Under the Skin

Most people would probably not turn down an invitation to go home with Scarlett Johansson. But most people would also not expect Scarlett Johansson to be an alien out to harvest human organs. That provocative notion is the exact premise of Jonathan Glazer’s, Under the Skin.

As could be inferred from the premise the best word to describe the film would be unsettling, and Glazer certainly deploys all the cinematic techniques in his arsenal to reach the desired ambiance. The visuals are bold and terrifying, using blaring lights and criss shadows that pain us to watch but find difficult to look away. He is also able to able to contrast that with more muted grey palettes that create foreboding landscapes. All of this is accompanied by one of the most purposeful scores of the year. The combination of a deep pulsating percussion and cacophonous screeches make sure that anxiety never leaves the room.  

Despite being rather polished from a cinematic perspective, the film finds itself lacking in both pacing and structure. The first half of the films plays like a monster movie from the perspective of the monster, where we see Scarlett Johansson as “The Alien” lure unsuspecting men into their eviscerated deaths. Then, there is a tonal shift in the second half, where The Alien begins to sympathize with humans and drudges throughout England pondering her isolation and identity.

While this shift could have certainly made for an intriguing narrative, the execution failed to live up to its lofty goals. The first half of the films becomes very repetitive in its stalk and capture structure while the second half feels drawn out and aimless. Scarlett Johansson certainly flexes her acting chops in the role, by moving between a seductive killer and melancholy wanderer, but because the film is barely tethered to it plot, we never truly identify with her character or the overall story.  

As one of the more challenging films of the year, Under the Skin is sure not going to whet every filmgoer’s appetite.  Those who enjoy more experimental works such as David Lynch’s Eraserhead can look tol appreciate it’s bizarre and existential look on scifi horror.  For the rest of us, it might just get under our skin.    

Snowpiercer

Before sci-fi was synonymous with dazzling graphics and big budget blockbusters, before it was a way for smart writers to blend their far fetched ideas with technology that wasn’t around, before it was ever merged with the realm of action movies, it served a simple purpose: to ask what if. For ages, science fiction asked questions of its viewers, contrasting hypothetical society’s with our own, holding a mirror to the systems in place.

As does “Snowpiercer” where, thanks to man’s mishandling of the global warming crisis, Earth has frozen over. The only survivors continue to inhabit the Snowpiercer, a train with a perpetually-moving engine, 17 years later. But the eternal locomotive’s remnants of the old world live on in a classist system, where the riders in the front of the car are afforded luxury while those in the tail section live in crowded filth. But not for long. Because tail-enders Curtis (Chris Evans, Captain America, The Avengers) and Gilliam (John Hurt, 1984, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) are brewing up a revolution to take control of the engine.

“Snowpiercer” is that rare summer sci-fi movie that takes its concept and utilizes it to the fullest. The film explores layer after layer of injustice, all while really exploring what it would be like to wage class warfare on a train going through a frozen tundra. It has the same fiber of a big summer movie, but takes trope after trope of the classic blockbuster fanfare and transforms them into something much more grounded and compelling.

The movie is mesmerizing in its action as well as in its acting. Octavia Spencer (The Help, Fruitvale Station) makes a perfect Tanya, another tail-ender who’s fighting to find her son, never bringing her character to either extreme of ‘mother’ or ‘rebel’ archetype. Instead she blends the two sides into a wholly believable character. She’s the deeply-caring, maverick mother who’s the antithesis of Tilda Swinton’s (Only Lovers Left Alive, Moonrise Kingdom) Mason, who brutally and unambiguously preaches order in the tail section.

But it’s Evans who carries the movie. It’s a sly touch, casting Captain America as a man fighting for justice at the end of the world, and it pays off. He delivers one of the stronger performances of his career, and by the end he’s gone through so much it’s hard to believe he’s still the same man he was before. It may not be perfect, but it’s a great flip side to his normal boy scout routine.

Director Bong Joon-Ho (The Host, Memories of Murder) certainly delivers some cold bite into the summer with his English-language debut.  His eccentric style has made the sci-fi genre a safe place to think boldly and cleverly.  It may seem like a tall order to invest so much into a new perspective and edge but don’t worry, you’ll warm up to it.   

Looper

Rian Johnson resurrects the almost forget genre of science fiction.  While this summer’s Prometheus had some moments, it failed to be a groundbreaking work by any means, however  Looper may become a sci-fi classic.  

Looper takes place in a not so distant dystopia, where time travel is both real and outlawed.  Though outlawed, criminals use time travel to send their enemies back in time to be whacked by hitman called “loopers.”  Loopers are paid handsomely in silver, until their employers terminate their contracts by sending their future selves back to be killed.  Their last paycheck is in gold, but with one caveat; they can’t let their future selves escape. Joe (Joseph Gordon Levitt, ((500) Days of Summer, 50/50, The Dark Knight Rises) lives a comfortably numb life as a looper until his next assignment is his older self (Bruce Willis, Moonrise Kingdom, Die Hard) and he lets him escape.

In order to reap all of Looper’s gifts, you’ll have to give yourself to the mythos of their laws of time travel. Sure, it’s sometimes (and perhaps ultimately) problematic, but the time travel aspect of the film merely acts as a plot device. The travel aspect of the film allows it to delve into the heart of science fiction; as Willis’ character says when asked how time travel works: “It doesn’t matter”. Looper uses extra-ordinary means to speculate on humanity not unlike a Philip K. Dick story: accented by its existential flair, posing questions about the ever transforming landscape of one’s self identity.

With Looper, Johnson doesn’t just step onto the more mainstream movie scene but charges. It’s a shame that he’s lost some of the distinction that came with his previous works Brick and The Brothers Bloom, but his style manages some charm and quirk.

In similar style to Children of Men, Johnson impeccably designs an exhausted and decrepit future, rotting from corruption and urban decay. Contrasting a gritty city exterior, is the sexy and decadent world of the loopers; a world of constant cyclic hedonism clouded by a Huxlian-Somatic haze.

The movie is well acted all around: Gordon-Levitt and Willis each shine on their own, while Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada, Your Sister’s Sister) acts as the moral anchor to the film.  Her dynamic performance illuminates the tremendous heart of a single mother, desperately trying to quell her anxieties while still being haunted by the toxic influence of the city. Jeff Daniels is also noteworthy as the enigmatic mob boss from the future, drawing strong parallels to Albert Brooks in Drive.

Even with all the head scratching, Looper delivers one of smarter and sleeker action blockbusters to grace the cinema in quite some while; it’s just a matter of time before you see it.   

Prometheus

With an absence of true science fiction since 2009 with District 9, Moon, and Avatar Prometheus brought promise back to an unbothered genre.  Ridely Scott returns to the genre for the first time since 1982 with Blade Runner and with the rumour mill buzzing at the prospect of an Alien prequel, nerdom salivated in anticipation for the unveiling of Prometheus.

Though the film does show many “strands of Alien DNA” the film still takes a different direction from the plot of Alien.  The film follows the crew of the Prometheus; searching for “the engineers” or the creators of humanity.  While Scott utilizes the horror canvas for Alien, Prometheus is grounded more in science fiction and true to the genre, it queries on the big philosophical stumpers: Who are we? Where do we come from? What is our purpose?  While Prometheus asks these questions, it does little to answer or even address the issue. The plot itself is filled with gaps and the script does little to develop it characters; which are many (Chalize Theron, Idris Elba, Michael Fassbender, and Noomi Rapace to name a few).  Burdened with such bold aspirations and numerous character plot lines, the script sloppily attempts to hold it all together, leaving the audience scratching their heads at the writers.

OK, so that’s the bad news.  Despite the flaws, Prometheus proves itself a marvelous spectacle, well worth a trip to the cinema.  The landscape shots are absolutely gorgeous and meticulously conceived, true to the Scott style.  The vibrant mise-en-scen acted as the palatable mise-en-place of a robust and decadent visual feast.  It’s hard to imagine that after all these years, Scott still has to the ability to stretch his imagination into worlds we can hardly conceive in our dreams.  Even more impressive than the cinematography were the performances.  While Charlize Theron (Monsters, Snow White and the Huntsman) and Idris Elba (Luther, The Wire, Thor) have strong showings, the real stars are truly Noomi Rapace as Elizabeth Shaw and Michael Fassbender as the droid Dave.  

Fassbender shows so much control his body language, demonstrating the cold, frigid demeanor of a droid.  Even more chilling is extremely subdued and controlled voice.  If you close your eyes, you can swear that you are listening to HAL from 2001. Noomi was completely mesmerizing with her extremely physical and visceral performance.  Single handedly, she drives home complex discussions on both rape and disease culture.  Her performance in the surgery scene in this film maybe the most absorbing, disturbing, and gut wrenching cuts of film thus far to be released this year.      

While many Alien faithfuls might find themselves disappointed, and rightfully so, Prometheus still provides a quite the spectacle and a solid return to the science fiction genre with strong elements of body horror that can leave your heart beating, gut busting, and chest bursting.  

Safety Not Guaranteed

 

“Wanted: Somebody to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. You’ll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. I have only done this once before. Safety not guaranteed.”

Who would write and ad like that and are they serious? Is it a joke? Can they really time travel?  That is the point of attack of Safety Not Guaranteed. Three journalist from Seattle including Parks and Rec’s Aubrey Plaza as Darius and New Girl’s Jake Johnson as Jeff, set off to find the source of the ad only to discover that it was written by an odd Dwight-Scrute-esque recluse named Kenneth (Mark Duplass, The League, Cyrus, Jeff Who Lives at Home). Darius goes undercover to answer Kenneth’s ad and investigate the mind behind the time-traveler.

In a summer already dominated by blockbusters such as The Avengers and Snow White and the Huntsman it is nice to see a bit of indie fresh air while we await for the release of Moonrise Kingdom. In his directorial debut, Michael Trevarrow delivers a wonderfully sweet and witty film. Safety walks the line between quirky adorkableness as well as heartfelt complexity; bringing in big laughs and warm hearts.  Plaza is an absolute gem in this film, with her trademark deadpan snark, but also filled with curiosity and wonder.  We can see her walls coming down and her optimism rising as she becomes closer to Kenneth and his mission to go back in time and rectify the guilt in his life.  The tender moments between the two are absolutely enchanting and honest.

That said, this film does have a few drawbacks. There seems to be a light heir of indie smugness (playing a sensitive song on a string instrument by a campfire? C’mon now) as well as falling into to some Hollywood conventionality. The side stories concerning the douchey Jeff and the hilariously awkward intern Arnau (Karan Soni) seem not to be fully realized and unconnected to the main story at hand.

However, the sheer charm that Plaza and Duplass have is simply irresistible.  The film dares us all to be dreamers and shuns pessimism.  It shows us just exactly how far you can go in life in believing and trusting.  So yes, safety is not guaranteed; but a great time at the theater sure is.