STEEL

REEL

LOST RIVER

#1

Volume 1, Issue 1

2015 In Review

Writers in this issue:

Josh SeniorJoseph Harris

Joe WoodRhiannon Topham

Oliver InnocentChristian Abbott

Nathan ScatcherdJoe Lister- Streep

Ben Halford

CONTENTS:

SicarioSong Of The Sea

45 YearsSlow WestWhiplash

HouseboundIt FollowsThe Walk

The Look Of Silence

Add a little bit of body text

2015 was a good year forcinema and a great year for us atReel Steel. Out of the ashes ofother creative projects welaunched our blog and startedgenerating excellent reviewcontent and increased our socialmedia output. It's been a whirl sofar and we hope it continuesstrongly into 2016.

We also organised our firstcommunity cinema screening,the lovely folks at TheAbbeydale Picturehouse let usplay Enter the Dragon on whatwould have been Bruce Lee's75th Birthday. Which wasawesome

In these pages you'll findreviews of some of our favouritefilms from the last calendar year.From action, horror, animation,drama and documentary- we'veproduced a little sample of thethings we enjoyed and the filmswe want to make sure you didn'tmiss.

We're constantly growing anddeveloping and this we hope isjust the start of more filmreviews content from ourexcellent team of writers,organisers and cinema lovers.

Happy New Year to you all!

Josh Senior- Content Editor

The film industry was suffering a severe actionthriller deficit until Sicario came along. There’smore intensity in the deep drone of the openingscore than any film released since Argo.

Emily Blunt adds another kick-ass character toher already impressive portfolio; she excels asFBI Special Weapons and Tactics Teams agentKate Macer, a modern matriarch struggling in anindustry dominated by domineering men. Whenshe’s recruited into a covert governmental taskforce plotting to bring down the head-honchosof an infamous Mexican drug cartel, she - and we- encounter an unveiling of the special forces,revealing all of the disturbing inner workings andcorruption disguised as justice. Force leader MattGraver (Josh Brolin) and his enigmatic colleagueAlejandro Gillick (Benicio Del Toro in his bestperformance in years) are both simultaneouslygood cop/bad cop in a vicious routine that endsin calamitous style.

Filming a midnight tunnel raid scene as a POVthrough night vision goggles is a prime exampleof the film’s clever cinematography, and wasreminiscent of popular video games. However Irefuse to accept that a squadron of angry agentstasked with tackling a dangerous drug cartelwould speak to each other and their targets withshould mild discourse during such pressuredcircumstances. Yet the minor glitches - a Mexicandrug lord driving alone along a deserted highwayat night without any security whatsoever? Notlikely - are negligible when considering the film asa whole.

Sicario succeeds where so many action thrillerfilms have failed because it isn’t predictable andit doesn’t suddenly dart off into ridiculousterritory. The twists and turns compliment theillusion of reality created (albeit an extreme anduncommon reality) to be consistently intensethroughout, with a rapid acceleration intoturbulence at the climax of the drama.

BY R.TOPHAM

SICARIO

LOST RIVER

#1

BY J. HARRIS

SONG OF THE SEA

This is the story of child siblings Ben andSaoirse, following the loss of their motherat their lighthouse home in Ireland.When they're separated from their father,they make a journey home through amagical world of Irish folklore, with talesof giants, selkies, faeries and an owl witchin a visually warm and charming animatedlandscape.

As the tale unfolds we discover thatSaoirse has inherited magical traits fromtheir mother, which could lead to thehappiness sought by those in both worlds.

When speaking about a beautiful hand-drawn animated feature such as this, it'shard to not mention Studio Ghibli (SpiritedAway, My Neighbour Totoro, PrincessMononoke), who this year released TheTale of Princess Kaguya - both arebeautiful, captivating pieces of workwhich deal with loss, acceptance andgrief, while maintaining that child-likeworld of wonder and adventure.What sets Song of the Sea apart is that itfeels familiar, taking you back to a youngage as if it's something you knew fromyour childhood.

This is a fantastic and absolutelyenchanting tale worthy of the time forboth children and adults alike.

LOST RIVER

#1

BY J. HARRIS

SONG OF THE SEA

BY J. LISTER-STREEP

45 YEARS

A couple, about to celebrate their 45thwedding anniversary, have marriageproblems after the husband receives aletter telling of a former lover's death.

45 Years is a deliberately quiet movie,but it's the quiet that is particularlyhaunting. What isn't spoken, thosepauses between words, make the film anincredibly delicate character study of acouple's marriage and the demons withinit. With some beautiful use of diegeticmusic which is used ingeniously tojuxtapose images and words throughoutthe film, the co-writer and director,Andrew Haigh has crafted an exquisitepiece of British cinema.

Containing stunning performances byTom Courtenay and Charlotte Rampling,both of whom should benefit comeawards season, Rampling really dazzlesin one of her finest roles to date. Everymovement she makes, every look, andglance are all filled with venom, andsadness, and unrelenting worry itbecomes nerve-shredding viewing. Thestory is one of forgiveness, and whetherknowing or not knowing is moredamaging to one's marriage. With ascript so naturalistic in its wording itsthemes stick with you long after themasterfully crafted closing shotpenetrates you like a knife.

BY C. ABBOTT

SLOW WEST

There is an air of vibrancy and technicolourquality to Slow West that truly sets itapart. The visual flair is used with suchconfidence and daring uniqueness thatreally helps the film capture the feeling ofventuring into the unknown, bothartistically and thematically. There trulyisn’t a Western with this level of visualbravado. This is the theatrical debut ofdirector John Maclean, an Anglo-Americanco-production that brings the stoicresilience of the genre with a morenuanced character driven narrative thatdoesn’t hold back on the emotion. Lead bythe ever growing talent of Kodi Smit-McPhee and the consistently brilliantMichael Fassbender in a two piece trekacross the American frontier in search forthe boys lost lover.

From the outset it is clear that this is agenre film that is out to prove itself in itsown merit. The general aesthetic of thefilm is something to behold, as rich andluscious as it is cold and daunting. Thesize and scope of the American plains isbeautifully realised, using the flashbacksto the harsh and cinematicallyclaustrophobic Scottish Highlands toemphasize this in a new and engaging way.

The combination of wonderfulperformances, beautiful stylisation andexpert cinematic direction makes this ahighlight of 2015. The offerings from thisgenre have been woeful in recent years,making this a welcome and much neededreintroduction to the Wild West.

BY N. SCATCHERD

WHIPLASH

One of the most blood-pumping movies of theyear didn’t focus on war, alien invasion orsuperheroes smacking each other throughbuildings; but instead on the brutal pastime ofjazz drumming. Here Miles Teller stars asAndrew Neiman, a talented and ambitiousyoung drummer in a jazz band at a prestigiousmusic school. Neiman dreams of becoming oneof ‘the greats’, and is mentored/tormented byFletcher (J.K. Simmons), the borderline-psychotic band leader who uses intimidation,personal insults and occasionally even violenceto force the potential out of his students. Thetwo develop a complex, fascinatingly venomousrelationship, as Neiman is forced to questionjust how far he is willing to go for his dream ofmusical glory.

Whiplash is almost exhaustingly intense as wewatch Neiman pushing himself further andharder, both mentally and physically, spurred onby personal drive but also by a self-destructivedesire to impress Fletcher. Teller is strong asNeiman, portraying him as compellingly flawed –arrogant, aloof and needy - but basicallyrelatable enough to be sympathetic.

It’s J.K. Simmons, though, who steals the wholemovie as Fletcher. When he’s in full eye-bulging, vein-popping mode, hurling abuse athis students and Neiman in particular, he’sgenuinely terrifying; less a human being andmore a force of nature, going way beyond theline of what would reasonably be considered‘acceptable’ behaviour for a music tutor/bandleader but somehow grounding theperformance, and stopping it from becomingtoo much like mere caricature, with anunderlying sense that he really believes this isdoing some good for his students -‘tough love’taken to a vicious extreme.

BY O. INNOCENT

HOUSEBOUND

As you may well already know, perusing thedirect to DVD horror releases at your localhome entertainment merchant can be aperilous affair. Blind buying films on thestrength of their cover art, synopses andsnippets of reviews is a path often fraughtwith dangers, but can also lead to some ratherpleasant surprises. Indeed, it’s just as easy tostumble across a modern masterpiece as it issomething that looks like it was shot by agroup of college students in their backgarden. Thankfully, Gerard Johnstone’sHousebound is one of direct to DVD’s raregems, a brilliant little comedy horror thateasily outshines many of its big screencontemporaries.

Of course, coming from New Zealand, it’s nosurprise Housebound offers quality genre farewith a genuinely funny comedic edge, whatwith Antipodean horror’s knack for meldingthe horrifying with the humorous. What issurprising is just how adeptly it switchesbetween the two, simultaneously deliveringgenuinely terrifying jump-out-of-your-seatscares and laugh-out-loud moments ofexpertly dry, acerbic wit. This balancing act ismaintained by a strong cast, particularly leadactress Morgana O’Reilly who plays scaredwitless and sarcastic drollness with equalconviction. Where Housebound really shinesis in its playful manipulation of the genre’sconventions and clichés, at once lovinglystaging classic ghost story chills whileemploying a resolutely modern approachwhere rules are broken with a knowing,mischievous sense of humour. The end resultis a film that constantly surprises, trulyterrifies, and always delights with its winningcombination of mystery, scares and comedy.

BY O. INNOCENT

HOUSEBOUND

BY J. WOOD

IT FOLLOWS

A girl, dressed only in leisurewear, runs from hersuburban home at dusk. The neighbours andher father have no idea why she is displayingsigns of such terror, before she drives off in herfather’s car. From a remote beach she leavesmessages with her father that seemingly saygoodbye. The next shot, the morning after, sheis dead, a mangled corpse.

This stark opening is the basis of one of thebest horror films in recent times, David RobertMitchell’s inventive yet terrifying It Follows, afilm that owes much more to the work of JohnCarpenter than the score by Rich Vreeland, awallowing mass of lush synthesisers skippingbetween atmospheric harmonies and terrificmarching rhythms at the drop of a hat.

The conceit of sex being the basis of thehaunting/stalking/possession is at worstintriguing and at best flat out terrific. There is astrange playfulness in the way that the mostbasic horror trope of virginity as a saviour isboth adhered to, yet at the same timecopulation is also a saviour. The stalking,chameleonic nature of the film’s ‘villain’ allowsthe cinematographer lots of fun in framingallowing for a ‘what if’ nature to permeate andcreate mystery in every shot.

Maika Monoe heads a well-judged cast whocapture the ennui of suburban teenage lifebrilliantly, lounging in pools, watching moviesand generally being fairly aimless, whilst thenear absence of hand-held technology gives atimeless feel. The Detroit setting adds to theloneliness, the boredom and also the sinisterfeel around the picture. As with the rest of thepicture, the closing act both embraces andsubverts horror clichés quite spectacularly, andbrings about a resolution that is satisfactorilyunresolved. Anything less would have been aslight on a supremely smart film.

BY B. HALFORD

THE WALK

Whilst it was far from hated in its reception, TheWalk may be a puzzling choice for my favouritefilm of this past year. It did fine financially andfine critically but as one of the comeback filmsfor Robert Zemeckis, it never attained the sameamount of love as Flight and will probably notlinger in the minds of many.

Well, as a second controversial point, I wasnever anything more than mildly positive aboutFlight. Yes, it was a well-acted drama with anengaging premise, but it never felt much beyondsatisfactory to me. I never got the feeling thatRobert Zemeckis was doing what truly made himgreat. In The Walk, Zemeckis thrives in what istruly his domain, spectacle.

Cinema is a medium of the spectacular, goingback to the “illusions” of Georges Méliès andhaving paved a career as a technical wizard,Zemeckis continues that tradition like fewothers. The premise of tightrope-walker PhilippePetit clambering across the twin towers of theWorld Trade Centre is definitely worthy of sucha large-scale movie, it is entertainingly told andJoseph Gordon-Levitt is wonderfully charmingas Petit but the titular walk is what makes mostpatrons part with their hard-earned andZemeckis gives us what we want to see.

High above the New York skyline we see a manachieve the near-impossible and Zemeckis’tactile direction, you feel not the tension, butthe wonder of the accomplishment. Witnessingit is one of the most magical moments I haveever experienced in a cinema and it is abeautifully awe-inspiring feat. We never ralliedfor Michael J. Fox or Christopher Lloyd to getOscars for Back To The Future, we came for thefun and the DeLorean.

Mr. Zemeckis, thanks for a new DeLorean

Joshua Oppenheimer’s searing follow up to TheAct of Killing is a tough watch, returning again tothe documentary format he tones down thescale of his approach with this installment intohis investigations of the 1960’s IndonesianGenocide. Where the last film usedreenactments with self confessing massmurderers to exemplify the horrific actspreviously committed by the Indonesian regime,The Look Of Silence uses talking headsinterspersed with cinema verite observations ofthe surrounding landscapes to create ajuxtaposition in the material.

We follow a man (kept anonymous for his ownsafety) whose brother was brutally massacredby local officials, and posing as an optometristhe visits his brother’s killers and the men thatofficiated over his hometown in the 60’s- underthe pretence of offering a free eye exam- topaint a visual picture of a time he never knew, inan attempt to find closure in the death of aclose family member he never met.

The most difficult thing about this film is in thesenses it assaults while watching. To hear someof the things that happened during thegenocide, how men boast of their actions;having tortured, killed and even turned tocannibalism as forms of punishment is a toughconfrontation for one’s imagination. The filmalso exemplifies trauma in a visual manner, wesee how our anonymous protagonist’s parentshave failed to move on from the murder of theireldest son. Having lived far beyond their yearsunder a veil of sadness and regret and inconstant fear for their own lives

It may not be an entertaining film like otherslisted here, but in terms of cinematic craft andintrigue The Look Of Silence is sure to beremembered as one of the most intense piecesof cinema in 2015 and a pure masterpiece of thedocumentary form. .

BY J. SENIOR

THE LOOK OF SILENCE

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