Random Film Thoughts #6

Willy Wonka's limping entrance and flip is a magic moment and has to be one of the greatest actor-devised scenes in film history.

The Story

After reading the script, Gene Wilder said he would take the role of Willy Wonka under one condition: that he would be allowed to limp, then suddenly somersault in the scene when he first meets the children. When the director asked why, Gene Wilder replied that having Wonka do this meant that "from that time on, no one will know if I'm lying or telling the truth."

So, not just the spectacle of it, but the thought behind it. It's brilliant storytelling and the type that only movies can produce. This is our first glimpse of Wonka. He's a complete mystery, not only to all the characters in the film, but the audience as well. His walk, allowed to play out in full from door to gate, is slow and controlled. His limp plays into many of the rumors we've heard about the chocolatier. And then suddenly, after he loses his cane... a fall, a flip, and the carefully developed tension instantly turns into whimsy. Wonka becomes fascinating from his very first moment.

Random Film Thoughts #5

Sam Neill is under-utilized.

The first time I noticed Sam Neill, he was in The Hunt for Red October. I've liked him ever since. If I need a voice of reason... If I need a comforting, intelligent father/authority figure... I'm going to Sam Neill. His voice makes me feel safer than Christmas ham at Mel Brooks' house.

Go look at his filmography, though. Check out all the junk he's been in since Jurassic Park. What have casting directors been doing for the last twenty years? You go from the lead in one of Spielberg's biggest films to those Merlin TV movies?

If you'd like to see something new from Mr. Neill, basically avoid all that garbage and be on the lookout for a little New Zealand film called Hunt for the Wilderpeople. I hear good things. Between Sam, Taika Waititi, Jemaine & Brett, and Rhys Darby, at this point I basically want to be a Kiwi.

In cinemas in New Zealand from 31 March 2016. Book at http://wilderpeople.com The new film from the director of BOY, EAGLE VS SHARK and WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS, Taika Waititi unleashes HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE after rave reviews at Sundance 2016: "Comic Dynamite" - Guardian "Hilarious, I think I might be in love with it" - Crave.

Random Film Thoughts #4

Richard Curtis' About Time script is a piece of perfection. Every line, every character, every beat in a fantastic arc. If you've haven't seen it, do yourself a favor and put it on repeat this weekend.

REVIEW: Mad Max: Fury Road

As I get older, the passage of time becomes more and more obscene. We're halfway through 2015 already? Okay. Of course we are. Speaking of post-apocalyptic wastelands... I saw Mad Max: Fury Road this weekend and, as I walked out, one word came to mind: spectacle. Which is funny, because it's the same word my friend used to describe it to me this morning.

Fury Road is spectacle on a scale we have very rarely seen. It is the original Mad Max series writ large, with any limitations of budget and technology completely wiped away. When a masterful artist has a strong vision, this is the product you get.

Oddly enough, I would compare the film to an Old Hollywood epic. No expense spared, a cast of hundreds, 95% of effects and stunts appeared to be practical rather than CG (greatly appreciated and it made the movie). Hopefully the industry at large noticed just how great the practical effects payoff can be. At times, the soundtrack even dipped into a classic 1930's score (when our mutated, flame-throwing guitar player wasn't providing thrash metal).

And what can you say about the Production Design? INCREDIBLE. Design is alive and well in George Miller's film and it should win every award known to man in the category. No detail is ignored, no matter how small. And while the blueprint may have been sketched in previous Mad Max movies, the possibilities have never been fully realized until now. There are some amazing artists and imaginations at work here and their work is a joy to see.

Another thought I had as I watched was how unique Tom Hardy is. I think he approaches his craft unlike anyone working right now. He reminds me of Brando, searching out the essence of a character. The portrait he drew with a sparsity of performance is kind of amazing. By sparsity I don't mean insufficient in any way. I mean Hardy makes every morsel count. He was unafraid to play Max close to the vest rather than over the top.

No one will walk away from Fury Road thinking this was the greatest story ever told, but most will likely believe it was one of the most amazing things they've seen on screen.