The Machine (2013)

An Uneven Blend of Ideas Great and Terrible

The Machine is an independent Welsh film, directed by Caradog W. James, and is currently on a film festival tour worldwide. I was lucky enough to catch the UK premier at Cardiff, due to the fact that my girlfriend was an uncredited extra (about 10 minutes before the end, a long-haired scientist does a very awkward run - she was supposed to run away from the evil robot, but not too fast for insurance purposes). It hasn't currently sealed a distribution deal, so I wouldn't hold your breath with regard to actually seeing it, but I digress.

The Machine follows the story of two irritating scientists as they stand slackjawed at the edge of one of the greatest scientific discoveries of all time. That's about all I can say without giving away any spoilers, and in all honesty that's already a more accurate plot synopsis than the one that already exists on the IMDb.

This movie had some genuinely impressive moments, which are the result of some very competent film-making; the visual effects are beyond anything I could've possibly imagined and are nothing short of spectacular given the film's low budget. Aside from this, the cinematography is very impressive - however it segues from being beautifully shot to appallingly shot so frequently it will leave you both dizzy and confused.

The set design was also impressive, and more accurate than you might assume - a Q+A with the Director revealed that care had been taken to make the sets look authentically MoD. As well as this, the techno-babble isn't as stupid as it initially sounds either - the crew have indeed done their homework.

However, I'm sorry to say it was all for nothing, as the three critical elements that keep people interested - the script, acting and casting - are nothing short of appalling. The characters are incredibly flat - often spewing robotic exposition, and they occasionally have outright bizarre sweary outbursts in a desperate bid to make the dialogue seem more brooding.

The film's leading actress is sublimely annoying, and her shrill, squeaky voice made me want to knaw off a thumb before the hour mark. As for Tobey Stephens, after 10 years of following they guy's career, I still can't tell if he's a bad actor, or if he's consistently fed awful scripts. Either way, in this film he often acted as though he'd just witnessed some horrible event and had been given a powerful sedative.

The fundamental flaw with this film is that some very talented people worked very hard to put together a visually stunning piece of work - although seemingly no one had read the script. It was awfully clear, right from the opening scenes that it'd been written in one draft, possibly over a weekend. This was incredibly frustrating to witness, because there's no reason that independent, low-budget films - when done right - can't become world-wide blockbusters (i.e. Paranormal Activity). However, once its film festival run is all said and done, Red&Black Films will see this movie fade away into obscurity; and they will say it's because they didn't really have the resources, or they didn't have bigger names attached, but they will be wrong. It's because the whole idea was flawed right out of the gate; and the basic elements that were at their own fingertips right from the get-go (dialogue, characters, pacing) were so catastrophically out of whack it sunk a film that really could've been something special. Shame.

Lincoln (2012) Movie Review

Dir. Steven Spielberg

Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis, Tommy Lee Jones, Sally Field

"Lincoln" is a movie which is about just that. A city in the East Midlands. Trains are on average 17 seconds early, and average rainfall stands at roughly 23 inches per year. 6/10. The End.

Just kidding. Spielberg's "Lincoln" is an epic chronicle of the United States' legendary 16th president and his struggle to pass the 13th amendment - to abolish slavery - through a stubborn and predominantly prejudiced House of Representatives. Tommy Lee Jones co-stars as charismatically aggressive pro-abolition Congressman Thaddeus Stevens, and Sally Field delivers a fantastic turn as the equally feisty Mary Todd Lincoln. 

For those wondering about the time frame of the film, it's 2hr 36 minute duration encapsulates the week approaching the end of the Civil War, the subsequent ratification of the 13th amendment, right up to Lincoln's assassination (spoilers) ... (oops, too late). As its mammoth runtime might suggest, you do feel its length at times. This is no fault particularly of the script, which is solid - I'd put this down more to the Editor. While watching "Lincoln", you do feel like you could leave in the middle of a scene for ten minutes, come back and miss nothing of exceptional importance. It's like cooking a chicken - it takes forever, but it's still exceptionally satisfactory by the end.

Much like other political dramas of recent years, the film plays out like "Rocky", but with debates instead of boxing. In spite of the fact that the film is set in the backdrop of the bloodiest conflict in American history, there are no overindulgent battle scenes - with characters often only learning news of the war, or arriving on the scene of a battle hours after it's been fought. This film is certainly closer to "Charlie Wilson's War" than, for instance, Braveheart. On that note, the cinematography, costume and set design is fantastic. The framing of 19th century Virginia, while somewhat bleak and dismal looking (much as it is today), has a certain magnetism and appeal to it, which if anything helps emphasise the drama unfolding between the characters. Most notably, Lincoln's increasingly difficult political position: torn between passing the amendment or ending the war, this alongside his own personal conflict over allowing his son (a nigh-cameo appearance by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) enlist in the Union army. 

Finally, "Lincoln"s key asset, and for which it will almost certainly sweep this year's Oscars, is the sublime performance put in by each and every one of the cast. Easily the most incredible performance of an already excellent career, is that of Daniel Day-Lewis as Lincoln himself. I have no other words - he just got everything completely spot on. From his somewhat awkward, gangly and hunched posture, with his subtle hand gestures, to his strained yet soft, and disarmingly high-pitched Illinois accent. Day-Lewis completely and perfectly recreates Lincoln's sublime magnetism and charisma that historians celebrate him for. With Day-Lewis' flagship performance, accompanied by an excellent supporting cast, "Lincoln" is without doubt one of the best biopics of recent years. Although yes, you will likely visit the bathroom somewhere in the middle.

9.5/10