Out on Friday 31 July
Tom Cruise has another mission that may or may not be possible. Thin blue laughs with Reese Witherspoon and Sofia Vergara. Michael Douglas readies himself for The Most Dangerous Game. Yes, heres this weeks new releases. Click on for our reviews of Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation, Hot Pursuit, Beyond The Reach, Iris, Doctor Proctors Fart Powder, Cub, The Cobbler, The Last Sparks Of Sundown and Man With A Movie Camera. For the best movie reviews, subscribe to Total Film.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE ROGUE NATION
Ethan Hunts fifth impossible mission starts with its much-publicised money shot: Tom Cruise clinging to the side of an Airbus A400M. For real. Its a crazy stunt, and to front load the film with it is equally ballsy audiences are sure to spend the next two hours waiting for it to be topped. But if you want to know the true circumference of Cruises cojones, its evidenced in his decision to trust in storytelling, lovingly crafted set-pieces and suspense (all of it delivered in 2D) rather than wedge himself into a bombastic, CGI-bloated jamboree. Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation might have its hi-tech gadgets, but it's a pleasingly old-fashioned affair. The coherently tangled plot sees Ethan obsessing upon the existence of the Syndicate, a SPECTRE-like organisation comprised of supposedly deceased agents from all around the globe. Stick a pin in an international tragedy and it'll tell tale of the Syndicate. But CIA Director Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin) thinks Hunt is paranoid, the Impossible Missions Force out of control. And so Ethan, not for the first time, must go rogue, growing an unfeasibly bushy beard and calling on the surreptitious help of his trusty co-workers (Jeremy Renner, Ving Rhames and an impressive Simon Pegg, whose tech-head Benji is given much more to do) to track down his only link to the Syndicate whispering, unblinking nutjob Solomon Lane (Sean Harris). Naturally Ethans quest takes him to such far-flung places as Paris, Casablanca and London, while his modes of transport always moving at breakneck pace, and sometimes travelling in reverse, or slaloming through traffic, or jolting down vertiginous steps include cars, motorbikes and, of course, his own two feet; Cruises upright, arm-pumping run is as now iconic as John Waynes hip-roll slouch. There is double and triple-dealing galore, much of it arriving via mystery lady Ilsa (Swedish actress Rebecca Ferguson in a terrifically poised, sensual and brutal performance; consider the gauntlet well and truly thrown down to new Bond ladies Monica Bellucci and Lea Seydoux). Indeed, the Grand Guignol sequence in which Ethan and Ilsa first cross paths as two silhouettes working the wings and rigging of the Vienna State Opera while an assassination attempt plays out to 'Nessun Dorma', is M:I5's highlight. With its fluid camera and choking tension, it recalls Brian De Palma's elaborate dances of death, and thus returns the series to its original instalment. Director Christopher McQuarrie (Jack Reacher, the screenplay of The Usual Suspects) is a classicist, and each of his set-pieces, including a breath-snatching underwater heist, possess a pleasing purity. Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation doesn't quite have the scale of Brad Bird's fourth outing, its villain can't match Philip Seymour Hoffman's franchise stand-out in J.J. Abram's part III, and Ethan Hunt continues to be little more than a startlingly capable cypher. But this is a fun entry in an enduring series that's never failed to deliver a lively night out, and you should accept it, gladly. THE VERDICT: Christopher McQuarrie keeps the franchise fuse fizzing with machinations a go-go and some precision action. Director: Christopher McQuarrie Starring: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Alec Baldwin, Ving Rhames Theatrical release: 30 July 2015 Jamie Graham
HOT PURSUIT
A by-the-book cop and a gangsters moll go on the lam in Anne Fletchers moderately amusing comedy. Think a female Midnight Run only without the chemistry that Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin cooked up. Although the blame lies less with Reese Witherspoon and Modern Familys Sofa Vergara than it does with the flimsy script from TV scribes David Feeney and John Quaintance. Witherspoon plays Cooper, a Texas cop relegated to desk duty after accidentally tasering an unarmed student and setting him on fire. Her shot at redemption comes when shes asked to escort high-maintenance Daniella (Vergara), whose drug-dealing husband is about to testify against the leader of a Mexican cartel. But no sooner does Cooper arrive at their casa than theres a shoot-out leaving hubby dead and the two ladies on the run. With corrupt cops in the mix, Cooper is suddenly a wanted woman (despite frequent gags that she looks like a boy) as this odd couple bounce around Texas, where just about everyone seems to recognise them. While you have to wonder what Melissa McCarthy mightve done with the role of Cooper, its at least heartening to see Witherspoon flex her comedy muscles again, even if script and character are below-par. Your reaction will also depend on your feelings towards Vergara, whose whiny machine-gun chatter can grate. Tottering on heels, with a suitcase-on-wheels behind her, Daniellas a one-dimensional comic creation: funny but hardly endearing. A running gag from the rolling news reports, which keep upping her age (while reducing Coopers height) amuses but like much of the film never draws belly-laughs. THE VERDICT: A comedy that lacks real imagination or spark, despite its leads best efforts. Less hot, more lukewarm. Director: Anne Fletcher Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Sofa Vergara, Matthew Del Negro, Michael Mosley, John Carroll Lynch Theatrical release: 31 July 2015 James Mottram
BEYOND THE REACH
Professional tracker Ben (Jeremy Irvine) is running, half-naked, through the Mojave Desert. How did the hunter become the hunted? Flashing back 24 hours, we see Ben hired by corporate fat-cat John Madec (Michael Douglas) eager to take down a bighorn sheep, and flush enough with bribe money to bypass the law. Yet when a fatal shooting proves a blind eye too far for Ben, hes stripped and forced to run till he drops. Jean-Pierre Lonettis two-hander is aiming for upmarket genre thrills, updating classic adventure The Most Dangerous Game as a parched, fatalistic fable reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy. Trouble is, this paper-thin premise requires engaging characters, bold twists and subtextual verve to pull off. Irvine is straightforwardly dogged, cast for his athleticism rather than nuance, while a hammy Douglas is feasting on past glories think Gordon Gecko swapping Wall Street for The Ghost And The Darkness. Russell Carpenters heat-haze cinematography certainly makes the most out of the locations, while a brief sojourn in a mountain hideout offers a surreal respite from the otherwise linear action. Yet the stakes remain frustratingly unchanged. Douglas follows Irvine from a distance; the latter attempts to either evade detection or double back. A subplot involving Bens girlfriend Laina (Hanna Mangan Lawrence) is set up as a weak psychological pressure point for John to exploit, but the actress is largely sidelined until the films thoroughly predictable, if nonsensical, coda. Meanwhile, a welcome cameo from Ronny Cox as a corruptible sheriff serves only to remind of Deliverance, a highpoint of the wilderness-survival genre that this never comes close to matching. Lonetti clearly believes that it is enough for Douglas to be a rich sadist to qualify as thematic depth. Yet films as diverse as Hard Target and Hostel have mined this seam with more exploitative lan. Beyond The Reach is neither dumb enough to work as mindless entertainment nor clever enough to properly transcend its limited horizons. THE VERDICT: Marooned in the valley along with its hapless protagonist, the title proves all too prescient. It looks the part, but saunters where it should prowl. Director: Jean-Baptiste Lonetti Starring: Michael Douglas, Jeremy Irvine, Ronny Cox, Hanna Mangan Lawrence Theatrical release: 31 July 2015 Simon Kinnear
IRIS
Gravel-voiced Noo Yawk geriatric style icon Iris Apfel seems, at first glance, a curiously small subject for one of the final films of the late, legendary documentarian Albert Maysles. Why is one of the pioneers of fly-on-the-wall Direct Cinema, co-creator with brother David of tragedy-tinged classics like SalesmanGimme Shelter (1970), watching a nonagenarian fashion collector go shopping? Didnt we already see this panto-costumed, senior-citizen schtick in last years Advanced Style? Before long, though, you catch on. Iris, also seen modelling for cult mag Dazed, pitching her costume jewellery on Home Shopping Network, and revelling in her MAC make-up line, is redefining extreme old age. Shot to fame at 84 by the Metropolitan Museums 2005 exhibition of her vast, eccentric couture collection, shes a rare old bird in a youth-obsessed business. Maysles ever-present camera peers behind Iris public persona to gently probe her past as a globetrotting interior designer (she worked on the White House for nine successive presidents). Sticking to her like a burr through catwalk shows and glitzy launches, he also has sly fun with the fawning, front-row fashionistas who squeal over Iris as if I invented penicillin. It doesnt hurt that his venerable diva is snappily quotable on everything from styling (I do it as if Im playing jazz) to plastic surgery (You could come out looking like a Picasso painting). Its a leisurely, pottering film, which finds Iris playful 66-year marriage as riveting as her fashion-guru lifestyle, flaunting trademark Edna Mode specs. Compared with the barmy exhibitionism of Grey Gardens (1975), or the harrowing rocknroll chaos of Gimme Shelter, it feels low-key. But its real companions are Maysles many works on musicians and artists. His patient piecing together of Iris market raiding, vintage hoarding and wild styling becomes a fascinating portrait of an unconventional artist at work THE VERDICT: Maysles affectionate portrait of Americas favourite geriatric fashion starlet has the look of reality TV, but also the sharpness you expect from the dean of documentaries. Its a worthy testament to both of them. Director: Albert Maysles Starring: Iris Apfel, Carl Apfel, Bruce Weber Theatrical release: 31 July 2015 Kate Stables
DOCTOR PROCTORS FART POWDER
Norways Jo Nesbo is a crime-fiction phenomenon whose bloody oeuvre has brought Nordic noir to readers worldwide. Less known, outside Scandinavia at least, is his output as a childrens author, a sideline that should get more exposure with the release of a Roald Dahl-like fantasy that easily trumps Thunderpants at making flatulence funny. Set in a picturesque hamlet untouched by Ikea, Arild Frohlichs adaptation tells of two children sensible Lise (Emily Glaister) and bequiffed urchin Nilly (Eilif Hellum Noraker) and their friendship with Doctor Proctor (Kristoffer Joner), a reclusive eccentric whose latest invention makes whoever ingests it guff enough to send them airborne. To Lise and Nilly, this brightly coloured powder is a delightful plaything they can flog to their schoolmates and use to wreak revenge on a pair of bullying twins (Arve and Even Guddingsmo Bjorn). But to town tycoon Herr Thrane (Atle Antonsen), its a surefire goldmine and hell stop at nothing to get it. Clumsily though not fatally dubbed into colloquial English, this could never be accused of being sophisticated. Yet it remains a pleasantly breezy diversion, grotesque enough in places to recall Jean-Pierre Jeunet and with an artfully cluttered aesthetic redolent of Wes Anderson. A poignant flashback to Joners lost Parisian love is amusingly staged as a silent-film pastiche, and theres a WTF interlude involving a CG serpent alerting kids to the dangers of flushing pets down the toilet. You may find what follows a little crude, intones an unseen narrator at the beginning of the story. But we cant help it if youre a big prude! Youd have to be a big one indeed to take much offence at this affably knockabout yarn. THE VERDICT: Got a tot who finds farts hilarious? Theyll be in stitches at a film that cuts the cheese and the mustard and is brief enough not to leave a bad odour. Director: Arild Frohlich Starring: Kristoffer Joner, Emily Glaister, Eilif Hellum Noraker, Atle Antonsen Theatrical release: 31 July 2015 Neil Smith
CUB
Belgium isnt exactly for its horror cinema Fabrice Du Welz (Calvaire) aside so Jonas Govaerts entertaining debut has been generating some pre-release buzz. When troubled 12-year-old Sam (Maurice Luijten) goes camping with a boy-scout troop lead by nasty Peter (Stef Aerts) and nice Chris (Titus De Voogdt), they have to contend with a series of (crowd-funded!) mantraps and something nasty stalking them. Well shot, paced and performed, with an oddball sense of humour (check out the Suspiria ringtone), its only let down by an ending thats a) easily guessable and b) largely nonsensical. Director: Jonas Govaerts Starring: Maurice Luijten, Gill Eeckelart, Evelien Bosmans, Titus De Voogdt Theatrical release: 31 July 2015 Matt Glasby
THE COBBLER
Nicely shot but aggressively cornball, this is the least awful film Adam Sandlers made in an age. Max Simkin (Sandler) is a world-weary fourth-generation cobbler whose quaint NYC neighbourhood is slowly being gentrified. When visited by a hostile thug (Method Man) after new soles for his alligator shoes, Max is forced to use an old stitcher in the basement. Turns out its magic, and allows Max to become whoevers shoes hes cobbling. Seriously. Can Max use his newfound empathetic powers to save the neighbourhood and perhaps even his own battered sole, er, soul? Guess. Director: Thomas McCarthy Starring: Adam Sandler, Melonie Diaz, Method Man, Dan Stevens, Steve Buscemi Theatrical release: 31 July 2015 Ken McIntyre
THE LAST SPARKS OF SUNDOWN
Cult comedy duo Mark Chavez and Shenoah Allen aka the Pajama Men debut as American brothers Matt and Harvey Sparks, who travel to England to sell Sundown, their late grandfathers country cottage. Writer/ director James Kibbeys film is a genial if predictable farce involving unwanted lodgers, a posh house-buyer (Christian McKay) and a loan shark (Kayvan Novak). While its a shame they are tied to such trad material, there are enough flashes of the stars oddball charisma in their rambling dialogue to showcase their talent. Director: James Kibbey Starring: Mark Chavez, Shenoah Allen, Kayvan Novak, Christian McKay, Miles Jupp, Emily Bevan, Sara Kestelman, Geoffrey Palmer Theatrical release: 27 July 2015 Simon Kinnear
MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA
Made in 1929, just before the dead weight of Stalinist orthodoxy crushed down on the Soviet avant-garde, Man With A Movie Camera still dazzles with its wit, inventiveness, audacity, and sheer revolutionary high spirits. With its dazzling display of camera trickery, Dziga Vertovs film is less a documentary than a visual poem, and a celebration of the cameraman as hero. A dawn-to-dusk city symphony, this is a composite of different places including Moscow, Kiev and Odessa, and Vertov flaunts every cinematic device in his repertoire, high on the sheer joy of moviemaking. Director: Dziga Vertov Theatrical release: 31 July 2015 Philip Kemp
