Atlantis - The Earth Bull Review

This review can also be found on Media Gateway.

From the creators of Merlin comes a new fantasy drama series, Atlantis, set in a world of legendary heroes and mythical creatures. Last night, Atlantis premièred with its first episode, The Earth Bull, and despite not being immediately gripping, it does show some promise for the series.

Atlantis stars Jack Donnelly as Jason (presumably of Argonauts fame), a young man who takes a submarine down into the ocean in an attempt to find his missing father. But something most irregular happens to Jason’s sub, and he suddenly finds himself marooned - and inexplicably clothes-less - on an unknown shore. With nothing more than the pendant his father once gave him and a pile of clothes he finds on the shoreline, Jason makes his way inland and comes across a vast and impressive looking city.

After a wild chase through a market, involving a number of city guards and a two-headed lizard, Jason is rescued by a young Pythagoras (Robert Emms) and we learn that this is the city of Atlantis, before the fall. Although Pythagoras is more than happy to take in the perplexed Jason, his house-mate Hercules (Mark Addy) is less than enthused by this newcomer’s arrival…

From here, the story borrows elements from the legend of Theseus and the Minotaur, as the Atlantean people are brought before King Minos (Alexander Siddig) in an annual ritual to draw stones; a white stone means that one is safe, but a black stone means that they are one of the seven to be sacrificed to the Minotaur and appease the gods. Offering himself in place of Pythagoras (who drew a black stone), Jason is taken with six others to face the Minotaur, with only a spool of thread given to him by Minos’s daughter, Ariadne (Aiysha Hart), to help him retrace his path back out of the cave...

This opening episode of the series shows promise for the future. With impressive, detailed sets and costumes, and fantastically rendered CGI in the form of the Minotaur and the aforementioned two-headed lizard, Atlantis certainly has a wonderful aesthetic feel to it. The cast provide excellent performances throughout, with Emms’s slightly awkward, bumbling yet brilliant Pythagoras, Addy’s subversive take on Hercules, and Donnelly’s portrayal of a man finding his feet in this unknown land. They’ve set up a truly talented triumvirate to lead the show.

However, the story did fall short on a few occasions, and this could largely be due to it being the pilot and having to establish its Universe. Jason adapts to life in Atlantis exceedingly quickly, suddenly being able to perform such unlikely athletic feats as jumping on to the city’s wall, swinging from a pole to propel himself upwards, and he takes on the hero’s mantel fairly early on in the story. However, this could be connected to his special destiny that the Oracle (Juliet Stevenson) mentions to him shortly after his arrival on Atlantis. But at least he’s not particularly good with a sword (worse than Pythagoras, as it turns out)! There is also a substantial amount of expository dialogue from the Oracle, as she explains how Jason was born in Atlantis, that there’s a gateway between their worlds, and that he has many enemies here who would kill him if they found out who he was. This exposition does feel quite heavy, especially for the first episode, but it does help to establish the character and the story that is starting to unfold.

That’s not to say it wasn’t good, by any means. It was certainly an enjoyable opening episode, and the incorporation of various recognisable myths and legends was done exceedingly well (although I must admit the confrontation with the Minotaur felt a little anticlimactic). There are also some elements of intrigue introduced in this episode which will no doubt be expanded upon in future episodes: Who is Jason really, and what is his destiny? Who are those who would wish to stop him, and why?

All in all, the first episode of Atlantis was a good opening to the series; although the dialogue seemed overly expository at times, and the story occasionally fell short, it was an overall enjoyable viewing. Pilots are often a shaky start for any series, and The Earth Bull certainly shows some promise for the future of Atlantis. I’m looking forward to seeing how the rest of the series pans out.

If you missed the first episode of Atlantis, you can catch it on BBC iPlayer here.

Rush - Everyone's Driven By Something

This review can also be found on Media Gateway.

It's undeniable that the idea of sitting on top of a 450 horse-power engine, behind the steering wheel of an F1 car tearing around at 170mph is an incredibly thrilling prospect. And as tempting as that idea is, I came away from Rush with both the desire to put my foot down on the accelerator and yet also thankful that I don't actually own a car!

Directed by Ron Howard and written by Peter Morgan, Rush is based on the true story of Formula One World Champions Niki Lauda and James Hunt. Starring Daniel Brühl as the methodical, calculating and obnoxious Lauda and Chris Hemsworth as the charming playboy – and no less obnoxious – Hunt, the film tells the story of these two very disparate men and their intense rivalry. With stunning visuals and an engaging narrative about the fierce competition and personal drama between these two racers, Rush is a gripping cinematic tour de force from beginning to end.

The film follows the tale of the two acclaimed racing drivers, from Hunt and Lauda's first encounter at a Formula Three race in 1970 to the climactic events of the 1976 Formula One season, in which both drivers are willing to risk everything to best each other and claim the title of World Champion. Although the film is set against the stylish backdrop of the 70s Formula One racing world, Rush is not just about the racing; it’s about Hunt and Lauda’s rivalry, a story driven by their very different styles both on and off the tracks, and their personal approaches to life.

Daniel Brühl and Chris Hemsworth bring this true story of conflict and competition to life on-screen, consistently carrying off these roles and their juxtaposed personalities superbly, truly embodying their characters. At times it becomes difficult to distinguish the actors from the men they’re portraying. There’s a wonderful chemistry between the two, especially as their confrontational demeanor grows into a mutual respect. The film at first appears to focus on Hemsworth’s James Hunt, following his rise to F1 stardom, his promiscuous lifestyle, and his impulsive attitude towards both racing and his life. He has one goal in mind; to beat Niki Lauda, and take his place as F1 World Champion. As the narrative progresses, it gradually transitions to Brühl’s Niki Lauda, the polar opposite of Hunt, in his more measured and methodical approach to all walks of life, calculating and plotting his course around the track, maximising the efficiency of his car, and considering the risks and weighing them against his personal life and what he stands to lose.

The crux of the film is during the fateful incident at the Nürburgring on the 1st of August, 1976, during which Lauda suffers a near-fatal accident, having to be airlifted to hospital after his car careens into an embankment and bursts into flames. The narrative takes on a more sombre note from this point, as Lauda spends six weeks being treated for his injuries and watching as Hunt begins to dominate the rest of the season. It’s a heartbreaking sequence, phenomenally portrayed by Brühl and Alexandra Maria Lara as his wife, Marlene Lauda; her grief and concern for her husband is palpable, helplessly standing by as he struggles through his recovery, forcing himself to get back behind the wheel against his doctor’s orders, spurred on by his rivalry with Hunt. Despite Lauda being a fundamentally unlikable character for most of the film, these are some of the most emotionally impacting scenes in Rush, as one truly feels a sense of empathy for him.

It’s hard to have a similar sense of empathy during Hunt’s crisis, though, as he suffers a series of setbacks over the course of a number of races and reacts like a petulant teenager most of the time, but is nonetheless consummately portrayed by Chris Hemsworth. It’s not until he discovers that his wife, Suzy Miller (Olivia Wilde), is having an affair with Richard Burton that he regains his competitive spirit, and this, along with his growing respect for Lauda getting back into racing so soon after his accident (and remorse for being somewhat responsible), is where Hunt really shows some character depth. Although there isn’t a great deal of room for character development with James Hunt, Hemsworth delivers a great performance as the arrogant and impulsive Hunt, and there are some particularly touching scenes towards the film’s conclusion between Hunt and Lauda.

The greatest triumph of Rush has to be the story. Based on true events, Peter Morgan has taken two F1 legends, conveying public facts whilst also creating vivid and believable interpretations of their lives 'behind closed doors'. This sets Rush apart from other sports dramas, as it's not really about the racing; it's a multi-faceted human drama, a story of personal rivalry and tragedy, juxtaposed with the breakneck world of Formula One. This depth of narrative, combined with the thrilling racing sequences (which are much more exciting than watching real F1!) and stylish 70s aesthetic, makes for a truly engaging film.

Rush is as one would expect from its title; an adrenaline-pumping, pedal-to-the-metal action film, but set against this backdrop of golden age Formula One racing and underpinning this fast-paced thrill ride is a story of drama, intense rivalry, and fierce determination. It is nothing short of phenomenal.

Cloud Atlas - Everything Is Connected

This review can also be found on Media Gateway.

Cloud Atlas was one of the most highly anticipated films of 2012. It didn't première in the UK until February 2013, but regrettably I never went to see it when it was being shown in cinemas. However, a year on from its world première at Toronto Film Festival, I finally sat down to watch the film I'd been looking forward to for so long... Having read the book a while ago, I was immensely looking forward to seeing how they'd taken on the incredibly challenging task of adapting it for film; it'd be no mean feat, but if anyone could do Cloud Atlas justice, it would be the Wachowskis!

Created by Tom Tykwer,  Lana Wachowski, and Andy Wachowski, Cloud Atlas is the cinematic adaptation of David Mitchell's award-winning book. Starring Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Jim Sturgess, Ben Whishaw, Doona Bae, James D'Arcy, Hugh Grant and Hugo Weaving as a multitude of characters over six separate – but connected – narratives, the story takes place across different time periods over the course of 500 years, from the Pacific Journal of Adam Ewing in 1849 to 'Sloosha's Crossin' an' Ev'rythin' After' in 2321.

Unlike the book, which tells each story in a 'nesting doll' style (each story finishes halfway through and moves on to the next, and then the final half of each story is told in reverse order), the film is structured in a pointillist mosaic style, telling fragments of each story, often mirroring or juxtaposed with segments which are connected in the other time period. Although this initially feels very fragmented, as it doesn't seem to follow a linear structure, it becomes clearer as the film progresses and makes the over-arching narrative all the more understandable. Personally, I felt this style worked particularly well for the film, as if it had followed the book's structure we'd see the first half of Adam Ewing's story at the very beginning and not be concluded for another two and a half hours (in which time, one could easily have forgotten some of its significance)! This pointillist method helps show how everything is connected.

Cloud Atlas is by no means a traditional Hollywood film; you can't just leave your brain at the door, and it certainly pays off to devote your full attention to it throughout the piece. Each element of the story is integral to the next, and each individual piece is key to understanding the whole (what is any ocean but a multitude of drops?). The story itself I found to be a life affirming piece; a story of past, present and future; of how everything is connected; and of how a single act of kindness can shape the future in unforeseeable ways.

There are also elements of spirituality to the narrative, as souls cross ages like clouds cross skies (an' tho' a cloud's shape nor hue nor size don't stay the same, it's still a cloud an' so is a soul). Some characters (such as those played by Hugo Weaving and Hugh Grant) seem destined to repeat the same existence, being the forces that stand in the way of – and even openly try to prevent – each story's protagonist from accomplishing their goals, to varying levels of immorality. Meanwhile, Tom Hanks's characters tell a tale of spiritual redemption (from the duplicitous Dr Henry Goose to the kind-hearted Zachry) and Jim Sturgess plays those who fight for equality and justice (from lawyer Adam Ewing, who helps an escaped-slave stowaway and ultimately condemns slavery, to Hae-Joo Chang, a Korean freedom fighter in 2144 who frees the slave-clone Sonmi 451 and initiates a revolution). Keeping track of each actor and the characters they play throughout the film is integral to understanding the overall narrative, as various souls are reincarnated and carry on their spiritual journey across the ages, crossing each other's paths again and again, and finding their soulmates. I find the ideas explored in the film – and the book – incredibly intriguing, and will probably fully explore them and their implications in a future article (whether it'll be in this lifetime or the next is unknown at this time!).

Of course, it would be remiss of me not to commend the cast on their performances throughout the film, as each actor fully embodies a number of personae to portray their progressive life-times. I had to double-take a number of times throughout the viewing, as actors recur in all six of the film's plots, but are completely unrecognisable in some cases (not least Hugo Weaving when he turns up as a despotic female care-worker!). Hugh Grant is another who phenomenally covers an array of characters, and although he's definitely recognisable in the role of Lloyd Hooks, owner of a nuclear power plant on Swannekke Island, Grant is completely transformed in his other roles throughout the film (who'd have thought William Thacker from Notting Hill would become the savage leader of a cannibalistic tribe in 2321?!).

I could go on and on and on, as the fact of the matter is that every actor performs superbly throughout, completely unrecognisable from one role to the next as they not only capture each role but inhabit their characters perfectly. Unfortunately, to properly convey praise for each individual's performance would probably require writing many more pages than is really fitting for a film review, so I'll simply leave it as this: the entire cast provide brilliant performances throughout, consummately embodying their respective characters throughout six different stories, and each actor's fantastic portrayal helped make Cloud Atlas a truly, utterly sublime piece of cinema.

In many ways, Cloud Atlas is much more than another science fiction film; it's a work of art. It is an inspiring, thought-provoking and life-affirming piece of cinema, and is a genuinely remarkable film. It is – in the truest meaning of the word – awesome.