X Men Apocalypse

 X Men Apocalypse

This probably is the worst written superhero film to date. Four writers are credited for this mess implying there were several rewrites and they still didn’t get it right. The divergent subplots did not coalesce. The overall plot is simple, world domination (it took four guys to figure this out!). Getting there was overly complicated. The disappointment is this film follows the last film” X Men First Class” which was a critical and financial success.

The cast is voluminous, with major and minor characters. The stalwarts are:

James McEvoy as professor Charles Xavier

Michael Fassbinder as Magneto

Jennifer Lawrence as Mystic

Nicholas Hoult as Beast

Having so many characters strains the cohesiveness of the film and sometimes is a distraction. Utilizing these characters was a challenge the director and writers failed. Some performances are brief and lacked impact. Remembering their names and powers is challenging for anyone over 60. Please refer to Wikipedia. 

Jennifer Lawrence is out of costume and looked especially fetching with blond tendrils falling on her shoulder. But when duty calls she releases her inner Smurf and transforms into Mystic blue and nude. Wolverine makes a cameo appearance. He is a human Cuisinart shredding soldiers with his talons. McEvoy and Fassbinder rekindle their love hate relationship. As the bad boy Fassbinder does little talking but much damage. McEvoy reprises his savoir of mankind role. There acting was a snooze,

The villain En Sabah Nur, the “First Mutant” (I thought that was Keith Richards?), is played by Oscar Isaac. With makeup and prosthesis, he is nearly unrecognizable, which for the sake of his career is a good thing. His star trajectory is on the rise (Star Wars, Ex Machina) so this role hopefully will just be a bump in his career

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For the most part the film was dower. Repartee was serious and not light hearted.  This movie is another downward spiral for the superhero genera. What hold the presses, to date the movie has made $402m (production cost $178m). Forget what I said!

X Men-Days of Future Past

I do not understand what “Days of Future Past” means; I barely understand what “Back to the Future” means. This film stretches the mind. There are elements of H.G. Wells, Fatalisms, Determinism and I am certain some of Einstein’s theories were violated but I have no clue which ones. As dense as all this sounds the plot is not difficult to follow and holds the film together. Someone from the future goes to the past to change the future. Please hold off your spoiler e-mails, there is much more to the plot than this one line.

The film takes place during the Nixon administration in the 70’s. The clothing and absence of modern day gadgets frames the movie’s tone. The 70’s alone would be a good excuse enough to escape to the future.

There are some new mutants and some old ones. The main protagonists in this film are: James McAvoy (as the young Charles Xavier), Michael Fassbender (as a young Magnito), Jennifer Lawrence as Mystic, Nicolaus Hoult as Beast and Hugh Jackman as the ageless Wolverine. These characters are still fresh. The action is not recycled and holds your attention with good pacing. The film is not heavy on “buddyism”, there are a few grudges to settle, even if with one’s self. There are some well-placed jokes you should look out for. The Nixon actor would have been funny if he was not so close to the mark with his tubular nose and shifty eyes.

Jennifer Lawrence has a big role in this sequel. Her dialogue is minimal but her body language speaks volumes. I really hope she does her own killer yoga moves. Michael Fassbender plays Magnito with dispassionate purpose destroying anything and anyone threatening his vision. His Germanic warmth is pervasive. I cannot talk about McAvoy since his condition would give away too much of the plot. As for Beast he is now in command of his blue fur and with better temperament (although he was funnier in earlier films). Jackman wears his patented scowl and takes copious rounds of bullets.  The ensemble of actors’ works well. The main characters give enough room to each other so no one is pushed out by the other one.

The arch villain is played by Peter Dinklage as Bolivar Trask.  This is the little guy from “Game of Thorns”. If they wanted someone evil they picked the right guy. He is a combination of a mad scientist with a touch of Joseph Menegle.

CG was good, but was it $200m good? The old standbys of building levitation and twisted steel were expected. Some of the newer creations were just a bit cheesy. Too many mega block buster films have made us jaded.

My favorite X Men movie is” X Men First Class”. This movie is right behind it. With a production budget of $200m (double that for marketing), this movie better do well and I think it will; I recommend it. There will probably be a sequel. Whatever conundrums make up the next title, my good friend Felix will explain them to me.

12 Years a Slave

This is a great and brutal movie. The whippings, lynchings, chains and rapes are all true. The story is based on the protagonist’s, Solomon Northup, own writings of his ordeal as a kidnapped freeman sold into slavery. To some extent we are familiar with slavery but the graphic depictions of cruelty and dehumanization are shocking. A comparable modern situation would be the Nazi concentration camps.

All the components of this film make it a great story. The lead and supporting actors were essential to the film. The two pillars of this movie are Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbender. Ejiofor is the slave, Solomon Northup, and Fassbender the slave owner Edwin Epps.

Ejiofor transitions from the bewilderment of being kidnapped to subcoming to the reality of being a slave and assuming a new persona. Even in his subjugation he hopes to gain his freedom. The strongest lashes do not break his will. Ejiofor’s acting is visceral; Solomon’s pain etches Ejiofor’s face.

Michael Fassbender is brilliant. His acting arch is formitable. His characters span from Dr. Jung in A Dangerous Method, to Magnito in the X Men movies to a sex addict in Shame. As Edwin Epps he is a sadistic psychopath who indulges in cruelty and degradation.  Epps has a singular dislike for Solomon and beats him at every opportunity. Fassbender acting was intense with sweat pouring down his face and veins popping on his neck from screaming at his slaves. He is frightingly convincing in his role.

There are other excellent performances. Paul Dano, as John Tibeats an overseer, plays his usual understated role. What belies his passive façade is a meanness based on jealousy and revenge. Solomon is a target of his ire. Dano gives a sheepishly cowardly performance.

Paul Giamatti is the dapper slave trader. His approach to selling slaves is akin to a stud bull auction. He shows the white teeth of the slaves and slaps the males on the chest as if beating a taut drum. He is totally dispassionate in his negations and has no computation to split families for the best return. He is as repulsive as he is well dressed.

Brad Pitt makes a brief appearance. In the story his character is very important, but his air time is humblingly short.

There are other wonderful actors such as Benedict Cumberbatch and Alfe Woodward. The script was focused and even the brief flashbacks worked. This is a tough graphic movie but the acting and the story make it worth seeing.