Bond at 60

Posted on October 4, 2022 by ashleymanningwriter

Tomorrow marks 60 years since the world premiere of the first James Bond film, Dr No. I wanted to write a post about the series, my favourite films and moments from it. I’ve been a big Bond fan most of my life. Over several years I collected all of the video tapes from trips to car boot sales and markets with my mum, slowly piecing them together to create a tapestry of the various Bonds. I ended up watching them in a random order, not that it really matters. Once I knew what my favourite moments were, I would then skip through most of the plot on re-watches and just get to the stunts and action.

As a child my favourite Bond was Pierce Brosnan, but he’s been replaced by Daniel Craig as those films got released, but I have my favourites from every era. For Sean Connery my favourite is either Goldfinger or Diamonds are Forever, but pretty much all of them are still entertaining. Definitely dated, especially Thunderball, but still enjoyable. I think he’s funny in the role, and there’s a good mix of action and silliness. The opening to Goldfinger with the brutal fight in the hotel room always stands out.

George Lazenby is an odd one, with only one film, I don’t think he had enough time in the role. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service for me is a largely forgettable film, with some good chases, and over the top fights. The final tragic moment does make the film a lot better though, and I do think it’s a real shame that he didn’t stick around to do one more, to really drive home that emotional arc. With Connery taking back the role, the opening of Diamonds are Forever doesn’t really land right.

Moving on to Roger Moore, my least favourite Bond. I think he does a good job in the role, but his films are the weakest of the bunch. For Your Eyes Only is my least favourite of the entire series. A View to a Kill was always my favourite Moore entry, mainly due to the chase in Paris as his car is being destroyed. I prefer Moonraker now, because it’s just completely stupid. Bond in space with laser guns, and Jaws becoming a good guy. Still a really fun film. The other contender is Octopussy, which I think is a really fun film, especially the scenes in India towards the start.

When I was younger I never liked Timothy Dalton. I think it’s because the opening to Licence to Kill is so dark, with Felix being lowered into the water by the bad guys and being bitten by a shark. It’s such a stark contrast to the pre-credits opening where they’re parachuting into Felix’s wedding. I much prefer The Living Daylights, as I think it’s just a more entertaining film. Getting away from the bad guys while using a cello case as a sledge is one of my favourite moments ever.

Goldeneye is my favourite Bond film of them all, and it’ll take quite a lot to top that one. The opening is the strongest of the series, Brosnan is the perfect mix of deadly and charm, and it’s incredibly memorable. I’ve watched this so many times, I couldn’t even begin to count. I do think it’s a real shame that Brosnan’s later films are such a dip in quality because I think he could have made a couple more.

Then came Casino Royale, which was the first I saw in a cinema. If you ignore the mess of Quantum of Solace, then Craig has the best run of Bond films. Royale is my favourite of his films. It’s a lot darker than what’s come before with more brutal violence and torture scenes. This is my second favourite film in the series, and I could watch it any time.

Looking forward I hope we get someone completely unknown for the new Bond. Hopefully a little younger than when Craig started so we can stay away from plots that feature him being too old, at least for a little while. I hope it keeps the silliness and doesn’t just go even darker. I would also like to see them get help from other agencies around the world, like they used to. Whatever happens, I’ll be here for it.

Thanks for reading and until next time,

Ashley

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Dazed and Confused – Film Review

Posted on October 3, 2022 by ashleymanningwriter

Director: Richard Linklater

Writer: Richard Linklater

Starring: Jason London, Joey Lauren Adams, Milla Jovovich, Shawn Andrews, Rory Cochrane, Adam Goldberg, Ben Affleck, and Matthew McConaughey

Rating: ★★★★

In 1993 Richard Linklater released his third film, Dazed and Confused, which had a much higher budget than his previous two films. It’s a brilliant comedy/drama coming-of-age story that feels very reminiscent of the high-school stories of the eighties, like Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club. Unlike those films, it’s looking backwards, being set in 1975, when Linklater was 15 years old and feels authentic to that time.  

Much like Linklater’s second film Slacker, this film doesn’t have much of a narrative. It is more focused around interesting characters interacting with each other, than it is a cohesive story. It’s set during one day, the final day of school and follows a group of seniors and freshman through their hazing rituals and a party afterwards.

There’s a lot of comedy that comes from the interactions as the characters take the next step in growing up. It’s a very light-hearted film, with no risks and understated conflicts. It feels real and doesn’t exaggerate things for drama in the slightest. It’s a feel good film that’s about a simpler time, while at the same time showing the fears and insecurities of growing up. There’s also an incredible soundtrack to back the film, with classic rock songs playing all throughout the film, that’s enough to enjoy by itself.

The film is a time capsule coming-of-age story from the 1970s, even so there’s a universal quality to the characters. Richard Linklater manages to follow a wide variety of characters, not giving importance to one group over another. By doing this he manages to capture an element of humanity. Watching this film as someone who was born the year it was made, seventeen years after the year it was set, I can see people I’ve known in some of the characters. There’s depth to them that goes beyond the architypes.

There is also an incredible ensemble cast, many of which would go on to become household names. Milla Jovovich, Ben Affleck, Matthew McConaughey, Anthony Rapp, and even Renée Zellweger in one of her first roles. It’s an incredible cast and they’re all great in it, and they’re all memorable. There really isn’t a dud performance from anyone.  

Dazed and Confused isn’t as interesting or hypnotic as Linklater’s previous film Slacker, but it’s still a great film. It’s reminiscent of films like Fast Times at Ridgemont High, in that it captures a snapshot of what life was like at a certain period of time, but the universal themes shine through meaning people will watch this for generations and see themselves in it. 

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Slacker – Film Review

Posted on October 2, 2022 by ashleymanningwriter

Director: Richard Linklater

Writer: Richard Linklater

Richard Linklater’s second film Slackers is completely unique. Instead of having a traditional narrative it instead follows a group of oddball characters throughout a single day in Austin, Texas. The film starts with Linklater himself in the back of a taxi talking about multiple universes, and then the camera moves to follow someone else, and then someone else, never stopping on a single character for long. There’s not an overall story, just snapshots from the characters’ lives throughout the single day.

Slacker is a captivating experience. All of the characters seem real, and there is a documentary feel to it, which is added to by the low-budget production. Watching this thirty years later, I sat there wondering what they’ve been up to in the years since, where has life taken them. On the screen they’re almost constantly moving, although almost without purpose, and everyone is at different stages of their lives with differing backgrounds. Some of the characters feel more comfortable about themselves than others, all exposing their fears and thoughts on the world in tiny segments. It’s fascinating to watch and easy to get absorbed into.

There are so many characters, and it’s not possible to take them all in, but the film puts you into a trance as each one comes and goes, the camera focusing on someone else and following them for a while before jumping to someone completely different. While the film is considered to be generation defining depiction of Generation X, it doesn’t just focus on them, there’s all kinds of people featured throughout the day. One of the more interesting characters from early on is a middle-aged man obsessed with UFOs and government conspiracy, that humanity is already colonising other planets. This isn’t a film about one generation, it’s about everyone that’s slightly out of sync with mainstream society. 

Slacker is definitely worth seeking out if you’re looking for something different. It’s an important piece of film history, inspiring films like Clerks, and it’s a hypnotic journey, that while rambling still has you hooked from the opening moment.

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The Hours – Film Review

Posted on October 1, 2022 by ashleymanningwriter

Director: Stephen Daldry

Writer: David Hare

Starring: Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, Nicole Kidman, Ed Harris, Toni Collette, Claire Danes, Jeff Daniels, Stephen Dillane, Allison Janney, John C. Reilly, and Miranda Richardson

The 2002 film The Hours, which is written by David Hare and directed by Stephen Daldry, is based on the book of the same name by Michael Cunningham. The Hours was also the working title for Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway. The film follows three different women throughout a single day of their lives at different points in time and are all connected by Woolf’s novel.

In the 1920s Virginia Woolf (Nicole Kidman) is writing the novel, while struggling with her own mental health and depression. In 1950s America, Laura Brown (Julianne Moore) is reading the novel while on the side is seemingly living perfect life. And in 2001 Clarissa Vaughan (Meryl Streep) shares her first name with the protagonist of the novel and is trying to arrange a party for a close friend, writer Richard Brown (Ed Harris), who is suffering with aids.

Each of the stories, like the novel Mrs Dalloway, take place in a single day. At first it feels like they’re completely unrelated, set in different time periods and locations, but as you get deeper into each story you start realise the connections. They’re all struggling with mental health, in different ways, and they’re growing older and losing ‘hours’. It really drives home the point that Woolf’s work is timeless and universal. It’s a very bleak and almost harrowing film, that has small moments of hope sprinkled within. At first the style is a little jarring, with the three stories bouncing around, but once it all settles in, then it all clicks together.

All of the performances are simply brilliant. Every cast member is spellbinding, with an incredible cast. It’s incredibly easy to connect with each of the characters. The three leads are phenomenal, but what else would you expect from Kidman, Moore, and Streep.  Nicole Kidman won the Oscar for best actress, and Ed Harris and Julianne Moore were both nominated for best supporting actor and actress, but the entire cast is worthy of either award. They’re all magnificent. Even the smaller part like John C. Reilly, who plays Laura’s husband, stands out. He’s living this perfect American life, with his perfect wife, but there’s something broken about it. It’s too perfect, and you know there’s something underneath, he doesn’t seem to notice the struggle that Laura is going through at all.

The Hours is a gripping story about depression, it’s bleak and somewhat life affirming. The performances are excellent, and while this isn’t something you’ll want to watch over and over again, it should be watched at least once.

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The Future – Film Review

Posted on September 30, 2022 by ashleymanningwriter

Director: Miranda July

Writer: Miranda July

Starring: Miranda July, Hamish Linklater, David Warshofsjy, Isabella Acres, and Joe Putterlik

Rating: ★★★★

Miranda July’s The Future is a quirky and odd look at an existential crisis. Miranda July writes, directs, and stars as Sophie, who’s in her mid-30s and is about to adopt a cat with her partner Jason (Hamish Linklater). They believe the cat will only live six months at first, which doesn’t seem like a long commitment, but then find out the cat could live much longer and they start to panic. To make things worse, they must wait a month before adopting it, which leaves them to believe they only have one month of freedom before the cat dominates their lives. While it’s a silly premise, the film is a very emotional and a raw portrayal of feeling lost and isolated in life and leaves a lasting impression.

Both of the characters react differently to the idea of time running out. Jason goes out and does random things to try and find fulfilment, while Sophie sets herself a creative challenge. Her initial idea is to record herself dancing and upload it online, thirty dances in thirty days, but quickly gives up on the idea and instead, starts an affair with someone purely out of a desire to be seen. There’s an interesting line about how the affair partner thought she’d be independent, but she’s reliant on other’s approval.

Both Sophie and Jason are only thinking about themselves, and end up hurting each other. Jason isn’t there for Sophie, when she needs him, but her affair ends up destroying their relationship. She feels ignored by Jason, but doesn’t seem to realise that he’s struggling as well and the romantic gesture she’s looking for could be from either of them.

There’s a really interesting moment where time freezes for him, as the days still race past for her, it’s still the middle of the night, one minute before everything breaks down. While she carries on living as normal, he’s stuck in the moment and is unable to move on.

The cat represents their happiness, all they need to do is commit, but they can’t instead they freak out ruin everything. The voice over from the cat is uncanny and unnerving, but at the same time really sad to listen to. The couple don’t realise how they’re letting down others, and isolating themselves from those around them. Sophie misses important milestones in her friend’s lives because she doesn’t know what to say when she calls them, and their lives end up moving on without her.

The Future is a poignant and thought provoking film. It’s a powerful portrayal of a mid-life crisis that is incredibly relatable. The quirky premise and strange style may put some people off, but if you can get in sync with the film it all clicks together into a really emotional and raw film.

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