Prometheus (2012) – Review

Review: Prometheus is both a fantastic piece of science fiction and a philosophical exploration of man’s need to find meaning. The film is about a space exploration to find the ‘engineers’ who created human life on Earth, after a series of cave paintings are found on Earth detailing their possible location in a faraway solar system. Director Ridley Scott (who also directed Alien, this taking place in the same film universe as and before the events in Alien) presents the film in such a magnificent scale that it is a wonder to behold. Visually, it is brilliant – vast landscapes, beautiful design work and great action set pieces (all elements that Scott has mastered in his previous work). However, even with the impressive visuals, which are the best aspect of the film, it would not work without strong characters and a compelling story. Here, Scott somewhat stumbles. For the most part the characters are well drawn, but there are enough cliché (if not cheesy) character moments to slightly diminish the overall power of the drama. Sadly, the characters may well be the weakest part of the film, as these few cliché moments pull the viewer out of the narrative (mostly involving Shaw and Vickers). Though, David, an android seemingly trying to find meaning for his own existence mirroring the crew’s motives, while also carrying out orders relayed to him by his human master(s), is a very intriguing character (and one of my favorite things in the film). However, Scott saves the film and redeems it in many ways both with his visuals and his narrative structure. Scott keeps the film moving forward and it never drags or feels overly long. He tells the story very efficiently, which is often what is needed, especially in action oriented films. For the most part, Prometheus is a sci-fi drama – exploring man’s desire to find meaning within his own life, which here pertains to the crew of the Prometheus seeking out their creators to ask them why (why they were created) – while still having the prerequisite number of action sequences (that are all well done). Sci-fi often lends itself to philosophical questions about man’s place in the universe, as they are often immense in scale and involve isolation and exploring undiscovered places. The film does a very good job posing questions regarding why was man created and now that he is created who is responsible for his actions. This is best done through the character of David (though Shaw plays a big part too). Getting back to the visuals, Scott has such an eye for design, scale and the great rag-tag sci-fi supporting characters that make the genre great. Prometheus, if nothing else, is a grand genre film and one of the better sci-fi films in the last few years (along the lines of Danny Boyle’s Sunshine, Duncan Jones’s Moon and Joss Whedon’s Serenity), that just misses being amazing due to cliché character moments.

Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: Ridley Scott has long been an exalted director of sci-fi (fans harkening back to Alien and Blade Runner, two of his early films – 1979 and 1982 respectively), and it is clear that he still knows how to expertly present the genre. I do not think he let his sci-fi fans down with Prometheus, as it is (as stated above) visually and atmospherically phenomenal, despite its shortcomings. The score is both wonderful and somewhat generic. Harry Gregson-Williams’s theme (here) is an inspiration, evoking wondrous feelings set against the visuals, while many of Marc Streitenfeld’s more action or thriller oriented pieces (while referencing Alien’s score) feel quite generic, maybe even cliché (example here). Dariusz Wolski’s cinematography is fantastic, and probably the best work I have seen so far in 2012. Arthur Max’s production design is also just as brilliant. Their work together builds a visual style to the world that is very dark (the film could almost be black and white) but also with an infusion of precise color to illuminate the atmosphere of the film (mostly oranges and reds – against the whites and blacks). The set design and costume design is spot on. The cast overall is very good (even with the cliché character moments). Sean Harris is just a prickly as ever in his small supporting role, while Guy Pierce brings a lot of weight to his. Logan Marshall-Green has somewhat of a breakthrough performance (playing sort of a cowboy scientist – or what we can call a typical Hollywood scientist since Indiana Jones). Idris Elba brings his inherent cool to the ship’s captain, while also upholding his moral high ground (which seems to be something that often finds its way into his characters – no matter what they do, they are cool and seem to have a higher morality that justifies their actions). Charlize Theron has a difficult character to play in the film (hiding much of who she is), but does play Vickers with an heir of entitlement and assumed power (while also being slightly insecure). Michael Fassbender’s David is probably the most interesting character in the film, and Fassbender plays him exceptionally well. He is an android, and yet he very much seems to be desperately seeking meaning for his existence. Noomi Rapace is good in the film (though, she is playing a British character who does not have a British accent, at least not a very good one, but that aside) in terms of playing the action, physicality and intensity of Shaw.

Summary & score: Tonally, atmospherically and visually, Prometheus is wonderful and should please sci-fi fans, but it is not without some glaring faults, mostly stemming from its writing. 7/10

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011) – Review

Review: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is a very fun action film that in many ways surpasses the first. The film finds Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson on the trail of their greatest nemesis Professor Moriarty. The best aspect of this film is the relationship (and the scenes between) Moriarty and Holmes. They play off each other extremely well, and are the main reason this is one of the better action films of the year. Plus, their scene together at the climax of the film is phenomenal. Director Guy Ritchie is maybe a bit over indulgent in the style that he has created for the Sherlock Holmes franchise. There is a lot of slow motion (and by a lot I mean A LOT). However, while this should get old quickly, the artistry of the mise en scene during many of these slow motion shots, and the way each frame is designed, is fantastic (especially when Holmes and crew are being chased through the forest with mortars going off). Other aspects of the film are a bit exaggerated as well. Holmes is almost a caricature of himself with countless sight gags and an over-the-top performance by Robert Downey Jr (almost bordering on Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow in the later Pirates of the Caribbean films). That said, his character still works in the framework of the narrative for two reasons. Ritchie has built the series around the infusion of humor, and thus some silliness is not only expected but encouraged. And, Holmes is grounded as a character, despite all his antics, because his relationships with Moriarty, Watson and Irene Adler feel real and have a truth to them – thanks to great performances and chemistry among the actors. Also to Ritchie’s credit is how well he paces the film. He continuously keeps the narrative moving, with building tension and great action set pieces. While the film lacks a strong mystery aspect to it (which could be taken as a huge flaw in the film – as Sherlock Holmes is the world’s greatest detective so of course a film with him should have a fantastic mystery plotline to it – and probably should be), the film is too much fun to be overly concerned with the fact that the audience knows everything from the beginning (more or less) and does not have to figure anything out. Plus, some of the principle characters (specifically Simza Heron) are pointless on a deeper level and only serve to forward the plot. Ritchie also takes full advantage of his actor’s comedic skill and does a great job with the humor, as the film is quite funny at times, but he also still manages to have the stakes feel real and does not lose the overall tension of the narrative – again thanks to good performances and chemistry (plus, again, the showdown between Holmes and Moriarty is brilliant and makes the film really a success). A Game of Shadows is a highly entertaining film that also manages to keeps its characters feeling real. It is a lot of fun to watch.

Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: Guy Ritchie has probably made his most entertaining and rewarding Hollywood film with A Game of Shadows (though it is not quite as good as Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels). He has found a good balance between his own aesthetic style and creating good characters that exist in entertaining narratives (something lacking in many of his recent films). Hans Zimmer’s score is brilliant (like almost all of his recent work). It is likely to be among the most deserving but overshadowed scores of the year (plus, he took himself out of the running for the Oscars). It is both intense and playful with the character (here is a sampling). Philippe Rousselot’s cinematography is also top notch. (As state above), his shot compositions, working with Ritchie, are very good. They have so much kinetic energy and yet still capture the beauty of the surroundings and the gravity of the situation. Sarah Greenwood’s work (she is becoming one of my favorite production designers) is also very good, matching the tone and feel of the piece perfectly. Ultimately, even given the fame of the character, this is a star vehicle, and in so much should contain an iconic star performance. Downey Jr. has done just that with both the Holmes films. Here, while he is a bit on the caricature side, he brings life and complexity to the character, portraying his gift as a curse and playing jokes to hide the pain. Jude Law is great as Watson, and really his performance is essential to grounding the over-the-top nature of Downey Jr.’s Holmes. Jared Harris is the perfect choice to play Moriarty. He is himself not menacing in a physical way, but his face and line delivery inflict so much weighted terror that he is completely believable as the world’s greatest criminal mastermind. He is in every way a wonderful match to Downey Jr., which he absolutely needed to be for the film to work. Stephen Fry is quite funny and Noomi Rapace is decent, both playing grievously under-written characters (though, they do forward the plot and are not the focus of film). Fry however makes up for his lack of true character with a wonderful performance, the same cannot be said for Rapace. Kelly Reilly and Rachel McAdams are both good in their small but important appearances.

Summary & score: A Game of Shadows is one of the most entertaining films of the year, mainly in a purely spectacle sense but also due to the excellent chemistry and portrayals of Holmes and his greatest nemesis Moriarty. 8/10