Director: Ben Wheatley
Starring: Neil Maskell, MyAnna Buring and Harry Simpson
VIOLENCE, unease and shock are the main ingredients in Kill List - a film which simmers until boiling point.
Opening with scenes of suburban couple Jay (Neil Maskell) and his Swedish wife, Shel (MyAnna Buring) having a shouting match over the state of their finances.
It has been eight months since Jay’s last job, in Kiev, where it transpires over the course the film, that something went wrong.
It doesn’t take long for Jay’s Irish mate Gal (Michael Smiley) to say the next job is worth good money and the weak-willed Jay accepts it, after a little pressure from Shel.
But naturally things don’t go as planned.
The violence is unrelenting and as strong as the language which sets the tone throughout and there is a menace to the film.
Throughout, there is a mystery as to who is the real monster.
Is it the hitmen, who we should hate, but find charming? Perhaps the client, who performs bizarre rituals to sign up contracts? Are the targets the real monsters?
Throughout there is a question of history, where do people come from, what's their background, and ultimately where are they going?
Any pervading sense of dread, or fear of what may be round the corner has long left the frame after the second assassination with questions as to who is causing the horror fly across the screen.
Technically, the violence is supreme – it is a wonder how something so graphic can be in such unflinching detail on the screen – but it will leave a nasty taste in the mouth.
As Jay and Gal continue on their path of destruction that bitter taste gets stronger and stronger until it is too hard for some to stomach.
But here's the rub, when the finale is revealed, the shock of the earlier violence makes it hard to find it find the third act scary.
The desensitisation of the horrific scenes in the previous two acts almost ruin the final one, for this reviewer at least.
Nevertheless, it is a true British horror film up there with the best this country has to offer.
Controlled throughout, the film keeps pace and doesn't let go at any point until the last moment when panic sets in.
Friday 23 September 2011
Sunday 4 September 2011
Retro Active Movie Marathon
Leicester's Phoenix Square cinema held a Retro Active day where they would play six films and have video games and arcade machines for people to enjoy. Having never heard of Golden Axe (for which I will have to spend eternity listening to the Tetris theme tune) I was there to take in the movies. Here is my roundup of the marathon.
If you were born in the eighties (and late seventies), then Phoenix Square had love for you at Retro Active.
There was 636 minutes of pure, unadulterated joy on screen or you could spend hours playing to your heart’s content on dozens of arcades and video games.
For the films there was the fun and adventure of The Goonies, the magic of Labyrinth and David Bowie’s music, and the laughs and thrills of Ghostbuters.
The second half of the day saw more comic horror with The Lost Boys followed by Robocop shooting up everything in his path, and then those who could stay to the last watch Kurt Russell bite off more than he could chew in Big Trouble in Little China.
It was a day requiring more strength than Robocop’s hardware and more stamina than Chunk after an orgy of Red Bull and candy bars.
The Goonies - Goonies Never Say Die!
It was madcap adventure all the way as everyone remembered the joy of imagining discovering a treasure map and the possibility of a Treasure Island scenario when they were a kid – and The Goonies delivers that to the screen.
And you and your friends wanted to be those characters: the bravado Brand; the funky Chunk; the streetwise Mouth; Data’s awesome gadgets; Stef the chilled-out girl; and Andy, the one who gets her guy; and of course, there was the determination and leadership of Mikey, and you repeat that line: “Goonies never say die!”
Smiles were beaming on faces as everyone remembered how much fun they had when they saw it the first time.
One down, five more to go. Time for a light snack and to get those beers in.
Labyrinth – and what the hell is David Bowie wearing?
Jim Henson’s imagination goes full throttle in this one, but unlike the more austere The Dark Crystal or the family-friendly The Muppets, Labyrinth had that forbidding quality like you parents wouldn’t approve of you watching it.
And it was almost a sing-a-long when Bowie started singing Magic Dance reminding us of the babe. What babe? The babe with the power ... Yeah that one.
It might have been because there was something slightly sinister and creepy about the film, possibly because the muppets seemed so real, those red creatures with the heads coming off (to be honest, I nearly fell asleep at that point).
Watching it now, the fear seems to be based around Bowie’s wardrobe. With those tight trousers, little is left to the imagination. And why he is wearing a cape full of feathers? Major Tom needs to get it sorted out very quickly.
The Ghostbusters – Who You Gonna Call?
Venkman, Stantz, Spengler and Zeddmore. The screen lights up and the theme tune begins. After losing pace a little with Labyrinth, everything was back on course with the awesome foursome from NY.
From the opening scene in the library to the climactic scene on top of the apartment block, everyone burst back into life for Ghostbusters.
It was like a breeze and, considering it won the vote for the screening at the festival, many faces betrayed feelings of pure joy as they came out of the theatre.
Halfway through and still going strong. Time for another snack.
The Lost Boys – Thou Shalt Not Fall.
After the high of Ghostbusters it was going to be difficult to keep the pace going, but The Lost Boys did a fine job, rewarding those who were licking their fangs – sorry, lips – for more.
Another one of those forbidding films your parents might not approved of you watching round at your mates place and like Ghostbusters it’s full of great scenes, peppered with fantastic lines.
Kids would have been scared by the horror but thrilled by the violence. Adults were left wondering why Corey Feldman was going through puberty at nine, and if it really is possible to suffer death by stereo?
Apparently it is.
Robocop – Dead or Alive You’re Coming With Me.
For some there were worries that there was going to be death by cinema as we went into the penultimate feature.
Joel Schumacher’s contribution to the childhood of the eighties might have been a bit too adult for some, but despite its graphic violence Robocop was still watched by those too young to care.
Paul Verhoeven cranks everything up to eleven, and you know that anyone who gets shot in the film (usually riddled with bullets) is going to need a priest rather than a paramedic.
Despite Peter Weller’s memorable lines it was either fatigue was taking over or the film wasn’t as great as your childhood made you remember.
For some people it was game over at the end of this one.
Big Trouble In Little China – “I'm a reasonable guy. But, I've just experienced some very unreasonable things.”
After nearly twelve hours of butt-numbing cinema, it was going to need something spectacular to keep the stragglers going to the end – and those who stayed were rewarded in spades.
John Carpenter is bang on the money in this action comedy, and Kurt Russell doesn’t produce any bum notes neither as he uncovers ancient magic in downtown San Francisco and takes on Lo Pan and his army and helps his friend get his girl while Jack Warner gets Kim Cattrall.
Is everyone having fun? Hell yes. Does everyone want to be Kurt Russell in this film? Hell yes. Does everyone love the lines? Hell yes. Does anyone have a clue of what’s going on here? Hell no.
Why are there two Lo Pans? And what the heck is that giant orange monster? Who cares?
Game Over
After more than twelve hours of viewing time, the end of the final film brought huge sighs of relief to all who left with square eyes and a feeling that it really was time to get away from the screen and go to bed. Now!
If you were born in the eighties (and late seventies), then Phoenix Square had love for you at Retro Active.
There was 636 minutes of pure, unadulterated joy on screen or you could spend hours playing to your heart’s content on dozens of arcades and video games.
For the films there was the fun and adventure of The Goonies, the magic of Labyrinth and David Bowie’s music, and the laughs and thrills of Ghostbuters.
The second half of the day saw more comic horror with The Lost Boys followed by Robocop shooting up everything in his path, and then those who could stay to the last watch Kurt Russell bite off more than he could chew in Big Trouble in Little China.
It was a day requiring more strength than Robocop’s hardware and more stamina than Chunk after an orgy of Red Bull and candy bars.
The Goonies - Goonies Never Say Die!
It was madcap adventure all the way as everyone remembered the joy of imagining discovering a treasure map and the possibility of a Treasure Island scenario when they were a kid – and The Goonies delivers that to the screen.
And you and your friends wanted to be those characters: the bravado Brand; the funky Chunk; the streetwise Mouth; Data’s awesome gadgets; Stef the chilled-out girl; and Andy, the one who gets her guy; and of course, there was the determination and leadership of Mikey, and you repeat that line: “Goonies never say die!”
Smiles were beaming on faces as everyone remembered how much fun they had when they saw it the first time.
One down, five more to go. Time for a light snack and to get those beers in.
Labyrinth – and what the hell is David Bowie wearing?
Jim Henson’s imagination goes full throttle in this one, but unlike the more austere The Dark Crystal or the family-friendly The Muppets, Labyrinth had that forbidding quality like you parents wouldn’t approve of you watching it.
And it was almost a sing-a-long when Bowie started singing Magic Dance reminding us of the babe. What babe? The babe with the power ... Yeah that one.
It might have been because there was something slightly sinister and creepy about the film, possibly because the muppets seemed so real, those red creatures with the heads coming off (to be honest, I nearly fell asleep at that point).
Watching it now, the fear seems to be based around Bowie’s wardrobe. With those tight trousers, little is left to the imagination. And why he is wearing a cape full of feathers? Major Tom needs to get it sorted out very quickly.
The Ghostbusters – Who You Gonna Call?
Venkman, Stantz, Spengler and Zeddmore. The screen lights up and the theme tune begins. After losing pace a little with Labyrinth, everything was back on course with the awesome foursome from NY.
From the opening scene in the library to the climactic scene on top of the apartment block, everyone burst back into life for Ghostbusters.
It was like a breeze and, considering it won the vote for the screening at the festival, many faces betrayed feelings of pure joy as they came out of the theatre.
Halfway through and still going strong. Time for another snack.
The Lost Boys – Thou Shalt Not Fall.
After the high of Ghostbusters it was going to be difficult to keep the pace going, but The Lost Boys did a fine job, rewarding those who were licking their fangs – sorry, lips – for more.
Another one of those forbidding films your parents might not approved of you watching round at your mates place and like Ghostbusters it’s full of great scenes, peppered with fantastic lines.
Kids would have been scared by the horror but thrilled by the violence. Adults were left wondering why Corey Feldman was going through puberty at nine, and if it really is possible to suffer death by stereo?
Apparently it is.
Robocop – Dead or Alive You’re Coming With Me.
For some there were worries that there was going to be death by cinema as we went into the penultimate feature.
Joel Schumacher’s contribution to the childhood of the eighties might have been a bit too adult for some, but despite its graphic violence Robocop was still watched by those too young to care.
Paul Verhoeven cranks everything up to eleven, and you know that anyone who gets shot in the film (usually riddled with bullets) is going to need a priest rather than a paramedic.
Despite Peter Weller’s memorable lines it was either fatigue was taking over or the film wasn’t as great as your childhood made you remember.
For some people it was game over at the end of this one.
Big Trouble In Little China – “I'm a reasonable guy. But, I've just experienced some very unreasonable things.”
After nearly twelve hours of butt-numbing cinema, it was going to need something spectacular to keep the stragglers going to the end – and those who stayed were rewarded in spades.
John Carpenter is bang on the money in this action comedy, and Kurt Russell doesn’t produce any bum notes neither as he uncovers ancient magic in downtown San Francisco and takes on Lo Pan and his army and helps his friend get his girl while Jack Warner gets Kim Cattrall.
Is everyone having fun? Hell yes. Does everyone want to be Kurt Russell in this film? Hell yes. Does everyone love the lines? Hell yes. Does anyone have a clue of what’s going on here? Hell no.
Why are there two Lo Pans? And what the heck is that giant orange monster? Who cares?
Game Over
After more than twelve hours of viewing time, the end of the final film brought huge sighs of relief to all who left with square eyes and a feeling that it really was time to get away from the screen and go to bed. Now!
Saturday 3 September 2011
In A Better World
In A Better World strikes a poignant chord with the current national psyche where recent events have made people point a finger at home rather than abroad.
Medical aid worker Anton (Mikael Persbrandt) returns home from war-torn Sudan to his estranged wife Marianne (Trine Dyrholm) and two boys, of which the eldest, Elias (Markus Rygaard), is being bullied at school.
A new school year brings a new friend to Elias, Christian (William Johnk Juels Nielsen) who has his own baggage – a mother who has died of cancer and a father with not enough time for his son.
While the two worlds we see in the film – Sudan and Denmark – could not be further apart in terms of topography and demographics, they are united in a world of violence.
Unsurprisingly while the plot pivots around the violence in sedate Denmark, it is the grim scenes in Sudan which are the most arresting.
Questions are raised as to whether Anton, who has to deal with horrific wounds day-to-day, has the right attitude to bullies, which is firmly passive aggressive.
Meanwhile Christian, who is struggling to adapt to a world without his mother, finds that the best answer to the bullies is to confront them.
At one point the boy says: “This guy bullies everyone, but nobody stands up to him.” It is something that many people in this country have been wondering for some time.
And again Christian poses the difficult-to-respond argument “I don’t think he understood that he lost” after Anton confronts the same bully at the garage he works in a bid to prove to the kids that he’s not a wimp, but doesn’t throw a punch.
His strong arguments and determination also influence the lonely Elias, who has to deal with his absent father.
But without a permanent father figure, Christian takes his attitude several steps too far and he very soon becomes problem child.
A complex film, Susanne Bier makes every scene count, aside from a few brief moments where there is a lot of soul searching and gazing beyond the camera by the adult characters.
It’s the scenes in Africa which drive the film forward along with Persbrandt’s, Dyrholm’s and Nielsen’s performances.
In one memorable scene, immorality gives way to a sense of justice when Mikael, who takes Christian’s mentality with him back to Sudan.
It is a pitch-perfect performance by Persbrandt, who makes the film come alive and doesn’t overshadow the other actors who also their chance to shine.
Anyone seeking to find the answers to the recent riots will find many answers, and thought-provoking questions, in this mesmerising film.
Medical aid worker Anton (Mikael Persbrandt) returns home from war-torn Sudan to his estranged wife Marianne (Trine Dyrholm) and two boys, of which the eldest, Elias (Markus Rygaard), is being bullied at school.
A new school year brings a new friend to Elias, Christian (William Johnk Juels Nielsen) who has his own baggage – a mother who has died of cancer and a father with not enough time for his son.
While the two worlds we see in the film – Sudan and Denmark – could not be further apart in terms of topography and demographics, they are united in a world of violence.
Unsurprisingly while the plot pivots around the violence in sedate Denmark, it is the grim scenes in Sudan which are the most arresting.
Questions are raised as to whether Anton, who has to deal with horrific wounds day-to-day, has the right attitude to bullies, which is firmly passive aggressive.
Meanwhile Christian, who is struggling to adapt to a world without his mother, finds that the best answer to the bullies is to confront them.
At one point the boy says: “This guy bullies everyone, but nobody stands up to him.” It is something that many people in this country have been wondering for some time.
And again Christian poses the difficult-to-respond argument “I don’t think he understood that he lost” after Anton confronts the same bully at the garage he works in a bid to prove to the kids that he’s not a wimp, but doesn’t throw a punch.
His strong arguments and determination also influence the lonely Elias, who has to deal with his absent father.
But without a permanent father figure, Christian takes his attitude several steps too far and he very soon becomes problem child.
A complex film, Susanne Bier makes every scene count, aside from a few brief moments where there is a lot of soul searching and gazing beyond the camera by the adult characters.
It’s the scenes in Africa which drive the film forward along with Persbrandt’s, Dyrholm’s and Nielsen’s performances.
In one memorable scene, immorality gives way to a sense of justice when Mikael, who takes Christian’s mentality with him back to Sudan.
It is a pitch-perfect performance by Persbrandt, who makes the film come alive and doesn’t overshadow the other actors who also their chance to shine.
Anyone seeking to find the answers to the recent riots will find many answers, and thought-provoking questions, in this mesmerising film.
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