The Last King of Scotland

Over the years films seem to have gone through phases of popularity. From the science fiction of the eighties, courtroom drama’s of the nineties to the war flicks of the nougties there has always been one genre that seems to be milked until the last sour dribbles within each time frame. In recent years however the proverbial milk is being taken from the udder of “Snuff” films.

The more traditional horror films of the past have been succeeded by a torrent of films such as “Saw” and “Hostel” dedicated to documenting the graphic and horrifying demise of terrified teens in a variety of increasingly gruesome ways. These films have sadly received a decent backing from critics and viewers alike who puzzlingly seem to buy into the token of a back story the antagonist uses as their reasoning for carrying out their horrific pursuits. It seems the more traditional techniques and themes used to evoke terror in the viewers have been sadly dropped by the wayside. The earliest of horror films used a concoction of suspense, gothic imagery and implied brutality to trigger the viewer’s imagination into assuming the worst, in the process leaving them terrified.

When watching The Last King of Scotland I was finally given a reminder that these techniques have not been forgotten.

The film charts the story of Nicolas Garrigan (James McAvoy), a young and charismatic Scottish doctor, who moves to Uganda looking for adventure, but rapidly winds up the newly appointed president Idi Amin’s (Forest Whitaker) personal physician, with all the side effects. Although Garrigan is followed throughout, this is just the “McGuffin”. This is a film dedicated to Amin. Director Kevin Macdonald turns Forest Whitaker from an underrated Hollywood b-lister who rarely played anything other than a disturbingly likeable character, into a truly terrifying tyrant.

Amin was an inspiring leader capable of great speeches as is shown in the film, but it is the other forms of persuasion displayed are far more interesting. Whitaker portrays a manipulative and violent leader who would stop at nothing to carry out his ever changing wishes. Despite all his charm he is an immature leader who puts his pride above all else, as is backed up by Garrigans cry, “You’re a child. That’s what makes you so ****ing scary!”

This is the films strong suit. In Whitaker and McAvoy you have two leading actors who are totally convincing in their playing of totally convincing roles. The realism of the film is so extreme it is easy to become immersed in the plot and genuinely fearful of Amin. Whitaker just becomes Amin in every way, his emotions simply feel real. When the premium talent of the two main characters is backed up by top notch support staff and a brilliant soundtrack and script you have a genuinely amazing film.

In terms of immersion there are few films that will capture your attention like this one, and the performance of Whitaker is simply awe inspiring. I urge you to go into this film with an open mind and try to hang on to every word, as they are all fantastic. This is not a casual film, it creates a world you will be sucked into for its duration, but the images included will live with you for a long time to come.

The Nightmare before Christmas

The thing I found hardest to take about The Nightmare before Christmas was classification. When watching a film I like to know as early as possible what I am likely to be in for, so I can prepare my mood so I am most likely to enjoy what is in store. This is a film where I struggled. From the opening I was stuck in a peculiar state of purgatory with words and concepts swimming around my head. Is this a musical? Is it a cartoon? Is it horror? Is it something that can just be put under that special label of “Tim Burton thought of it”. I felt once agan like I was being sucked into the old debate of whether a Jaffa Cake is indeed a cake or a biscuit. The one thing I am certain of is that it was visually stunning, and the script and voice acting left little to be desired.

The method used to capture the puppets movement and emotions is surprisingly expressive and emotive, while the majority of the songs are infectious and will force you to crack the sort of smile you normally reserve for those precious moments when someone you know well truly surprises you. As is to be expected some of the songs are a little less stand out and detract from the atmosphere slightly, but nothing film breaking. The real stand out character for me was the delightful cameo of the bogeyman, whose appalling yet endearing persona was a treat.

Now let’s talk about what this film isn’t. This isn’t a film that you should take too seriously. It is very light on plot and those expecting anything more than the most basic fairytale story will leave bitterly disappointed. It also isn’t very long, but this really does work in its favour, leading me nicely onto my closing thoughts.

Touching back on my point of classification, this film cannot be classified as it is in defiance of all common genres, but this didn’t trouble be at all like I had imagined it would. The short length of the film lends it to have a relentlessly fast pace meaning it has an uncanny knack of holding your attention and keeping you fully immersed. The way it has been shot is so interesting that it matters little that the plot cupboard is bare. The Nightmare before Christmas is a short trip into fantasy land, where the strangest things happen and you are in kept awe almost constantly. Although not without its flaws this is definitely a welcome diversion from most other films developed on this side of the world, reminding us all not to take ourselves too seriously.

Blade Runner – Final Cut

Let me first say a little something about immersion. Immersion for those unaware is yelping in fear when a friend taps your shoulder in the middle of 6^th Sense, or following every sentence with an utterance of “Ooooh-Rah!” after spending more than a few minutes in any cinema with Tim Sizemore on screen. In my experience the feeling of immersion will make and break any film. If I had to choose one word to describe my experience of Blade Runner howeverI would have to say schizophrenic. For large portions of the film the atmosphere of the dystopian future Scott creates will grasp you to the extent the absence of distant siren will make you feel distinctly on edge. However, it is the other moments in the film that left me feeling baffled and disappointed. It seems to switch all too frequently between being a thriller and drama. Now, I am aware that a handful of genuinely good dramatic thrillers exist, but in aiming for both of these key genre’s Blade Runner appears to have missed both and instead the genre bullets have landed smack in the middle of what can only be described as “Hollywood”.

Maybe I am being too harsh on the film, I truly did enjoy it overall but with a plot and cast with such promise I expected so much more. The lack of immersion it seems can be stemmed back to the whole Final Cut scenario. From my limited background knowledge of the film I can only deduce that back on release day if we had popped down to cinema town and paid our thru’pence ha’penny to watch Blade Runner, we would have been treated to a film with a far more consistent feel (the original cut being a typical film noir detective thriller). I am a film lover who enjoys a consistently good script, soundtrack and ambience more than special effects but it appears in Scott’s attempt to touch up the latter of these things he decided to strip away the parts I would have much rather seen.

This review may seem overly critical and I apologise to all those who adore this film but it just doesn’t adhere to my weird but wonderful tastes.