Redemption was screened at Cannes Film Festival as part of the Marche du Film event.

The promo line was somewhat surprising but very interesting. Redemption was billed as “the first psychological film from China.” The synopsis however, suggested something different. What could have been a dreary, boring love story actually turns out to be anything but; instead Redemption is an evocative movie that manages to tug at the heart-strings.

Adapted from Shengli Yu’s novel Bright Eyes and Old Six, Redemption tells the story of Xiaoli and Jiang Yuee, a couple who more or less married within weeks of meeting one another after falling in love during the first moment they saw each other. Unfortunately, after a short space of time, their class differences and beliefs get in the way causing many quarrels. Consequently, their relationship reaches a breaking point when Jiang runs off with another man. Xiaoli feeling humiliated plots the ultimate revenge but not even he was ready for what happened next as his whole world begins to crumble around him.

Director Qing Zhu does a wonderful job of telling this story in a powerful and emotive fashion. The methods used to explain various scenarios are clever and the manner in which the characters are written is wonderful. Are they nasty? Are they vindictive? It’s clear their actions are deplorable, yet their behaviour can be partly explained to the pain they are feeling and Zhu’s writing does a good job of portraying this.

The leads in the form of Jiang Yuee (Ni Ni) and Xiaoli (Ye Liu) are just two of reasons why this movie works so well. Ye Liu’s depiction of a betrayed man struggling to keep his emotions in check is brilliant. Ni Ni – in only her second feature film (after The Flowers of War) is wonderful as the young wife and mother battling for custody of her son.

Even though Redemption’s style may not be to everyone’s taste and people new to South- East Asian movies may struggle with some of the cultural issues, humour and translations; the final key to why this works well is the ‘universal’ story. Ultimately it’s about the emotions that most people experience in relationships and its path via betrayal, anger and lastly forgiveness.

Redemption is a good, all round strong movie that, if given the chance, could do really well on the festival circuit and, maybe beyond.

FMV Rating ***½

Fed-up with uninspired experiences, exploitative DLC and restrictive DRM, disgruntled gamer and professional business consultant Dave ‘Mack’ McConkey offers developers and publishers four crucial rules for avoiding disaster – and launching a genuinely great game.

In my last article a few weeks ago, I discussed (in an uncharacteristic effort to at least pretend to be a legitimate journalist) some of the reasons why we will always suffer poor games, exploitative DLC, and infuriating DRM in various nefarious forms.

Continuing in that vein, and again drawing from my own professional experience in a completely unrelated commercial area (so you can be sure I absolutely know what I am talking about), I am going to spend a bit of time discussing how game developers and publishers might at least try not to launch a piss poor game that is a waste of everyone’s time and money.

If any games developers/publishers/marketers read this, you are welcome – I normally charge a few grand for these cutting insights….

Know The Market Place

It’s a jungle out there and no mistake. The smallest factors can influence the launch of a new game, and make the difference between it doing a simultaneous flash and clear into every living-room in the land, or emerging blinking and confused into the cold, harsh light of day where it is summarily dispatched by a 20-foot iron golem. It does not take much for a game to pluck defeat from the jaws of victory, is what I’m saying here.

Dark Souls – teaching us all a bit more about the world around us. And about how fleeting and fucking unfair life is

There is a lot that games developers can do to ensure that their new-born game has the best chance of making it in this big, scary world. The first step should be to make sure that they know the gaming landscape inside and out. Regardless of whether or not you want to make the next realistic shooter, real time strategy, 4X, MOBA, MMO or (ugh) sports sim, an innate understanding of what is going on at consumer level will give you a fairly clear idea of the features that customers will expect as standard in a game, and how the game will fare when released onto shelves.

Taking the easiest example, let’s look at shooters. First, who is the competition? Is it a ‘realistic’ shooter (because that horse is not going to flog itself), or a fantastic journey through a contrived, steampunk-esque floating city featuring bland combat and endless, samey enemies?

If realistic, then you can immediately identify the competition (COD and BF among some others), and in knowing the competition, you know what the average gamer will expect from the experience (bombastic set pieces, gritty graphics, lots of military hardware, and waves of ethnically ambiguous enemies that appeal to at least one facet of the many ‘great menaces’ the USA has faced since the second world war).

A lot of these aspects of design will cost a lot of money to implement – money that most development teams just do not have access to. So, if the game in development will not be able to afford the money to create your standard Triple-A ‘realistic’ war sim (realistic as in Russia invading the USA, and then simultaneously invading everywhere else), then it needs to have something else to offer. Spec Ops: The Line obviously lacked the budget to be a COD-style shooter, so instead it decided to weave in a gripping story and setting that more than made up for its fairly boilerplate gunplay.

When I say ‘more than made up’ – they made up for it, then doused it in petrol, and cavorted around, cackling madly, as it was burned alive for our enjoyment

Knowing the gaming landscape can help developers understand what is expected of their baby when it is launched, as well as giving insights into what might compel gamers to pick up their iteration of ‘shoot Arabs or Russians with realistic guns with explosions, on-rails sections and WMD going off’, and ensure that they have something in their game that helps it stand out from the crowd. Something to really make gamers and critics sit up and take notice. Which segues nicely to…

Know Your Unique Selling Point

In my last article, I stated that it’s very difficult to declare a given game as ‘the best’ within its genre, as most games offer a permutation around a central theme. Direct comparisons are difficult, because even with seemingly very similar experiences, there is still a lot of room for debate (Call of Duty vs. Battlefield?). However, despite that being the case, it is still possible for developers to look at what is available on shelves, and decide where their game will fit -and how it will be received relative to the competition.

I could probably say ‘Look at Aliens: CM’ and stop right there

Let’s look at two recent games that are more alike than might initially be apparent: Colonial Marines and Bioshock Infinite. These games are alike in the fact that they are defined primarily by their setting, and by a core NPC – I am choosing to consider the Alien as a singular NPC, but I am aware that you fight hordes of them in-game.

Both of those games have their own features, but for me, the most prominent are the xenomorphs themselves and the chance to revisit the colony from Aliens in Colonial Marines; versus the city of Colombia and Elizabeth as an active NPC in Bioshock Infinite. These are the Unique Selling Points that both games offer, and should be the reason a customer is willing to shell out £40 (or whatever it is in your neck of the woods).

Think about it: how many games have insectoid enemies that are fast and deadly up close (and derivative of the alien), all set in a frightening, ruined futuristic looking industrial complex? Many, but no other games give you the chance to fight against this legendary movie monster right in the set of the movie itself. It is similar with Bioshock – there have been many attempts to give players effective, meaningful and characterful partners in their journey (Amy, to offer up one failed example), but few have captured the essence of an NPC as a true partner as well as Bioshock (as an aside, it seems that a lot of the internet has actually fallen in love with Elizabeth – certainly there is a lot of evidence of it on various subreddits – guys, whatever floats your boat, but remember that you are just as bad as this…)

My body is ready! O_O

Many other games have given you the opportunity to fight through cities in various states of revolution, but only Bioshock would give you the chance to fight in the majestic, fantastic and old-timey city of Columbia.

So if we consider these two games, games that, for the sake of this argument, are ONLY differentiated from the competition by these two facets of their design, then you can be damn sure that if the game is going to be worth the customer’s cash, it better have these unique elements polished off to a fucking mirror finish.

Needless to say, Aliens: Colonial Marines got it spot-on with its drab graphics, winding, featureless corridors, broken AI and terrible creature animations….

Develop from the Heart

The last thing I want to sound like here is a massive hippie, because I hate hippies and all they stand for (I am more of a ‘rampant commercialism, war kicks ass, violence as a means-to-an-end’ kinda guy), but when it comes to crafting something truly worthy of praise, it never hurts to create what is in your heart and like, totally part of who you are man.

Take a bath, goddammit!

What I mean is that we, as consumers, can tell the difference between something that was an obvious labour of love, and something that has been focus-grouped to death. It is apparent in everything from TV shows, movies, music and any other form of entertainment you could name. Look at Firefly vs. Enterprise, Bowie vs. Bieber, Dredd vs. Transformers – you know instinctively when you are experiencing something that has emerged from the mind of a visionary compared to something that was programmed to appeal to the greatest number of people. Did we really need Shia LeBeouf mincing around in Transformers? Did we need Megan Fox looking all sexy and pouty? Fuck no! But we got them, because this would appeal to adolescent boys (who, for some reason, still had not found all the porn on the internet) in the case of Megan Fox, and appeal to fucking God-knows who in the case of Shia LeBeouf.

When developing a game, developers should retain that spark of creativity and make sure that it is transferred into the final product. It must be about creating an experience for the player – it cannot be about pressing certain buttons within certain demographics or increasing the potential customer pool. While that is important for making a game a commercial success, it must come after the creative, artistic input to make it The Game that it is supposed to be, not the game those fucks in marketing want it to be.

For an example, look at XCOM: Enemy Unknown. The option to include a classic difficulty, ironman mode and perma-death for the team members was more of an afterthought by Firaxis, and only really included to appeal to X-Com veterans. But these facets of the game, quintessential aspects of the original X-Com experience, have elevated XCOM: EU from ‘engaging strategy’ to ‘emotional rollercoaster’, and have singly ensured that every game, no, every mission, will leave you exhausted and drained and desperate to dive in again. And that has propelled the game into commercial success. One definitely follows the other.

If games are to be considered art, then they must invoke an emotional response (beyond the usual Skinner-box reward) that is sustained and heartfelt. Only through games being true to their original vision can this be possible. And, apparently, in the case of XCOM, only when your crack assault misses that crucial 99% chance to hit, setting in motion the events that result in your whole A-Team being turned into wallpaper paste, accompanied by the stream of frustrated profanity and threats to ‘smash your fucking RAM into dust’, will it be considered art.

OH FOR FUCK SAKE! YOU FAT, USELESS PIECE OF SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!

Treat Customers with Respect

This is where we move out of the hands of the developers, and even the greasy mitts of the marketing team, and now gently rest our balls in the grubby, calloused paws of the finance and corporate teams. And this is where things start to really get ugly, and where game companies start to feel pressure to make money either through sales volume, or by turning tricks on every street corner in New York.

It is at the corporate/finance level where some very questionable practices start to creep in. Practices like crucial Day One DLC, micro transactions, intrusive DRM (including ‘Always-Online’), exclusive ‘Collector Edition’ content, and so on. These things are mandated at a corporate level in order to increase the potential revenue streams available from the game. Ultimately, in nearly every instance, the deployment of these practices is motivated entirely by the desire to monetise the customer as much as possible.

When executives and PR men (or women) wax lyrical about how they view micro transactions as a way to increase the accessibility of a game to the less hardcore gamer, they are lying. When they tell you that Day One DLC was just to give true fans of the series a bit of extra flavour, they are lying. When they tell you that ‘Always Online’ is just about giving you access to the community (or most laughable of all, that a game should have been seen as an MMO from the outset, then they are absolutely, unequivocally, lying through their fucking teeth.

However, when a publisher says that the free DLC with new purchases is to encourage sales of the game and discourage pre-owned sales, they are being fair and reasonable (provided that the DLC is not absolutely central to the game), as they were with the Catwoman pack in Arkham City. When they tell you that an online pass is required specifically so they can monetise pre-owned sales, again, they are being forthright and honest. An enlightened gamer should not have a problem with publishers trying to monetise him or her, as long as the exchange is mutually beneficial for both parties. Hell, even if it is totally one-sided, if publishers are being honest about it then we as consumers can at least be fully aware of the nature of the exchange.

Prepare your anus

We, as the loyal customer base, should not have to put up with bullshit just because we want to experience the next instalment of our favourite game franchise. I am sure that the ‘From Ashes’ DLC sold amazingly well for EA, solely because it contained one of the only two totally new playable characters in the game, but we know that EA are abusing their position by excluding this relatively small but important amount of content from the vanilla game. Honestly, it probably didn’t hurt Mass Effect 3 sales, but I know that it is this and practices like it that ensure that I will play literally any other game I can before I consider paying for an EA title (don’t get me started on the Sim City fiasco).

If customers were treated with a bit more respect, then maybe more games franchises would be successful, and publishers could see their total revenues  maintain, or even increase, without alienating the very people who are offering them money in exchange for goods.

So there you have it. When it comes to launching a new game to commercial and critical success, as well as the adulation of your loyal fans, all you have to do is intimately know the marketplace, deliver a game that meets or exceeds the gamers expectations, ensure your selling points are polished and integrated into the whole gaming architecture, create games that are made from the heart and not in a focus group, and treat your loyal customers with respect – even if you do want to make as much out of them as possible.

Simples.

Contracted was screened at Cannes Film Festival as part of the Marche du Film event.

With screenings galore taking place in Cannes, one is bound to come across ‘guilty pleasures’ (or if you like, bad movies). Contracted could well easily be classed as this as it attempts to put a new spin in a sub-genre that is fast becoming tiresome – but the question is, ‘does it work’?

The story focuses on Samantha, a lesbian experiencing relationship problems who, after getting hammered at a party, partakes in a one night stand with a male stranger. Racked with guilt, she tries her hardest to keep this from her partner but in the meantime strange, inexplicable things start to happen to her body, and try as she may she cannot do anything to stop this unfortunate process. Can Samantha find a way to save herself?

Contracted comes a cross as part Species and part David Cronenberg’s The Fly. The lead in the form of Najarra Townsend actually does well in carrying the film with an assured performance as Samantha. It’s clear that her character is the female embodiment of Jeff Goldblum’s tragic Seth Brundle. Unfortunately Samantha is not as well written or as interesting and instead of feeling sympathy for her, the viewer will go one of two ways – they either won’t give a toss or cannot wait for her to transform or die.

The support is average at best with Caroline Williams (who plays Sam’s mother) showing her experience and working as well as she can with the material given. Unfortunately, some of the other support come across as annoying but it’s not quite clear if it is the characters that are pitiful and pathetic or the wooden acting contributing to this negative aspect.

Contracted, in one way or another is one hell of a stupid movie; yet it could turn out to be a very guilty pleasure. The frustrating factor about Contracted is that the framework is there for a brilliant horror film but in places, the below-par writing cost it dearly. It’s a shame because there are times when its entertaining – in a strange sort of way and in others fun, but sadly not quite as much as it should have been.

FMV Rating **½

The Pin was screened at Cannes Film Festival as part of the Marche du Film Event.

The great thing about film festivals are when, unexpectedly, little gems pop up restoring one’s faith in cinema. Usually it’s the small independent movies that do this and The Pin – a Canadian Yiddish language picture, is one of those films that falls into that category.

The Pin’s structure is reminiscent of HaHov (The Debt). Told in flashback, the story focuses on a Shomer’s memory when he comes face to face with his long lost first love Leah, when her body arrives at the morgue he works in. The memories illustrate how they met during World War II in a barn as they fought to hide from the soldiers tracking down any runaways. As time goes on, the distrust and suspicions they have of one another soon progresses into love and marriage – but as fate has it, something unexpected, unfortunate and nasty is lurking around the corner.

The performances of the leads Milda Gecaite and Grisha Pasternak (as Leah and Jacob respectively) are superb; mostly understated, low key but crucially never crossing the dreaded line into pretentiousness. This is vital in making the viewer firmly believe in their love for each other. The Pin does this superbly well.

Naomi Jaye’s methodical direction is excellent as is her writing, and the grim, dark cinematography reflects the mood and tone of the film as well as the backdrop and characters.

That being said, this is still not an easy film to watch. The slow, measured pacing does make The Pin feel longer than its short running time of 83 minutes and it does seem like very little happens for long periods. This, however turns out to be the strength of the movie because without the unhurried tempo, it would be almost impossible to appreciate how wonderfully the characters are written. This ultimately allows the viewer to really care and invest time in them.

The Pin is a real gem of a film that deserves recognition. This beautifully written, acted and marvellously shot movie is not just a love story set during a turbulent time in history; it’s about forgiveness and redemption. The Pin is touching, harrowing and most definitely worth watching.

FMV Rating ****

Combustion was screened at Cannes Film Festival as part of the Marche du Film event.

Being the biggest film festival in the world does not necessarily mean that all the movies screened will be top class. Sure, this is a matter of opinion but when one has sat down and realised that 90+ minutes of your life has been wasted and you’ll never get them back then it leaves the feeling of how on earth these films are made.

Over the past ten years or so, the Spanish have made some excellent movies such as Timecrimes, [Rec] and Secuestrados (Kidnapped)…sadly Combustion is not one of them.

It starts of promisingly – some bloke with a beautiful woman on his arm fall into his apartment, after meeting on a night out for “coffee”. Nothing however is what it seems because as he prepares his Maxwell House, the lady sneaks off to open the front door letting two masked men in. They rob the man blind and afterwards he realises that he was only a mark. The gang research another potential victim – a rich lady who owns an exclusive jewellery store is the next score but they need to get to her through Mikel (Alex Gonzalez) her mysterious handsome fiancé. So yet again the beautiful lady who goes by the name of Ari (Adriana Ugarte), is sent off to work her magic but (as you have now guessed) they never anticipated falling in love. With head of the gang Navas (Alberto Ammann) hacked off that Mikel is trespassing in, and on his territory (his territory being Ari), a love triangle ensues. For good measure, some fast cars and a villainous Argentinean (who looks very much like ex-Hull City manager Phil Brown) are thrown in for some so-called maximum effect.

The abysmal, hackneyed script causes Combustion to fail miserably. One way or another, this film has been done before but possibly not this badly. What makes this even worse is Combustion fails to capitalise on an interesting opening 15 minutes, thus making the rest of this film a major disappointment.

There are positives… somewhere. The movie looks great on the big screen with its crisp and clear images and actually, the performances are not that bad. The leads and support do really well with the material they are given and they do drive the movie as far as they possibly can but this is not enough.

Knowing this was a Spanish film with the title of Combustion, there was the hope that this would be some type of Iberian horror where people would be engulfed in flames for no reason at all. Sounds like fun. Well, alas this was not the case. The name of the movie is ‘derived’ from the internal combustion engine – yes, halfway through the film it shifts into what can only be described as an awful Spanish version of The Fast and The Furious (I hasten to add, I never liked that movie in the first place).

Combustion makes the Fast/Furious franchise look like a series of masterpieces. Maybe the idea of watching a movie about people bursting into flames isn’t so laughable now…

FMV Rating *½

Heli was screened as part of Cannes Film Festival.

The beauty about the majority of film festivals is that for movie lovers, film buffs, reviewers and critics it is the prime place and occasion to watch films they may not necessarily get to see otherwise. In addition, directors get the opportunity to showcase their talent via screenings of their movie, portraying worlds that are probably alien to the masses. A world that presents the real evil that exists, a frightening world – one that we wish would only exist in our nightmares – Heli is one of those films.

The movie, named after the principal character, takes the viewer down a dark, desperate and violent world where lawlessness and corruption reigns in a small destitute town in Mexico. Heli, a young man recently married with a youngling, finds himself working at the local car plant to provide food on the table for his family, which also includes his dad and his 12 year old sister Estela. She, however has fallen head over heels with a young police cadet and has aspirations of eloping far away and getting married. This, sadly for Heli are where the problems begin because Estela’s boyfriend brings trouble to his home in the form of two mysterious packages. Heli, only trying to do right by his family, instantly disposes of them but unfortunately for him, far worse things are just around the corner.

Armando Espitia is particularly good as Heli portraying a young man who will do what it takes to keep his family out of trouble. His understated, mature performance is in perfect keeping with the tone of the movie. Andrea Vergara’s love struck Estela is herself pretty good displaying the ‘typical’ traits of a 12 year old girl trying to grow up too fast. The support including Linda Gonzalez and Juan Eduardo Palacios also buy into the atmosphere of Heli with solid, unfussy, low key performances.

Amat Escalante’s script does not pull any punches whatsoever painting a picture of the problems that inhabits regions such as these in Mexico. His direction is slow and very deliberate, adding to the realistic, gritty feel of the film. However, it is this very strength that ultimately ends up being its weakness as the unhurried pace of the movie seems to make it drag for quite a while. This flaw gives Heli a documentary feel rather than an impression of a feature film.

Heli ultimately will be remembered for two reasons – a horrendous, yet very swift incident which involves a white puppy and one of the simplest yet horrific torture scenes witnessed on film (yes, it’s that bad)!

This grim depiction of Mexican rural life is not pretty thus making Heli a difficult film to watch. To call it entertaining would be a push because the subject matter and content is far from cheery but to dismiss this would be way too easy.

FMV Rating ***

Resident Evil Revelations is Capcom’s attempt to return its famed series back to its suspenseful roots; an effort to recapture the same rich atmosphere of terror that slowly slipped away as the franchise aged.

It still retains some of the improvements made over the years (the removal of the typewriter save system, for instance), but ultimately establishes a new benchmark in storytelling for the action/survival-horror genre.

Revelations was, of course, originally a 3DS game. It looked great on the handheld, and none of that beauty has been lost in the leap to the Wii U. In fact, Revelations’ graphics shine brighter on your HD television and Wii U gamepad, with incredible character models, creature designs, environmental effects and lighting creating spectacular settings for some of the franchise’s most memorable moments.

I found myself regularly pausing to take in some of the stunning scenery, before clicking the gamepad’s home button to take a picture and post it to the MiiVerse. The ever-changing, gorgeous environments are some of the best the series has ever seen.

Most of Revelation takes place on a cruise ship named the Queen Zenobia, and it is perhaps the best setting for a Resident Evil game since the original’s gothic mansion. Dark corridors and claustrophobic rooms induce a sense of fear and panic when you’re surrounded by terrifying creatures.

The ship is not the only place you’ll visit, however, as you switch between siblings Chris and Claire Redfield. The campaign will take you away from the sea as you discover the origins of a new terror, and each chapter includes a cutscene that will recap the events of story so far. This new feature is a welcome inclusion, especially for gamers like me who like to take lengthy breaks away from their consoles. Overall the storytelling is some of the best this series has had in a long time, and sets a new standard for what to expect in future installments.

Here, Capcom craft terrifying environments and combine them with a haunting soundtrack that sets pulses racing. Everything from the distant cry of a female in trouble to the howl of wind coming from a cracked porthole is all perfectly crafted, and truly immerses the player in the experience.

Gone are the zombies of old: replaced instead with ‘the Ooze’, a paramorphous race of bio-organic weapons. Their forms vary in shape and size, with everything from a large blob to a humanoid with spiked appendages. Early on in the game you’ll encounter slow-moving Ooze similar to the zombies of yesteryear, but much like other RE games they eventually get faster and attack the player in packs.

There is even a new creature type exclusive to the console versions, and it’s pretty terrifying. After encountering it for the first time, you’ll really want to stay out of the water.

You’ll find yourself using the dodge move a lot to avoid an attack when enemies become overwhelming, while running into another room to regain your nerve and reload your weapon is a common tactic in Revelations.

The newly-added Genesis scanner, which can be used to scan the environments for hidden items like ammo clips and collectible hand prints, is a welcome addition – and can boost xp gained so that players can trade in for more health.

Another welcome introduction is Raid mode: a fun, new addition that I found myself playing for hours on end. It breaks up the campaign into bite-sized chunks and adds new twists and turns to both the environments and the enemies. In one stage I was baffled to find myself losing health with no enemies in immediate sight – until I turned the camera down and found a very tiny version of the humanoid Ooze swatting at me. It’s moments like these that make Raid mode a blast to play, and I can’t wait to see players’ reactions to it when the game is released.

The Wii U version has some fun exclusive features that will leave players smiling. In Raid mode players can type out thought bubbles to be displayed over the heads of enemies, which can then be shared on MiiVerse. This will result in some funny moments I’m sure, while the ability to play the entire game on the Wii U’s gamepad is great.

Another feature takes a cue from Dead Souls. When you die in Revelations you can leave a warning message from beyond the grave for other players to find in their game. Raid mode also includes characters, weapons and skill sets not seen in the 3DS version, so Capcom has really packed a lot into these new console ports – especially the Wii U version.

The leap to home consoles has been good to Revelations, and I never missed the 3D feature of its handheld predecessor. This is a terrific game, and it will be staying in my Wii U disc drive for a long time to come.

The controls were a little clunky at times, and I was unable to connect to an online co-op match in Raid mode  – but I was not surprised about this latter issue, as I was playing the title before launch and there aren’t many outlets reviewing the game.

All in all, Resident Evil Revelations recaptures the greatness of earlier Resident Evil outings while also retaining and introducing exciting new features. It’s not only one of the best entries in the entire series – it’s an absolute must-play for Wii U owners.

FMV Rating: ****¹/₂
 

Currently on Limited Release at various UK Cinemas.

Mud is an American coming-of-age film written and directed by Jeff Nichols and stars Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland, and Reece Witherspoon. 

Set in Arkansas, along the Mississippi river, Mud tells the story of Ellis and Neckbone (Sheridan & Lofland), two young boys who befriend a mysterious drifter known as Mud (McConaughey) – who has recently set up home on a remote patch of land along the river.  Mud (unsurprisingly) is a fugitive, wanted for murdering the man who roughed up the love of his life, Juniper (Witherspoon) and is clearly in need of assistance.  As the authorities and a number of ruthless bounty hunters move in, he turns to the boys for help in order to be reunited with the woman he loves. 

Meanwhile, Ellis is dealing with the imminent break up of his family.  His parents may or may not be getting a divorce, which leaves him with the dreaded thought of moving away from his makeshift river houseboat – which is all he knows.  His best mate, Neckbone (also from a broken home) offers support and assistance but it’s the fantasist Mud who catches Ellis’ attention – providing him with much needed guidance about life, love and fate.

Mud is an independent film that continues the trend of portraying a seemingly forgotten America.  It is an exceptional piece of cinema: much in the same mould as recent indie classics Winter’s Bone (2010) and Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011).  Mud provides a thrilling insight into the lives of isolated, small town folk whom the rest of the country has apparently discarded.  Its Steadicam cinematography from Adam Stone allows you to feel the heat, smell the dampness underfoot, and fear the snakes nearby.  McConaughey’s unhinged Mud is an embodiment of this lost America.  He inhabits him brilliantly; displaying moments of regret, bitterness and hope towards a world that clearly hasn’t been kind to him.  The two young leads are also exceptional providing believable turns as misplaced boys moving onto young adulthood.  Reece Witherspoon offers solid support as the local love interest, as does Sam Shepard as Mud’s bitter, childhood father figure. However, Mud is McConaughey’s film. 

After a career appearing in so-so action films, dodgy (unfunny) rom-coms, and even being sent up in Family Guy, McConaughey has made a remarkable comeback in the last few years. He clearly looks the part of a movie star but has never been deemed good enough to be a solid, leading man.  Killer Joe (2011) was a dark, crime tale in which he played the title role well, and now this performance in Mud suggests it wasn’t just a flash in the pan – he can clearly take on a lead role successfully (for this Matthew, I salute you)!

With its nods to innocent childhood discoveries and the image of broken families, Mud certainly borrows from coming-of-age classics such as Stand By Me (1986).  In addition, as these narrative traits are being played out amongst rural, forgotten backwoods, this also gives the film a hugely nostalgic feel (for anyone who loved climbing trees as a kid that is!).  There is also however, a dark, haunting feature in place (similar to Clint Eastwood’s Mystic River – 2003) in which the ever-flowing Mississippi can seemingly whisk away hidden secrets and lies, as well as wash up ‘‘unwanted trash’’.  With this in mind, it has been claimed that Mud is therefore solely a ‘‘boy’s film’’ – and that women and falling in love are seen as the enemy.  This is further strengthened by the clear analogy running throughout that women and snakes are the same, and to be bitten by either will destroy a man’s soul.  This seems a bit silly at times, but it’s heavily outweighed by the remarkable performances and atmosphere on display.  Nichols’ assured direction is also pitch-perfect and, for someone who is only in their mid-thirties, is one to look out for. 

This truly is a brilliant film, which, for some strange reason has taken nearly a year to reach movie theatres – both here and in the U.S.  Even with the films’ depiction of love, fate, and absent father figures, Mud manages to sidestep any clichés and is never too sugary or corny.  Instead, Mud offers an understated, yet powerful take on a group of individuals who are struggling to adapt to an ever-changing landscape – a premise to which cinema is just perfect for!

FMV Rating *****

Jeune et Jolie is a strange movie to describe and review. It chronicles the sexual experiences of a 17 year old girl through four seasons from the moment she loses her virginity to the point where it seems she becomes a sexually liberated woman.

After losing her virginity to her Felix- her German fling during a holiday romance – Isabelle takes it upon herself to discover more about her body through sex. This secretly rebellious girl, who wants for nothing, decides it would be an awesome idea to shag for money. €300 a pop is her rate – that’s because she’s young and beautiful. During her part-time encounters she comes across all sorts of characters but there is one client in particular that she feels slightly differently about. His name is Georges (Johan Leysen) – a married man more than three times her age but when an incident occurs during the throes of passion with Georges, Isabelle’s whole world is about to come crashing down.

At first glance of reading the synopsis the movie comes across like a French version of Michael Winterbottom’s  9 Songs. Watching it however, it’s clear that this is not the case. The thoughts suddenly go down the route of Luis Buñuel’s Belle de Jour or the UK’s Secret Diary of a Call Girl. It’s definitely not the former and it’s a lot classier than the latter. What it does seem to be is a coming of age movie, not just for our beautiful lead but for all the characters involved. They all either have to face up to their indiscretions or embrace new experiences and feelings taking them way out of their comfort zone.

Marine Vacth is certainly what it says in the tin. She is young and very beautiful and plays the role of Isabelle with such ease. She is convincing as the young girl using sex to cope with her personal struggles, and her mature performance gives the impression she has been acting in features for years. Not bad for a relative newcomer. Support in the form of Geraldine Philhas and Frédéric Pierrot as Isabelle’s mother and step-dad is excellent and Fantin Ravat as her younger brother also contributes with a fine performance. Just to add to things Charlotte Rampling pops up in an unexpected cameo.

Writer/director François Ozon manages just to keep on the right side of interesting, avoiding the smutty. Let’s not beat around the bush (sorry), there is loads of sex and in Vacth is probably in her birthday suit for nearly half the movie. But unlike 9 Songs, (thankfully) Jeune et Jolie is nowhere near as explicit (lets face it 9 Songs could be classed as glorified porn) and in contrast to Secret Diary of a Call Girl, the sex scenes are handled with more sensitivity and style rather than the classless smut disguised as ‘entertainment’ (I know – different demographic, different culture, different audience). Picking the right cast has helped, again, this Marine Vacth is the main reason why the movie works so well. There is no doubt that Vacth will have an excellent future ahead of her.

On the surface, Jeune et Jolie may seem to lack depth, but when you look at the characters and scenarios they all face it is then you realise there is a hell of a lot more going on. Isabelle and Sylvie are complex characters stuck in a world that they struggle understand and while they are superbly written, Jeune et Jolie is overshadowed by the frequent sex scenes. Unfortunatley once the viewer gets bored of simulated bonking, this will be a movie very easy to forget.

FMV Rating ***

Screened as part of Un Certain Regard at Cannes Film Festival and released on July 5, 2013 at UK Cinemas.

Another opening ceremony means another red carpet affair. Glitz and glamour yet again goes hand in hand with the movie chosen to open the Un Certain Regard strand at Cannes.

The Bling Ring, inspired by true events and based from Nancy Jo Sales’ article in Vanity Fair called “The Suspects Wore Louboutins” focuses on a group of teenagers who burgled the homes of several celebrities.

Led by Rebecca (Katie Chang), the gang consisting of Marc (Israel Broussard), Nikki (Emma Watson), Sam (Taissa Farmiga) and Chloe (Claire Julien); the fame obsessed group use the internet to prey on their intended victims by looking up their address and discover whether they are out all night.

Of course these so-called celebrities and victims including Paris Hilton, Orlando Bloom, Lindsay Lohan and Megan Fox never seem to be home at night, so this presents them with the ideal opportunity to try their luck, break in and take without consent. However, secret footage of their unlawful nocturnal activities suggests that The Bling Ring find themselves on borrowed time. As the net closes in, surely it’s the moment for them to hang up the stolen Pradas and try to become normal teenagers again? Well of course, easy money combined with the thrill of the chase, greed and obsession with celebrities mean Rebecca et al have no intention of giving up thier new ‘lifestyle’.

Acting as writer and director, Sofia Coppola does a good job of crafting an interesting fictional story from real events. The lives of celebs, their fashion and where they party (personally) are as interesting as watching water freeze in an igloo but the real interesting factor here is how the members of The Bling Ring are actually seduced by the whole culture. Coppala manages to convey this pretty well through the character development of the gang. There may be a disconnect between the characters’ lifestyle and, in this case, the viewer but they are so well written they will want to know either what happens next or what the motley crew are going to get up to.

The performances, on the whole are solid. Emma Watson seems to have left that franchise that must not be named behind her, with a strong performance as celebrity obsessed Nikki. Relative newcomers Taissa Farmiga, Israel Broussard and Katie Chang hold their own and gain from the experienced heads in Watson, Claire Julien and the brilliant Leslie Mann.

There is a message embedded in The Bling Ring with regards to the planet’s overall fascination with celeb culture. These figures are ‘more respected’ and gain more recognition than someone who has done endless charity work and raised millions, or toiled all their lives to help people less fortunate than themselves. With the world no longer revolving around the sun but around social media, this ridiculous voyeuristic fascination seems to be breeding a generation of people who, inadvertently, are unclear about the function and who a role model should actually be.

The Bling Ring is entertaining with subtle humorous touches and is not a bad way to spend 90+ minutes of your life. Definitely worth watching and if the viewer could take away just one thing from this film then it would probably make them more security conscious.

FMV Rating ***½