Movie Review: Star Wars - The Force Awakens

Star Wars VII – The Force Awakens (2015)

PG-13

5 Stars out of 5

Director                                J.J. Abrams
Writer                                   Lawrence Kasdan, J.J.Abrams, and Michael Arndt
Cinematography                 Daniel Mindel
Music                                    John Williams

Harrison Ford                     Han Solo
Mark Hamill                        Luke Skywalker
Carrie Fisher                       General (nee Princess) Leia Organa
Adam Driver                       Kylo Ren
Daisy Ridley                        Rey
John Boyega                       Finn
Oscar Isaac                         Poe Dameron
Lupita Nyong’o                  Maz Kanata
Andy Serkis                        Supreme Leader Snoke
Domnhall Gleeson            General Hux
Max von Sydow                 Lor San Tekka
Simon Pegg                        Unkar Plutt

 

Imagine the social and financial pressures on J.J. Abrams as he labored to bring to life part VII of the Star Wars saga. After Disney purchased Lucas Film (which included the saga) in 2010 for $4 billion, one knew the drive to successfully re-boot the series would soon begin. George Lucas had ideas for parts VII through IX and a recommendation for the director of VII; only his director recommendation was adhered to, and thus Abrams got the job. Based on the financial success of VII (fastest movie ever to reach $1 billion) or the endless discussion of the movie’s fans on the internet, one could easily believe that Abrams has done what the studio and the fans wanted: created an exciting addition to the Star Wars saga, one that has left the fans desperate for the next entry. However, Abrams has accomplished more than just excited the fans, he has more than pleased the critics as well. “The Force Awakens” may well use a script that is to some extent derivative to part IV – A New Hope (1977), but he and fellow writer Lawrence Kasdan (writer for parts V and VI) have infused this new edition with humor without destroying tone such as in part I and the lamentable Jar Jar Binks; has brought back beloved characters from IV – VI; has utilized FX to wonderful effect, has created a series of mysteries that will keep the fans sitting on pins and needles until part VIII comes out; and has directed his cast of returning stars and stars-to-be with easily the best acting in the series to date. “The Force Awakens” is a treasure and a fine reminder of the wonder that the movies can bring to the public.

“The Force Awakens” reprises many themes from “A New Hope”, beginning with a secret message entrusted to the care of a “droid”. Max von Sydow as the experienced and world-weary version of Obi wan Kenobi has come into control of a map that promises to lead to the missing Luke Skywalker. Von Sydow’s character, Lor San Tekka gives the chip containing the map to a Resistance fighter pilot, Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) on this movie’s desert planet, Jakku. Poe must quickly give the chip to this movie’s version of R2D2, BB-8, as the encampment where the transfer of the chip has taken place is quickly over-run by a platoon of vicious storm troopers; storm troopers now working for the Empire’s replacement, The New Order. BB-8 flees into the desert, while amongst the storm troopers a clearly troubled trooper pauses during the ensuing slaughter. This trooper soon to be known as Finn (John Boyega) catches the eye of this movie’s version of Darth Vader, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). BB-8 will soon be saved as he runs into the wasteland by Rey (Daisy Ridley), a feminine version of Luke in part VII. Finn and Rey will join forces to get the chip to the Resistance. Along the way, they will encounter each of the three principles from parts IV through VI (Harrison Ford as Han Solo, Carrie Fisher as General Leia Organa, and Mark Hamill as Luke). They will also meet several new characters; one of the most significant being Maz Kanata (Lupita Nyong’o) for the good guys, while the emperor has been succeeded by Snoke (Andy Serkis). To avoid too many spoilers, I will go no further in describing the plot; sufficient to say, there are lots of light sabers, TIE fighters and action for all lovers of this series of movies.

That Abrams and Kasdan have chosen to bring in so many elements from “A New Hope” has created some level of criticism, but since they have done it so artfully, I actually applaud their efforts. By using part IV as a kind of framework to build on, Abrams and Kasdan have a kind of launch pad from which to introduce a series of new characters and many new mysteries: who are Rey’s parents and why was she left on Jakku, how was Snoke able to lure Kylo Ren to the dark side, and the central adult component to the theme of the series - in a universe of competing dualistic forces, can one force ever achieve a final victory over the other. The mythic elements that Lucas used in the parts IV through VI were the thoughtful parts of movie series that otherwise was merely another exercise of moving the Western genre into the Space Opera genre. When Lucas was able to bring in the elements of a fallen father figure, his savior-like son, the fight of good and bad, and a variety of similar themes again using the dualism concept, he was able to elevate the Star Wars saga to a higher level of art than mere Space Opera. Sadly, he lost this thread when he used parts I through III as little more than an introduction to part IV. Having re-launched the series with such expertly controlled use of humor, action plotting, acting, and reference to father/son relations during the struggle between good and evil, it will be very interesting to see if part VIII can continue the momentum.

“The Force Awakens” is an excellent addition to 2015’s string of science fiction-based movies. Like “Mad Max: Fury Road” or “Ex Machina”, “The Force Awakens” has shown that intelligent story telling can fully utilize the science fiction genre to tell a story in a novel manner; and in the case of “The Force Awakens” can tell the story with good use of humor, great music (John Williams comes back for part VII), excellent special effects and some very competent acting to tell the story in a fashion that can be both commercially and artistically satisfying. 2015 may be the year when the leading contenders for best picture at the Oscars will all come from the science fiction genre. “The Force Awakens” is a movie just about anyone will not only enjoy, but may well love.

Movie Review: "Ex Machina"

Ex Machina (2015)

R

5 Stars out of 5

Director/Writer                 Alex Garland

Domhnall Gleeson           Caleb
Oscar Isaac                        Nathan
Alicia Vikander                 Ava
Sonoya Mizuno                Kyoko

 

Like “Under the Skin”, “2001: A Space Odyssey”, or “Cloud Atlas”, director/writer Alex Garland’s “Ex Machina” uses science fiction to brilliantly explore topics not easily examined in other genres: male/female power relationships, male roles in society, the importance given to superficial appearances, what it means to be human, and above all else the role that lying plays in everyday human experience. Almost every aspect of “Ex Machina” comes together to produce a film that will stand as a classic definition of not only what can be done with science fiction, but a movie that can stand just like “2001” as an icon for big ideas intelligently explored in film.

“Ex Machina” begins with a young programmer, Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) winning a company-wide contest to spend a week with his company’s CEO and founder, Nathan (Oscar Isaac). Nathan is an amalgam of contemporary technology-based corporate titans such as Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, or more to the point in terms of actual technology, the two founders of Google: Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Nathan wrote the code at age thirteen that formed the basis his company, Blue Book (its name surely also an amalgam from Blue Tooth and Face Book). However, while Nathan has advanced in chronological age from thirteen to roughly thirty-five, he remains emotionally a teenager, as the naïve Caleb will soon discover once he reaches Nathan’s fortress-like home somewhere (seemingly) in the middle of Glacier National Park.

When Caleb first meets Nathan, the latter is busy flexing his muscles by pounding on a punching bag. Nathan mixes his language to Caleb with a hearty brew of frat-boy “bro’s” and “dudes”. He exudes his acquired alpha male status on multiple occasions by dismissing any comment he considers contrary by Caleb – this is no meeting of equals despite Nathan’s exhortation to Caleb that he consider it so. Nathan has brought Caleb to his home/laboratory in order that Caleb might assess whether or not a robot with artificial intelligence capabilities built by Nathan would pass the Turing Test. This test simply put is whether or not an AI when hidden from view from the tester would be indistinguishable from a human. Nathan has decided to up the ante in his test. He has made a sexualized female robot that is clearly a robot. He states this makes the test that much more difficult to administer and to pass. Will Caleb knowing that the robot named Ava (Alicia Vikander) be able to convince him that she is self-aware and actually thinking, not just simulating the same? Adding to the complexity is that Ava  has been built to look and act feminine within the constraints that she must also clearly be artificial and not organic in terms of her origins.

Thus ensues a series of interviews between Caleb and Ava that are set apart as if in chapters. It is a kind of cat and mouse game between Ava and the intelligent but confused Caleb, but also between Ava and Nathan as he watches unseen via cameras and audio hook-ups designed to let him observe. Nathan is helped to some degree by the mute Kyoko (Sonoya Mizuno), someone Nathan claims can neither speak nor understand English. As the movie progresses, I was compelled almost from the beginning to start watching each scene and wondering whether the character was lying or not. Nathan with his unstable behavior of alternating intelligence, his belligerence, his constant heavy drinking seems to exude a kind of malignity that screams, “be careful Caleb, you are in danger”. This theme is bolstered early in the movie when Ava during one of the frequent electrical failures which she believes shield her from Nathan’s prying eyes, gives the same warning to Caleb, “Nathan is not your friend”.

But is Ava, Caleb’s friend? He stares at her longingly from the beginning. His focus on her face and hands, the only parts made to look human, allows him to forget that she is not human. It allows him to indulge his young male’s desire for feminine company, even as her programming (?) permits that she act as any young woman in her forced isolation would do. For her situation is not only peculiar in that she is a robot playing the role of a woman, she is also a “woman” in peril. Nathan has locked her into her room and will not permit her to roam freely throughout the house, let alone escape it to the outside world. Her peril is made that much more clear when she asks Caleb what will Nathan do with her once the “Turing Test” is concluded, pass or fail. Caleb states he does not know, but he worries, and his worries are made even more manifest once he learns from Nathan that like the earlier models of Ava 9.0, she will be re-made. She will lose all memory of the Ava that Caleb has come to know. Both Ava and Nathan make it quite clear to Caleb, Ava is in danger.

But who speaks the truth in this movie, what is Nathan’s, Ava’s, or even Kyoko’s agenda? As the movie progresses, it becomes increasingly clear that like Dr. Frankenstein, Nathan has started to think of himself in a God-like role. And yet, like the most typical of adolescent male tech nerds, he also dwells on the idea of a beautiful woman that is in thrall to his every whim. Has Nathan made Ava’s 1.0 to 9.0 to indulge his sexual desires, to become more God-like in his stunted emotional state, to exercise his formidable creativity, or more likely as with every flawed human, some combination of each, of good and evil? And what of Ava, does she truly have an interest in Caleb or is he merely as tool to attain her freedom? Should she attempt to pass the Turing Test and gain that freedom, or is that a fantasy; must she instead and unlike the generic woman-in-peril gain her freedom by taking it for herself by using the men that oppress her or stand in her way? Even the silent Kyoko, her hidden facial movements having revealed on more than one occasion that she too has her own agenda, what is it that she wants?

“Ex Machina” explores in careful detail each of these questions and brings the movie to a satisfying close; a close that suggests the gap between machine and human intelligence is narrower than one might think, especially when it comes to desires for personal freedom. Additionally, it suggests that lying and deception are behaviors that humans utilize so well in order to get their way, that that was the final test of Ava’s consciousness – that she not only sought her freedom but was sufficiently intelligent and self-aware that she could and would employ that most human of traits, lying to achieve her ends. And of course, not just lying, but violence of a very dispassionate nature would also be used by Ava to get her way - you can't get much more human than that.

But “Ex Machina” is really so much more. Watch how Caleb self-deceives himself about Ava. Of course Ava saw it too and used it to her advantage. But what is Caleb really thinking when he thinks of Ava? Does he focus solely on her all too beautiful human face and completely forget that physically she is anything but human. Does he stop to wonder at the nature of the mind within Ava’s physical form, at its so non-human origins? What possibly could such a mind value and want; is there any overlap with Caleb's mind? Does he really believe that her Google/internet models of human behavior make her human (let alone female) in any manner? Or is he simply reacting as his male genes have programmed him? He sees the feminine parts of a thing, and his maleness drives him as if he too were a machine programmed to seek out and mate with such a “female”. In what ways is his behavior any less programmed than hers?

That “Ex Machina” discusses these topics carefully but in a manner that is not off-putting, is testament to the writing. That the viewer can readily identify the character type played by Oscar Isaac is proof of his fine acting (see him also in 2014’s “A Most Violent Year”, or HBO’s 2015 “Show Me a Hero”). In a far more subtle role of Ava where Swedish actress Alicia Vikander has little more than her face and voice, the actress must display a kind of pseudo-naiveté that suggests vulnerability and yet seems to conceal a kind of powerful intelligence. There is also one very carefully choreographed scene where after appearing to Caleb in a woman’s dress and wig, she slowly and seductively removes a piece of hosiery. Did she presume that Caleb was watching, was she continuing her act, her seduction of the miserably confused Caleb, or like the disguised female alien in "Under the Skin" played by Scarlett Johansson, has Ava come to actually think of herself as a woman? (Think about how both films have the nude female alien or robot "admire" or check themselves for errors in the mirror - what is each thinking: I'm beautiful or my disguise is perfect? it is far from clear in either movie.)

There are so many sophisticated topics and they are portrayed so beautifully within “Ex Machina” that it is hard to stop describing them all. For me though, this movie hearkens to the equally brilliant “Under the Skin”. Humans are so programmed by our culture, our childhood, and our genes, that when we see an array of fruit arranged in the shape of a face, we define being mentally sound by our ability to see the face. In “Ex Machina”, Caleb sees very little more than a human woman’s face on the body of a robot, but he evidently and despite his clear intelligence and awareness of the situation, responds only a woman, not to a robot with a human face. He responds as a man. Humans so rarely look past the skin; we so rarely notice the evidence that our eyes and brain could pick up of telling differences from conventional humanity, and we respond as if the alien or robot before us is indeed human. Of course, reacting as humans is yet another big topic: what we do to achieve our ends, what lies we tell, what atrocities we will commit, all with the end goal of achieving our desires. “Ex Machina” explores these topics so deftly, I feel certain it will join “2001” and a few others as a classic example of what science fiction and film can accomplish.

 

Movie Review: "A Most Violent Year"

A Most Violent Year (2014)

R

4.5 Stars out of 5

Writer/Director                 J.C. Chandor

Cinematography              Bradford Young

Music                                  Alex Ebert

Oscar Isaac                         Abel Morales

Jessica Chastain                Anna Morales

Albert Brooks                    Andrew Walsh

Elyes Gabel                        Julian

David Oyelowo                 District Atty. Lawrence

 

Since the 1970’s through the 90’s, movies like “The Godfather”, “Scarface”, and “Goodfellas” (amongst others) have set the tone in American filmdom for a kind of cinematic cult. Certainly it is genre, but the almost slavish adherence to the cinematography used with respect to framing, lighting and color plus the use of a central character as anti-hero, must make one wonder whether there is a school of thought and technique that many directors feel must not be violated. That just like the mafia life they depict in the movies, Coppola, De Palma and Scorcese (and others) make their movies to a code as strict as the code of omerta that guides the Mafia itself. In 2014, J.C. Chandor took on this code with his movie, “A Most Violent Year”. He took it on, adopted it, challenged it, and with a few minor missteps, improved on it.

Chandor has written and directed the story of Abel Morales (Oscar Isaac), the owner of a heating oil distributor in 1980’s New York. He is married to the daughter of the previous owner; an owner that practiced a much harsher and more illegal brand of corporate vision. Abel had worked himself up from driver and appears to be an immigrant. He hires others with a similar background; one of whom is Julian (Elwes Gabel). We first meet Julian on one of his runs to deliver heating oil to the company’s clients. On the way to make his delivery, he is stopped on the expressway and assaulted, his truck hijacked. We learn this has been going on for months and Abel’s business is suffering. His wife Anna (Jessica Chastain) in a Lady Macbeth-like manner that is true to her mafia father’s upbringing urges Abel to arm his drivers and to make a vigorous (read violent) response to his enemies. Abel, however, true to his nature and to the story’s premise, refuses to do so. He argues then and throughout the movie, that responding with violence will worsen the situation, not improve it.

When Abel seeks legal redress from the law,  District Attorney Lawrence (David Oyelowo) gives him a very frosty response. As Abel is soon to learn Lawrence is about to bring 14 counts of price fixing, tax evasion and various misdemeanors against Abel. Lawrence has been tasked to clean up the heating oil business and decided to focus on Abel, at least in part because of the legacy left to him by his decidedly not-by-the-book father-in-law. However, Abel remains polite, acknowledges the hard work Lawrence must do and leaves. To be sure, Lawrence thinks that Abel is being disingenuous and thinks Abel’s behavior is only an act. But this is in fact the real Abel. He does everything according to the law and with deep and true respect to everyone he meets; he may look like a gangster based on his clothing but he has the heart of good man. Whether Abel is polite and law-abiding or not, he is nevertheless ambitious and wants to grow his company. He does this by outplaying his competition on their home turf, likely creating the enemies he fears is hijacking his trucks. However to truly grow, he needs a new facility for his operations. As such, with the assistance of his attorney Andrew Walsh (Albert Brooks) he has entered into a 30 day escrow with a neighboring company that wants to exit the business. They are a Hasidic family-owned company with a heating oil tank farm that has many unused tanks and water access – two features Abel desperately needs. The problems mount for Abel as he tries manfully to meet the 30 day deadline on his escrow. If he fails to come up with the balance for the purchase of the property, he loses his down payment and ultimately his business. The attacks on Abel’s business by unknown parties continue, Julian makes several fatal mistakes, and his enemies seem to have Abel in a corner from which there is no escape.

The movie is filmed in browns, ochre, and with many of the interior scenes, in deep shadows. Abel is always dressed impeccably and always with a coat to match the cinematic color palettes used in the older mafia movies.  While these techniques alone might well do justice in honoring the older films, there is a scene where Julian is first attacked just past an expressway toll booth that seems to directly link this movie to the “Godfather” and Sonny’s departing scene. However, unlike Sonny’s exit, no one is shot. Later when Julian is attacked again, and despite having armed himself, again no one is shot. Chandor has the characters in this movie get so close to violence, but just not quite there. This appears at times to almost be a tease to the audience: will Abel or Anna or Julian actually defend themselves with a gun or not. It is an unusual kind of dramatic tension – certainly not one normally practiced in the iconic mafia films of the late 20^th century.

Another notable technique Chandor uses in multiple scenes is a very sedate pacing; often slowing the action down to a normal, non-cinematic pace. People talk in reasonable dialogs, rarely is there a sense of menace in their actions or voices. Even when Abel finally comes close to losing his temper in a meeting with his business rivals, he barely does so, and none of his rivals do much more than blandly stare back at him. No, the violence in this film is not really in the central story being told, but rather in the surrounding atmosphere. That atmosphere is highlighted by Greek Chorus-like voice-over radio descriptions of unrelated violence in the city. In fact, the title refers to the fact that 1981, the year the movie depicts, it was the most violent year in New York’s history (sadly, since eclipsed). The ironic contrast between the violence elsewhere in the city and the only near-violence surrounding Abel, or the contrast between this movie and its cinematic antecedents is striking.

Chandor has created a different kind of dramatic tension, one that more closely mirrors normal everyday life: will Abel get the loan and save his business or won’t he? There is also the artificial Hollywood tension: will Abel finally lose his patience and use the pistol he took from his wife. This is not to say that Chandor does not use some Hollywood tricks. Consider the scene where a car driven by Abel is raced at high speed through a dark, dust-choked tunnel. It is exciting and nerve-wracking as you wonder how it will end. But in this movie, it is far more likely a metaphor for Abel’s groping attempts to discover who his enemies are. It would be a major spoiler to reveal them here; suffice to say, their identity remains true to this movie’s core meaning: life is not a Hollywood movie. There are good people with some bad tendencies; tendencies that are sometimes acted on directly, but more typically, are simply allowed to happen with a wink and a nod. “A Most Violent Year” does honor the earlier mafia movies, but it is more importantly homage to normal life. A life filled with people who may well break the law, who certainly display a very poor understanding of right and wrong, but quite frankly simply don’t go around shooting people like Scarface with large caliber machine guns in their own living room.

This movie is beautifully made, intelligently inspired, and wonderfully acted. Indeed, the acting by Oscar Isaac continues to impress me (see also the recent HBO mini-series, “Show Me a Hero” for a poignant performance by Isaac that will leave you seriously moved). There are few points that I found wanting: an underused Jessica Chastain and a completely unbelievable exit scene by Julian. But otherwise, sit back and enjoy the life like pacing, the Autumnal color palette, the breathtaking cityscapes, and admire the real people that inhabit this movie, just as they inhabit the world we live in.