Two of Exposed’s film writers, Cal Reid and Benjy Taylor, pick out the best and worst of the big screen in 2018
Peterloo
A film by Carl Reid and Benjy Taylor.
Mike Leigh directs this handsomely mounted epic about the almost-forgotten massacre of 1819 in Manchester. For those who aren’t aware of the details, the story took place during the latter half of the Prince Regent’s reign, when a large group of peaceful protesters marched on the city in defiance of the famine caused by the Corn Laws and were mercilessly cut down by mounted solders of the 15th Hussars.
As a fan of epic director Ken Annakin, whose work includes Battle of the Bulge and The Long Duel, Leigh perfectly captures the look of a classic historical epic, with a great deal of modern grittiness thrown in for good measure. Whilst some critics have complained about the length and pacing, it does serve a purpose since the massacre occurs at the very end of the film, by which time we have spent a great deal of carefully constructed time with the characters which means the deaths are all the more shocking. There is an abundance of great performances to choose from, but for my money, young actor David Moorst as Joseph shines throughout. From the opening scenes during the Battle of Waterloo, he becomes the vessel through which the audience witness the injustices and turbulences of the times. A masterclass in understated but powerful performing, it comes through as the most moving portrayal in the film. CR
Isle Of Dogs
Though drawing some criticism for its depiction of Japanese culture, Isle of Dogs showed once again why Wes Anderson is one of the most varied and talented filmmakers working in the industry today.
Set in a dystopian, dog-hating version of Japan, the film follows the journey of Atari (Koyu Rankin) and his search for his lost dog, Spots. Featuring jaw-droppingly detailed stop-animation, and a host of Anderson’s usual collaborators (including Bill Murray, Edward Norton and Scarlett Johansson), Isle of Dogs is a laugh-filled, heart-warming adventure, worth seeing for more than just the power of its artistic direction. Particularly interesting is its treatment of language, and due to the fact that much of the film’s dialogue is in Japanese, translation plays a major part in the way the English and Japanese-speaking actors interpret each other. Beyond all of this, however, is an engaging story exploring the relationship between humans and their furry best friends, with veiled references to contemporary issues such as corruption, pollution and the power of misinformation. BT
Hereditary
Now, quite honestly, it would be easy to say something like the latest Nativity film takes top-spot. Yet, it’s films that are heralded as the greatest thing since sliced bread, and then turn out to be nothing of the sort that inspire the greatest level of hatred from me. This damned thing has only eighty minutes’ worth of story in it and somehow manages to last a little over two hours.
Yes, it’s shot well. Yes, the use of sound is creepy and unsettling at best. But this generation’s The Exorcist it very much isn’t.
For a start, anyone who watched horror films from the 1960s or 70s will see that the ‘story’ is just made up of elements from The Devil Rides Out, The Blood on Satan’s Claw and Rosemary’s Baby. While it starts well, the characters are unsympathetic and underdeveloped. The Charlie character is quite annoying, and most frustrating of all, the ‘twist’ is both predictable and nonsensical.
An unsatisfying waste of time that needs a good dressing down, in light of the stupefying praise it undeservedly received. Two stars, because unlike a one-star film, there isn’t even the ‘so bad it’s good’ aspect. A pretentious pile of tripe. CR
Early Man
As with many of the Aardman creations we’ve witnessed over the past two decades, Early Man is chaotic, beautifully made and above all, fundamentally silly. Unlike these past creations, which include the classic Chicken Run and Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, this is a film that let me down in a big way. It follows the struggles of Dug (Eddie Redmayne) and his Stone Age village, who are turfed out of their home by an industrialized Bronze Age civilization lead by Tom Hiddleston’s Lord Nooth, and must challenge them to a game of football in a bid to restore their status quo.
Though there is plenty to like in Early Man, including genuinely funny references to contemporary British culture and a host of the expected Aardman gags, the tiredness of the clichéd ‘plucky underdog sports’ narrative overshadows any positives and just left me wanting it to end. Early Man is by no means an awful film, but the brilliance of what came before left it far short of meeting expectations. I didn’t sign up to watching a story I’d seen a hundred times before. BT
