Out on Friday 7 August
The Fantastic Four prove to be, at least, numerically correct. Bel Powley dishes out her diary. Al Pacino is unlocked by David Gordon Green. Aleksei German offers an alternative, muddier sci-fi universe. Yes, heres this weeks new releases. Click on for our reviews of Fantastic Four, The Diary Of A Teenage Girl, Manglehorn, Hard To Be A God, 52 Tuesdays, Max, Marshland and Death Of A Gentleman. For the best movie reviews, subscribe to Total Film.
FANTASTIC FOUR
It all looked so good for Josh Trank a few months ago. A cult superhero flick to his name in 2012's Chronicle. A major-league Marvel movie in the can. And a Star Wars spin-off in the offing. And then came the mysterious departure from Star Wars and rumours of reshoots on said Marvel movie, whose initial cool promise became infected by bad buzz. So, is the end result an epic fail? No, but its certainly no major upgrade on Tim Story's barrel-scraping 2005 effort or its Silver Surfer sequel. Echoing Spider-Man's somewhat premature 2012 reboot, Tranks origin story brings nothing new to the party, apart from a rather muted, real-world aesthetic that counters the colourful worlds dreamed up by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in the original Marvel comics. Such an approach might work for, say, Batman but it doesnt fit The Fantastic Four. Scripted by Trank, X-Men regular Simon Kinberg and Jeremy Slater, its the sort of self-important, humourless story that leaves you yearning for Robert Downey Jr. to pop up with an Iron Man quip. In denial that its even a superhero film (Theyre not powers, claims Kate Maras newly-invisible Sue Storm), its not until Jamie Bells Ben Grimm aka rock-monster The Thing yells his classic clobbering time catchphrase in the denouement that this disparate bunch even remotely resemble the Fantastic Four. Perhaps The Adolescent Arses mightve been a better title. The running time is a brief 99 minutes, yet Trank spends at least half of it watching our heroes brought together in a daring experiment to teleport matter. Leading the charge is Reed Richards (Miles Teller), who has been building his own such machine since the fifth grade with childhood friend Ben. Winning over Dr. Franklin Storm (Reg. E. Cathey), hes given a scholarship to the Baxter Institute, where hes introduced to Storms adopted brainiac daughter Sue and the equally smart Victor Von Doom (Toby Kebbell). As it turns out, Reeds early experiments have achieved similar results to those at Baxter: transporting matter to another dimension. That place could explain the origin of our species, marvels Dr. Storm, in one of the many dreadful save-the-world speeches poor Cathey (so good in House Of Cards) must deliver. Joined by Storms tearaway son Johnny (Michael B. Jordan), it's not long before Trank's team crack matter transportation with Tim Blake Nelsons suit threatening to take it all to those big boys at NASA. Irked by this development, Reed, Johnny and Victor decide to test it out, to be the first humans to set foot on Planet Zero, as it gets dubbed. Bringing along old friend Ben for the ride, it doesnt quite go to plan what with Victor falling to his certain, ahem, doom and the others arriving back engulfed in radioactive energy. Even poor old Sue at the control desk gets a dose. Finally, almost an hour in, the Fours freakish abilities come to the fore. By far the most evocative of these are Reeds stretched-out limbs a nightmarish bit of body horror. True, The Thing looks great, but the rock-cladding seems to swallow Bell, who never really gets to grips with his character. Mara just floats around in a bubble and Jordans fiery Human Torch plays down his flame on phrase like hes embarrassed to be here. With the quartet taken to top-secret government facility Area 57, Reed scarpering and the others learning to control their powers, it all lurches into a dreadfully dull final act, where Von Doom, all powered up from the energy-giving planet, gets a cob on. Is it better than watching Story's cast a bendy-bodied Ioan Gruffudd, say, or Jessica Alba in a skin-tight catsuit? Hardly. Teller, so good in Whiplash, barely lives up to the name Mr. Fantastic here, while Mara is similarly functional; that she was an orphan adopted from Kosovo is just another canon-altering trait liable to irritate the fans. At least Kebbell albeit unrecognisable under Von Dooms costume brings a little menace to proceedings. Taking us back to the bad old days when comic-book movies were second rate, theres not much joy to be found here. It rather makes a mockery of the fact that, as our heroes step into their matter-transporting machine, the cry goes up: Were about to make history. But then at least theres the possibility that, after three failed attempts (including Roger Corman's unreleased '94 effort), the rights will be snapped up by Marvel Studios; then maybe this much-maligned superhero quartet might get the movie they deserve. THE VERDICT: Ponderous, pretentious and, most damning of all, just not much fun. Flame off. Director: Josh Trank Starring: Miles Teller, Michael B Jordan, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell, Toby Kebbell, Reg E Cathey, Tim Blake Nelson Theatrical release: 6 August 2015 James Mottram
THE GIFT
A perfect family! A creepy guy! Ominous music! Jump-scares! From Blumhouse, producers of Insidious! If youve seen a trailer for The Gift, you might think you know what youre in for an unimaginative retread of the home-invasion horror. But you dont. For in his directorial debut, actor Joel Edgerton (Zero Dark Thirty, Warrior) has made something far more subversive: a grim, morally bankrupt take on the yuppie revenge thriller (The Hand That Rocks The Cradle, Single White Female, etc.). The yuppies here are Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall), a seemingly happy couple who have just moved into a bright, spacious house in the Hollywood Hills. Yet their cosy life is sent into freefall when they bump into Gordo the weirdo (Edgerton, who also writes), a polite, awkward man from Simons High School years who forces himself into their friendship, leaving unwanted gifts on their porch. Things escalate, but not in the way youd expect, for Gordo is not the films only antagonist Simon, it transpires, is a bully who views the world through winners and losers. Through him, and the righteous fury of Robyn (finally, a role worthy of Hall), were confronted with the ideas of the impossibility of ever truly knowing someone, and that just because youre done with the past, it doesnt mean the past is done with you. Rarely breaking its build for any scare that feels cheap or wasted, The Gift takes these unnerving concepts and unwraps them into a startling bleak conclusion. Is it too mean-spirited? Perhaps, but it sure makes for a (nasty) surprise, again proving The Gift is anything but formulaic. THE VERDICT: Joel Edgertons directorial debut is the gift that keeps on giving: a taut and tense psychological thriller with a morally bleak outlook on the home-invasion horror. Worth it for spiteful Jason Bateman alone. Director: Joel Edgerton Starring: Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall, Joel Edgerton, Allison TolmanTheatrical release: 7 August 2015 Stephen Kelly
THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL
I had sex today. Holy shit. Theres nothing wimpy whatsoever about the diary of horny, love-hungry 15-year-old Minnie, experiencing the let-it-all-hang- out vibe of 1976 San Francisco. This overstuffed coming-of-age indie drama about a curious schoolgirl (an unnervingly wide-eyed Bel Powley) hungrily initiating a secret affair with her mothers 35-year-old boyfriend Monroe (Alexander Skarsgrd, deftly game and guilty), is a ground-breaker. Unflinchingly frank about Minnies sexual curiosity, its a bittersweet female take on the horny-high-schooler theme thats been a boys club since long before American Pie popped its crust. Unlike 60s confession An Education, Monroe and Minnie arent predator and victim either: their halting hook-up develops into a troubled on-and-off relationship. First-time director Marielle Heller handles her controversial subject skilfully, consistently clear-eyed rather than lurid or exploitative. Still, cramming the film with fat wodges of diary voiceover does feel like a rookie mistake, when Bel Powleys exuberant, thin-skinned performance tells it all. Believably volatile and teenage, she and Skarsgards weak, muddled Monroe (his best work since What Maisie Knew) make their stolen moments touching as well as transgressive. Too bad then, that Kristen Wiigs partying mother feels like a comically broad 70s clich, like the films soundtrack rinsings of T Rex and Mott The Hoople. Based on a graphic novel (by writer/artist Phoebe Gloeckner), this nods to its source when Minnies freaky, Robert Crumb-style cartoons erupt as animated erotic fantasies, which curl around the film like vines. As such, its as much about our her creative awakening as her sexual one. Despite a late story wobble into dark territory, visual originality and a big heart keep this Diary a page-turner right to the end THE VERDICT: Bel Powley is outstanding in this unvarnished sexual odyssey. Hippie, trippy and surprisingly grippy Director: Marielle Heller Starring: Bel Powley, Alexander Skarsgrd, Kristen Wiig, Christopher Meloni, Margarita Levieva Theatrical release: 7 August 2015 Kate Stables
MANGLEHORN
Director David Gordon Green shepherded one of Nicolas Cages more restrained performances in 2014s rural drama Joe. Now he does the same with Al Pacino, who for all his brilliance isnt renowned for going softly-softly. But in his portrait of locksmith Angelo Manglehorn, Pacino offers up one of his subtler performances. Scripted by Paul Logan, Manglehorn is the story of one man unable to let go in this case, of a lost love named Clara Massey. Living alone in a small southern town, and at odds with his high-flying son, Jacob (Chris Messina), he mostly gets love from his cat, Fanny. There are others in his life a granddaughter he barely sees and Holly Hunters bank teller, who takes a polite shine to him but Manglehorn is almost as shut-tight as one of those locks in his store. While Manglehorn is more in the low-key work of Greens early work (like All The Real Girls), its still a curious experience. A bloody motorway pile-up, awash with the red pulp of smashed watermelons, is particularly unnerving. Naturally, its Pacino that dominates, albeit under Greens watchful eye. His lived-in, wrinkled face is perfect for playing the secretive shopkeeper. And while the Pacino films Green clearly loves, like The Panic In Needle Park and Scarecrow, cant be eclipsed here, he should be credited for steering the star away from grandstanding. True, there are problems with the film some scenes dont quite ring true and the finale is rather overwrought. But when Green hits the right notes (not least when a bank security guard bursts into song), theres magic in the air. THE VERDICT: Pacino gets back in the groove with a noteworthy turn, ably directed by Green, whos fast becoming the go-to guy for actors looking for an injection of indie cred. Director: David Gordon Green Starring: Al Pacino, Holly Hunter, Chris Messina, Harmony Korine, Natalie Wilemon Theatrical release: 7 August 2015 James Mottram
HARD TO BE A GOD
Theres more to sci-fi than spaceships and aliens. This flawed, monochrome masterpiece sees 30 scientists sent to a planet that mirrors Medieval Earth, the camera sticking close to our main guide, Don Rumata (Leonid Yarmolnik), as he wades through blood, shit and piss in a lewd, squalid, barbaric world. Director Aleksei Germans vision is uncompromising and wearying at almost three hours long its a work of obsession, planned over four decades and shot over 12 years. Post-production was completed by his widow and son after his death in 2013. Director: Aleksei German Starring: Gali Abaydulov, Yuriy Ashikhmin, Remigijus Bilinskas Theatrical release: 7 August 2015 Jamie Graham
52 TUESDAYS
When Aussie teen Billie (Tilda Cobham-Hervey) discovers mum Jane (Del Herbert-Jane) is seeking gender reassignment, they agree to meet weekly. Remarkably, Sophie Hydes tender drama was filmed the same way, shooting on sequential Tuesdays. This Linklater-esque structure risks flirting with implausibility, but eclipses the gimmick with emotional candour. Newcomer Cobham-Hervey dominates events as Billies own search for her sexual identity unravels, and Herbert- Jane aptly, a transgender nonprofessional presents a compelling portrait of change. Director: Sophie Hyde Starring: Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Del Herbert-Jane, Mario Spate Theatrical release: 7 August 2015 Simon Kinnear
MAX
Max is so far off the mark its almost surreal. Ostensibly, this is a kids flick. Who else would go to see a movie about a loveable, hard-working German Shepherd? And yet, for most of its running time, the dog and his human counterparts are in constant, harrowing peril. Death is everywhere. At one point, Max a soldier dog bursts through the door at his masters funeral and whimpers while standing on two legs over the Marines flag-draped coffin. Later on he fights vicious Rottweilers and takes on a drug gang. Want to traumatise your kids for a week? This will do it. Director: Boaz Yakin Starring: Josh Wiggins, Lauren Graham, Thomas Haden Church Theatrical release: 7 August 2015 Simon Kinnear
MARSHLAND
A huge hit in its native Spain, Alberto Rodrguezs 1980-set thriller charts the investigation to find two missing girls in the titular backwater. The case is complicated by taking place during Spains awkward transition from dictatorship to democracy; even rookie cop Pedro (Ral Arvalo) has reason to distrust his old-school partner Juan (Javier Gutirrez). Although Rodriguez delivers style and substance, theyre not quite enough. For all its eye-catching cinematography and fascinating socio-political backdrop, the central procedural is strictly standard-issue. Director: Alberto Rodriguez Starring: Javier Gutierrez, Raul Arevalo, Nerea Barros, Antonio de la Torre, Jesus Castro Theatrical release: 7 August 2015 Ken McIntyre
DEATH OF A GENTLEMAN
Us Brits love test cricket, so stories of its declining popularity across the rest of the world are here met with both fear and bemusement. Journos-come-filmmakers Sam Collins and Jarrod Kimbers mistake is to take for granted the sports inherent worth while failing to make a convincing case for its existence beyond vague, old-hat ideals, tacitly endorsing reactionary attitudes towards Twenty20 without delving into why audiences are flocking to that modern form of the game. That said, they do offer a timely reminder that FIFA isnt the only scandalous sporting organisation. Directors: Sam Collins, Jarrod Kimber, Johnny Blank Starring: Giles Clarke, LalitModi, Michael Holding, Chris Gayle, Jonathan Agnew Theatrical release: 7 August 2015 Stephen Puddicombe
