THE LEGEND OF BARON TO'A (2020)

Fritz, a Tongan entrepreneur returns to his old neighbourhood and inadvertently causes the theft of his late father’s valued pro wrestling title belt by some ruthless gangsters led by ‘man-mountain’ Tahu. When negotiation and diplomacy fail to get it back, he is forced to embrace his father’s legacy to reclaim the title.

From the producers of the Pacific Island portmanteau film, Vai, and Māori portmanteau film, Waru, comes the directorial feature film debut for Kiel Mc Naughton. The Legend of Baron To'a has a cast made up entirely of Pacific Islanders and Māori such as Uli Latukefu (Alien: Covenant), Nathaniel Lees (The Matrix Reloaded), Jay Laga'aia (Star Wars: Episode II & III), John Tui (Fast and Furious presents: Hobbs & Shaw), as well as Shortland Street alumni Shavaughn Ruakere, Fasitua Amosa, Duane Evens Jr, and Lotima Pome'e aka General Fiyah. 

The Legend of Baron To'a is an intriguing film. As far as action-oriented comedies go, the premise sounds like a generic "progressive vs traditional" film, however there is an inconsistent tone that becomes increasingly apparent by the third act. The style of humour and the breadth of the story actually could be seen as reaching for comparability to the likes of the cult classic, Hot Fuzz, but The Legend of Baron To'a is hampered by its odd tone and conflicting character elements.

Its characters are as one-dimensional as they get, with only two having any form of development arc. Protagonists and Antagonists are so clearly demarcated and static that there is little to draw the audience in with. Nothing to make us want to care about what we are seeing on screen. To an extent, it is this over-the-top cartoonish style of character that helps the film achieve the extent of humour that it does. With an ever-present sense of hostility and danger on display throughout the film's runtime, these rather bizarre interpretations and impersonations of cultural stereotypes are what prevents the first two acts from becoming too "real".

It is this third and final act that loses the comical exterior and reveals the real tense and concerning reality of what is on display. The climax of the film involves fighting to regain the wrestling belt, but it does not come in the form of a wrestling belt. It comes in the form of highly organised and premeditated aggravated assault. With a nation that is widely known to have increased domestic violence call outs when we lose a rugby game, the way in which it is portrayed in a film is highly important. To have our protagonist using weapons to attack people in the street in a clearly not defensive manner, and to go further by involving children in the ruckus, the amount of glorified violence can become somewhat unnerving. 

The fact that the majority of the film takes place within a single cul-de-sac poses difficulties in keeping the scenes feeling fresh, and the cinematography is well-executed taking advantage of as many angles as possible, with a colour palette that keeps the visual element well-grounded. 

With the level of acting class involved in the film, the end product does seem to place responsibility on the direction and screenplay. The lack of character development leaves little in the way of an emotional connection for the audience to engage with; the only exceptions being some great performances from Shavaughn Ruakere and Duane Evens Jr. I wanted to know more about why Baron To'a was the symbol that he was, and how this history affected the community, but the plot is only skin deep and does not explore this further. 

The end result is a mediocre film that will still get some laughs from the audience but does raise concerns over how it displays its violence. The cast is great, but the choice of story and message is more than a little questionable.

The Legend of Baron To'a is in cinemas from February 20, 2020

SEBERG (2019)

In the late 1960s, American actress Jean Seberg grew bored of acting and became enthralled with the activist politics of the era, particularly the Black Panthers.

Ever since her spell as Bella in the Twilight film franchise, that Kristen Stewart has been hampered with the stereotype of an emotionless actor. Many memes have been shared of her headshots supposedly showing a range of emotions but someone has copy and pasted the same image into all of the slots. It's a form of online victimisation that has no doubt negatively impacted her Hollywood career to a certain extent. In reality, it is not so much her stoic stare, but her trademark overbite that has really given her this reputation. the overbite is gorgeously adorable but it draws your eyes away from hers, and that is the problem; she has incredibly emotive eyes, and there is no better example than in Benedict Andrews latest feature film, Seberg. 

Benedict Andrews is relatively new in the directorial world, with only one feature film prior to this (Una), and a couple of live theatrical productions. On the other hand, Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse have carved a niche with their experience in writing biographical screenplays (previously involved with Frankie & Alice and Race). These three come together in an attempt to recreate the deceitful actions of the FBI that led to the death of the French New Wave actor Jean Seberg in the late 1960s.

From a visual standpoint, Seberg is stunning. Following Once Upon A Time in Hollywood and The Haunting of Sharon Tate, Seberg is yet another film that is looking to portray Hollywood in the 1960s. From the colourful and vibrant outfits to the swanky cars, creative architecture, and racial divides, the environments are beautifully constructed with well-executed set design, and period-accurate costuming. The bold, solid colours combined with a warm colour palette, and a colour grading that accentuates that retro/vintage look, Seberg really draws you into the time period. 

The film revolves around the topic of racial discrimination and the FBI's role in surveillance, infiltration, perjury, and police harassment of anyone that supported the Black Panther Party (the revolutionary political organization that challenged police brutality and established community social programs for black minority groups). In what is an interesting choice, Waterhouse, Shrapnel, and Andrews have chosen to go in the direction of having two main characters, Jean Seberg (played by Kristen Stewart), and Jack Solomon (played by Jack O'Connell), covering both perspectives from the point-of-view of the FBI and of those being harassed for supporting the minority groups.

What is also an interesting choice, is how flawed the characters are. These are not people whose character traits are being cherry-picked to sway the audience's opinions of who was in the right or wrong. Stalking, harassing, lying, cheating, the list of reasons not to like these characters is long, and--to the detriment of the film--not enough time is spent providing enough backstory for the audience to want to get invested in either of the characters. The actions of the government agency are clearly deplorable, and while Seberg is literally depicted as a martyr in the opening scene, and compared to Jesus Christ in later dialogue, her own actions reek of white privilege and naivety. 

It is this lack of a clear moral and ethical compass on any side of the issue that muddies the water and makes it all the more difficult for the audience to find a character worth empathising with, especially when the FBI agent is the closest thing to a protagonist (or a good guy forced to do questionable things for the "greater good").

Ignoring the unusual narrative decisions, the acting is well-done. Jack O'Connell is convincing as the ethically uncertain FBI agent that becomes twisted and mentally unstable due to the increasingly controversial acts he is being required to perform. While the film is titled Seberg, O'Connell is actually the focal point of the film, rather than Jean Seberg herself. None of the characters are delved into deeply enough to really answer the question of "why?". Instead, the audience is fed a reenactment that skates along the surface of what can be read in a Wikipedia article. No in-depth analysis of the FBI's COINTELPRO program. No reasoning provided as to why Jean Seberg or Hakim Jamal would move for a physical relationship with anyone apart from their respective partners.

Kristen Stewart does do a great job with what little the script provides. She oozes with the confidence of a hugely popular actor in their prime, with such little details as the completely nonchalant way in which she strips off during costume changes; the lack of any sign of hesitation, the continued dialogue, no backing off from the camera, nor conservative editing it post-production, these all speak to high levels of professionalism Seberg (and Stewart) have. It doesn't feel like Stewart is playing Seberg. She has fully immersed herself into the role, and you can feel the uncertainty and paranoia increasing as the FBI continually harass her.

Much like how Joker was an observation of Arthur Fleck's descent into madness, Seberg attempts to do the same, endeavouring to correlate every step that the FBI took with every step towards the unknown circumstances of Seberg's death. Seberg, however, lacks the depth necessary to truly pull it off, and ends up with a non-commital biopic that doesn't provide a satisfying payoff to the intrigue that the premise sets up. Beautifully arranged and shot, but devoid of any real substance, Seberg manages to scrounge up some stellar acting performances from a poorly constructed screenplay. 

Seberg is in cinemas from January 30, 2020

Originally posted to: http://djin.nz/Kr8510

JUST MERCY (2019)

Lawyer Bryan Stevenson takes on the case of Walter McMillian, who is sentenced to die for murder despite evidence proving his innocence. In the years that follow, Stevenson encounters racism and legal manoeuvrings as he fights for McMillian's life.

Just Mercy is a damning reminder of the racism and persecution that has occurred (and still occurs) in the American South towards black Americans. A legal drama, this is a by-the-numbers film; it is familiar, and for good reason. This is based on a true story and covers the processes of the US Justice system, a system that has been covered numerous times in modern film and television history. The point of difference here (alongside being a true story) is the focus of the film; this is not a story about the lawyer, Bryan Stevenson. This is a story about the effects of racism on the community, and it hits hard.

This isn’t the story of a man that was an outlier and put on death row for a crime he didn’t commit. This is the story of a community that cannot teach their kids that you can trust authorities. Entire communities that cannot guarantee a safe passage through life if you are good, honest, and work hard. Understanding that you at risk of being put to death for no reason other than being born with different skin colour.

This is no fast-paced legal thriller, though it still manages to maintain your interest throughout the runtime. Just Mercy is a slow, methodical drama that takes its time to build relationships and develop characters. The people have flaws, they act rashly and irrationally, and Cretton does a superb job at building that sense of empathy with our imprisoned protagonist, Walter McMillan (portrayed by Jamie Foxx), right from the opening scene. The movement of the film does come across a little out of place in the second act when a specific event occurs, and the build-up to it gives the impression that you are nearing the film’s climax, until you remind yourself that, in fact, we are not observing the main protagonist, and the film still has an hour of runtime remaining. You remain engaged but nonetheless aware of the time that is passing.

Largely formulaic, the strength in the story comes from the strong connection between Walter McMillan and Bryan Stevenson (portrayed by Michael B. Jordan) in which Foxx and Jordan execute well, and some brilliant direction from Cretton that creates powerful emotive moments without the need for loud, over-the-top elements, often panning away from the active portion of the scene to focus on the emotional cost of an event, rather than the event itself. Jordan and Foxx pull off surprisingly restrained performances in the face of an insurmountably stacked deck. It organically builds the stakes and has the audience so in tune with our protagonists that your blood will boil at the absolute disrespect they receive.

Matching the overall tone of the film, the cinematography from Brett Pawlak is reserved, with a largely muted colour palette. There are no flashy camera techniques to distract the audience from what is going on onscreen, instead, using some well-selected framing to build on the commanding emotional performances from Rob Morgan, Jamie Foxx, and Michael B. Jordan. This film located on death row does not glorify death. This film that highlights the hatred and fear that the white population have had towards the black community, does not show every white character as a one-dimensional bigoted racist.

There is a gut-wrenching reality to this story, marked by trauma that manages to glean an uplifting note while never letting the audience forget that the story has not ended and that the movement is still ongoing. Just Mercy is not the type of film that requires you to see on the big screen, neither does it offer much in the way of rewatchability. It is a required viewing though. In one way or another, we need to constantly remind ourselves of the pain that is created when we act selfishly.

Just Mercy is in cinemas from January 23, 2020
Originally posted to: http://djin.nz/Kr8542

MY SPY (2020)

A hardened CIA operative finds himself at the mercy of a precocious 9-year-old girl, having been sent undercover to surveil her family. 

My Spy is the latest flick from Marvel's Drax the Destroyer (also known as Dave Bautista). The film is directed by Peter Segal, who is quite well-known for his direction in Adam Sandler comedy films, such as 50 First Dates, Anger Management, and The Longest Yard. The films in his filmography that are the better indicator of what to expect come in the form of the Leslie Nielsen-fronted comedy Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult and the Steve Carrell-fronted Get Smart, both being falling under that crime/espionage banner.

Bautista's previous attempt at taking the lead in Stuber was not so well-received, though--in this reviewer's opinion--it actually did push the boundaries of what is acceptable in a teen buddy-cop comedy film, garnering more than it's fair share of laughs. Peter Segal (alongside his screenplay writers Jon and Erich Hoeber) have managed to recapture the energy and enthusiasm of Stuber, and inject a good dose of charm.

My Spy starts off in a very trope-heavy fashion with our one-dimensional protagonist, JJ (in the form of Dave Bautista). His pairing with comedian Kristen Schaal initially gives rise to the fear that this will be too similar to Stuber but those fears are quickly put to rest, with Schaal holding more of a supporting character role than an honest-to-goodness co-star. Nothing against Schaal at all, but her role would have been too easily comparable to the same fish-out-of-water role that Kumail Nanjiani held in Stuber. In the place of Dave Bautista's co-star is the adorable Chloe Coleman. The wise-cracking, "too smart for her own good" child.

Coleman works well as the opposing force to Bautista. Both physically and personality-wise, Coleman and Bautista start off as polar-opposites (something that always bodes well for these buddy-style styles). Bautista's extreme physicality lends itself well to physical humour, compared to Coleman's more emotionally manipulative techniques that play off of the adult male-to-child stigmas that we don't expect children to understand. It is that push for a more emotional story that really increases that engagement. Unlike Stuber, My Spy delves into the backstory of each of the three main characters, turning those one-dimensional caricatures into fully fleshed out characters that you can empathise with. All three characters are struggling with loss, and it endears us to them.

Parisa Fitz-Henley (you may recognise her from her role as Reva Connors in the Marvel Netflix Luke Cage and Jessica Jones series) has a small role in the film but is the straight, serious character that keeps everything well grounded. Her role is minimal but is full of heart, that despite any reservations, you instantly want things to work out. All three of these main characters are absolutely oozing with onscreen chemistry and charisma. The antagonists don't have a hugely active part in the film, setting up the premise, but disappearing most of the remainder. There was potential for a more complicated story, but the convolution would have muddied the tone of the film, and lost the reliability of the narrative; Segal and the Hoeber's chose wisely to keep things simple.

Aside from the characters, the story is very straightforward. It is incredibly predictable, but there is such a feel-good and uplifting journey on the way there that you can't help but enjoy yourself anyway. The cinematography from Larry Blanford is well-executed. Blanford's filmography includes such films as X-Men: Days of Future Past, Iron Man 3, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, The A-Team and Smokin' Aces so his experience with high-energy action scenes is notable. My Spy isn't such a fast-paced action-thriller, however, with a lot more focus on character building and establishing bonds. Blanford utilises camera angles to display the different perspectives, looking up from the height of a 9-year old girl, looking down over the shoulder of a towering former professional wrestler, or high-angled static shots following the action from the perspective of a security camera. The varying visual perspectives create an immersive setting that draws the audience in further.

It must be said that just like in Stuber, it still doesn't feel like Bautista is the lead character or the main protagonist. Still not quite in the position of being able to hold the attention of the audience on his own, Bautista is a foil to his co-stars, and it is those defining differences that maintain interest in the story. My Spy is an improvement from Stuber and has a strong heart to its story. Predictable, and not overly action-heavy, but a heart-warming feature with good comedic elements that leaves you with a warm fuzzy feeling.

My Spy is in theatres from January 16, 2020

Originally posted to: http://djin.nz/Kr8513

IP MAN 4: THE FINALE (2019)

The Kung Fu master travels to the U.S. where his student has upset the local martial arts community by opening a Wing Chun school.

December 31st is here, and a fitting review for the final day of the year is Ip Man 4: The Finale. Wilson Yip returns once again to direct this fourth and final film in the official Ip Man saga. For those not aware, the franchise is biographical, based on the life of Ip Man (yes, that is his name), a Chinese martial artist of Cantonese ancestry and a master of the martial art, Wing Chun. His most famous student was Bruce Lee. Ip Man 4: The Finale covers a final chapter of Ip Man's life prior to his death. This a martial arts film, which makes the two most important elements of the film; the story, and the action a.k.a. the fight choreography. Ip Man does much better in one than the other.

The fight choreography is very well executed. Yuen Woo-ping returns in his role as the choreographer and fight advisor, having worked previously on Ip Man 3, as well as such titles as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, The Matrix franchise, and Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill Vol 1 & 2. Incredibly fast-paced, with smooth execution. The difference in physicality between the various martial arts styles is very apparent, and well separated. The speed does require some speeding up in post-production and there are a few actions that do not translate too well, making it very obvious that it has been edited to look faster. Nothing too over-the-top to take away from the energy of the scenes, but still noticeable.

The story is very grounded and quite toned back compared to previous Ip Man films. In an unexpected turn, Ip Man's story arc is almost relegated to a minor plot thread, due to the number os supporting characters and the amount of significance placed on the other storylines. It's almost as if there wasn't enough content remaining for a fourth film, but the film was pushed through production anyway, filling the story with as much other material as possible. 

What is a huge element of the film, is the theme of racial persecution and discrimination, and it far overpowers Ip Man's arc of trying to get his son into a school. There is a seriously turned-up racial tone to the film that paints every white character as a hateful white supremacist-level of bigot. Derogatory racial slurs are thrown around with absolute disregard and--whether that was the tone of the period or not--it leaves the audience feeling either uncomfortable at the language or laughing uncontrollably at the overly dramatic and over-the-top dialogue choices. This such a stereotypical good vs evil scenario that you'd be forgiven for thinking every single white American character had a curly moustache and maniacal laugh. 

You can't help but think the film was created as yet another example of Chinese propaganda, trying to change the impressions of the western audience around the Chinese government. Ip Man has a minimal active role in his final film, coming across as more of a passive participant than an active leader. It has taken his more restrained personality traits to the extreme, giving him very little to do. 

Overall though, the Ip Man 4: The Finale is a more than adequate addition to the franchise. With great set designs, costumes, and the contrasting environments and locations between China and the US, the film looks great and still has Ip Man fighting against oppression.

SORRY WE MISSED YOU (2019)

Hoping that self-employment through gig economy can solve their financial woes, a hard-up UK delivery driver and his wife struggling to raise a family end up trapped in the vicious circle of this modern-day form of labour exploitation.

Directed by Ken Loach, and with a screenplay written by Paul Laverty, Sorry We Missed You manages to expose the dystopian working conditions of the modern-day world without the need to insert exaggerated or fantasy elements. A film with an overwhelming moralistic ulterior motive, Loach manages to do so without appearing patronizing.

The story of a family that was surviving well on a single wage and about to buy a house of their own, suddenly finding their plans disrupted by a global recession leaving the father Ricky (played by Kris Hitchen) unemployed, to which point, ten years later, both parents have been forced to take up jobs in the gig economy, working 12+ hours a day, fighting to clear debts and a chance at owning a home, risking homelessness.

A bleak feature film, that has little in the way of a narrative direction, Sorry We Missed You works as a character study, as we observe the effects of gig economy jobs on the family dynamics. An incredibly impactful performance from all actors involved. The relatability of the expectations of low-paying jobs, being employed as an independent contractor, with no contract, no benefits, no days off, and steep financial penalties if targets are not met.

The set designs are well-balanced and the cinematography lacks any flashy stylistic direction, all feeding into the theme of lower-working-class poverty; the cheap furniture, the minimal lighting, the damp aesthetics, and the family photos posted along the walls; no signs of anything resembling art deco.

Sorry We Missed You is another film that I don't want to go into too much detail about, as I don't want to take away the impact that the movie has. This isn't a formulaic piece, and the third act doesn't go in the direction that you expect it to go. There is no payoff at the end, no satisfaction, but the story hasn't ended, and--with the state of capitalism--it likely never will. Sorry We Missed You is a reminder of the humanity of the workers of the gig economy. Next time your package arrives late, maybe have a little sympathy for the driver.  

THE WHISTLEBLOWER (2019)

Following a fatal accident, a Chinese expatriate working for a mining company in Australia discovers that new technology developed by the company may be a health risk, and investigates a web of conspiracies in his search for the truth.

Written and directed by one of the top Chinese film directors, Xiaolu Xue, The Whistleblower is an Australian-Chinese co-production that was given a limited international release. Another attempt to break into the western media with pro-Chinese messages, The Whistleblower is a misstep, after the success of the last Chinese production, The Wandering Earth.  

While the political leanings of the film are not immediately apparent, it does not take long before the Australian characters are readily tarred with the same brush as selfish, egomaniacal, capitalist villains; driven by profit. This is unlike the Chinese characters, who--no matter their transgressions--are the heroes and working in the effort of public safety. Similarities could be seen with the many films portraying relationships between the United States and Russia. Such films are clearly a sign of visual propaganda and prove to be a disappointing turn for the film when it started off rather unbiased (such as how it highlighted the "smog" issues in China, but twists events into a positive correction).

As far as the story goes, it is quite predictable from the very start. Every step is forecast well in advance, and it does reduce the tension being built up. On a positive note, however, the action that occurs in the film is well-grounded. There are no super-powered abilities on display, no unnatural feats of strength or powers. This does help make up for that reduction in tension from the predictable story, by still managing to put our protagonists into situations that aren't world-ending but are still potentially deadly situations for the characters. The tone of the film is inconsistent though, and in the final act, this crime drama turns into an Ocean's Eleven style heist with little set-up at all.

The main protagonists Mark (Jiayin Lei) and Zhou Siliang (Wei Tang) are an interesting choice in characters. Beyond their somewhat uncharacteristic drive to uncover the corporate conspiracies, there are very few redeeming characteristics for the characters at all. The family man that readily cheats on his wife while away at a work party, or the woman that readily cheats on her husband, is only concerned about money, and commits further worse transgressions and the film progresses. This is not a duo that the audience can readily empathise or relate with. The dialogue is not quite as over-the-top and cringeworthy as an Ip Man film, but the performances still come across as wooden and lack any real emotional power.

What the film highlights, is the complete difference in culture from the western and eastern perspectives. Improperly pronounced and spelt company names, constantly referring to the Chinese characters as the "Chinamen", or feeling the need to use blackface to break into ones own company premises. There are many instances where cultural sensitivity seems non-existent (let's not even talk about how Melbourne is portrayed in the film).

The Whistleblower is entertaining, but overall has a convoluted storyline that fails to have any depth to its vision. All of the expected tropes of an undercover conspiracy film are there, and the characters lack the necessary development to make the audience care. The locations are different from what is usually used, providing something slightly different from a visual perspective. From a narrative stance, The Whistleblower is mediocre at best.