"Charlie Wilson's War" on BLU RAY – A Review Of The 2007 Mike Nichols Film

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"…Three Years Learning Finnish!" – Charlie Wilson's War on BLU RAY

It's 6 April 1980 and Charles Nesbitt Wilson is pruning in the bubbling water of a Las Vegas Hotel Jacuzzi with some naked strippers, cocaine and glasses of champagne (standard procedure for an American Congressmen at the time). But something else other than wet areolas catches Charlie's eagle eye. Up on the mounted television set behind the bar is an unshaven Dan Rather of CBS Evening News reporting from the deserts of Afghanistan. A local woman who speaks English tells a turbaned Dan that "America is asleep..." and that if the Russians invade her country - the Gulf is next - and after that - the USA itself. Charlie (Tom Hanks) politely declines an offer to make a tasteful TV Movie with Playboy of the Month and her naked agent for $29,000 and bids them all farewell...

Back at his office in Texas (which oddly enough is peopled with three large-chested women sporting buttons in their blouses that can't seem to be closed) - Charlie makes enquiries with his assistant Bonnie (Amy McAdams) into the covert ops budget for the dirt-country in the Middle East with no real political friends (America included). He doesn't like what he hears and as a Congressman for the House of Representatives - he determines to change all that nonsense by doubling its budget from five million dollars to ten. And so it begins...

Along the way Charlie meets with the 6th wealthiest woman in Texas - the wildly patriotic and determined sexpot Joanne Herring (a stunning Julia Roberts eating up a proper role) and a Greek CIA operative Gust Avrakotos (another genius portrayal from the greatly missed Philip Seymour Hoffman) who has anger issues with his bosses and hasn't been killed across 4 continents in 24 years by people who know how to (dialogue above). So far so funny...

But then it all changes when Charlie visits Afghanistan itself - and sees up close and personal what the Russian war machine is doing to defenceless Muslims. Men are being stacked in human piles and then run over by tanks as their wives are made to watch - children are dismembered with toy mines - and starving people rush grain trucks ripping open sacks in desperation. And as he walks up a hill and looks back at a Biblical scene of refugee tents with huge expanses of humanity being hammered by bullyboys - Charlie sheds a tear. And then a steely look enters his angry gaze...

What makes "Charlie Wilson's War" so good is a trio of things - the alarming and often ridiculous nature of this true modern-war story - a wickedly funny and yet touching Aaron Sorkin script - and a huge posse of Grade-A actors capable of making you chuckle one moment then shed a tear the next. The three principal leads are exceptional - especially Hanks and Hoffman - but there's also quality support from Emily Blunt, Om Puri, John Slattery, Ned Beatty, Ken Stott and Peter Gerety in small but significant roles.

The characters they portray may at times seem utterly ridiculous, meddlesome and even arrogant - but their convictions and above all their love of democracy and freedom knows no bounds. And anything that threatens that (i.e.: murderous Russians slaughtering easy pickings like peasants with pitchforks and old rifles) - is going to get short shift - and high-tech weaponry if that doesn't work.

The problem with all this 'movie entertainment' is that it clouds an obvious and stinging question - why did the CIA arm the Afghans? To give them their country back  - or out of pure self-interest - they get to defeat the Soviets using another country and another people to do it? The film doesn't shirk this thorn to its credit - offering up the plausible response that it was probably a bit of both. And it also points out that in the mid Nineties the American Government lost interest once the war was won and shamefully left with the goal achieved but the 'people' stranded - not investing - not rebuilding - and thereby giving rise to massive Islamic hated towards the West - which of course has had global consequences ever since.

The BLU RAY picture quality is gorgeous throughout - a major production - and filmed in Full Aspect (1.85:1)  - you get that punch of quality across the whole screen and in every shot. Audio is DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Spanish Surround 5.1. Subtitles are in English SDH, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Korean, Latin American Spanish, Norwegian, Portuguese, Swedish, Thai, Turkish and Traditional Mandarin.

Directed by Mike Nichols and adapted from George Crile's book by Aaron Sorkin - "Charlie Wilson's War" seems slight at first - but then bites into your heart - and leaves you mightily impressed.

Did Texas Mascara and a Congressman with etched leather boots (elected to the Ethics Committee when he was clearly a dubious choice for the job) actually bring the Soviet Empire to its knees and defeat Communism? Check out this superb movie and find out...

“Captain Philips” on BLU RAY (February 2014) – A Review Of The 2012 Paul Greengrass Movie…

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"…A Different World…" – Captain Philips on BLU RAY

It’s April 2009 and Captain Richard Philips and his crew of 20 Americans are travelling on their Cargo Ship MAERSK ALABAMA out of Norfolk, VA to Mombasa via Cape Horn. This passage for the 'truck drivers of the ocean' (as he calls them) will see his container-crammed behemoth pass alongside the notorious Somalia coastline where no less than 6 hostage situations have taken place in the past 2 months alone. 

On sophisticated radars in the elevated Control Cabin – two unidentified small power-driven boats are approaching at suspicious speed in broad daylight and not answering radio hails. The Alabama follows routine avoidance techniques – increases speed, turns so they leave a wake the smaller boats can’t handle, radio in what’s happening to the US Coast Guard, turn on the water canons… But these are determined criminals who get alongside with a ladder... And so it begins…

Filmed in Malta and actually using the Alabama’s sister ship MAERSK ALEXANDER - Director Paul Greengrass uses every nook and cranny of his real steel and paint canvas to get to you. He then hires four unknown Somalia actors to be his terrorists (they have stories to tell he says) who are simply sensational in their parts – going for it with a sweaty gusto that would make many trained actors very nervous indeed (Barkhad Abdi as the Leader took the BAFTA). Throw into this captive/hostage emotional cauldron a Director who lives to pump up the tension to unbearable levels - a huge array of truly great lead and support actors - and you’re on a tummy-rumbling cinematic winner.

"Captain Philips" is a superlative stuff – a thriller with brains – the sort of flick they don’t seem to be able to make any more these days. But special mention must be made of TOM HANKS - who in the last ten minutes (when he’s rescued and slowly begins to break down) – puts in a performance that will make your jaw drop open - and realize why he was nominated for an Oscar. He is simply magnificent throughout and filming for 12 weeks in all manner of swells and seasick situations – cannot have been an easy shoot. Yet I’d say with Charlie Wilson’s War, Castaway, Cloud Atlas and this under his belt – he’s fast approaching that rarefied club of the best actors in the entire world. I also like the way the movie goes into the Somalia political backstory – and it’s not sentimental about any of it – just desperate people pushed to desperate measures…

The BLU RAY picture quality varies from fabulous to adequate – which as any fan of Paul Greengrass movies will know is a major step up. I say this because his style is fast and furious and he goes for the moment and the truth rather than the pretty frame. His film “Green Zone” is notorious as one of the worst prints anywhere on BLU RAY (shot at night in a real-time documentary style). But this time efforts have been made to get a picture that looks great – even on the enclosed decks and in the cabins of the huge ship. Once the movie moves away from that to the small yellow boot of plastic that they keep Philips hostage on – it all gets murkier – particularly as it’s mostly shot at night. But this of course rackets up the tension – so you’re enjoying the movie too much to notice the occasional swarm of grain and fuzziness. Captain Philips is a major production and out in the open sea in daylight – it looks BLU RAY gorgeous. Just don’t expect state of the art all of the time.

The Four Audio channels are English, Italian and Spanish 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio – and English Audio Descriptive Track 5.1 Dolby Digital. Subtitles are English, English SDH, Danish, Finnish, Hindi, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish and Swedish.

The two substantial extras are Commentary with Director PAUL GREENGRASS and "Capturing Captain Philips". The 2nd is in several parts and filmed in HD but it will allow you to play all and is nearly an hour long. It features contributions from almost all of the actors, Greengrass, Greg Goodman (Executive Producer), Michael Bronner (Co Producer), the real Captain Richard Philips and his wife Andrea (a conversation they have titles this review), news footage of the hostage crisis at the time, Director of Photography and Principal Cameraman Barry Ackroyd. It’s fantastically detailed and adds a great deal to the viewing.

"Captain Philips" is world-class cinema – telling you a story you probably haven’t heard – doing it with skill and commitment – and featuring actors who can thrill and surprise no matter how well you think you know them.

Take this container load of salty dogs hostage in your home…and real soon.

"Saving Mr. Banks" on BLU RAY – A Review Of The 2013 Film….

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"…I Have Final Say!" – Saving Mr. Banks on BLU RAY

It’s 1906 in the beautiful and affluent city of Maryborough in Australia. Travers and Margaret Goff are leaving with their two daughters – Ginty and Dolly. Like Pied Piper their jokey father is leading his family to a new home, a new town, a new job in a bank for him and supposedly – a new and happier life. But the nanny who watches them leave yet another nice home and wife Margaret with an infant in her arms seems not so sure. And on the train to a remote place called Allora in Queensland (the last stop on the line) – Margaret watches with concern as her husband Travers sips slyly from a hip flask filled with whiskey. So while Ginty may adore her story-telling Dad who fills her with magic thoughts – she just stands on the back of the train dreamily watching everything she’s ever known disappear into the distance because of Daddy’s "ways"…

Now its April 1961 in London and the child Ginty is grown up into the frightfully prim and prig Pamela L. Travers – author of "Mary Poppins" – sat alone at her desk meditating (as per the works of George I. Gurdjieff). A ring at the front door brings in her literary agent Diarmuid Russell (Ronan Vibert) who informs her that the royalties have dried up and because she refuses to write anything new - soon even her beloved Bloomsbury home will go unless she procures money. But still she’s staggeringly prickly. Russell who has tread lightly long enough rages that Walt Disney - who has pursued her for twenty years to get the film rights to "Mary Poppins" - has even agreed to her excessive demands - no animation and full script approval. But she lives in terror that Hollywood will turn her beloved creation into pap.

But needs must – so - soon she’s on a BOAC jet to Los Angeles being rude to air hostesses, mothers with children and even the driver who picks her up at the other end – Ralph (a fabulous show by Paul Giamatti). "It smells like chlorine and sweat!" she says as Ralph tells her the scent in the Californian air is Jasmine. He buckles up – it’s going to be a bumpy ride. Mrs. Travers then throws pears out of her hotel window, growls at the writers in the Disney studios, whinges about piddly details like numbers on doors and moustaches and says "No! No! No!" absolutely all of the time. She’s even truculent in the face of the legendary Walt Disney and his considerable charm.

“Saving Mr. Banks” uses the technique of running Ginty’s 1906 childhood in Australia alongside her 1961 Californian battle with Disney and his people – so we slowly get to see why the dreamy hopeful child grows into a woman who would pen such a prig and proper character. Key to all of this is her relationship with the man she worshipped – Travers – her father. His daily battle with drink made his wife attempt suicide in a lake - lost him his job and health (consumption) – and eventually saw the kids farmed out to a visiting matriarch - Aunt Ellie. And with her starched almost churchlike garments, large carpetbag, face-shaped umbrella and 'no nonsense' practicality in the face of a crisis – Aunt Ellie would of course become the character "Mary Poppins". But is Mary Poppins about her saving the children - or is it really about Ginty saving her father through fiction? 

The superb cast includes Ruth Wilson as Margaret Travers, BJ Novak and Jason Schwartzman as the composing brothers Robert and Richard Sherman and Bradley Whitford as Disney man Don DaGradi. But the movie belongs to the leads… Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson.

There’s a strong body of evidence (“Castaway”, “Charlie Wilson’s War”, “Cloud Atlas” and “Captain Phillips”) that Tom Hanks may indeed be up there with De Niro, Al Pacino, Liam Neeson, Paul Giamatti, Philip Seymour Hoffman and other greats in terms of being the best actor who’s ever lived. So it takes serious boots to outshine him as Walt Disney. Up steps such a force of nature - Engerland’s Emma Thompson – giving her hateful bully lady a beating heart and gradually unfolding the real reasons for her guarded and prickly nature. Thompson gives a performance of true brilliance - an embattled woman who is hurting so deeply that you literally ache for her – cherishing dreams she cannot have sullied by commerce and gaudiness. The dances between her and Hanks are fabulous – but even better is her work with Giamatti – the humble limousine driver who touches her heart and makes her offer up a rare morsel of kindness when he reveals he has a special needs daughter ("Tell your daughter she can do anything she puts her mind too…").

Credit also has to go Colin Farrell who is magnificent and measured as the troubled yet adoring father Travers. The scenes between him and Annie Rose Buckley as young Ginty are beautiful and immensely moving. Childlike and wondrous himself – he instils in his little girl the qualities that would make her such a great writer later on. But he also crippled her mind with images of innocence betrayed – and a helpless descent into loss that would haunt her for the rest of her life.

Thomas Newman’s perfectly complimentary music and the presence of those wonderfully uplifting movie songs that are lingering in the back of our consciousness give the whole film warmth that’s tangible. But what really gets you over and over again - is the astonishing and truly immersive attention to period detail. The look of the bank Travers works in Allora, the huge wooden house on a hill in the middle of nowhere, the fun-fair day where he makes a fool of himself in front of his family because he’s drunk…  Then there’s the Beverly Hills Hotel where Pamela stays in 1961 – the Disney gift hampers she encounters in her room – even the stationery that Giamatti is holding when he meets her at the airport – all of it is period and absolutely spot on. There’s a scene where Walt takes Travers to Disneyland in an effort to soften her up – the stalls outside the theme park gates – the public crowds walking by the attractions and the carousel that ends up in the movie – huge set pieces - and all of it perfect.

The BLU RAY print is glorious throughout - a big Hollywood production and the picture quality reflects that. It’s defaulted to 2.34:1 so there are bars top and bottom – but even extended to Full Aspect – the print is gorgeous. This film is a real looker on the format.

Audio is English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio with English 2.0.
Subtitles are English for The Hard Of Hearing, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and Finnish
Extras include "Deleted Scenes", "The Walt Disney Studios: From Poppins To The Present” and "Let’s Go Fly A Kite".

And on it goes to P. L. Travers finally sat in a cinema with tears rolling down her face as Walt Disney gives her Mister Banks the joy he so lacked all those years ago in Australia. Even Dick Van Dyke’s awful accent is forgiven as the joy of the songs and the film transcends everything. 

"Wind's in the east…mist coming in…like something is brewing…about to begin…"

"Saving Mr. Banks" is beautifully crafted cinema – superbly written by Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith and Directed by John Lee Hancock.

Do your heart and yourself a favour and spend Tuppence on this quality movie…

“Angels & Demons” – A Review of the 2009 Movie on BLU RAY.

“…Of Course God Sent You…”

There’s probably millions of physicists, theologians and hugely academic types out there who can’t wait to poo poo “Angels & Demons” - the sequel to Dan Brown’s ludicrously successful book and movie - “The Da Vinci Code” – I’m not going to be one of them.

While you wouldn’t call it a “Bourne-like” masterpiece in terms of non-stop plot and thrills, A&D gets damn close – and almost all of the time. Sequel or stand alone – it’s a brilliantly executed movie – and far, far better than its predecessor ever was, entertaining the weary pants off of you with real style, skill and panache.

To start with - “Angels & Demons” has the magic triple whammy – a really great cast who can bring gravitas to any part they play, a fantastically well-adapted screenplay from great source material (AKIVA GOLDSMAN and DAVID KOEPP who are both Oscar winners and nominees) and the best entertainment Director in the movie business today - RON HOWARD. I mean the guy just delivers time after time after time - “Frost/Nixon”, “Cinderella Man” and “Apollo 13” are among his superb former credits.

It goes like this (and every word of the following is Gospel)… There’s a plot to bring down the Catholic Church and replace it with an order based on science rather than faith, which may or may not have something to do with the ancient and mysterious cult of THE ILLUMINATI. Despite being purged centuries back by scared zealots in the Catholic Church, these are powerful people still in high places who have remained undetected down through the ages by the modern world – patiently waiting for their time of revenge. And an experiment in Switzerland has given them that chance.

TOM HANKS is back as the permanently po-faced Professor Langdon summoned by a devout priest (EWAN McGREGOR) to the holy city of the Vatican in Rome to protect the Catholic Church at a time of Papal re-election. A slick assassin who is prepared to carry out grizzly acts of torture (played chillingly by NIKOLAJ LIE KAAS) is killing off high-ranking Catholic cardinals in a countdown to an apocalyptical ‘light’ that will consume the throne of Christ’s church on Earth. And wouldn’t you know it, but poor old butter-brains Langdon has only 4 hours to work it all out and stop the end of…well the world frankly… Luckily he is ably aided by a particle-analyst in the shape of the leggy AYELET ZURER (it's a scientific fact that all lab scientists look like this woman – I swear). And on it goes….

It’s all utter knob of course, but the historical linking of actual statues, churches and symbols all over the city make you believe every cleverly preposterous word of it. Throw in the brilliance of actors like ARMIN-MUELLER-STALH as a Cardinal who may become the next Fisherman and STELLAN SKARSGARD as the head of the Vatican Police who trusts no-one including his employers – and you have enough diversions, red herrings and word-like genius to make the men who make up the British Government’s balance of payments forecasts positively blush with envy. It’s brilliant stuff – it really is - and every scene is filled with it.

Locations are all ace - the catacombs under the streets, the reproduced airtight Vatican Archives and the ornate rooms in sumptuous buildings all help the stew too - and the BLU RAY picture (no pun intended) is immaculate throughout. The extras are extensive too and add to the experience nicely (a huge amount of effort involved).

Whether or not you consider all organised religion to be a corrupting force or the very bedrock on which civilized society is based is not going to get talked about too much in “Angels & Demons” – the film is far too busy entertaining you for all that stuff ‘n nonsense…

But even the Dan Brown doubters out there will get up from their comfy chairs, brush the crisps and curry off their shirts and say, “…that was damn good!”

Recommended.