Reflection: meet the robinsons (2007) *SPOILERS*

Directed by: Stephen J. Anderson

Written by: William Joyce (Source material), Various (Screenplay)

Starring: Jordan Fry, Daniel Hansen, Wesley Singerman, Harland Williams, Nicole Sullivan, Adam West, Tom Kenny, Angela Bassett, Tom Selleck, Laurie Metcalf, Steve Anderson, Ethan Sandler

2007’s Meet The Robinsons, an animated feature, is a very special film. I still vividly recall the first time I saw it – a Saturday night back in 2007 or 2008, I had gotten two DVDs (blast from the past) as a gift – Mr Bean’s Holiday and this other film called Meet The Robinsons.

Obviously, as Mr Bean is a known property and has been for many years, so that was the one I was more excited about. It was still early when I finished, so I decided to watch the other film – Meet The Robinsons – too. What the hell, right?

Well, the rest, as they say, is history. Ironic statement considering the plot of the film.

The story is so rich, layered and unpredictable. Usually, in films targeted for younger people, the twists would be easy for an adult to figure out whereas in this film, they were genuinely shocking and left of field.

Much like this is a unique film that stands on its own, the same can also be said about the characters. The core cast – Lewis, Wilbur, Franny, Carl and even the Bowler Hat Guy to an extent, I fell in love with them all.

I actually did not see Back to the Future until after this film, so this was not a comparison I made at the time, but in retrospect, Wilbur feels like a subverted Marty McFly.

Think about it, a boy takes a time machine created by a genius inventor and travels to the past. He meets his own father, becomes a friend/mentor to him in order to reach a goal – in this instance, make a working memory scanner to ensure the future – and gets erased from existence at one point.

With any film, I love learning about information that I never would have known without researching. For example, Steve Anderson (the director) played many characters including Bowler Hat Guy, Grandpa Bud and Cousin Tallulah.

Another fun tidbit is that Carl’s voice actor, Harland Williams, had previously voiced a robot in the film Robots, starring Ewan McGregor and Robin Williams.

Like any great story, Meet The Robinsons is one thing on the surface but has a true, deeper meaning. Yes, it is a story about a boy who travels to the future, but also has powerful messages of self belief and confidence as well as acceptance. Hence the motto, ‘Keep Moving Forward.”

Full disclosure, that ending sequence makes me emotional every time, even years after I first saw it. It’s rewarding to finally see a character, in anything, move past the roadblocks and toward their goal.

In my opinion, Lewis, as a character, deserved his happy ending.

REFLECTION: THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION

Written and Directed by: Frank Darabont

Starring: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, Clancy Brown, William Sadler, Gil Bellows, James Whitmore

Ever since I first saw Shawshank many years ago, I fell in love with the film, like many others have done in the 25 years since its release.

I have seen the film many times since then – on my own time and bizarrely, in school as part of Religious Studies.

One of the many adaptations of Stephen King’s work – in this instance, a novella titled Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption – I would venture as far to say that is my favourite.

As Morgan Freeman once said, the film is a platonic love story between two men – Andy and Red. This is not an observation I would have thought of, but it is completely correct.

Shawshank may be set in a prison, but it is not a straightforward ‘prison movie’. First of all, our protagonist, Andy Dufresne (Robbins) is innocent or at least that is the interpretation taken. There is not much focus, if any, on what his fellow prisoners did to wind up in their situations.

The film’s timeline also spans nearly two decades. We see the characters grow and evolve as people, like anyone would do over that length of time.

As well as Andy and Red, we also get an insight into the supporting cast of characters. We learn what makes the Warden tick. Hadley, Tommy and Brooks all get the moments to shine.

Every scene in the film helps drive the story. There is no ‘filler’ or moments that are vague in meaning.

In my opinion, the film’s ending is among the best of all-time.

Fun Fact: The reason we see the reunion at a distance and not up close is because it was a compromise for director Darabont. He wanted a sadder ending, the higher-ups pushed for a happier conclusion and this was the result.

REFLECTION: THE BLIND SIDE (2009)

Written and Directed by: John Lee Hancock

Starring: Sandra Bullock. Quinton Aaron, Tim McGraw, Lily Collins, Kathy Bates, Jae Head, Kim Dickens

I first saw The Blind Side in 2009, the year it came out and along with many others, was completely blown away by the film. Telling such a raw, heart-warming family drama in the backdrop of competitive sports. I thought it was a great story.

Imagine my surprise when I found out it was true. Or at least the basis of it.

Watching the film ten years later offers a new perspective. Being already familiar with the story, I’m focusing on different aspects on later viewings. Things like the performances, whether the actors gel together as a ‘family’… wouldn’t have even thought of it all those years ago.

Sandra Bullock’s name is on the poster and to no one’s surprise, she arguably is the most featured in the film. Her character, Leigh-Anne Tuohy, is our entry point into the narrative via voiceover.

As much as I love and enjoy the film, watching it again with a more logical mindset allows me to see how ridiculously fast Michael (Quinton Aaron) progressed from being a stranger on the side of the road to being integrated into the family.

I was not surprised when I heard that it was a lot slower in real life. Putting complete faith and trust into a relative stranger is an unwise move.

Another factor that I hadn’t considered was that much of the cast were playing real people: Aaron, Bullock, McGraw, Collins, Head and Bates, at the very least. That leads to more interesting questions I had not considered before. How closely did they imitate their real life counterparts? Were the real people satisfied?

Aside from a compelling story, the acting in the film is really strong. Not to mention Bullock, but Quinton Aaron does a great job with Michael. As most of the teachers at his school, who assumed he was big and dumb, Aaron effectively shows the character’s intelligence in spite of his disadvantages when it comes to learning.

We also see an early performance from Lily Collins who would go on to star in other major films. Her first big success was in The Mortal Instruments – City of Bones. She has also starred in Abduction, Mirror Mirror, Rules Don’t Apply and Extremely Wicked Shockingly Evil and Vile, just in case her face wasn’t coming to mind.

Overall, The Blind Side remains a wonderful film that I would happily watch again, whether I saw it on TV or like today, popped into my head for some inexplicable reason.

REFLECTION: THE WAY WAY BACK (2013)

Written and Directed by: Nat Faxon & Jim Rash

Starring: Liam James, Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell, Toni Collette, Allison Janney, AnnaSophia Robb, Maya Rudolph

It has been five years since I first saw this film and I’ve watched it a few more times since then.

Presented as a coming-of-age summer type movie, it has a lot more depth and emotion attached compared to the usual fare.

Instead of being about vapid teenage girls trying to get some uncaring guys to like them, our protagonist, Duncan (Liam James) is a lost soul, unhappy with his life and unsure where he stands. Perhaps as expected, he is a major reason for my enjoyment of the film. It was very easy to empathise with the character — emotionally distant from his mother, physically distant from his father. No one to relate to.

Yes, I am aware that I just made the film sound really depressing in that one paragraph. Luckily, that’s where Owen (Sam Rockwell) comes in.

Owen owns Water Wizz – a local water park where Duncan is staying. The latter’s awkwardness seems to intrigue Owen enough to offer a job, thus beginning what is legitimately one of my favourite on-screen partnerships of all time.

Without Owen, Duncan would still be lost in an emotional sense. Closed off, silently hating the world. The newfound confidence that Duncan gains helps him connect with Susanna (AnnaSophia Robb), the literal girl next door, who can relate to having divorced parents.

A major highlight of the film is how perfectly cast all the actors seem to be.

Trent is the nearest character to a villain and I had never seen Steve Carell in that kind of role. Yet, he managed to pull it off while seeming natural, unlike in other instances where actors playing against type tried to hard.

Then there’s Allison Janney as Betty, Susanna’s slightly kooky mother. Considering my only experience with Janney was in a drama – LOST – where she played quite a stern character, this was a fun portrayal to watch.

Owen’s interactions with his colleagues — hard-working Caitlin (Maya Rudolph), slightly perverted Roddy (Nat Faxon) and very neurotic Lewis (Jim Rash), also comes across as easy and natural. They are very believable as a group who have known each other for years, which they may have out of character.

Fun Fact: If you didn’t notice above, the actors who played Roddy and Lewis, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, wrote and directed the film. Two years prior to the release, they won an Oscar for writing The Descendants, starring George Clooney.

The Way Way Back is great storytelling. We see a full character arc for Duncan – beginning, middle and end – in the backdrop of a fun water park. Likewise, although in a relative supporting role, Toni Collette shows off her talents effectively.

To summarise — I really enjoyed the film. If any of the people involved are reading this, I will be completely honest. Seeing the poster and hearing the synopsis made me think it would be a certain type of film, which I alluded to earlier.

What I actually saw blew me away. Capturing such a precious time in our lives – the teenage years – on the cusp between childhood and adulthood, makes it more poignant to watch as I have grown older since the first time I saw the film.

If you haven’t seen the film, apologies for spoiling it for you in this post.

If you skipped to the end without reading the rest, go watch the Way Way Back!

REVIEW: MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN

Directed by: Tim Burton

Written by: Jane Goldman

Starring: Asa Butterfield, Eva Green, Judi Dench, Chris O’Dowd, Ella Purnell, Milo Parker, Finlay MacMillan, Allison Janney, Rupert Everett, Lauren McCrostie, Terence Stamp and Samuel L. Jackson

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, released in 2016, is an American fantasy film directed by Tim Burton, known for his often quirky projects. This is no different.

Our lead character is Jake, played by a familiar face in Asa Butterfield. Having seen Butterfield in quite a few films now (Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, Nanny McPhee and Ender’s Game spring to mind), someone as recognisable as Butterfield is a good choice to lead this movie, as we basically follow the story through his eyes.

Jake comes from an All-American family. Butterfield, who plays him, hails from Islington, London. Chris O’Dowd, who plays his father, is Irish. The irony of two Europeans, in character, acting as if places like Wales and England were foreign was quite amusing.

The film has a stellar supporting cast – Samuel L. Jackson, Judi Dench, Chris O’Dowd, Kim Dickens (Fear the Walking Dead) and Rupert Everett. However, our other primary characters are the residents of the children’s home featured in the title.

Eva Green was an unexpected delight in this film. Not because I have anything against her acting. Beforehand, I had only ever seen her in one project (Camelot), in which she played a villain and thus, I disliked her character, which I suppose is the point of acting…

Unlike films such as Annie or Oliver! which feature large groups of children, each character in this instance is wonderfully distinct and thus more memorable than just being a face in a group. Butterfield basically plays the straight man opposite their eccentricities.

The children are introduced in a cool and intense way which I won’t spoil in case you’re like me and waited for three years to see this film. Of the group, Emma (Ella Purnell) immediately stands out and I, as an audience member, was drawn to her.

The storyline is quite complex with a lot of bizarre terminology which I would struggle to explain here. One thing I noted, which may be lazy screenwriting, is how willingly Jake accepted his situation during his first meeting with the children. He just went along with it, which was what the script needed him to do, but it felt forced.

As I found out online, some people just cannot follow complicated plots, which this is and as a result, do not enjoy the film. I, on the other hand, love getting lost in cinematic worlds and absorbed the whole experience. For that reason, this was exactly the kind of the film I enjoyed.

Nice, quirky film. I would recommend watching it in a group. Not that I’m saying you shouldn’t watch it alone, but with these off-the-wall Tim Burton movies, you need other people to keep track of what is occurring.

I rate this film: 3/5

REVIEW – BACK TO THE FUTURE (TRILOGY)

Directed by: Robert Zemeckis (All 3 films)

Written by: Bob Gale (1-3), Robert Zemeckis (1)

Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Thomas F. Wilson, Crispin Glover (1)

Back to the Future, one of the most iconic film franchises of all time, was released between 1985 and 1990, spanning three films which follow the adventures of teen time traveller Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and his mentor, Emmett “Doc” Brown (Christopher Lloyd).

Having seen all three films for the first time comparatively recently compared to die-hard fans, I have a different perspective of the viewing experience.

Although the series began nearly four decades ago, the films still hold up and are extremely enjoyable to watch. They are aged in the sense that you notice the immediate dress sense differences and lack of modern technology, not even mentioning the year literally being mentioned in dialogue.

Prior to watching the films, I had not encountered much of Michael J. Fox’s work. Mostly, he was familiar to me due to his unfortunate affliction with Alzheimer’s Disease but he also lent his vocal talents to Stuart Little. Seeing him in his signature cinematic role, so to speak, was an interesting experience to that end. Likewise with the much revered DeLorean, a true staple of pop culture.

Fox was 24 playing 17 in the first film. While he pulled that off, an error may have been to wait approximately three years (in filming terms) before shooting the second film as Fox, now 27-28, looked significantly older than 17.

Fun Fact #1: Fox is 9 days younger than Lea Thompson, who plays his mother in the films.

Doc Brown was also a delight to watch. Wonderfully eccentric, he entertained whenever he appeared on-screen. Having heard so much about his iconic partnership with Marty and its place in the pantheon of screen double acts, the words are justified.

Of all the films, I found Part II particularly amusing due to its depiction of 2015, which would have been 26 years into the future from when the film was made. Effectively, we saw crystal ball predictions from Zemeckis and Gale about how the 21st Century would turn out.

Although each of the three films had many supporting characters – Mayor Goldie Wilson and Jennifer Parker are some examples – by and large, there were four primary cast members, which are listed above. In case you missed that, they are Michael J. Fox (Marty), Christopher Lloyd (Doc Brown), Lea Thompson (Lorraine, Marty’s mother) and Thomas F. Wilson (Biff, Marty’s nemesis).

Unlike other science fiction trilogies such as Star Wars where we saw Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill et al play the same characters across all the movies, in Back to the Future, the core cast members played multiple roles, usually characters in different time periods. This was an intelligent way to keep the audience and actors refreshed without getting too exposed to a character.

Overall, I enjoyed these films but as I have said, some things felt off, mainly Michael J. Fox looking blatantly much older than his character.

3/5

REVIEW – PSYCHO (1960)

Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock

Written by: Joseph Stefano

Starring: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, Martin Balsam and John Gavin

Despite being a true classic, I watched PSYCHO for the first time late last year. Due to its longevity in pop culture, I had heard about some of the film’s key elements, namely the infamous character of Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) and a scene involving a shower. Otherwise, I went in completely blind.

This will be a spoiler-y review, though considering this film was released nearly 60 years ago, this may not be a huge concern.

I really enjoyed that the film subverted expectations of its genre, considering how long ago it was made. After spending a considerable amount of time building up Marion (Janet Leigh) as the protagonist and the rash decision she had made, the notion of killing her off seemed entirely out of the question and more surprising.

A modern film I can think of which followed a similar approach is SCREAM (1996) which killed Drew Barrymore, the most recognisable cast member, in the opening scene.

Unlike contemporary horror films, PSYCHO does not rely on gratuitous gore or violence to create ‘scares’. We never see characters actually being murdered. Shadows and background noise imply the action for us. The restrictions of the 1960s work well in this regard, as not seeing who the killer is, at least during Marion’s murder, makes them seem more like a malevolent force.

The film also excels with its supporting characters, namely PI Milton Arbogast, played by 12 Angry Men‘s Martin Balsam, who investigates Marion’s disappearance on behalf of her sister Lila (Vera Miles) and former lover Sam Loomis (John Gavin). All three of these characters are interesting and layered, instead of just extra bodies filling the script. In another SCREAM connection, Sam shares his surname with that film’s antagonist, Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich).

Upon seeing PSYCHO myself, I completely understand why it has remained popular for nearly six decades. It has everything I could possibly want from a film of this genre – interesting characters, twists and turns, unexpected scares. I am quite a stoic person when it comes to horror and it even gave me a few jumps.

Overall, I rate PSYCHO a 4/5.

CIRCLE – FILM REVIEW

Written and Directed by: Aaron Hann and Mario Miscione

Starring: Julie Benz, Carter Jenkins, Michael Nardelli and Daniel Lench, among others

On a cold night in 2016, I stumbled upon this fantastic film, CIRCLE, on Netflix. I had heard various although vague references regarding the premise but otherwise I went in completely blind.

What an experience.

For anyone who is not aware, CIRCLE is about a group of 50 strangers who wake up in a room with a strange, otherworldly device that fatally electrocutes someone every couple of minutes. The characters’ best guess is an alien abduction of sorts.

The ‘bread and butter’ conflict that arises is upon discovering that they, the group, have control over who dies, various ethical discussions take place in making that decision. Some believe the safety of a young girl and a pregnant woman should be prioritised, while others advocate for their deaths.

One of the main components I enjoyed was the realism. Yes, I am aware of how ridiculous that is to say about a film which involves alien abduction and mass enslavery of humankind. What I mean is how realistically the characters are, as people.

Much like in real life, there is no black and white. No outright stock heroes or villains, just desperate people fighting for their lives in a scenario they could never have dreamed of. Their devolution is not the result of a malicious agenda, purely out of concern for their own survival.

As expected with the frequent deaths that take place, the film does not allow us to get too attached to many of the characters. Many of the 50 have little to no dialogue and very few are even named, known by their job title (The Lawyer, The Cop) or a distinguishing feature (The Amputee).

Of those that stick around the longest, it is made very clear which characters we are supposed to be rooting for and those to be despised. Some of the ‘bad guys’, those who want the little girl and pregnant woman dead, show themselves to be not the nicest of people. Homophobia, insults and using trivial matters such as school grades are just a few examples.

CIRCLE is full of unexpected twists and turns – from reveals about the characters to what they are really thinking. I fully recommend checking it out on Netflix if you haven’t seen it yet.

REVIEW – RESERVOIR DOGS (1992)

Despite being a classic film, I had not seen Reservoir Dogs until about three years ago, to my great shame. While conversing with enthusiasts who had similar interests, their mutual love of this film came up and their disbelief that I had never watched a single frame of it.

Suffice to say, I saw the film on what is now the first of many viewings, later that very day.

Reservoir Dogs is notable as Quentin Tarantino’s first film, the one that first got him notice. It preceded the arguably better known Pulp Fuction, which was released two years later. Fun fact: Tarantino wrote the screenplay for this film while still working at a video store.

The film features many well-known actors, some of whom were less recognisable at the time. Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi and Michael Madsen, among others, play members of an assembled criminal team pulling off a jewellery heist which goes wrong. Lawrence Tierney and Chris Penn appear as their employers.

One of the main strengths with Reservoir Dogs is that it does not outstay its welcome or inundate the audience with trivial information. Every second feels like an important part of the story and we do not even learn some of the main characters’ names, which is a smart choice. Their names are not important in this story, but their actions are.

The story is also kept interesting by following a non-linear structure, meaning, we jump around between different people’s flashbacks, not necessarily in chronological order.

I’d argue that the film is an ensemble piece and has no distinct main character/protagonist – though Keitel and Roth would have the best claim simply by virtue of appearing on screen most frequently.

If you haven’t seen this film, I thoroughly recommend it.

TOY STORY 4 – REVIEW

Toy Story 4 is a decidedly different film to its predecessors. It is made by the same production company, features the same characters (plus voice actors) and is in the same continuity. There are, however, notable differences. After 20+ years of Toy Story, change is refreshing.

Following on from what I personally believed to be a satisfying conclusion to 2010’s third outing, there was widespread surprise with the announcement of a fourth instalment in the franchise.

After all, with a major character from the previous films – Andy (John Morris) now out of the picture and the charmingly adorable Bonnie (Madeline McGraw) in possession of the toys, natural questions arise as to where the story could go next. What obstacles will Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz (Tim Allen) face this time?