James Absolon explains how this Pope-themed film, despite its risky premise, works
Alex Pollard reviews Hollywood's biopic of the controversial Margaret Thatcher
Revolutionary Road marks the highly anticipated reunion between Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. But Titanic this ain’t. Jack and Rose have grown up and developed issues, and while that may not be good for them, we are treated to an acting partnership where sparks fly and the chemistry is effortless. After the first intimate scene where Frank (DiCaprio) and April (Winslet) meet at a party and dance together, it’s all pretty much downhill from there. Director Sam Mendes makes a point of showcasing their deteriorating body language as the couple walk down a long corridor with miles of space between them. Frank and April are frustrated that the dreams they had as a young couple in love have been consumed by 1950s suburban life. In one shot, Frank is shown as just one businessman among the masses, now as unmemorable as his father was.
Despite their plan to escape to Paris, where people are really “alive”, their neighbours think they are unrealistic for trying to break the “rules”. Every so often the neighbours' son, on day release from a psychiatric hospital, enters Frank and April’s world and illuminates the feelings that both are hiding, saying what no one else wants to. All the players in this film are good, but it is Winslet and DiCaprio who mesmerise on screen, showing that Winslet’s Golden Globe was richly deserved.
Role Models is far from your average buddy comedy. The dialogue is sharper and the wit is quicker. Paul Rudd finally becomes a leading man, which has been long overdue after years of supporting roles in Will Ferrell films. Rudd also co-wrote the script, which is packed with intelligent gags complemented by rapid delivery. One scene in particular will resonate with all those who have tried in Starbucks to order a simple coffee in vain.
Danny (Rudd) and his colleague Wheeler (Seann William Scott) are ordered to do community service by becoming mentors to two young boys. Danny is paired with socially awkward Live Action Role Player Augie (Christopher Mintz-Plasse, the artist formerly known as McLovin), and Wheeler is given Ronnie, the over-mature pre-teen who has driven away all his previous mentors. Watching the two men grow up and learn some responsibility might sound trite, but it’s a funny ride. And while Live Action Role Players are an easy target, by the end of the film you’ll want to be one.
At first sight, Milk may look like Sean Penn’s showcase, and in many ways it is. His portrayal of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in the U.S., is uncanny, as many of Milk’s real friends have testified. Milk’s welcoming personality, his humour, and his acceptance of his role as the mouthpiece of the gay community of the Castro endeared him to the many outsiders who came to San Francisco looking to belong. But Penn is surrounded by an outstanding supporting cast, including James Franco as Milk’s lover, and Emile Hirsch, a young activist Milk takes under his wing.
Director Gus Van Sant includes much documentary footage which never feels out of place. But he doesn’t fail to make his mark, with constantly interesting direction and reflective camera angles that keep your eyes moving. The film is told in flashback as Milk recounts his life into a dictaphone, to be played in the event of his assassination. While fully recognising that the position he took on made him a target for hostile groups, his convictions stopped him from stepping down.
The relevance of the subject matter cannot be ignored: we see Milk trying to prevent Proposition 6 being passed, which would have made gay people more vulnerable to prosecution; one can see the parallels with the recent victory of Proposition 8 in California, overturning the legislation that allowed gay marriage in that state. This is a moving and powerful film proving that the fight for equality is far from over. Its message will bore itself into your brain and refuse to leave.
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