Mubi Monday: The Angels' Share (2012)

Robbie (Paul Brannigan) is a thug when we first see him in The Angels' Share. His criminal history paints an ugly picture, one he can never seem to change due to an ongoing feud and the facial scar that leads to him being pre-judged wherever he goes. He is, however, ready to try and change his life. His girlfriend (Leonie, played by Siobhan Reilly) is due to have their baby, and his latest bout of community service sees him benefiting from the kindness of the driver/supervisor, Harry (John Henshaw). This leads to him, and a few of his fellow criminals, being shown the world of whisky tasting, which leads to them hatching a plan. That plan is based around the idea of the angel's share, a portion of the whisky that is lost from the cask by evaporation.

On the surface, this comedy-drama would seem like an unexpected outing from director Ken Loach, best known for his filmography being practically bursting at the seams with social commentary, especially when it comes to the class divide in the UK. But, working once again with writer Paul Laverty (the pair have been quite the team now for over two decades), it soon becomes apparent that this is exactly the kind of tale that Loach would enjoy telling. It has some big laughs, arguably some of the biggest in any Loach film, but also never strays too far away from the focus on how people often become trapped in bad lives, and how it only takes one or two acts of kindness to sometimes really help turn things around for them. Although everything here is based around whisky, and steeped in the Scottish landscape and language, the scenario faced by the main character is one that many face throughout the UK.

Brannigan is a very likeable lead, even in the scenes that have him violently reacting to the other men who won't let him keep his past in the past, and he's surrounded by a great selection of characters. Henshaw is the agent of change that the younger ones need, treating them with decency and kindness that they don't get from many other people. Reilly is sweet as the woman who wants the best for her family, Jasmin Riggins (billed as Jasmine Riggins) is the light-fingered woman who proves essential to the plan, and William Ruane and Gary Maitland are the other members of the group, with Maitland getting most of the best lines playing a character who is far from the sharpest sgian-dubh in the drawer.

Making good use of his locations, mainly Glasgow but also some moments in Edinburgh and further afield, Loach creates something that, overall, sits very nicely near the top of the pile of many great films that have made the most of Scotland. Those who don't like swearing my wince every now and then, and there's one absolutely disgusting moment that I always forget about until I rewatch the movie, and then it makes me gag again, but most people should find plenty to enjoy here. Even if it is another film to use I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) on the soundtrack.

8/10

You can buy the movie here.
Americans can buy it here.

Sci-Fi September: Under The Skin (2013)

Like many movies, Under The Skin is based on a book (this one by William Faber) that I haven't read. Unlike many movies, it's an uncomfortable, horrifying experience that also comes damn close to being a masterpiece.

Director Jonathan Glazer, who also adapted the book to screen with the help of Walter Campbell, excels at this kind of thing, although this may remain his finest hour for some time to come. Sexy Beast had moments to make you wriggle in your seat, and Birth was also difficult to watch at times, but neither of those will prepare you for the experience of this sci-fi horror.

Scarlett Johansson stars as a woman who drives around Glasgow and picks up various men. Once she gets them back to her place, alone and expecting a good time, she closes the trap that she has in place. Yet, as this cycle continues, she starts to find herself conflicted, especially when meeting someone (Adam Pearson) who seems sweeter than most.

Under The Skin is stunning. There's no other word I want to use to describe it. Some sections are a bit repetitive, which is why it falls just short of perfection, but the movie is haunting, thoughtful, and uniquely beautiful in a way that lets it stand out from almost any other sci-fi movie that I can think of from the past few decades.

All of the performances are solid, with a number of the males on camera actually being people unwittingly entering the world of the film (secret cameras were used at some points, and everything was explained and cleared after scenes had been filmed), but Johansson deserves a hell of a lot of praise for a performance that always shows her to be slightly out of alignment with the world around her. Just watch her charming men one minute, all smiles and attentiveness, and then letting her face return to a prone state when her interest wanes. She's never less than mesmerising, and this film sits atop of a filmography that currently posits her as the most interesting American actress of recent years. Hell, this even made me forgive her for Lucy (a film I disliked, although she was the best thing about it).

The performances are essential to the film, no doubt about that, but it would be remiss not to heap an equal amount of praise upon Glazer, who seems to have created an atmosphere of trust and intimacy offscreen that allows the onscreen events to play out in such an effective, and affecting, way. The script may have minimal dialogue, and often poses more questions than answers, but it makes enough available to the viewer to allow anyone to keep up. Sort of.

The visuals are another major bonus. The film starts off with some small, impressive moments before moving from one memorable set-piece to the next. This is the stuff of sci-fi nightmares, with disturbing imagery appearing in almost every main sequence.

Slow, ambiguous, terrifying, this is a film that most will either love or hate. I absolutely loved it. I hope that, however you end up feeling about it, you at least give it some of your time. It may just get under your skin, appropriately enough, as it did with me.

9/10

http://www.amazon.com/Under-Skin-Blu-ray-Scarlett-Johansson/dp/B00K0MM4AM/ref=sr_1_2?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1408891449&sr=1-2&keywords=under+the+skin

Got enough movie reviews to read? Of course you have. Everyone's a critic, and that's never been more correct than in this interwebby-tastic age. But a few pounds/dollars spent on my book allows me to keep my movie schedule packed, and subsequently throw at least one main review down on this here blog.

The UK version can be bought here - http://www.amazon.co.uk/TJs-Ramshackle-Movie-Guide-Reviews-ebook/dp/B00J9PLT6Q/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1395945647&sr=1-3&keywords=movie+guide

And American folks can buy it here - http://www.amazon.com/TJs-Ramshackle-Movie-Guide-Reviews-ebook/dp/B00J9PLT6Q/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395945752&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=TJs+ramshackle+mov

As much as I love the rest of the world, I can't keep up with all of the different links in different territories, but trust me when I say that it should be there on your local Amazon.