had the chance to connect to one of these majestic creatures, like so many others. From what I understand, the bond between a person and a horse can be quite something but having no first hand experience with it, I have no idea why. And so, my lack of horse experience or appreciation may have unduly influenced my reading of Steven Spielberg’s WAR HORSE. Or maybe, it just wasn’t that great.

Based on both the original 1982 children’s novel by Michael Morpurgo and the 2007 stage play by Nick Stafford, WAR HORSE is the story of one remarkable journey, had by a horse. The horse, named Joey in the film, starts out born on a farm, and we are naturally present for that birth, and then, after being separated from his mother, is sold at auction in a pissing contest between a landlord and lis lessee. There, Joey must overcome his exquisiteness to become a work horse or the farmer will lose his land. Past that, he goes off to fight in the first World War and the film follows as he changes hands during his four years away from home. Some of the characters Joey meets along the way make for some tender and beautiful moments but given that the story is his, the perspective gets away from him all too often. A horse’s point of view is a little awkward but Spielberg should have reigned himself back in and focused more.

This horse movie is nearly three hours long and it is never clear what kind of movie we are actually watching. Spielberg is known for two types of filmmaking - family style blockbusters that are entertaining for all and graphic war films. WAR HORSE tries to be both of these films, which makes the experience a confusing one at times. The first hour, or at least it felt that way, is about Joey bonding with his young owner, Albert Narracott (relative unknown, Jeremy Irvine) and seeing if he truly can plow the field. The tone is light, the story tired and the shots somewhat plain considering the man behind the camera. Once he goes off to war, the tone changes drastically and the stylized violence Spielberg thrives on takes over, erasing all traces of family entertainment. Predictability follows and we wait for the horse to find his way home. We wait almost three hours ... for a horse.

Trailer for Steven Spielberg's War Horse hits

A few days late, sorry about that.  The master is back to work, after a series of popcorn fair and an ill-received fourquel, he's back in presumably prestigious ground.  This drama, adapted from the Tony-winning stage show, looks to pretty good from what I can tell.  Said adaptation is done so by the Oscar-nominated duo Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral) and Lee Hall (Billy Elliot), and stars newcomer Jeremy Irvine and vets Emily Watson and David Thewlis. Those few I know who have seen the stage show say it's thrilling, if only a little melodramatic. How do you guys think it looks?  Could this spell Oscar for Spielberg? Trailer below.



It's set for a Christmas release.