The Ipcress File (1965)

Just after there was James Bond, there was Harry Palmer. Your down to earth agent, who has no glitz nor glamour what so ever. And that's not the only thing that separates Len Deighton's involuntary, impertinent and insolent agent with his small flat and his boring stake-outs, from the most suave of them all.

Whereas Bond's adventures usually start off with some huge chase and a female with huge... ehrm. Well anyhow, this film starts with Palmer struggling to find his glasses before getting out of bed, taking his sweet time making perfect coffee, and walking from his at best mediocre apartment to an even worse one, to replace his colleague at aforementioned stakeout.

Brilliantly, this flick plays to the secret agent as an employee of the government. Mundane bureaucracy, long hours and low pay are amongst the very everyday grievances our hero must endure. Alongside an endless array of brown and grey office buildings. It gives it a kind of credibility as a spy story, that Bond never had. Thus making it entertaining in a wholly different way.

The plot is somewhat more fantastical as 17 top scientists all seem to quit for no reason. Without wanting to spoil too much, I will limit myself to saying the plot is optimistic as to the effectiveness of hypnotism. Since this is an old film with a stellar script from a great book, Palmer actually has to do some most clever detective work, based on observation and deduction. Always a treat.

Of all the things done well here, nothing is quite as good as the dialogues. Caine, Green and Doleman are all on exceptional form, and whatever combination of those three director Sidney Furie decides to bestow upon us, is pure class. The scene of the two latter in the park a pure feast of British implicitness and understatement in dialogue. 

The filming is at times experimental for its decade, but quite sublime, and never overdoes it. As an example two of the key scenes to a side plot, are shot through different kinds of glass as they both pertain to the same character. Subtle, cool and smart. Ipcress makes no excuses for knowing it's smart and making a point of it. One really most love the British arrogance of it all when it's so meticulous.

Even Palmer's incarceration and eventual torture is long and slow, and as there is an absurd form of realism to most of it, it holds up wonderfully in modern age. Thanks in no small part to the quality of Caine's acting skills as well as Furie's ability to not overdo anything.

Another reason it works a treat, is due to famous Bond-composer John Barry's utterly genius score. Barry's score to Ipcress is one of his most jazz-loyal, and one of his very best. Never downplaying that Palmer is a doing a grunt's job, he leaves the fanfares and big horns at home. Instead he opts for simple, haunting and often repetitive tones. 

To add to that, the endgame is riveting as the three main characters face off in a verbal game to the death. In a dark warehouse at night, under a single lightbulb so the director can play with shadows. Fantastic. 

9/10

Bumblebee (2018)

A Transformers-flick (almost; he is producing) devoid of Michael Bay! Count me in!

At least that means this time they have written a story-line. "Bumblebee" has a secondary angle, as it is a film about friendship and trust. Since the film actually has a side-story of interest, it's miles above the previous instalments, which don't really have any other agenda than to blow shit up and sell tickets. And as you actually care for the characters, you actually care what happens to them. For the first Transformers-film ever.

A perfect example is the scene in which Steinfeld meets Bumblebee. Travis Knight is simply better than Bay at things that don't explode, and uses the necessary time and angles to make the scenes between explosions worth watching.

The humour is better as well, particularly the scene where Bumblebee discovers what music he hates. Though I wish he hated something worse.

Having a director that isn't so driven towards shit, makes for a huge improvement on the music as well. Particularly the introduction of Steinfeld to the tunes of "Bigmouth strikes again" is pleasing, as well as Oingo Boingo of course. The soundtrack is 80's only (until some horrid piece during the credits, for some reason), and they didn't stop there. They even found room for some olden, goldies among the actors. Remember Fred Dryer? Didn't think so.

Speaking of actors, John Cena isn't exactly Oscar-material and proves as much here. Though the casting is hardly totally off. As a bad-ass soldier, he kind of fits the bill, regardless of limitations. Unfortunately his part is rather large, making the film suffer greatly. Another poor choice is the casting as Dylan O'Brien as the voice of Bumblebee, making the robot sound like a nerdy teen before his voice change. Thankfully, Bumblebee is mute for most of this film. A better piece of casting is aforementioned Hailee Steinfeld as the main character. Without the foot-in-mouth-direction of Bay, she is actually allowed to be charming and use some facial expressions, at which she is much better than Shia.

Knight doesn't really know how to balance his different parts though, and at times this film actually lacks a bit of action, until there is a bit too long a sequence towards the end. But hey! He doesn't rotate the camera, so this time you actually get to see the robots fight.

The biggest problem is that there isn't a shred of original thought anywhere in the film. The protagonist is of course an outcast that doesn't care much to fit in, but has a super-special skill (2 actually). And naturally, her dad is dead, thus (supposedly) making us care more. Well, people less cynical than me at least. And you can pretty much guess everything that's going to happen.

So this is infinitely better than any of the putrid instalments before it. Still, you can't help to think that the Marketing department has been involved too heavily in some of the decisions here, making it a bit more stupid than it had to be.

6/10

Joker (2019)

So, the most important social commentary in years? Oh hell no. Don't believe that hype. It is, however, a very good film.

And make no mistake. For better or worse, this is Joaquin Phoenix' film from start to finish. For better or worse. Mostly better, as it is an absolutely astonish performance. And written with an Oscar in mind, no doubt. The Academy loves a malnourished, skinny actor playing a psychopath with everyday struggles. Phoenix has both the nuance and the sheer crazy. It's painful to watch his awkward interaction with society, with or without his involuntary laughter. His feet are always in motion, whether dancing, running or frenetically moving them as he sits by the television. You can feel his loneliness as he sits in a club taking notes for his own stand-up, while laughing at all the wrong places,without ever realizing why. He balances everything perfectly. Making you feel enough for him to feel interested, but never enough to understand him. Nicely summed up on a piece of paper early in the film

As for the other actors, who mostly work as extras, there is special mention for Brian Tyree Henry and Frank Wood, who both have very short scenes, but really make a lasting impression.

The film is very slow in pace, lingering, making you anticipate and dread scenes. Like Arthur's first appearance as a comedian in front of an audience. You know it's coming, you know it will be gruelling. So you dread it. Rightly. Then director Phillips does it again. With such a slow pace, Phoenix is allowed all the space and time he needs. More importantly, the violence feels particularly shocking when it appears. It's a very uncomfortable film to watch, and not because of the violence. It's all about the moods, the dystopia and the bleakness. There isn't much humour here, but it is dark. Phillips has his tricks as a storyteller too, and make no mistake: The novice will be fooled. The cynic perhaps also.

So to the claim that this is an important outlook as to how a society creates a villain. It's certainly done rather well, but there's nothing new here. Gotham was always a bleak city, with a divided society. It was touched by Burton and rammed into the ground by Nolan. The fact that this film doesn't have a hero, doesn't make the story nor concept original in that respect. In some ways, it's almost a homage, as there are so many films referenced indirectly here. At least 3 of the previous Batman-films from the Burton-films until now, V for Vendetta, King of Comedy, Taxi Driver etc.

It's worth noting that Arthur is so invested in being a clown, that even when he runs in his civilian clothes, he runs as if he had his giant shoes on. A further fantastic detail, is the development of his laugh. Throughout the film it's either forced by his medical condition, or by his compulsion to adapt to his society. But towards the end, his laugh towards the TV-audience is in total control, sarcastic and maniacal. The odd one out finally finding his way

A sigh of exasperation: Had they ended the film 3 minutes earlier, with an amazing scene sending shivers down all spines, I would have rated it even higher.

8/10

Thirteen Days (2000)

A 145 minute film about the Cuba Missile Crisis... Surely this has all the hallmarks of tediousness and overly obvious morals?

Costner seems to have a proclivity to films where his character has a family that he can love and worry alongside as the main plot evolves. At times these scenes seem unnecessary, but him telling his wife that he will be evacuated with the President, not joining her and the children in the event of war, is very good. He does excel at playing the smart man with a temper just around the corner, though. And you can fell his anger as he keeps his composure among the brass as they attempt to force the President's hand.

Greenwood is brilliant as JFK, even notching up an award for his work. A bigger surprise is Steven Culp as the cockier, more aggressive and hands-on Robert Kennedy. Always with a complete understanding of any situation, and a way to implement. The brilliant and ruthless one to a tee.

As there is no youth here, this is an opportunity for mature character actors to shine. That makes for a stellar cast. Special mention goes to Dylan Baker and Michael Fairman for memorable interpretations of Robert McNamara and Adlai Stevenson. Baker is front and centre of the films most suspenseful scene (a wonderful nail-biter as the a Russian ship has broken the blockade) and is pitch perfect. Fairman is brilliant as the cautious Stevenson, teetering on the brink of his career, but as all seem to have lost faith in him, and he needs to step up, he has a weary little gem: "I'm an old political cat, Kenny. But I've got one life left". A sublime, understated performance.

The men in dark suits with serious faces work a treat and show you don't need to flash people to get a point across. A few lines, spoken with certainty, with shivering consequences obvious, and the heartbreaking calls Costner has to make as a result, are among the films most memorable scenes. Director Donaldson does an excellent job at portraying the pressure Kennedy was under by his military advisers to launch a full-scale invasion of Cuba instead of a more cautious blockade. Albeit, I do feel he overstates it a bit for simplicity and to make Kennedy shine even more.

There is suspense galore, despite most of it being conversations in dark room between men in even darker suits, with lingering close-ups of very serious politicians and diplomats. The humour is naturally very dry and very clever. Quite perfect. As for the running time it is perfectly viable, until the last few minutes, which are most unnecessary drivel.


Best enjoyed with a large whisky. No ice. Just for the mood.

8/10

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

To remake one of the finest BBC mini-series ever made, starring the late, ingenious Alec Guinness is an almost impossible task. The series is definitely too long by today's depressing standards, so perhaps a two-hour feature is just the treatment it needs. And you have to give it to them: They really did try.

They are very true to the aesthetics of the original. There are grainy, grey filters and men with impeccable hair and suits galore. All smoking and speaking softly, until angered. Some of the lines are identical word for word, and particularly the scene with Kathy Burke is hardly altered at all (apart from the crude opening), and neither is Guillam's encounter with The Circus.

The cast is of the greatest quality, even with a vast amount of key characters. As I shall explain, a good bunch of actors, does not necessarily make a great cast. But the problem here, is more that the director has altered a lot of the from the book and original series. But on to the men.

John Hurt is perfectly weary as Control, dying and discredited at the end of a long and distinguished career. Benedict Cumberbatch lacks the brutish tendencies as Peter Guillam, and isn't the best fit here as he comes off less than independent. Oldman is one of the finest actors of his generation, and proves is again here. Particularly his soliloquy re-enacting an old interrogation is magnificent. Firth is solid, but lacks the vast arrogance of Ian Richardson, and he doesn't have the same screen-time. Generally it feels like they've tried to modernise the male characters, depriving them of the stoic self-belief. In that though, they also deprive the film of the exceptional treat of the form of banter that's hardly been seen since the 70's: The grown men with inflated self-worth and the arrogance to go with it, banging it out in a way only men who are obsessed with manners and appearance. And that really is gone here.

As in the original, Smiley is portrayed as a ridiculously lonely and quiet man, albeit with the sharpest of brains. Director Alfredson does perhaps overdo the loneliness, though I suspect the world today is a much less subtle place. Furthermore, Alfredson keeps the slow pace of the series. But by lingering and slowing down unimportant parts of the story, he has to cut even more of the story. And what suffers most in that respect is the quiet, dignified power for struggle within The Circus, and in particular the part of Toby Esterhase who is reduced to a snivelling weasel in the film, bereft of class and ambition.

The chess-pieces are a clever trick, though not very original, and forgotten towards the middle of the film. Alfredson is guilty of a couple of shortcuts and unnecessary distractions towards the end, but nothing major. A clear mistake made is that whereas the original immediately tells us the relevance of the children's rhyme, this film leaves it until the last half-hour. And generally this is a much smarter film than average and it really is a delight seeing the puzzle slowly take form until completion. With the fantastic script from John Le Carré, it certainly is a wonderful puzzle to watch.

7/10

Calvary (2014)

A film starring Brendan Gleeson (64 years) as a priest, Father James. Now, this should be for a limited audience. With the opening line: "I first tasted semen when I was seven", it certainly demands your attention.

The scenery is quite stunning. Long Irish shores under grey weather. Huge, green pastures. All perfect background for a large priest dressed in black.

Gleeson really is fantastic here. A perfect weary  and gruff old priest, with all the signs of a man who has seen too much of most. The kind that is no longer puzzled or befuddled over the actions of his fellow men, as he drifts further and further away from them. Perfectly coined by a parishioner early on as he corrects her analogy: "You're just a little too sharp for this perish." David Wilmot is nice as the buffoonish younger priest, adding further grievance to Father James' existence as he sits alone in his white room, without a single picture or trinket (only a cross), petting his old, dying golden retriever. A visit from his suicidal daughter (aptly played by Kelly Reilly) is for a while treated in the same way as his parish: With a defensive distance.

Father James almost exclusively observes as he watches his parishioners snort cocaine in public restrooms, throw their friends across the room at the pub, urinate on expensive paintings or making jokes as he watches his church burn to the ground.

The characters are sublime, and lay a foundation of very funny conversations about most subjects, as they all have their problems to share with Father James. And as the characters slowly start to wake Father James (a particularly hilarious scene featuring Dylan Moran)

Where the film suffers a bit is a defining story-line. There are characters, very nice scenes and some brilliant humour, but a clear story (apart from the beginning and end, which are outstanding) eludes me. Therefore not all scenes seem quite relevant.

Eventually they do find his limit, for better or worse. And for a while he joins their drunken rage. In the end, despite his valiant efforts, and his indomitable sense to do what is right, the only person that seems to take him seriously is from out of town. And as they all go about their business, only the grieving stranger that met him briefly under tragic circumstances, seems to have taken a single word to heart.

So it's definitely worth a watch, for the humour and characters, but mostly for the ingenious and startling beginning and end. Not to mention a stellar performance from Gleeson.

7/10

Spectre (2015)

So a huge "Day of the Dead"-parade as an introduction... That seems done several times before. A lot of the outfits almost seem like a homage to "Live and let Die" and Kanaga. Unnecessary. Then Bond shoots two out of three bad guys (where it later in the story turns out all he really had to do was snipe the one he failed to hit), and a building miraculously falls down, before he chases the third into the crowd and onto a helicopter, eventually killing him as well. At least he got his ring (with the legendary octopussy), and we got some cool helicopter-stunts.

Ralph Fiennes was brilliant in the former instalment, as an understated aristocrat with a sharp brain and an even sharper tongue. Unfortunately they waste his first scene having him do what Judi Dench does much better: Sneering at Bond for going too far on a mission. He is better when worrying about the future under C, but he had much better dialogues to work with in previous instalments. Though his later scenes with Andrew Scott is fantastic. Harris as Moneypenny is still good, but her lines are also less scrumptious this time around. Craig David is much more soft-spoken than earlier, though I fail to see what they're trying to accomplish by that.

The political agenda with a merging of intelligence, is a cute touch, a continuance of Skyfall in Bond being outdated. Despite casting Scott as C, they fail to make it an interesting character. Perhaps because the snivelling little shit that fails to understand the importance of history as he basks in his own knowledge of the future, is done to death.

A truly marvellous scene is the Spectre-meeting. Almost bereft of sound, as one at a time speak numbers and economics, and Waltz has the softest and calmest of voices, while sitting at the unlit part of the table. Not a particularly subtle or original tweak, but still a masterpiece of a scene. Another plus to Mendes for picking Monica Bellucci for a scene, (and a night with Bond). It is so much more believable with a sensual, dangerous flirt when the female doesn't have to provide an ID to get a drink.

Mendes is better at the tension and more intimate action than he is a bigger set-pieces and Bautista vs Craig on the train is great fun. Impossible not to let the mind wander towards Robert Shaw's brilliant Grant and his fight with Connery in "From Russia with Love". And speaking of old patterns (besides Waltz' remake overcoat from Dr. No); Blofeld (like his intro) is at his best when he's lurking in the shadows. But modern Bond-films are too frenetic for that to really be effective. When he does appear, though, it is to a most devastating effect. Unfortunately, his next scene takes a sledgehammer to the credibility built.

There are so many homages and hints to earlier films (even Pleasance's scar), that it's almost distracting. As to the "Bond-formula", this is the closest Mendes came. But, some mediocre scripting and poor editing, makes it a bit lacking nonetheless. And the brother-angle towards the end is laughably bad. Mendes does know how to end a film, though, and seems to deliver again, until he cocks it up by adding another 3 unnecessary minutes that only serve against their purpose.

6/10


Best car used: Aston Martin DB10
Most memorable drink served: Vodka Martini, dirty.
Henchmen: Dave Bautista as "Hinx". Finally a real henchman again.
Villain: The one and only Blofeld, courtesy of Christoph Waltz.
Best one-liner: "They always know which buttons to press"
Song: "The Writing's on the Wall" by Sam Smith... The song is anonymous, his voice is atrocious. Like a chipmunk that inhales helium before every refrain.
Bond-girl: Léa Seydoux as Madeleine. Feisty at first, but not impervious to Bond's charm over more than 30 minutes