Film Review | Brave (2012)

It's purely coincidental that the Pixar output reviewed here so far have all been either been films that have left me somewhat unsatisfied, or films that are not considered to be amongst the classics that the studio  has produced (or, in the case of Cars 2, both). Time will bring articles focused on the jewels in Pixar's crown, films that have already gone down in cinematic history as both classics and landmarks in animation. Unfortunately, Brave is not one of these films.

Brave tells the story of Merida (Kelly Macdonald), a strong-willed princess in medieval Scotland who defies her mother, Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson), when she is informed that the sons of the Lords of three other clans in Scotland will compete for her hand in marriage. After following a will-o'-the-wisp through the forest, Merida resorts to extreme measures in trying to change her mother's will, but things don't quite unfold the way she expected.

Once again, Pixar show their artistic mastery through Brave's beautiful landscapes and impressive action sequences. The whole feel of the film fits beautifully with the Celtic legends interwoven into Brave's narrative; it's clear that the studio have painstakingly composed the world in which the story unfolds. It's a shame then that, in comparison to both the scenery and what we've seen from Pixar in the past, the character animation is very good but never outstanding. Merida's flowing fire-hued locks are a wonder in themselves, but the time for wonder at Pixar's ability to create realistic hair was around a decade ago with the release of Monsters Inc. Elsewhere, Brave comes across as possibly the first time Pixar has ever felt aesthetically influenced by rival studio DreamWorks, with the look and feel of the more caricatured players in the story, such as King Fergus and Lords Dingwall, Macintosh and McGuffin, decidedly similar to those seen in How To Train Your Dragon.

Brave's story is perfectly enjoyable, with plenty of entertaining moments throughout. The relationships between Merida, Elinor and Fergus are established nicely in the opening act, although few other characters get much development. Things become notably more comedic in tone as the second act gets underway,  becoming more predictable unfortunately at the same time. Once it's established what Merida must do in order to set matters right, things follow their inevitable course without really threatening any genuine surprises or making you feel as though the expected outcome is ever in question. Like I said, it's enjoyable and entertaining, but compared to many of Pixar's previous efforts it all feels a bit light and ordinary.

Ultimately, Pixar are once again victims of their own success. Brave is undoubtedly superior to a great many animated films released this year. But think about how the opening twenty minutes of Up made you feel; think about how Wall-E's almost dialogue-free opening act is pure cinematic perfection; think about pretty much any scene from the final act of Toy Story 3. Brave never gets close to this calibre of cinema or emotional investment; I found myself waiting for the film to achieve this, then disappointed that it never gets there. Brave is Pixar in safe mode, which still makes it a good, well-made and entertaining film. But it's also likely to be possibly the first Pixar film you'll watch, enjoy, and then move on from without any part of it staying with you.

7/10

Film Review | Rango (2011)

We live in an age where computer-animated features are becoming more and more beautiful to the eye and ever richer in cinematic heritage. Aside from a lone anomaly in Cars 2, Pixar are still the studio to beat in the field with a wealth of classics in their back catalogue, many of which are continuing to mature with age. It's therefore becoming less acceptable for CGI films to score points for their achievements in these areas, which is unfortunate for Rango, because how it looks and its references to films gone by are all it has going for it.

The film tells the story of a pet chameleon (Johnny Depp) who finds himself accidentally abandoned in the middle of the desert. After some philosophical conversation with an armadillo (Alfred Molina), the chameleon heads in the direction of the town of Dirt, calling himself Rango and becoming entangled in the town's drought crisis.

Rango is regularly beautiful to look at, with some breathtaking scenery and cinematography of the desert inspired by many a classic western. It's in the choices of shots and camera angles that director Gore Verbinski is most successful in paying tribute to a bygone era of film making, something which he clearly wants to do through this film. There will be much here for the older members of the audience to take in as tribute to the Wild West movies of yesteryear. The detail and visual style employed in the character design is also incredibly detailed, although I did find in some characters the intensely realistic aesthetic of whatever animal they might be to be off-putting and limiting in how much emotion that character was able to put across.

Sadly, I found very little to like here other than the visuals and cinematic homages. The story is awkwardly paced, throwing you into Rango's story in a rush, then slowing things down to a dawdle. The central story of a town on the brink of collapse due to a vital resource suddenly becoming unavailable - in this case water, which acts as the currency of Dirt - may have its roots in traditional Western tales, but here it fails to generate anywhere near enough interest. There are far too many characters crammed into the story, meaning that Rango is the only character who really feels in any way developed; moreover, with a scant backstory prior to the events of the film the amount of investment I had in our hero could only go so far. There's more life in Rango's wind-up fish Mr. Timms than the supposed romance between him and Beans (Isla Fisher).

Rango also feels confused as to who it's actually for. There are action sequences and visual jokes which feel squarely aimed at kids and really don't fit with the aesthetic look and feel of the film. Elsewhere we have film references and humour which cannot be targeted at anyone other than an adult audience, going straight over the heads of any children and even teenagers in the audience. Whilst I did enjoy moments here and there, with the film's most surreal sequences feeling the strongest, ultimately the two approaches struggle against each other to the detriment of both with Rango ending up feeling like a film lacking in both heart and brains.

The fact that Rango won Best Animated Feature at the Oscars earlier this year says more about the field in which it was competing. When its strongest competition from the mainstream studios was Kung Fu Panda 2 and Puss In Boots (Pixar's kiddie cash-in sequel Cars 2 rightfully didn't even get a look-in), Rango undoubtedly managed to charm the Academy with its film heritage references and finely crafted visuals. But the story this film tells the strongest is The Emperor's New Clothes. There's nothing of substance here, but allowing yourself to see that means pushing aside the visuals and homages that sit on the surface - finery and embellishments that many seem to have sadly been taken in by.

4/10

Film Review | The Aristocrats (2005)

Making a documentary film about one of the filthiest jokes ever told might seem to many to be inviting controversy for controversy's sake. Upon its release, The Aristocrats did stir things up a little with one chain of cinemas in the US refusing to screen it. But the style and delivery of the film quickly demonstrate that the intention of filmmakers Penn Jillette and Paul Provenza here is not to directly shock or cause offence (although many watching The Aristocrats will no doubt be shocked or offended) but to look into the nature of comedy, of joke-telling and of the people who make their living in those fields.

The premise of the film is simple: to explore the origins and enduring appeal behind a joke known as "The Aristocrats" which has existed for decades since the vaudeville era. The structure of the joke, as explained within the first ten minutes of the film, is simple: there is little variation in the opening of the joke or the punchline, whereas the middle part of the joke is the exact opposite; it is the chance for the teller of the joke to make it his or her own through ad libbed and improvised description. And here's where the shock and offence come in: the intention of the teller is to make the middle section as boundary-crossing, taboo-breaking and downright filthy as they can.

Essentially, if you don't have a sense of humour, a strong stomach and are easily offended then it's likely that you'll get very little out of The Aristocrats. Jillette and Provenza's documentary consists almost entirely of interview footage of comedians, performers and members of the entertainment industry either talking about the joke or giving their own rendition of it. There are plenty of big names here (Robin Williams, Whoopi Goldberg and Chris Rock to name just three) but also many who aren't so well known, especially as all but a few of the comedians featured are American. The three Brits who feature are Eddie Izzard, Billy Connolly and Eric Idle (all of whom, incidentally, have very successfully broken the US market).

With around one hundred people interviewed throughout the film, and with humour being such a subjective and personal thing, there's bound to be a handful who don't quite hit the mark - Drew Carey comes across as smug and grating, and a ventriloquist act credited as "Otto & George" is neither funny nor successful at ventriloquism. But there's also going to be plenty of contributors who you will enjoy. With such a large amount of speakers in the film, in lesser hands the film could have become incredibly unfocused, but Jillette and Provenza keep things vibrant whilst at the same time drawing from the rich array of comedic talent and experience they have at their disposal.

That said, there are points when it's hard to judge what the purpose behind the film is. The opening ten minutes or so feel a little like a false start as we go straight in to the middle of George Carlin (undoubtedly one of the most captivating minds on comedy in the entire film) speaking about the origins of the joke without any form of introduction from the makers of the film. There are also sections throughout the documentary where people are talking about aspects of the joke or the ways it can be told where it is unclear why they are saying what they are saying at that particular point in the film. These sections make the film feel unfocused at times, and occasionally left me waiting for the film to find itself again and continue on a more meaningful track.

However, the good in The Aristocrats far outweighs the bad. The line between a comedy film and a documentary is expertly toed. The film never becomes dull, with many laugh-out-loud moments including regular fantastic renditions of the joke itself - Sarah Silverman's unique and unsettling version immediately springs to mind as a particular highlight. Jillette and Provenza never forget that they are documenters either, resisting the urge to turn the film into a lightweight series of sketches or clips from comedy shows. The film also succeeds in deconstructing what makes the joke successful as well as how each comedian's slant on the joke reflects their personality and brand of humour. Close analysis of comedy in this way can often destroy the entertainment within it, but once again the craftsmanship within the film makes sure this is never the case.

In The Aristocrats, Jillette and Provenza have produced both an entertaining and insightful look into the world of comedy, as well as a keen observation on the nature of comedy itself. Whilst it's not always completely clear what direction the film is going in, the ride is always thoroughly enjoyable. And although this is clearly a documentary about comedy, rather than a comedy film per sé, you'll find the laughs are consistent and the presentation pleasingly high in quality. Probably file this one in the "films not to watch with your mum" pile, though.

8/10