THE PROPOSITION (2005)

DIRECTOR: John Hillcoat
STARRING: Guy Pearce, Ray Winstone

My deep love and admiration for Nick Cave (of Bad Seeds notoriety) brought me to the discovery of this film. Aside from being a brilliant musician Mr. Cave also has tried his hand at the writing of screenplays and film scores. The Proposition is the result of his efforts, and an impressive one at that.

The Proposition is a western set in the desolate outback of Australia, sometime during the 1880’s. The Burns brothers are at the centre of the story: Charlie (Pearce), Arthur, and the young Mikey, the three of whom are wanted for the murder of the Hopkins family, including the rape of the pregnant wife. The police soon catch up with Charlie and Mikey, but are left alive when police captain Stanley (Winstone) proposes Charlie a deal: kill his violent older brother (who was likely the brains behind the Hopkins’ attack) and he and Mikey can go free. Charlie reluctantly accepts and enters the desert in search of his brother, all the while trying to deal with the guilt and the consequences of the life and his brothers have led.

I’m no fan of westerns, but perhaps I was just never into the American cowboy mystique. The Proposition is entirely different and yet probably truer to the genre than anything I’ve seen: these men are violent creatures trying to survive in a time of hardship, and surviving the land alone is a tough enough feat. You can feel the sand, the sweat, the blood, and everything the Aussie outback is made of — Mr. Cave does nothing to romanticize the environment, nor does he shy away from the reality of it. In the world that the audience is presented, violence is an ugly thing, yet still innate and inescapable.

As far as performances go, each actor seems to portray their character to perfection: Guy Pearce, who you may recognize from Memento or LA Confidential, is very much at the centre as a man whose guilt and violent capabilities remains questionable. As Captain Stanley, Ray Winstone provides the film some compassion and humanity, trying to spare his delicate wife (played beautifully by Emily Watson) the harsh realities of life, claiming that he will “civilize this land.”

The bottom line: this was a brilliant film. As in my case, you don’t have to be a western fan to enjoy it, but if you are then you’ll certainly appreciate the grittiness and honesty Mr. Cave provides to the genre. Not necessarily for the weak-stomached, but worth the effort in the end.

FINAL GRADE: A-

THE RUNAWAYS (2010)

DIRECTOR: Floria Sigismondi

STARRING: Dakota Fanning, Kristen Stewart

This was the sort of film that I assumed would be unremarkable except for the performances of its stars. Most music biopics follow generally the same plot, and this one was no exception. It did, however, prep Dakota Fanning for her transition into becoming grown-up actor, and prove that Kristen Stewart is capable of acting without stammering her lines and gnawing her lip off (as seen in Twilight). Who would have thought?

The Runaways begins in 1975, when fifteen-year-old Cherie Currie (Fanning) is working a dead-end job at the local Pup n’ Fries with her responsible twin sister, Marie. To escape having to deal with a narcissistic mother and an alcoholic father, Cherie begins her descent into rebellion by chopping off her hair and painting her face Bowie style. Meanwhile, Joan Jett (Stewart) is trying to make her dreams of rock n’ roll a reality by meeting with record producer Kim Fowley, an eccentric man who loves her idea for an all-girl rock band but feels there’s something missing — he wants a Brigitte Bardot type for the lead. Enter Cherie, and the ball gets rolling faster than the girls could have imagined.

What makes The Runaways a good film is that it really gives the audience a look into a different time, showing the 70’s for what it was. The costumes are dead-on and the soundtrack is brilliant (albeit mostly lifted from one of my favorite films, Velvet Goldmine). We are able to get the sense of these girls throwing themselves into this business without understanding the consequences. From the beginning they are practically set up to self-destruct; Fowley sees the girls as commodities, and he only recognizes them according to how they fit the bill: Cherie is the jailbait, Joan is the ass-kicker, and the wilder they get the better they will sell. Any sense of responsibility is thrown out the window in favor of a lifestyle none of them are ready for or can even handle.


The leads were fairly remarkable in capturing the truth of their roles, getting down their mannerisms and attitudes to a tee. All throughout the film I couldn’t help but feel awkward watching Dakota Fanning strut around in next to nothing and put herself out there — what happened to the cute little girl from I Am Sam? Still, there seemed to be no hesitation on her part, especially during scenes that were particularly inappropriate for a girl her age. As mentioned above, Kristen Stewart was Joan Jett, but a version of her that I didn’t expect: along with the hard-edged attitude was dedication and vulnerability. She seemed to be the heart and soul of the band, since she was the only one truly invested in the desire to make music and live rock n’ roll.

I was generally impressed with The Runaways, more than I expected to be. I knew it could either be very good or absolutely dismal, and I’m happy to say it was the former. Not necessarily a new or unique take on the musician biopic genre, but still a great effort from Floria Sigismondi, whose previous work mostly includes music videos (such as Marilyn Manson’s The Beautiful People). Unfortunately my viewing experience was disrupted by a woman who thought that everything was hysterically, laugh-out-loud funny when it wasn’t; but maybe you will get lucky and be able to appreciate it for what it is.

FINAL GRADE: B+

LAYER CAKE (2004)

DIRECTOR: Matthew Vaughn

STARRING: Daniel Craig, Sienna Miller, Ben Whishaw

I’ll admit it: I was initially drawn to this film because Ben Whishaw has a small role in it. I know, I know — I’m a broken record. Upon looking further into it I discovered that it appeared to be a unique take on the British gangster genre (i.e. Snatch and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels). Although it isn’t typically a type of film that I’d be interested in, but I decided to dive in anyway.

Layer Cake is focused upon a nameless cocaine dealer (Craig) who informs the audience straightaway that he is “not a gangster but a businessman whose commodity happens to be cocaine.” He hates guns and cares nothing for the glory that drug lords often crave, choosing instead a life of low-profile professionalism. He’s made it big as a result and has decided to bow out into early retirement while he’s still on top. Unfortunately for XXXX (as he is named in the credits), getting out clean may not be an option, as he finds himself entangled in a mess of gangster conspiracies and violence — all of which is made increasingly complicated his attraction to Tammy (Miller), the girlfriend of his boss’s amateur nephew (Whishaw).

Like other films in its genre, Layer Cake has a huge cast and an elaborate story, often making it difficult to follow (especially due to the heaviness of the British accents). It’s fast-paced, violent, and, most importantly, intelligent. It never doubts its audience’s ability to keep up, even if it is a challenge. The characters avoid the blandness and clichés that often comes from these types of movies, giving the actors plenty to play with. Daniel Craig as XXXX was the biggest and most pleasant surprise to me, since I’d written him off as merely a sociopathic version of James Bond with a six pack; here, he breaks the mold, displaying vulnerability and humanity in the face of the brutal deeds he’s forced to commit. He becomes believable as a survivor, someone who isn’t cut out for the drug business but must play the game anyway.

The only troubling plot device was the use of Sienna Miller as Tammy. Aside from her physical appeal, I’ve enjoyed her work a number of times, particularly in Steve Buscemi’s film Interview. Here, however, she is only given perhaps three scenes to work with, and in spite of her screen presence it is difficult to believe that after meeting her once in a club XXXX is immediately willing to cross the drug lords he works for. It was a tricky pill to swallow, but still a sweet one.

On the other hand, I have to take a moment to mention Ben Whishaw — who, like Miller, was terribly underused but totally scene stealing and memorable. As Sidney, the naïve nephew of a drug lord, Whishaw actually gets to play a role unique to his career: a somewhat comedic one. Gone is the quiet, pensive young man; instead, he gets a character that is so dim and perhaps even pathetic that watching him sitting beside the brooding Daniel Craig can only be described as hilarious. Well done, my sweet Whishaw.

Layer Cake was a successful movie. I mean that it accomplished what it set out to accomplish and provided a fresh take on a genre that can sometimes be tiresome, guilty of playing up suavity and violence over subtlety. It was entertaining and gave me newfound appreciation of Daniel Craig and his blue, blue, blue eyes.

Here is a scene for you to enjoy, illustrating some of my points about Craig, Miller, and Whishaw:



FINAL GRADE: B+