Far From the Madding Crowd

Accompanied by my film partner-in-crime, Emma, I trotted along to the cinema for a mid-day showing of Far From the Madding Crowd. The British Drama stars Carey Mulligan and Michael Sheen alongside two of my favourites - Juno Temple and Tom Sturridge. This adaptation of Thomas Hardy's novel (there have been four in total) was released two months ago for the first time at the Istanbul Film Festival before general release on May 1st. At just under two hours long, the Victorian set film is far from being a profound piece of cinema... yes, I did just make that joke. But seriously, the film was fine. Just fine. And here is why:

The plot is basic and uninspiring with the focus of the films action left in the hands of Mulligan who often falls short in roles that many others would shine in. Perhaps directors and producers alike simply have too much faith in her abilities or are blinded by her 'classic' English beauty. This is also not the first book adaptation that Mulligan has starred in that has left me disappointed. Back in 2010 she joined Andrew Garfield and Keira Knightley to publicly humiliate themselves in the adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's novel Never Let Me Go. But, Carey Mulligan was thankfully carried by a competent supporting cast, this time around, which resulted in a fairly easy to watch film. However, with Michael Sheen at Mulligan's side during many scenes, I had expected a little bit of his talent to rub off on her. 

Despite recieving astonishingly high reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb, Far From the Madding Crowd really is not that special. Many of the novel's most famous and appreciated moments are skimmed through and overlooked by dream-like sequences. Understandably this was done to shorten the length of the film, but at the risk of diluting a plot to the point of it becoming boring? Is it really worth it? In fact, the film has strayed far from the original novel's focus on countryside society and the land from which many earn their keep. Thomas Vinterberg, the director, clearly tries to distance his adaptation from previous ones as the atmosphere in his film feels deliberately darker and less like a traditional romance that the poster [left] may suggest. Which is appropriate considering the plot is certainly not traditional. In terms of studying adaptation, however, this film is incredibly interesting because of the differing views and opinions that it offers. Proving that an adaptation does not need to stick rigidly to the structure created before it. 

As afore mentioned, I am quite a fan of Juno Temple. So I was incredibly pleased to discover that she would be playing Fanny Robin, a pivotal role within the novel's plot. Unfortunately she did not feature as heavily during the film as I would have liked. The way in which her relationship with Frank was only touched upon, left me wondering why they even bothered continuing with their story line at all. In order for viewers to understand Frank's actions and frustrations his relationship with Fanny needed to be explored properly. 

In summation, this film was more captivating than I had expected it to be with beautiful costuming, scenery and moments of real talent amongst the cast. I think that several moments could have been reexamined by the director and his team but overall the film was fine. This film has cemented one thing for me. If a man gives you a lamb, that is the man you should marry. 

San Andreas

San Andreas, where do I even start? With a screenplay written by Carlton Cuse and directed by Brad Peyton, Dwayne Johnson's latest film is even more stereotypical than his last. The role is practically made for the wrestler-turned-actor. From beginning to end, his bulging muscles and soft gooey centre are seen saving lives and kicking nature's ass. San Andreas was filmed and produced in just over a year, making it an incredibly quick process for an action film. Released worldwide on May 29th in both 2D and 3D, the film is just under two hours long and was distributed by Warner Bros Pictures with a budget of just over $100 million. The plot is simple and not over complicated, with Dwayne Johnson, playing Chief Ray Gaines, desperately trying to save his ex-wife, Emma, and daughter, Blake, from the impending doom of an earth shattering earthquake.

From the trailer, the impression I got about this film was that it was a shameless attempt for Johnson to be further branded as an action movie hero. Every clip is of him stretching his arm out to someone in need or carrying the injured. I guess you could say that from the outset, I knew this film was going to glorify Johnson (and his muscles). I'm a follower of his Instagram - which I recommend for a few giggles - and have been aware of all the promotional junkets and press surrounding the film because of this. I am also a fan of natural disaster films as I feel it is a reflection of a deep rooted societal fear and anxiety for many. And who wouldn't be intrigued to see a visual representation of the world's power and force without there being real world consequences? I saw the film on preview day at Cineworld on May 28th with one of my besties and prepared myself for a laugh. Even when explaining the film to her I used to words 'so bad it could be good'. Armed with some juice and good spirits we settled in for two hours of watching an extreme natural disaster. But it really wasn't that bad! Like really, it was kind of awesome!

There were moments of weirdness. Like the brief cameo from Kylie Minogue and the presence throughout of incredibly obvious fake teeth. But overall, San Andreas is a wonderful addition to the disaster movie catalogue. It included multiple earthquakes and a tsunami to top it off, so it certainly fits nicely into the disaster genre. The film had real heart to it. Not just from the main plot line of the Gaines family trying to find each other, but because even the subplot involving the Seismologist and reporter, was incredibly touching. There was a clear desire to stress how uncontrollable these events are, even after we've learnt how to predict them. I also enjoyed the two English brothers. Whilst the elder boy was included to provide a love interest for Blake, the younger acted as additional motivation to make it out of San Fransisco alive. I found myself rooting for the characters and on the edge of my seat as each earthquake hit.

With films like this, I can't help but feel disappointed. My parents would never be able to save me! Similarly after watching Taken, I was left wondering how quickly I would have died in the particular situation due to my parents lack of physical or lifesaving skills. My Mother and Father are great people and are wonderful high achievers in their professional and personal lives but there is no way in hell they would be able to save my from a sinking building in San Fransisco. I'm sure they would be thinking of me and worrying about me, but there is very little I can imagine they would be able to change about the situation.

Johnson, as much as I would like to make fun of him, has found his niche and he plays his role well. Although sometimes he fails to fully portray genuine emotions on screen, his acting in San Andreas was spot on. His onscreen chemistry with Carla Gugino, who played his ex-wife, was great and the two fit well together visually. I become a bigger fan of his every time I see one of his films. I think this will be a huge hit this year as it checks all of the basic boxes for action film and Summer Blockbuster! There was only one 'fucking' said too... so I suppose that's a thing that helps widen the target audience. Kids will love it, adults will love it. I loved it.