What’s Going On?

A group of handsome men in their 20s and 30s sit around a conference table, they look well-off and successful, dressed in a variety of expensive if dull suits. We hear voiceover narration from Patrick Bateman, the main character and amoral murderer. The small talk is all of getting reservations at fancy restaurants, where they bought their suits and “accounts” – that shibboleth of American tv and film business people. There is a brief interaction between Bateman and Paul Allen and it transpires Allen has confused Bateman for another one of their colleagues – which is of great importance later in the film. After Allen leaves there begins a comparison of business cards (which are naturally kept in little metal cases). The discussion around the right shade of white for the card, the font of the lettering, the paper stock used is excruciating. Bateman recoils as some of these executives seem to prefer other cards to his own and when Allen’s card is presented Bateman comes close to a breakdown.

Acting

Christian Bale might have peaked with this performance as he is perfect in this film. In this scene, Bateman’s prickly and fragile ego is on display as someone daring to touch his suit or prefer another business card can possibly send him over the edge. The expressions on Bale’s face range from incredibly insincere smiling to barely contained anger to a terrifyingly blank intensity. The rest of the cast does very well in that they care about these things but clearly not as much as Bateman. When talking to Allen, Bateman’s narration explains how he’s confused him for another executive as they have similar style and appearance but there is a certain similarity with all of these men.

They’re All Awful But One Is More Awful

The book American Psycho was released in 1991 and the film adaptation was released in 2000 and certainly captured a certain type of person. The 90s were a period of prosperity for America, the Cold War won and they were running the world. These people are one of the products of that prosperity – they are shallow, greedy and vain, full of their own self-importance and entitlement (but living in the incredibly delicate state when the presentation is more important than substance in that it is so easily destroyed). The fact that Allen got a reservation at a fancy restaurant needles everyone in the room as it suggests he is more important than them. It’s hard to imagine something more pointless and self-congratulatory than comparing business cards, and of course, to most people, they look exactly the same. They run through the different shades of white – bone, eggshell, pale nimbus – when for virtually everyone else they would assume they were all the same. Allen’s card is described by Bateman as having a “tasteful thickness” to it and the difference between tasteful and tacky would surely be measured in millimetres. It’s easy to picture the months-long design process between these obsessed executives and poor designers and publishers, where they were harangued for not having the right thickness of paper. You also imagine that if we followed all of these characters as they left the room as each one would be calling their printer so they could outdo their rivals.

I find all the characters repellent and you forget that while they may all be superficial Bateman is the only one murdering people. Obviously in any chart ranking their awfulness Bateman is in a different category and one very much far away from the rest of them.

The best feature of all might be that all of the cards say they are a Vice-President and you can’t help wonder just how many Vice-Presidents they have in the company? Perhaps this explains why the virtually indistinguishable details of the cards are so important to them, in the hierarchy they’re all the same, and this is a way to be the best.

The Cards

The presentation of the cards themselves is fantastic. As Allen hands over his card, the cinematography and score would suggest this is Most Important Thing In The World. The One ring, the Death Star plans, Marsellus Wallace’s briefcase are nothing compared to this card. Each one is produced with a magician’s flourish and there is something reminiscent of a knight drawing a sword.

Legacy

American Psycho has always been a cult film but has achieved the ultimate twin cultural achievements of being a meme and parody youtube video. Bateman looking at Allen’s card with his horrified expression is a popular meme, where the card will be substituted for some other shocking item or piece of information. I’ve seen many videos where what is being compared is not business cards, but cats, or Pokemon.

That image of these executives has also become a shorthand for a type of shallow, probably incompetent, business-pretentious executive; a certain President’s children and their own style has often been compared to the executives in this scene. When Bale went on to play Batman whenever he was in Bruce Wayne’s business attire it was hard not to be reminded of Patrick Bateman.

Also Read: American Psycho: 19 Years On

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Back in 2009, after the disappointing third instalment, came Terminator: Salvation. Moving on from Judgement Day, the post-apocalyptic war with the machines is in full swing, and Batman is John Connor. While Bale’s infamous rant is more well-remembered than the film itself, several other sequels have come and gone. Salvation currently sits at a 6.5 on IMDb, the highest of any post T2. So is it really that bad?

“There is no fate but what we make”

Salvation is set in the distant future of 2018. Judgement Day has been and gone, Skynet is at war with humanity. John Connor is all grown up and fighting the machines. Which seems like the natural next step for the series and actually seeing the future is pretty cool. Some of the new terminator designs are also interesting, but nothing comes close to the T-800 or T-1000. Christian Bale makes Connor the figure he is described as in the original. Likewise, Yelchin’s Kyle Reese is an interesting younger version of the one we know. As a premise, that’s pretty solid and interesting.

The film focuses on Marcus, a criminal who sold his body to science and wakes up in this dark future. Upon his resurrection, he meets Kyle Reese, who is looking for the resistance. John Connor meanwhile has a plot to destroy Skynet and the film jumps between these two stories. All seems pretty promising so far. Unfortunately, Marcus isn’t much of a character. This is likely due to rewrites, where John Connor appeared briefly at the end before his role was expanded. But the most interesting thing about him is the obvious twist – he’s a terminator. It does actually seem like a logical jump, after all, the T-800 learnt to about being human. But the film never does much with it

“We’ve been at war since before either of us even existed”

The reveal that Marcus is a terminator, while interesting, is blindingly obvious. It does lead to an interesting exchange with Connor when the two finally meet, but when the evil plan is revealed to Marcus, it’s too late to care. It also makes little sense, with Kyle Reese already being a prisoner, the machines can just kill him and win. No going back in time so no John Connor. Game over.

Despite the weak plot, the action itself is serviceable, except for the finale. The final battle opts for the usual terminator in a factory battle, like every other film in the series. Except for this time, Arnie is CG because he was busy. Like the rest of the film, it looks the part but isn’t particularly inventive. The final battle, despite supposedly the whole resistance launching an assault, only features John and Marcus. Even Kyle Reese, who most of the film has revolved around in some form, sits out the fight.

The ending is perhaps a microcosm of the film itself, a lot of potential and interesting ideas but not wanting to alienate fans. After being mortally wounded by the T-800, John Connor is dying. Earlier drafts of the script featured Marcus taking on his likeness to continue his legacy and inspire hope. An even darker ending would have “John Connor” proceed to kill everyone. While these would certainly be controversial twists, at least they would be memorable and make an impact. As is, Marcus sacrifices himself to save John Connor and…that’s it. The heroes fly away, and the credits roll

Was it really that bad?…. Yes

Despite having some adequate dumb action scenes, the characters are so uninteresting that there is no reason to care what happens to them. The events of the film don’t seem to make much of an impact on the character or the war. Nor does it add anything to the previous entries. It just feels rather mechanical. There is a great deal of potential here, it’s just a shame none of it is realised. Perhaps in an alternate timeline, this would be a much better film.

Also Read: Was It Really That Bad?: Jennifer’s Body

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Start your engines!

He was the icon in the racing sport for multiple years and was the inspiration for many younger generations. Sadly, due to health reasons, Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) his days as a racecar driver are now over. Instead, he’s spending most of his time as the owner of Shelby American Inc., designing and selling cars. However, he still has a big passion for the racing tracks. He’s not the only one as his best friend, auto mechanic and driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale) his world is full of fast cars and perfect laps as well. After losing his auto mechanic shop and needing the money, Miles would do anything to be able to provide his wife Mollie (Caitriona Balfe) and son Peter (Noah Jupe) with the best care possible. No better way to do that than with car racing, right?

That’s exactly what he wants and that exactly what he gets when Shelby comes to him with a very unusual but alluring proposition. Shelby was approached by Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts) to take on Ferrari during Le Mans ’66. He wants his best friend Miles behind the wheel. After being reluctant about the job, both men want to take Ford to the start of one of the biggest racing events: The 24 Hours of Le Mans.

However, there are many bumps along the way. The main one is Leo Beebe (Josh Lucas), the right hand of Ford, who sees everything from the advertisement side and who prefers charisma and style above passion and knowledge. There are also the expected technical issues such as not working breaks and cars not being ready. Will Shelby and Miles be able to bring Ford to the start of Le Mans ’66 and provide him with a huge victory or will Ferrari make it happen again and be the one taking a victory lap?

Passion and skills drive this movie

Not so long, Bale (Vice, The Fighter) revealed that he’s done with undergoing dramatical weight transition but to play Miles, he has outdone himself again. Not only with the psychical metamorphosis but also by nailing the American accent. His excellent performance shows us the determination and passion of Miles. Bale does it with flair and joy and it’s such a pleasure to watch. Opposite him, we see the superb Damon (Suburbicon, Downsizing) as Shelby. He puts on a brilliant display as the resolute car designer who fights for what and who he believes in. The scenes between Bale and Damon are where the magic happens.

Due to the grandiose presence of the characters and the dazzling performances of Bale and Damon, there’s not much space for the supporting cast. That’s a shame if you can count on wonderful actors such as Jupe (A Quiet Place, Wonder), Balfe (Money Monster, Now You See Me), and Jon Bernthal (The Peanut Butter Falcon, Widows). The first two bring more emotions to this movie but to be able to have a lasting impact, their screen time is just too limited. Bernthal his Lee Iacocca is the head of the marketing team and while Bernthal’s performance is fine and enjoyable, he doesn’t get the chance to shine.

In high speed and incredibly entertaining film, there are some special effects used. In Le Mans ’66 it’s not clear where the real-life driving and incredible stunts made room for the SFX effects. Thanks to cinematographer Phedon Papamichael (The Huntsman: Winter’s War, The Monuments Men), we feel like we’re with Miles, driving in speed record away from the competition. However, the element that enhanced the car race experience is without a doubt the stunning sound design. That roaring sound of the engines gives this film the vibrant and compelling element it needs.

Racing towards the Oscars

This film shows a lot of passion and craftsmanship, both behind and in front of the screen. The fuel that drives this movie is the humour, sound design, and the incredible stunt driving. With Matt Damon and Christian Bale in the driver’s seat, this movie races in a lap record towards the multiple awards waiting at the finish line. You should catch this movie on the biggest screen and with the best sound system possible.

Rating: (4 / 5)

Also Read: Little Monsters (Review)

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Christian Bale

Before American Psycho, the films on Christian Bale’s résumé were relatively squeaky clean, starring in such films such as Pocahontas, Little Women and the musical The News Boys. Stepping into the role of the titular psycho, Patrick Bateman was a far cry from his other roles, but since then he has gone from strength to strength, displaying a wide range of diversity and going to extreme lengths in order to fully delve into whatever character he is playing. From the rapid weight loss to show the effects of insomnia and paranoia in The Machinist to working out enough to suit the physique of the Dark Knight, Bale has shown his dedication towards any role.

Perhaps his most well-known role is now Batman, however, there is so much more to Bale’s repertoire than the Caped Crusader. Since American Psycho premiered, Bale has been nominated for four Oscars, one of which he won for Best Supporting Actor in The Fighter. It seems he’ll only be starring in one film this year, Ford vs Ferrari (or Le Mans ’66 depending on where you are in the world), however, I’m sure we’ll see him again very soon.

Jared Leto

Perhaps most well known for his music rather than his acting for a while, Jared Leto didn’t really have a starring role in many films. It seems for a while he was most well known for his roles as Jordan Catalano in My So-Called Life, Angel Face in Fight Club and Tobias Jacobs in Girl, Interrupted before he was hired to be Paul Allen in American Psycho, a colleague of Bateman’s, unaware that he is also his nemesis. Though his most memorable scene belongs to Bale more than it does to him (you know the one, where Huey Lewis and the News is playing just before Allen gets struck in the head with an axe), Leto has since become a lead actor in his own right, starring in films such as Requiem for a Dream and Mr Nobody.

Leto has also been nominated for and won an Oscar, for his role as Rayon, a transsexual diagnosed with AIDS in Dallas Buyers Club. Though Leto doesn’t act as often, he has starred in the Blade Runner sequel, has an upcoming Marvel film where he’s starring as a living vampire in Morbius and, of course, who can (or rather, who will) ever forget his Joker. According to Leto’s IMDB, there are two upcoming Joker films he is attached to so… we all have those to look forward to.

Willem Dafoe

Willem Dafoe is one of those actors where every time he pops up in a film, I always find myself saying to anyone I’m with (or even if I’m alone), “Hey look, it’s Willem Dafoe!” With over 129 credits to his name, Dafoe is one of those actors that I think surprises people with his range and the depth that he can bring to a role. Before becoming Donald Kimball, an NYPD detective that is suspicious of Bateman as starts to really get into his violent spree, Dafoe starred in Clear and Present Danger, Born of the Fourth of July and the incredible The Boondock Saints.

Though Dafoe has been in a wide range of films since, such as The Grand Budapest Hotel, Antichrist and even Mr Bean’s Holiday, it is hard to deny his take on the Green Goblin. Though Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy didn’t always have its best moments, I think its fair to say that Dafoe’s performance was one of the better things about the films. Since his performance as Norman Osborne, Dafoe became Vulko in Aquaman, a friend and mentor to Jason Momoa’s Arthur Curry. Dafoe has five films coming out this year and at least two coming out next year, which shows there is clearly no slowing this man down.

Reese Witherspoon

Reese Witherspoon already had three big films under her belt before American Psycho came around. She was a teenage runaway getting revenge in Freeway, a naïve and sweet girl in Cruel Intentions and as a manipulative, over-achieving girl in high school in Election. So although her role as Evelyn, Bateman’s as equally narcissistic, materialistic, cheating fianceé, was diverging from her usual ‘teenager’ role, it was worth it in the long run. Though like Leto, her best scene belongs to Bale (their inevitable break up scene), it still showcased her comedic timings as she over-dramatically cries in the restaurant.

From there, Witherspoon embraced and twisted the dumb blonde image at the same time in Legally Blonde, a film that cemented Witherspoon as a star. She went on to a win an Oscar for Best Leading Actress for her part as June Carter Cash in Walk the Line and was nominated again for Wild. Witherspoon has since delved in producing, her biggest producing credit thus far being the hit show Big Little Lies in which she also stars. Though it seems she’ll only be in Big Little Lies and The Morning Show this year, she’ll also be stepping into her iconic Elle Woods character once more, as Legally Blonde 3 will be heading our way in 2020.

Also Read: Women In Horror: An Ode to Laurie Strode

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Christian Bale has a history of dramatic physical transformations for roles and his latest performance as former American Vice-President Dick Cheney in Vice is one of his best as he is almost unrecognisable. Gone is the chiselled physique of a man who once portrayed Batman replaced by a great deal of weight and a lot less hair. A lot of films have been made about real presidents but they have to contend with things like facts, what about fictional leaders who can be as brave, unhinged or greedy as you like?

Politician Type One – The Action Hero

Since the 90s it is seemingly not enough for a president to be an intelligent and honest public servant – they have to kick ass too. Past presidents may have sufficed in giving the motivational speech but Thomas J. Whitmore (Bull Pullman in Independence Day) got very much involved in fighting aliens. Oddly enough at the beginning of the film it seems his presidency is not going well so maybe this alien invasion worked out well for him. I haven’t seen the sequel so have no knowledge of his future political career.

It’s a mystery why President James Marshall (Harrison Ford in Air Force One) even needs Secret Service protection as he’s clearly perfectly capable of looking after himself. Marshall pursued an aggressive interventionist foreign policy which mirrored his aggressive killing-terrorists-trying-to-kill-him-and-his-family policy.

So popular is this trope of the action hero president two films came out at roughly the same time with the same plot – narrative twins White House Down and Olympus Has Fallen saw Jamie Foxx and Aaron Eckhart trying to save their presidential lives while the White House is attacked. Admittedly each film has a separate action hero star that takes charge of most of the fighting but each president has their moments.

Politician Type Two – The Incompetent

Being a world leader is hard. Really, really hard. And that’s at the best of times but films don’t get made about the best of times, they are made about things like alien invasions, nuclear Armageddon or a collapsing civilisation brought about by rampant stupidity. President James Dale (Jack Nicholson, Mars Attacks!) is a man not up to the job of handling first contact with Martians, constantly asking for advice from similarly incompetent advisors (and wife) and virtually giving up when things get tough, with his primary concern being about approval ratings rather than, you know, stopping the alien invasion. He even manages to mess up his last-minute saving the world speech.

Merkin Muffley (Peter Sellers, Dr. Strangelove) was given a tough time by a rogue general who under his own authority launches a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union but he perfectly satirised the insanity of Cold War brinkmanship. No matter how close the end of the world was the East vs West paradigm continued with advisors shouting about the best way to “win” the battle for control over their radiation poisoned world.

Perhaps my favourite fictional president is the wonderfully named Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho (Terry Crews, Idiocracy). He is a flamboyant and extravagant man which is to be expected of a former professional wrestler and porn star. He runs a future America where stupidity is destroying pretty much everything and Luke Wilson’s “average” intelligence character is the smartest man in the world. At least Camacho had the sense to spot good talent.

Politician Type Three – The Tyrant

The incompetent leaders are usually found in comedies and many of them ones are at least trying to do a good job and help people. But there are also tyrants – the people who have seized power and will not give it up. President Snow (Donald Sutherland,,The Hunger Games) is an expert manipulator of the population using both fear and hope to control people. Dapper, polite and rather presidential-looking at first glance he may have appeared a perfectly good leader but very quickly his brutality and cruelty are laid bare.

British politicians are certainly rarer in films than their American counterparts but they have a tyrant of their own – Chancellor Adam Sutler (John Hurt, V For Vendetta); an angry shouting tyrant constantly having himself projected onto huge screens and raging about all the people he doesn’t like which even includes Stephen Fry. The final reveal of what Sutler is really like when things get difficult is very satisfying.

What does this mean for “real” leaders?

So we have three different tropes of politicians in films (and there are many more) but what does this tell us about how we see politicians? The Tyrants obviously exist to show us what could go wrong, indeed V For Vendetta has several sequences taking us step-by-step through the process.

The Incompetents are an important satirical part of culture and it is crucial to be able to laugh at politicians and people in power and be aware that they too panic, get overwhelmed and do stupid things. Looking at three leaders I’ve mentioned each speaks to their time – in 1990s people thought everything became style over substance, in the 1960s it did seem like the world could be destroyed at any moment by arrogant politicians and in the early 2000s people were worried about the “dumbing down” of society.

The Action Heroes are certainly an odd cultural item as most real life politicians are not going to be very good in a fight (with the possible exception of Theodore Roosevelt who once delivered an 84 minute speech after getting shot in the chest). They tend to be older people who have spent more time in boring budget meetings than in highly choreographed gun battles. I think it is that politics is rarely obviously heroic – there is a lot of compromise, a need to understand very complicated issues where there is no easy answer, a requirement to listen to committees and opponents and judges instead of doing what you want. On the other hand if terrorists take over Air Force One and are trying to kill you then it’s very easy to get behind your hero president throwing people off his plane.

The post Well I Didn’t Vote For You – Fictional Leaders In Films appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

The Story

Based on the biography of Dick Cheney, as well as interviews with known associates, Vice tells the life story of Dick Cheney (played by Christian Bale). The film documents the period of him being kicked out of Yale University to the end of George W. Bush’s administration, for which he served as Vice President. The viewer is guided through his life story by the narrator, Kurt (Jesse Plemons), we later discover how these two individuals are connected.

The supporting cast includes Amy Adams (Arrival, Justice League) as Dick Cheney’s wife, Lynne Cheney; Steve Carell (Beautiful Boy, Welcome to Marwen) as Donald Rumsfeld; Tyler Perry (Nobody’s Fool) as Colin Powell; and Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards) as President George W Bush.

Hitting The Mark

Over the years, Christian Bale has proven himself to be a master at immersing himself in the characters he plays, fortunately, this remains true with his depiction of Dick Cheney. From the stoic demeanour and gravelly voice, Christian Bale’s performance is on par with previous performances in American Hustle & The Fighter.

Lynne Cheney is very much the backbone of the Cheney family. Her motivations are often a lot clearer than Dick Cheney’s, which allows Amy Adams to play her role with greater depth. Her need for a sense of security in her relationship, based on her parent’s abusive relationship and her wishes to realise her own ambitions, at a time women couldn’t so easily do, gives her character a sense of drive. One that is felt constantly throughout the film.

Sam Rockwell’s depiction of George W Bush largely stays true to the former president and is as equally believable as Christian Bale’s Cheney. One of the stronger points of Vice is exploring the relationship between George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. George W. Bush once described his relationship with Dick Cheney as “cordial” and that’s largely how their relationship is shown on screen.

Most of the film revolves around three periods, which has defined modern-day Conservative politics in the U.S: The power-vacuum formed after the resignation of President Nixon because of the Watergate Scandal, the rise of the Bush family in the Republican Party & 9/11.

The film also makes references to how the wider landscape of how Conservative politics developed: from Roger Ailes’ initial wish to form a Conservative Party News Channel, which then became Fox News; to billionaires, the Koch brothers and their influence on the party.

Thought Process

Despite being accurate on key events, a downfall of the film is understanding Dick Cheney’s motivation in the first place. Early on in the film he is described as a “so-so student” and having been expelled from Yale and battling drinking, his decision to study and enter into politics, much less the long ascent to becoming the United States’ most powerful Vice President ever, isn’t given the on-screen time that it should have.

Is Dick Cheney motivated by hatred? fear? Or atriotism? Without this explored it can make light of the ruthlessness in which the real Dick Cheney moulded the Republican Party over the past decades. And whilst the director, Adam McKay, does present some facts and figures, it does little to show the motivating factors in pursuing the “War on Terror” as viciously as Dick Cheney did.

Final Thoughts

If you’re a fan of The Big Short, you’ll certainly enjoy this. The supporting cast is great and Christian Bale is believable in his depiction of Dick Cheney. Even though it doesn’t quite reach the captivating heights of a film like Wolf of Wall Street in describing a “rise to power” story, it’s an intriguing look at how the political landscape of Republican politics has changed over the last four decades.

Verdict: (3.5 / 5)

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The story

Mowgli (Rohan Chand) is left alone in the wild after the tiger, Shere Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch) kills his parents. The panther Bagheera (Christian Bale) brings him to a wolf pack for protection. He, the wolves and Baloo the bear (Andy Serkis) agree to raise Mowgli as their own and protect him from Khan. As he grows older though it becomes clear that Mowgli will not survive in the wild. But he is too accustomed to jungle life to live as a human. With, a human hunter stalking his friends in the jungle and Shere Khan out for blood, can Mowgli find a way to survive and bring peace to the jungle?

What did I like?

Firstly, I will briefly contextualize this review by sharing my thoughts on Disney’s live-action version of the Jungle Book. Because the Disney version had a large impact on Mowgli’s production and the audience reactions that accompanied it, so I think it bears commenting on. Personally, I found the 2016 Jungle Book disappointing. The cast was great and the mix of CGI and live action looked amazing, but the 2016 Jungle Book was a supposedly dark adult movie, that clogged up the runtime with constant references to the original movie, including bizarre out of place musical numbers and lacked any sense of threat or growth for the main character.

The Disney versions success delayed Mowgli’s post-production, with Netflix eventually claiming the rights to the film. Personally, I think this helped the film. After the safe blockbuster Disney film, I found myself craving something different. As Netflix is less restrictive (according to Serkis) this allowed the film to be just that. Different.

From the beginning this film sets a bleak tone. We see Shere Khan attack Mowgli’s parents and later threaten to kill him. Only deterred by the ferocity of the wolf pack banding together. This version is not about the Bear Necessities. This version is about survival and how harsh and unforgiving the world can be. Make no mistake; this is not a film for young children. This movie contains blood, violence that affects even the younger characters and scenes that seem ripped straight out of a horror film. There are light moments that allow respite from the horror and give personality to the characters but importantly these moments do not detract from the overall tone. They do not overstay their welcome and the brevity feels like it fits each character’s personality. It is a taxing experience but a well-done and worthwhile one.

The film’s also well crafted. Quickly absorbing us into this world. The film tells a classic underdog story. Mowgli is an outcast in both the human and jungle world but he has strong ties to them both. So he tries his best to live life his way, but the ferocity of man and nature constantly beat him down. Giving us a hero that we can easily root for and a good challenge for him to overcome. All of the supporting characters are engaging, have their own show stealer moment and feel integral to the story. And the animation used to bring the world to life looks mostly stunning.

Finally, the acting from everyone is great. All the voice actors add so much personality to their characters. Christian Bale’s Bagheera feels stately and wise, which greatly contrasts with the savage nature he tries to keep covered up. Andy Serkis gives his Baloo the temperament of a drill sergeant, an incredibly refreshing take on the character. And Benedict Cumberbatch instils terror every time Shere Khan is on screen. With his growling, angry inflections adding so much menace to him.

What I do not like?

One of the big hindrances that Mowgli has is the way it uses motion capture. The film uses facial capture technology to record the nuances of the actor’s performances. Later transposed onto animals. While this is an interesting idea, it’s practical use is quite jarring. Because the animal characters look realistic, the combination of an animal’s face with the recognizable features of a real-world actor, creates a striking disconnect that can often take viewers out of the experience.

Star Rohan Chand also shows himself to be the weak link of the film. Not to say that he is wholly bad. He does a good job for a young actor and shows that with more training he will grow to be a fantastic actor. But he is asked to convey a lot. And when he is asked to show raw emotion, he shows his limits.

Finally, the film does have some editing problems. The first half flows smoothly. But just before Mowgli’s jungle expulsion, it feels like significant portions of the movie were cut. Many crucial events are not shown. Such as Shere Khan taking over the wolf pack and Mowgli going to find his friends. We also don’t get enough time to feel Mowgli’s growing fondness for the humans in the man village. So the idea that he is the champion of both worlds does ring a little hollow. And several characters feel like they needed at least one more scene to fully realize their purpose, such as Kaa the snake (Cate Blanchett). The movie is ultimately satisfying but I would love to see a longer version.

Verdict

Mowgli, at it’s weakest, shows some of the hindrances of motion capture. As well as Rohan Chand’s limitations as an actor. And the problems of not giving a project enough time to breathe in the edit. But at it’s best Mowgli is an engaging, thoughtful and terrifying coming of age movie.

Like Watership Down, Return to Oz and Dark Crystal, Mowgli uses traditionally family friendly story tropes to tell a tale for adults. It’s destined to be a film that scars children for life when unsuspecting parents put it on. But it treats its characters and mythos seriously without becoming laughably overbearing. Every one of the voice actor’s performances is amazing and invests so much personality into the proceedings. Although he sometimes struggles, Rohan Chand shows that he has a bright future ahead of him. The story and action is gripping and intense and at the core is a relatable story about an outcast finding his purpose in the world.

Verdict: (3.5 / 5)

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