Director Spotlight - Neil Marshall
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Part Two
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Doomsday (2008)
I’d always been intrigued by the DVD box for Doomsday, but was concerned that I never heard about its cinema run and discovered that it had pretty poor reviews. Still, after enjoying The Descent I was quite keen to check out Marshall’s follow-up. I had no idea how much fun this movie would turn out to be, the synopsis putting me on my guard for a rather darker and more misery-fuelled experience.
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The premise is that the outbreak of a deadly virus has decimated Scotland's population. Scotland was put into Quarantine to solve the problem, but now many decades later another outbreak of the virus has appeared in central London coming from a boat docked on the Thames. A top agent (played by Rhona Mitra) is sent with a team to go into still-quarantined Scotland to investigate new intelligence suggesting that, contrary to expectations, there are actually survivors. It is believed that a scientist known to have been within the country when quarantine was set up may have created a cure.
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The initial part of the film had me rolling my eyes a bit. The film starts with a lot of voiceover narrative and at this early stage there's no clear protagonist to follow. That said, I did appreciate the pretty much comedic levels of gore and possibly didn't appreciate them enough on first watch seeing as I was expecting a serious film (which, to be fair, was an expectation the ultra-serious tone of the voiceover narrator was clearly setting up).
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Bob Hoskins feels like he's doing too light-hearted a performance. I reckon he seemed more gruff and imposing in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" which really ought to be the minimum level of gruffness in a movie about a catastrophic virus outbreak. Rhona Mitra however, is brilliant as his top agent who is used to putting her feelings on the back burner and being uncompromisingly badass. And that's not code for "plays the character flat" either. Not only does she get opportunities to hint at the humanity she buries, but she gives off quite a bit of variety in her typical confident, efficient and stoic persona.
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Doomsday goes from one extreme to the next and I think that mentioning any of the bizarre scenarios that arise is probably giving away too much. However, I think it's fair to say that this is a homage to films like "Escape From New York", "Mad Max" and, to some extent, "Twelve Monkeys". It also features some 80s classics in the soundtrack like "Spellbound" from Siouxie and the Banshees and "Two Tribes" from Frankie Goes To Hollywood. This had a similar feel to Resident Evil to the extent that Paul W S Anderson always seems to be inspired by genre movies he's seen in the past and making an over the top action movie out of the elements he likes best. That's precisely what is happening here only it's done more effectively and is a lot more fun (and gory, don't forget gory!).
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Essentially this is "Escape From Scotland" (although somehow I think "Escape From Glasgow" has a cooler ring to it). Neil Marshall apparently grew up in Scotland and many of the settings were chosen based on places he remembers from his childhood. It's the level of variety and visual inventiveness that really pushes this above the level of corny braindead action flick and into a work of insane genius.
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This isn't exactly the same sort of film as "The Descent" and part of me is tempted to give it an A for being so thoroughly perfectly wacky. "The Descent" wasn't completely serious all the time, but it was more grounded than this is trying to be. Nevertheless, in "Doomsday" some of the lines aren't so great and the parts of the film set back in London don't flow as well and don't seem to be so well acted. However, before I sign off on this review I have to note a few exceptional performances. Malcolm McDowell is absolutely fantastic when he turns up (though I won't spoil how). Adrian Lester, who I mainly recognise from the tv series "Hustle" (of which I saw a few episodes), also plays a more conventional, but still awesome, badass to compliment Rhona Mitra's more extraordinary badassness. Craig Conway plays a completely nutty character with a wonderful flourish and his second-in-command, with very little in the way of dialogue, is given a fantastic on-screen presence by Lee-Anne Liebenberg.
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I don't feel able to give this an A, but it's worth noting that though this is utterly ridiculous nonsense yet Neil Marshall's fantastic style elevates it and makes it absolutely unmissable.
B+
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The Eagle (2011) / Centurion (2010)
Okay, so "The Eagle" isn't a Neil Marshall movie. However, before I get into my review of Centurion I really feel that I ought to review this one first. At the time that Centurion came out it generally more likely to be compared to Nicolas Winding Refn's "Valhalla Rising", a very slow-paced and dream-like film which takes some cues from Herzog's "Aguirre: Wrath of God" and appears intentionally cryptic on many details. Personally, while I liked some of the ultra-violence and nihilism at the beginning, I found "Valhalla Rising" hard to fathom and, once I'd read what the film was intending to depict, the film appeared utterly ludicrous to me.
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"The Eagle" is actually a lot closer to "Centurion" since these two deal with the same somewhat historical premise. Both are about a Roman legion which ventures into Northern England and Scotland never to return. It's interesting to look at this from a historical perspective because at the time Scotland was on the edge of the known world. Julius Caesar's map of Britain depicted the island as a triangle. This whole area was somewhat mysterious. The Romans of course came from Italy and the climate in Scotland was far harsher than they would generally have found when fighting Gallic or Germanic tribes. And of course, the Picts turned out to be such a formidable foe to the Romans that they were eventually content to simply build a wall to keep them at bay.
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While "Centurion" came first I am reviewing "The Eagle" first out of these two. Partly because I saw "The Eagle" first, but also because "The Eagle" is based on the much earlier novel "Eagle Of The Ninth" by Rosemary Sutcliffe, which may actually have been an inspiration to Neil Marshall's film.
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"The Eagle" stars Channing Tatum as a Roman centurion whose main ambition is to clear his father's name. His father was believed to have been shamed when his legion lost their eagle and he never returned. That he chooses to be posted up in what is now Northern England is seen as a bizarre decision since it is viewed by most as a hell hole, far from civilisation and surrounded by savage natives. The defeat of his father's legion is a prominent reminder of just how dangerous this location is. Seen as a privileged figure who is out of his depth and, in any case, a newcomer to the area, he finds those under his command to be rather sceptical of his authority. Things don't go quite as planned and in the end Channing Tatum makes the decision to search for answers without a legion backing him up with the use of a Northern English slave, played by Jamie Bell (ZOMG!!!). So yeah, Jamie Bell is awesome, but surprisingly Channing Tatum does a pretty good job too and the two actually make a pretty cool team.
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As they venture through Northern England and Scotland the scenery is absolutely beautiful. I can only presume they were sensible enough to make their trip during the height of summer since the climate seems far too pleasant. The discovery of the entirely fictional 'seal people' who speak a kind of Scottish Gaelic makes these people seem very imposing. What with this being a part of the UK, the otherness of this group is made very striking. The 'seal people' with their skin painted with mud are just about plausible and while they come across as scary and ruthless, the Romans are no better.
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The film becomes about a mixture of honour and identity. Channing Tatum's character feels a strong need to deal with the sense of dishonour left by his father's disappearance, while Jamie Bell's character pledges a debt of honour to Channing Tatum himself. Most Romans do not appreciate the obsession Channing Tatum has with the border of the Roman Empire in Northern England and similarly people within Britain cannot imagine one of their own pledging loyalty to a Roman. The connection between these two characters is bridging two very different cultures with a deep animosity to one another, but both are similarly stubborn in their personal moralities and this holds them together.
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My only issue with this film is that it seems to get a bit too soft. The actual plot is pretty harsh, but the way it is presented seems a little overly kid-friendly. Then again, this was a "12A" certificate movie and probably benefitted from the younger audience. With the lower age rating in mind, it definitely deserves some credit for how harsh it gets. Some of the fight scenes, particularly towards the beginning are pretty cool and it doesn't feel like the film is holding back on violence. As I said before, the 'seal people' are harsh, brutal and intimidating. But part of me wonders whether the ending isn't a little overly pleasant considering what they go through. But heck, this is a really enjoyable film with some great performances, some great cinematography and while I may have a few little misgivings I cannot deny that I had a lot of fun watching it and that it left me with some very compelling imagery.
B+
So that leaves Centurion. Naturally, as with his other films, Neil Marshall is going for the full 18 certificate and keeps to his regular high levels of gore. This film is based on the same event, but while Channing Tatum in "The Eagle" is dealing with the aftermath of the defeat of his father's Legion, this film deals with that Legion itself. They are travelling into the far north to what, for the Romans, is the ends of the Earth and they are dealing with utterly ruthless figures. Unlike in "The Eagle" the climate does not seem at all pleasant. They are surrounded by icy mountains and really don't seem appropriately dressed for it.
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So here's the little bit of info that may well have some ignoring any misgivings and putting this on their rental list straight away. Pretty much the main star of this film is none other than... *drumroll*... Michael Fassbender. Oh yeah, the Fass is here and he's giving just as awesome a performance as ever.
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And yes, there is a lot to enjoy in this film. The characters are endearing, though the attempt to flesh them out only goes so far. There are quite a lot of characters and many seem to get killed off just as you are getting to know them. Noel Clarke is pretty cool as one of the centurions, but I think I just find him too naturally endearing to accept the negative sides of his character. Dominic West (McNulty from "The Wire") is pretty cool here and is far more charismatic than the rather flat character he had in "John Carter".
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A particularly interesting character in "Centurion" has no lines at all. She's put forward at the Legion's secret weapon. A highly skilled tracker working for the Romans, but originally born in Britain. She has no tongue. (I think you can probably see where this is going.)
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Anyway, when things go to pot (as the plot of "The Eagle" is enough to assure you that things do go very very wrong for the Romans on this mission), the harshness of the environment and the situation is expressed very well. Unfortunately, the film is a little too convoluted. The scenery looks beautiful, but the characters don't have enough depth and the tense situation isn't as consistently enjoyable as it could be because the plot shifts gears a little too often.
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Once again, I'm a little annoyed by the ending, but this time it's because the film decides to manufacture a love story out of nowhere. I previously has this problem with "Screamers" (and I apologise to those who haven't seen the cheesy mixed-quality Paul Weller sci-fi flick in question). The issue is that if you introduce a female character over half way through the movie, you cannot suddenly have her fall in love with one of the protagonists in the final act without some decent character-building to earn it.
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Asides from that, even in spite of the convoluted bits, "Centurion" is generally just way too predictable and not particularly fun in the process. Neil Marshall does rather better on atmosphere than he does on plot, character development, pacing, or fun. As much as I trashed Dog Soldiers before and as forgettable as I found it the first time around, it does have a better sense of fun (Sean Pertwee would have been a great addition to Centurion I feel). Overall while beautiful and creepy, Centurion isn't really sure where to take its story. The film carries you along pretty well until you realise that the story isn't going anywhere and eventually I found I lost interest. Worth watching if you are a Neil Marshall fan or a Michael Fassbender fan (or Noel Clarke fan or whatever), but as an individual film you'd be better off with "The Eagle".
C-
(Cross-posted to Halloween Candy)
Part Two
Doomsday (2008)
I’d always been intrigued by the DVD box for Doomsday, but was concerned that I never heard about its cinema run and discovered that it had pretty poor reviews. Still, after enjoying The Descent I was quite keen to check out Marshall’s follow-up. I had no idea how much fun this movie would turn out to be, the synopsis putting me on my guard for a rather darker and more misery-fuelled experience.
The premise is that the outbreak of a deadly virus has decimated Scotland's population. Scotland was put into Quarantine to solve the problem, but now many decades later another outbreak of the virus has appeared in central London coming from a boat docked on the Thames. A top agent (played by Rhona Mitra) is sent with a team to go into still-quarantined Scotland to investigate new intelligence suggesting that, contrary to expectations, there are actually survivors. It is believed that a scientist known to have been within the country when quarantine was set up may have created a cure.
The initial part of the film had me rolling my eyes a bit. The film starts with a lot of voiceover narrative and at this early stage there's no clear protagonist to follow. That said, I did appreciate the pretty much comedic levels of gore and possibly didn't appreciate them enough on first watch seeing as I was expecting a serious film (which, to be fair, was an expectation the ultra-serious tone of the voiceover narrator was clearly setting up).
Bob Hoskins feels like he's doing too light-hearted a performance. I reckon he seemed more gruff and imposing in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" which really ought to be the minimum level of gruffness in a movie about a catastrophic virus outbreak. Rhona Mitra however, is brilliant as his top agent who is used to putting her feelings on the back burner and being uncompromisingly badass. And that's not code for "plays the character flat" either. Not only does she get opportunities to hint at the humanity she buries, but she gives off quite a bit of variety in her typical confident, efficient and stoic persona.
Doomsday goes from one extreme to the next and I think that mentioning any of the bizarre scenarios that arise is probably giving away too much. However, I think it's fair to say that this is a homage to films like "Escape From New York", "Mad Max" and, to some extent, "Twelve Monkeys". It also features some 80s classics in the soundtrack like "Spellbound" from Siouxie and the Banshees and "Two Tribes" from Frankie Goes To Hollywood. This had a similar feel to Resident Evil to the extent that Paul W S Anderson always seems to be inspired by genre movies he's seen in the past and making an over the top action movie out of the elements he likes best. That's precisely what is happening here only it's done more effectively and is a lot more fun (and gory, don't forget gory!).
Essentially this is "Escape From Scotland" (although somehow I think "Escape From Glasgow" has a cooler ring to it). Neil Marshall apparently grew up in Scotland and many of the settings were chosen based on places he remembers from his childhood. It's the level of variety and visual inventiveness that really pushes this above the level of corny braindead action flick and into a work of insane genius.
This isn't exactly the same sort of film as "The Descent" and part of me is tempted to give it an A for being so thoroughly perfectly wacky. "The Descent" wasn't completely serious all the time, but it was more grounded than this is trying to be. Nevertheless, in "Doomsday" some of the lines aren't so great and the parts of the film set back in London don't flow as well and don't seem to be so well acted. However, before I sign off on this review I have to note a few exceptional performances. Malcolm McDowell is absolutely fantastic when he turns up (though I won't spoil how). Adrian Lester, who I mainly recognise from the tv series "Hustle" (of which I saw a few episodes), also plays a more conventional, but still awesome, badass to compliment Rhona Mitra's more extraordinary badassness. Craig Conway plays a completely nutty character with a wonderful flourish and his second-in-command, with very little in the way of dialogue, is given a fantastic on-screen presence by Lee-Anne Liebenberg.
I don't feel able to give this an A, but it's worth noting that though this is utterly ridiculous nonsense yet Neil Marshall's fantastic style elevates it and makes it absolutely unmissable.
B+
The Eagle (2011) / Centurion (2010)
Okay, so "The Eagle" isn't a Neil Marshall movie. However, before I get into my review of Centurion I really feel that I ought to review this one first. At the time that Centurion came out it generally more likely to be compared to Nicolas Winding Refn's "Valhalla Rising", a very slow-paced and dream-like film which takes some cues from Herzog's "Aguirre: Wrath of God" and appears intentionally cryptic on many details. Personally, while I liked some of the ultra-violence and nihilism at the beginning, I found "Valhalla Rising" hard to fathom and, once I'd read what the film was intending to depict, the film appeared utterly ludicrous to me.
"The Eagle" is actually a lot closer to "Centurion" since these two deal with the same somewhat historical premise. Both are about a Roman legion which ventures into Northern England and Scotland never to return. It's interesting to look at this from a historical perspective because at the time Scotland was on the edge of the known world. Julius Caesar's map of Britain depicted the island as a triangle. This whole area was somewhat mysterious. The Romans of course came from Italy and the climate in Scotland was far harsher than they would generally have found when fighting Gallic or Germanic tribes. And of course, the Picts turned out to be such a formidable foe to the Romans that they were eventually content to simply build a wall to keep them at bay.
While "Centurion" came first I am reviewing "The Eagle" first out of these two. Partly because I saw "The Eagle" first, but also because "The Eagle" is based on the much earlier novel "Eagle Of The Ninth" by Rosemary Sutcliffe, which may actually have been an inspiration to Neil Marshall's film.
"The Eagle" stars Channing Tatum as a Roman centurion whose main ambition is to clear his father's name. His father was believed to have been shamed when his legion lost their eagle and he never returned. That he chooses to be posted up in what is now Northern England is seen as a bizarre decision since it is viewed by most as a hell hole, far from civilisation and surrounded by savage natives. The defeat of his father's legion is a prominent reminder of just how dangerous this location is. Seen as a privileged figure who is out of his depth and, in any case, a newcomer to the area, he finds those under his command to be rather sceptical of his authority. Things don't go quite as planned and in the end Channing Tatum makes the decision to search for answers without a legion backing him up with the use of a Northern English slave, played by Jamie Bell (ZOMG!!!). So yeah, Jamie Bell is awesome, but surprisingly Channing Tatum does a pretty good job too and the two actually make a pretty cool team.
As they venture through Northern England and Scotland the scenery is absolutely beautiful. I can only presume they were sensible enough to make their trip during the height of summer since the climate seems far too pleasant. The discovery of the entirely fictional 'seal people' who speak a kind of Scottish Gaelic makes these people seem very imposing. What with this being a part of the UK, the otherness of this group is made very striking. The 'seal people' with their skin painted with mud are just about plausible and while they come across as scary and ruthless, the Romans are no better.
The film becomes about a mixture of honour and identity. Channing Tatum's character feels a strong need to deal with the sense of dishonour left by his father's disappearance, while Jamie Bell's character pledges a debt of honour to Channing Tatum himself. Most Romans do not appreciate the obsession Channing Tatum has with the border of the Roman Empire in Northern England and similarly people within Britain cannot imagine one of their own pledging loyalty to a Roman. The connection between these two characters is bridging two very different cultures with a deep animosity to one another, but both are similarly stubborn in their personal moralities and this holds them together.
My only issue with this film is that it seems to get a bit too soft. The actual plot is pretty harsh, but the way it is presented seems a little overly kid-friendly. Then again, this was a "12A" certificate movie and probably benefitted from the younger audience. With the lower age rating in mind, it definitely deserves some credit for how harsh it gets. Some of the fight scenes, particularly towards the beginning are pretty cool and it doesn't feel like the film is holding back on violence. As I said before, the 'seal people' are harsh, brutal and intimidating. But part of me wonders whether the ending isn't a little overly pleasant considering what they go through. But heck, this is a really enjoyable film with some great performances, some great cinematography and while I may have a few little misgivings I cannot deny that I had a lot of fun watching it and that it left me with some very compelling imagery.
B+
So that leaves Centurion. Naturally, as with his other films, Neil Marshall is going for the full 18 certificate and keeps to his regular high levels of gore. This film is based on the same event, but while Channing Tatum in "The Eagle" is dealing with the aftermath of the defeat of his father's Legion, this film deals with that Legion itself. They are travelling into the far north to what, for the Romans, is the ends of the Earth and they are dealing with utterly ruthless figures. Unlike in "The Eagle" the climate does not seem at all pleasant. They are surrounded by icy mountains and really don't seem appropriately dressed for it.
So here's the little bit of info that may well have some ignoring any misgivings and putting this on their rental list straight away. Pretty much the main star of this film is none other than... *drumroll*... Michael Fassbender. Oh yeah, the Fass is here and he's giving just as awesome a performance as ever.
And yes, there is a lot to enjoy in this film. The characters are endearing, though the attempt to flesh them out only goes so far. There are quite a lot of characters and many seem to get killed off just as you are getting to know them. Noel Clarke is pretty cool as one of the centurions, but I think I just find him too naturally endearing to accept the negative sides of his character. Dominic West (McNulty from "The Wire") is pretty cool here and is far more charismatic than the rather flat character he had in "John Carter".
A particularly interesting character in "Centurion" has no lines at all. She's put forward at the Legion's secret weapon. A highly skilled tracker working for the Romans, but originally born in Britain. She has no tongue. (I think you can probably see where this is going.)
Anyway, when things go to pot (as the plot of "The Eagle" is enough to assure you that things do go very very wrong for the Romans on this mission), the harshness of the environment and the situation is expressed very well. Unfortunately, the film is a little too convoluted. The scenery looks beautiful, but the characters don't have enough depth and the tense situation isn't as consistently enjoyable as it could be because the plot shifts gears a little too often.
Once again, I'm a little annoyed by the ending, but this time it's because the film decides to manufacture a love story out of nowhere. I previously has this problem with "Screamers" (and I apologise to those who haven't seen the cheesy mixed-quality Paul Weller sci-fi flick in question). The issue is that if you introduce a female character over half way through the movie, you cannot suddenly have her fall in love with one of the protagonists in the final act without some decent character-building to earn it.
Asides from that, even in spite of the convoluted bits, "Centurion" is generally just way too predictable and not particularly fun in the process. Neil Marshall does rather better on atmosphere than he does on plot, character development, pacing, or fun. As much as I trashed Dog Soldiers before and as forgettable as I found it the first time around, it does have a better sense of fun (Sean Pertwee would have been a great addition to Centurion I feel). Overall while beautiful and creepy, Centurion isn't really sure where to take its story. The film carries you along pretty well until you realise that the story isn't going anywhere and eventually I found I lost interest. Worth watching if you are a Neil Marshall fan or a Michael Fassbender fan (or Noel Clarke fan or whatever), but as an individual film you'd be better off with "The Eagle".
C-
(Cross-posted to Halloween Candy)