Indie Review: BRIDESHEAD

For the mini-review of the indie film of lesser importance, Bottle Shock, click here.


Brideshead Revisited



Starring- Matthew Goode, Ben Whislaw, Hayley Atwell, Emma Thompson, Michael Gambon, Patrick Malahide



Directed by Julian Jarrold



Grade: B-




"Sebastian and I are a couple of heathens."
"I am not a heathen. I'm a sinner."

To anyone who's seen Atonement and has fallen in love with it, Brideshead Revisited may seem like a blatant knockoff of Joe Wright's vision of Ian McEwan's novel. But very much like a teen slasher picture or a Matthew McConaughey film, the British Period Epic is just its own separate genre. Each one will feature sweeping choreography, immaculate theatre-trained class acting, and high society drama. From Howard's End to The English Patient to The Heart Of Me, British Period Epics are its own brand of demographics.

The true key of distancing Brideshead to the far superior Atonement is less subtle. The acting here is top notch, but just a shade underneath the performances of Keira Knightley, James McAvoy and Vanessa Redgrave. The direction by Julian Jarrold is classy, but doesn't quite have the same aesthic pleasure. The writing, based on the novel by Evelyn Waugh, Overall it does indeed share many similarities with Atonement done to a lesser quality, but Brideshead Revisited gets judged by its own highlights and demerits.

Charles Ryder (Match Point's Matthew Goode) is a middle-class young man off to Oxford in the years prior to World War II. While there, he begins a friendship with the flamboyantly gay Sebastian Flyte (Ben Whislaw), who invites Charles to his family's huge estate, aptly titled Brideshead. Therein lies a mess of conflict; Charles is a modern-day atheist, unsure of what he wants out of his life, but begins to fall for Sebastian's sister Julia (Hayley Atwell). Sebastian is part of a devoutly Catholic family, and being homosexual and confused about the contrasts of who he's supposed to be, turns to alcohol. Their mother, Lady Marchmain (Emma Thompson), is one of the last of dying breed of nobility and class from England's past, clinging onto to her religion in the face of the problems surrounding her.

Firstly, I've never personally read the book, but knowing what it entails, the film version of Brideshead Revisited seems to lose its deeper meaning. Waugh's novel was chiefly entrenched on the roles Catholicism and atheism played on the wealthy elite and middle class alike, and while Waugh himself was pro-Catholic, he gave principal allusions to both of its faults as well as its merits.

The film hints at it, but neither Jarrold or the screen adapters Andrew Davies or Jeremy Brock are fearless enough to tackle the subject straight on. Instead it just sort of resides off to the side while the temptations of love become the focus of the fim. Rather than looking at Lady Marchmain and Sebastian's religiousness in the face of each of their problems, Brideshead devolves into a mostly straightforward love triangle.

Secondly was the odd nature of the relationships. There were allusions to homosexual experimenting and love trysts in the novel, but the kiss between Charles and Sebastian in the film seemed almost done in exploitation than necessary to the story. Charles' pursuit of Julia rings somewhat hollow as well. It's not that these subjects are bad, but a bigger focus on the way the family crumbles yet finds its strength in its religious beliefs (the death bed scene of their spiritually wavering father is the acme of the film), more akin to the book, would have distanced Brideshead Revisited from its Atonement comparisons.

Wrapping up the film also proves fairly troublesome. It's pretty true to the book in story towards the end, but drags on for a good 20-30 minutes with several false endings that ultimately does not lead us to any particularly better conclusion. There was a proper climax, but it gets ruined with 20 minutes of almost needless extra explanation. We go from 100 minutes of blossoming drama, to 20 minutes of rapid-fire tying of loose ends.

Despite all of these faults, Brideshead Revisited is buoyant with some fine acting. Goode, known to many American audiences for films such as The Lookout and Chasing Liberty is dependable as the lead, performing like a standard Brit of class, never once breaking emotion unless its called for. Whislaw (I'm Not There) is as endearingly touching as Sebastian as he is revolting in his despair. Emma Thompson, matriarch of the Flyte clan, may follow Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett and her own footsteps (Sense & Sensibility) to another Oscar nomination with her domineering performance that voters eat up.

I'm almost tempted to check out the fabled 1981 BBC miniseries, because it is there that Waugh's book has supposedly been done justice. But I'm not a big enough fan of the British Period Epic to seek it out. If you're naturally a fan of the British Period Epic, you won't be too disappointed with Brideshead Revisited, other than maybe that BPE's poster girl Keira Knightley isn't in the film. But if you're new to exploring the genre, I'd advise you to check out Atonement first. Not because this is 'too British' as one may lead you to believe, but because it has

Featured Review: TRAITOR

Traitor



Starring- Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Said Taghmaoui, Neal McDonough, Aly Khan, Jeff Daniels




Directed by Jeffrey Nachmanoff



Grade: A-



"You must be willing to sacrifice some of your pawns if you want to win the game."

There seems to be a misconception in Hollywood; that action films have to be dumb for the sake of the fight sequences, and that independent drama films with artistic ties cannot be violent, lest their fickle critics debase it as a said action film. Thankfully, Traitor blends both worlds together into a mostly captivating and engrossing spy thriller that offers the audience something different to think about. Something less patriotically jingoism in its actions, and more , even if that worldview isn't fully realized.

Surprisingly, Steve Martin, the guy still making Pink Panther and Cheaper By The Dozen sequels, is a co-conspirator behind Traitor's story. It's understandable to see him delve into a softer side with such Anglo-urban schmaltz as Shopgirl, but to come up with truly unique anti-American perspective (even if the film doesn't always stay anti-American) that isn't seen in too many mainstream films, Martin deserves a chance to branch out from the inane family comedies he's been stuck with as of late.

Don Cheadle stars as Samir Horn, a Sudanese native who had military ties to the United States. Currently he's in Yemen, selling explosives to American officials and Islamic terrorists alike; whoever is the highest bidder for his services. When Roy Clayton (Memento's Guy Pearce) and his partner Max Archer (Neal McDonough) step into the investigation, Samir finds himself in a worldwide cat and mouse game not only with them on his trail, but also navigating

Cheadle is certainly a treat to watch as he usually is, even if his character slowly becomes the "sensitive, slightly offended Black man out to do good", a Cheadle staple (see Hotel Rwanda, Boogie Nights, Reign Over Me). But it's still a great act. For at least the first half of the film his intentions are ambiguous and the audience is unsure how to like the character. It's no question that he'll end up being a good guy, but how good? He's no knight in shining armor, but can he redeem himself as a whole, or has his past rendered him to a life of guiltless solidarity? Cheadle leads us on a pretty decent journey of his emotions.

Also engaging is Said Taghmaoui, as Omar. He, more often that Cheadle's Samir, represents the conflicting views and sentimentality of what we consider terrorists. Omar is very much a part of the spree of violence, but has a pathos worked into the fabric of his character. Taghmaoui was one of the more interesting actors in Vantage Point, and has a real ability to be a principal star ala Omar Sharif if he's given his chance.

As a message film, Traitor doesn't pack much of a punch, but doesn't limp to its conclusion either. Obviously it strives to look deeper into the world and reasoning of people who commit such brutal acts of violence against Americans and their fellow countrymen. While its biggest points don't hit hard enough to truly get people debate the ramifications of America's status as First-World "peacemaker", it does offer more insight to its subject than most films claim to have.

The film can excuse itself from its intellectual faults by being a solid spy thriller. As far as action goes, it may even be considered a little slow paced for people expecting to see something as gung-ho as the Bourne trilogy. But there's twists and turns among the espionage, with plenty of violence, that give Traitor a few ounces of extra adrenaline over other dramas. It'll keep you guessing and interested throughout.

At times a bit cloying, but mostly enjoyable and thoughtful, Traitor is a rousing drama in the September midst of Hollywood dumping ground cinema. It's at times smarter than the Bourne series, but not as adventurous or . For a film conceived by a guy who's next film project is a comedic remake of Topper, and directed by the writer of The Day After Tomorrow, Traitor is however unusually engrossing thriller drama to watch. Unlike say, 88 Minutes, Traitor doesn't sabotage us on that.