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Friday 14 June 2013

Film Roundup: Don't judge a movie by its poster (The Purge, Byzantium, Populaire)

Yes, this is technically a week late but these films may still be around by the time you read this. Anyway...

Everything about this poster seems to scream at a mainstream audience to like it. Referencing two popular and memorable films (which I haven't actually seen), and encouraging the use of a hashtag demonstrates an attempt at manipulation that could put someone off. The premise is straightforward, the running time is just under 90 minutes - how can this film offer anything substantial? It appears to be just a throwaway thriller. Even Jeremy Jahns says so. However, the film does not totally ignore its interesting premise and actually uses it to provide a social commentary on modern America, sort of. Within the film, the purge is shown to work and so the immorality of the situation is irrelevant to the characters. Presented with this moral vacuum, the audience is left to consider it instead, and gradually the characters begin to do so too.

Instead of exploring this big idea in a similarly grand style, the film goes small and focuses on how this situation would be experienced. As such, the big idea is somewhat muted as it is so grand that it makes one wonder what is happening outside of the house. While at times this means it falls back easily on a standard house invasion thriller, it also allows for interrogation of the characters' psychology and ask why people feel naturally inclined to murder. Unfortunately, as intellectually stimulating as it is, it is often unsubtle in its attempts to communicate its ideas, too easily resorting to clunky dialogue and blatant exposition. Nevertheless, in its basic setup, it could be argued the film takes the traditional American family model and challenges it by placing it within an extreme situation. Indeed, despite their dysfunctions, they resemble recognisable tropes (working father, housewife mother, stroppy teenage girl, isolated but creative boy). This interpretation doesn't seem too much of an over-reading in a film that addresses some intelligent ideas, but also explains why the characters are fairly two-dimensional. As such, the incredibly short running time seems to not fit the grandness of the central concept and fits the house invasion thriller film better.

However, in the latter half it all fits perfectly. It never feels boring and doesn't outstay its welcome - if much longer, I would have probably sooner lost patience with the film and its clunky dialogue. While the opening ten/fifteen minutes or so drag, the film soon kicks into gear and the tension becomes palpable. The film does fall into the trap of occasional unnecessary dramatic stings, which seems to be a consistent problem with recent films that require tension. They seem to rely on the 'long periods of quiet AND THEN A SUDDEN NOISE' technique (commonly known as 'jump scares') which really grates after seeing it hundreds of times. Nevertheless, when the ideas match the style, the film is as unsettling as something like Right at Your Door, which similarly combined thriller with social commentary.

Similarly intellectually stimulating is the new film from Neil Jordan, Byzantium. I am only familiar with one other Jordan film, The Company of Wolves which Gemma Arterton, the lead in Byzantium, said is one of her favourite films. With the quotes on the poster and the horrific imagery of that film in mind, I expected something very different that I didn't really get. Far from disappointing, Byzantium takes the traditions of the vampire and uses them to explore the tragedy of being the living dead. There is plenty of gory imagery, the most spectacular of which is very early on (you have been warned) and a really innovative (and unnerving) method for vampires to feed.

However, the overall tone is melancholic and sombre, which may bore some people. Stick with it though and you are rewarded with some fantastic characterisation of the sympathetic mother and daughter. Excellently played by Saoirse Ronan and Arterton, the mother/daughter relationship is incredibly moving and is very much the heart of the film. To call it "Twilight for grown-ups" is understandable but silly. While there is a love story between a human and a vampire, it has a dangerous and uncertain edge that is riveting even if Caleb Landry Jones overacts a bit too much. Sam Riley and Jonny Lee Miller contribute to the traditional vampire story that is told in flashback by Ronan, who finds her relationship with her mother strained by her mother's past coming back to haunt her.

Yes, it plays with the traditions of vampire lore but it isn't designed to scare. Like The Purge. it's not a film for mere entertainment as the posters suggest, but provide food for thought and ask the audience to think about what they've just watched. They're not too serious though and understand the genres they are in, which allows for a nice break between the thoughtful stuff.


Meanwhile, Populaire is exactly what the poster suggests - a frothy French comedy which harks back to 50s comedies. It's a straightforward, predictable plot but the leads are engaging and you care about their relationships. Its shot very stylishly with great attention to period detail. It does make typewriting contests exciting but also give a knowing wink at how absurd the idea is. Very enjoyable but not one to desperately seek out.

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