Fright Night (2011) – Review

Review: Fright Night is yet another film in which Hollywood (in this case Disney) tries to cash in on the current (and maybe fleeting) vampire craze – and not only that, it is also a remake. But, much like last year’s Let Me In (a remake of Let the Right One In), this version of Fright Night is just as good as the original. Director Craig Gillespie’s film has fun action, a wonderful dark aesthetic and sort of a mix between a dark and light tone (dark in terms of visual, narrative content and the amazing score and light in terms of the Marti Noxon’s jovial spirit of the script and the fun the actors have with their characters), leading to a film that works quite well – being both entertaining and scary. It exists in a grey area between being a comedy adventure and a horror adventure, but seems to focus more on the horror aspects. The comedy works for the most part (mostly centering on two characters: Peter Vincent and Ed), but the film is not nearly funny enough to really be deemed a comedy. It is much more an action horror adventure (that also has funny moments, similar to say Raiders of the Lost Ark, minus the horror genre). Thus, those looking for laughs as the primary reason for seeing it may be left feeling a bit disappointed (and that is really only a critique on the expectations of viewers). Going in cold (as in knowing nothing) or expecting a horror film, it plays much better. To a degree (and I feel this is true about many films with characters that are not quite fleshed out enough or have potential for more – aka the narrative is not tight or strong enough to make the film feel fully complete or sufficient as is), Fright Night may have worked better with everyone involved as a miniseries. The characters have a lot of rich potential and the narrative feels very rushed, having to get through the whole story in less than two hours. Since there is so much plot to get through, the characters do not have enough depth (for my liking). That said, the story is good enough, Gillespie’s narrative does not stall or drag and viewers want to see the resolution and are thus kept interested despite the weaker characters (though, I imagine the film does not work as well on repeat viewings). All in all, Fright Night is a fun and enjoyable horror adventure (in a genre that seldom delivers anything but crap) that is worth seeing.

Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: Craig Gillespie seemed like a good choice coming into the film from a comedy perspective (having a drama/indie style of comedy), but really what worked the best was the horror aesthetic he created for the film (it is my favorite of his three to date). The great aesthetic look of the film also has a lot to do with the excellent work by cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe (who in a weaker year than this, as this year has featured a lot of really well shot films, his work might be up for a yearend LeapBackBlog award) and production designer Richard Bridgland (Las Vegas and the cookie-cutter residential development made for a great setting). Ramin Djawadi’s score is pitch-perfect. It is menacing, has sort of a classic horror throwback to it and fits the material very well (definitely among my favorite scores of the year, here is a suite). Gillespie (et al.) also did a fantastic job casting the film. Toni Collette, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Imogen Poots (a star to watch) are great in their supporting roles, but David Tennant is brilliant (very funny and charismatic). As good as Tennant is, Colin Farrell steals the movie. Jerry the vampire seems to be a part that is just right for him – brooding good looks, an ironic sense of humor and yet still able to come across as frightening and dangerous. Anton Yelchin is good in the lead, but a bit overshadowed.

Summary & score: Horror films are rarely good these days, but Fright Night is a funny and action packed adventure horror. 7/10

Unknown (2011) – Review

Unknown is a lot of fun. While the plot may seem somewhat implausible (as many have stated), it is a thriller with twists and turns designed to entertain, so the story is merely the frame in which to accomplish this goal – and it does. The film is very entertaining, both stemming from the action set pieces and the unraveling mystery, as well as fine performances from the cast (especially lead Liam Neeson and German standouts Diane Kruger and Bruno Ganz). Director Jaume Collet-Serra is able to take full advantage of his locations, in this case being Berlin in winter. The cold and dark nature of the setting mixes well with the narrative for the main character Dr. Martin Harris, a man who is in a sense abandoned. Collet-Serra does do a good job grounding the film in reality, which benefits the narrative greatly as the resolution of the mystery feels a bit manufacture and inorganic (though, I enjoyed the twist quite a bit). However, this feeling (which for some viewers degrades the film) is the result of Collet-Serra leaving only subtle clues, and not the typically glaring (hey look at me) tips in other films, nor did he just pull the revelation out of left field – the clues are there for the observant viewer. While the main character, a man put upon by society and his predicament who is forced to prove himself, is nothing new to Hollywood film, the relationship between Harris (Neeson) and Gina (Kruger) felt fresh – mostly because there was not some forced sexual or love relationship between them. Their working friendship seemed genuine and was really the strongest part of the film, further grounding it, amidst the spies, espionage, action scenes, betrayal, and so. Collet-Serra also infuses the film with a lot of tension, often dragging out moments of panic to engage the audiences’ nerves. It makes the film all the more enjoyable.  However, a knock against the film (and really one against a growing number of Hollywood films it seems) is that the overall plot and idea of the film appeared on the outside at least to be unoriginal (also due to Neeson starring). For viewers that have seen Roman Polanski’s Frantic, part of the film felt a lot like that film, while the other part felt a lot like the more resent Taken (which also starred Neeson). However, the similarities are really only on the surface – the themes of those pieces play into this, but the characters and plot are much different. But, seeing Neeson in an action-thriller immediately takes some viewers to Taken as a comparison (which really is about as good as this – and with a just as implausible plot). Going back to Frantic, Kruger does look a bit like Emmanuelle Seigner and played sort of a similar role (but different too) and the scene in Gina’s apartment also had some noteworthy similarities to a scene from Frantic in Michelle’s apartment. These similarities (or references or homages) again do not detract from this film’s narrative, but do evoke a distracting comparison (for some). Despite this, Unknown is a good action-thriller, which will certainly be enjoyed for fans of the genre.

Technical and acting achievements: Jaume Collet-Serra directs his most ambitious and in my opinion best feature film with Unknown. Coming from a horror background gave him a strong command of the thriller aspect of the film, making it all the better especially in a genre that is often plagued by an overabundance of action and not enough real tension. The score by John Ottman and Alexander Rudd is fitting and emphasizing the tension well, making many a viewer uneasy. Flavio Martinez Labiano’s cinematography is also good, bringing the cold feeling from the location to the visuals – creating the sense of being lost. However, the standout among the technical work is that of production designer Richard Bridgland. His sets are interesting making for impressive visual composition as well as playing off the audience’s visceral experience of the film. I particularly liked his set for the blown-out hotel. The film features good work from its cast. Sebastian Koch did not really have that much to do, but is good in his scenes. Frank Langella, Aidan Quinn and January Jones also deliver strong performances without much character work to do. Bruno Ganz is fantastic and steals all his scenes. Diane Kruger is very good as well – mixing vulnerability with toughness, while not feeling like just another Hollywood romantic interest, but rather a full character. Liam Neeson makes for a good action star. He is tough and stoic, while being able to carry the dramatic work well.

Unknown may seem like just another typical action-thriller similar to others you have seen, but it is much more – feeling original and being very entertaining (and having a compelling twist, that I for once did not figure out before it was revealed, but looking back there certainly were signs). 7/10