Andy Jamieson

Sometime Geek Overlord, bi-monthly Dungeon Master, part-time care worker, reigning Husband of the Year, & full-time daddy. Also, proficient proverbial juggler.

FILM REVIEW: The Limehouse Golem (15)

Sep 142017
 

The Limehouse Golem (15) – OUT NOW

Dir: Juan Carlos Medina

Starring: Bill Nighy, Olivia Cooke, Douglas Booth

Run time: 109 mins approx.

In cinema and television history there have been countless interpretations of the Jack the Ripper killings but now The Limehouse Golem has put another Victorian serial killer, albeit a fictional one, in the spotlight. This makes for a refreshing change and allows the story to entertainingly subvert expectation, especially as the film peers through the murk of 19th century London with a somewhat feminist-tinted monocle.
The film, adapted by British screenwriting jewel Jane Goldman (Stardust, X-Men: First Class, Kingsman) from Peter Ackroyd’s novel, finds stoic detective John Kildare (Bill Nighy) on the trail of the eponymous murderer and met with a ludicrous suspect list comprising Karl Marx, George Gissing and cross-dressing music hall legend Dan Leno. It’s the latter, played with winning charisma by Douglas Booth, who proves most intriguing as through him we delve into the life of underdog street urchin-turned-stage star-turned abused wife, Lizzie ( Olivia Cooke, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl).
Lizzie is everything we don’t see in the Ripper stories (a female character with more than a corpse/prostitute role, for one) and Goldman has done a fantastic job in writing a woman who subverts the victim stereotype and whose intense determination and grit sees her succeed in a world where women were barely allowed to tread. The story begins with her apparently murdering her husband, John Cree, and immediately being carted off to prison. Here, she becomes Kildare’s focus as he gradually comes to the conclusion that this Mariticide was one of self-defence when Lizzie discovered Cree’s second life as The Limehouse Golem. From here we enter a fraught but slightly predictable final act in which the tension mounts as Kildare seeks evidence to support his case and Lizzie edges ever closer to the hangman’s noose.
This is only director Juan Carlos Medina’s second feature film and it does show a little in the slightly heavy-handed over-grimification of 1800’s London. However, with an enjoyable story, an impressively fresh unsmiling performance from Nighy and promising turns and displays of comedy chops from Cooke, Booth and Daniel Mays (Ashes to Ashes, Line of Duty) as an officer assisting Kildare, this is a heartily recommended watch and unmissable for fans of Victoriana and the murder mystery genre.

Review by Genevieve Taylor

BOOK REVIEW: Garro by James Swallow

Sep 052017
 

GARRO by James Swallow

Published by Black Library, HB, £20, OUT NOW

A unique release amongst the Horus Heresy book series, GARRO by James Swallow is a re-edited collection of all the audio dramas and short fictions featuring Nathaniel Garro, former captain of the Death Guard Legion, and Agentia Primus of Malcador the Sigilite. Labelled as officially the 42nd book in the series, the original Garro stories have been given an overhaul with minor additions by the author – but fear not, these are still essentially the same excellent Garro tales that we have listened to and read over the last few years.

I’ve been a fan of James Swallow since his Blood Angels books, and his three Horus Heresy novels have been some of the best to grace the long-running series. Book four, The Flight of the Eisenstein, is all about Garro, charting his journey from proud Death Guard captain to unlikely rescuer, and herald of Horus’ betrayal. Book thirteen, Nemesis, is an intricately crafted spy thriller, complete with fabulous twists and turns, whilst book twenty-one, Fear to Tread, is Swallow’s epic tale of the Blood Angels Legion being lured into a trap by Horus.

However, despite such a robust track record of great Horus Heresy novels, I approached the author’s hefty hardback release with a wee bit of scepticism. I expected this pseudo-collection to feel disjointed, to be no more than a cobbled together short story volume. I was therefore very pleased to discover that I could not have been more wrong, as some thought has clearly been put into this mighty tome, the myriad Garro tales having been re-sculpted with care, very subtle additions throughout adding character and atmosphere.

The release schedule of the original audio tales was sporadic, and the first two were released out of order, but thankfully we now have a comprehensive and immersive odyssey of Garro’s exploits, from his initial recruitment by Malcador and his subsequent mission to Calth (from ‘Oath of Moment’; worth noting that this collection does not use or reference any of the original release titles), to locating the lost Garviel Loken, uncovering treachery amongst a fleet of refugee ships, to discovering a secret base that may hold a clue to Garro’s destiny, and battling his own doubts to track down Euphrati Keeler, the ‘living saint’ Garro rescued aboard the Eisenstein, saving her from an obsessed killer (a very smart cameo from a character seen in one of Swallow’s other Horus Heresy titles).

Garro is a man of conviction and duty and in the early chapters of the book he is initially possessed of righteous purpose, glad to feel of some use after a lengthy spell under watch in the Somnus Citadel. As the book progresses, and Garro’s missions lead him to unexpected corners of the galaxy, near and far, his conviction begins to waver, as his faith and code of honour lead him to question his role as the sigilite’s Agentia Primus. Author Swallow sells this change in Garro’s nature very convincingly and brings a complex dimension to a character who might otherwise have been predictable in his moral piety.

I get the sense that James Swallow has more tales in store for Garro, and regardless of whether they are audio or prose (Garro surely deserves his own outright novel), they are eagerly awaited.

Review by Andrew Jamieson, Editor-in-Chief Geekzine UK

Andrew is the award-nominated author of steampunk fantasy novels, The Vengeance Path, and its sequel, Children of War, both available from the Amazon Kindle Store.

 

Author Q&A, Autumn 2015: Nathan O’Hagan

Oct 072015
 
NathanO_The World

Nathan O’ Hagan is the author of The World Is (Not) A Cold Dead Place, his debut novel published by Armley Press, an independent publisher based in Leeds. He has been dubbed by some critics as being a literary voice akin to Chuck Palahniuk. Geekzine editor-in-chief, Andy Jamieson, caught up with Nathan to discuss his book.

Andy Jamieson: How personal a story is your debut novel? Have any of your experiences found their way into protagonist Gary Lennon’s tale?
Nathan O’ Hagan: It’s very personal in the sense that it’s the first novel I completed. Writing the initial draft was a very intense experience. Not much sleep, some very heavy drinking, chain smoking, not much talking to other people. For a few months I sort of threw everything into it. It was, at the time I started writing it, a very cathartic and therapeutic experience.  In terms of how autobiographical it is, it certainly does contain a lot of me. A lot of Gary’s issues are my issues, albeit exaggerated for dramatic affect, and I think, and hope, the appeal of Gary is that, no matter how extreme his views seem at times, you can always see where he’s coming from. But many of the views Gary expresses are certainly not mine.

AJ: What challenges did you face in completing this book?
NOH: The initial completing was the easy part. The real hard part, as you know, is when you get to the editing process. That was something I found hard. I knew I had a good story in there somewhere, and a strong and believable character, it was just about making it work. There were a lot of passages that I was very attached to which I eventually had to accept didn’t work from a  dramatic  viewpoint.
Also, purely in practical terms, when you work full time and have a young family, it’s very hard to find the time to write.
 
AJ: This novel follows on from your short story collection, Purge. What did the experience of creating that collection teach you when it came to writing The World Is (Not) A Cold Dead Place?
NOH: Well, I actually wrote the novel first. Purge was written in a very short burst after I’d spent a long time editing The World Is (Not) A Cold Dead Place and finishing my second novel. So writing the novels actually informed the writing of Purge in that, after a couple of years of trying to be so precise, I just wanted to throw something on the page and, for better or worse, pretty much leave it as was, barring a quick spell check. The whole process of self-publishing Purge (available on amazon for next to nowt – Ed) was sort of experimental, to see whether self-publishing was a route I wanted to take with the novels. The difficulty in finding an audience for Purge as a self-publisher certainly taught me that it wasn’t something I wanted to do with The World Is (Not) A Cold Dead Place.
 
AJ: How difficult a journey has it been from completing the initial draft to getting it published? 
NOH: Extremely difficult. Like most writers, I’ve had my share of rejections, some where you know they have not read past the synopsis, to a few that loved it but felt it wasn’t right for their list. That was the most frustrating part. If everyone had told me it was shite I probably would have accepted that and given up, but I got enough praise to convince me I should probably keep going. Then when I came across Armley Press via twitter, I just had a feeling we’d be a good match for each other, and I was right. Their DIY, punk approach is something that appealed to me greatly.
 
AJ: And what is next for you, in terms of writing projects?
NOH: Well, as I mentioned, I’ve completed a second novel, which I probably need at least one more rewrite of. I’m also in the early stages on novel number 3, which is proving to be the hardest thing I’ve written so far. I’m about halfway through the first draft and I can’t see myself finishing it this year. After that I’ve got, so far, two further novels I want to write, as well as at least one screenplay idea. I also need to polish the first screenplay I wrote last year. So I’ve got plenty to be getting on with over the next couple of years or so. As I said before, it’s just finding the time to do it.
 
AJ: What influences you as a writer?
NOH: Human behaviour. I’m absolutely fascinated by what motivates people to  act the way they do, to do the things they do. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always felt on the outskirts, looking in, and from that point of observation I think I’ve developed an insight into what’s going on just underneath the surface of people, regardless of how they appear on the surface.
In literary terms, I certainly have my influences. I think it was a spell of six months or so on the dole reading James Ellroy’s entire back catalogue that first made me think I might want to write novels. But the holy trinity for me are probably Chuck Palahnuik, Irvine Welsh and Kevin Sampson. The way Palahnuik will gleefully take on almost taboo subject matter, Welsh’s ability to find humour and pathos in the grotesque, and Sampson’s amazing ear for dialogue, and ability to truly write how people really talk in a way that few writers can. Those are really inspiring things.
 
AJ: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given as a writer?
NOH: To be honest, I’m not sure I’ve ever received any that stands out. I’ve never taken any creative writing courses and I’ve never been lucky enough to find a mentor. I did get some advice from an online writing community that I think helped, but I think the old adage ‘write what you know’ is a good rule of thumb, at least when you’re starting off.

AJ: What was the last good book you read?
NOH: I loved The Honours by Tim Clare and I recently read The Given Day by Dennis Lehane, which was immense. I also just finished Blowback by fellow Armley Press writer John Lake. It’s the second part of his Leeds 6 trilogy and I’ll be reading the third part soon.
 
AJ: Any advice for aspiring writers working on their first book?
NOH: Get started! Don’t sit around around thinking about it, get something on the fucking page. Even if it turns out to be shit. Read as much as you can, especially in your chosen genre. Learn from writers you respect, learn what you think works, but also what you think doesn’t work. Be utterly ruthless when it comes to editing. And, to paraphrase a quote from Bruce Springsteen, don’t be afraid of your own greatness, but admit it when you suck.

Thanks to Nathan for his answers. You can buy his novel from any decent bookstore, and amazon.

Check out his page on the Armley Press website: http://www.armleypress.com/#!nathan-ohagan-books/c16jd

FILM REVIEWS: Inherent Vice (15) & Selma (12A)

Feb 202015
 

Inherent Vice (15) / Selma (12A)

With the Academy Awards looming (22nd Feb), Geekzine UK Editor-in-Chief, Andy Jamieson, takes a look at these two recent releases that, whilst not being fully snubbed by Oscar (two nominations each; Best Film and Best Original Song for Selma, Best Costume Design and Best Adapted Screenplay for Inherent Vice), have not perhaps received the recognition they both deserve.

selma_poster

On the surface, these are two very different films, one fictional, sourced from an acclaimed novel, the other based on real events. One a comedy crime-drama, the other a serious historical drama. On closer inspection there are some subtle shared similarities, beyond the setting of the late sixties, a crucial time in the cultural make-up of the USA.

Inherent Vice, although set in 1970, is a sixties movie, insists the film’s director, the ever-inventive Paul Thomas Anderson. He has stated on several occasions that the movie is about the decline of the counter-culture, of a time when heroin became the dominant drug over pot, and with it came the death of an emerging idealism, and the sinister rise of the American state of oppression. Anderson insists that this is what the original novel of Inherent Vice, by the mercurial Thomas Pynchon, was all about, beyond its stoner P.I surface. Selma , the third feature film from director Ava DuVernay, is set in 1965, and recounts the seminal Montgomery marches taken by Dr Martin Luther King Jr and his followers. Their cause is the pursuit of equality, of pushing through important legislation that would grant voting rights for the oppressed African American population. In their path stand the bigoted law enforcers of Albama state police. In particular, the back and forth scenes between Dr King (portrayed by David Oyelowo) and President Lynden B. Johnson (the ever-impressive Tom Wilkinson) are fascinating to watch and have been the cause of some controversy with various historical inaccuracies being levelled at these scenes. They are brief but they are powerful, and paint LBJ as a leader faced with difficult choices yet struggling to comprehend the situation he is faced with.

Both films share stunning cinematography (DOP Robert Elswit washes his visuals through with a dreamscape smog for Inherent Vice, whilst Bradford Young utilises a subdued palette for Selma) and production design, depicting the sixties as a time of change and turmoil, when new ideas challenged old conventions. Excellent scripts (Inherent Vice’s written by Paul Thomas Anderson, Selma’s by Paul Webb and director Ava DuVernay), both very different from the other, are crammed with memorable characters. Inherent Vice adopts a more vignette-fuelled structure, where the plot occasionally takes second place to its character moments, whereas Selma’s characters revolve around historical events. The most noticeable drawback here, in cinematic terms, is that with Selma we are bombarded by numerous characters, from King’s retinue, and of the populace of Selma itself, who have very little screen time with which to make their impact, and this can lead to some confusion on the part of the viewer, particularly if coming to the subject matter fresh. Events occur, characters arrive and disappear. The centre of the film rightly focuses on King, and British actor David Oyelowo’s magnetic performance (incredulously ignored by the Oscars and BAFTA) anchors the film and provides it with its narrative drive.

Selma is nothing less than a powerful, important movie, and it is hard not to think of its relevance in terms of some of the recent racially-fuelled violence in America, in particular the tragedies that have occurred in Ferguson, Missouri, and the death of Eric Garner. Ava DuVernay’s direction is not interested in draping her film with overt sentimentality but instead seems keen to remind us of what an incredible human being Dr King was, flaws and all; indeed, we are given insight into the fact that J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI attempted to destabilize King’s marriage (Brit Carmen Ejogo gives a sensitive portrayal as Coretta Scott King) by exposing his past infidelities. It is not a film crammed with historical set piece powerhouse scenes (aside from King’s speeches), and focuses instead on showing us King with his family, and with his followers, as they agonise over how to proceed with their movement, in the face of a indignant LBJ, and a hateful state governor (Tim Roth, excellently callous as Governor George Wallace). Selma is powerful cinema, and Oyelowo’s performance elevates it into essential viewing.

InherentVice_poster

With Inherent Vice we have what could have been a befuddling haze of a movie, stabilized and powered by Joaquin Phoenix’s star turn as Doc Sportello; a detective who’s investigative methods vary between happenstance and instinct, his talent for following his case’s trail wherever it may lead him, lending itself to many contrasting scenes of comedy and threat. Framed with the relatively familiar set-up of the Private Investigator being hired to find Someone Important, Inherent Vice relishes these conformities, and sets about playing as much as possible with the trappings of its crime drama leanings (femme fatales, sinister villains, romance, intrigue, sudden violence) to find the humour within. It is a knowing, good natured humour, and the performances throughout balance this crime-drama-comedy ever so finely. Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson and Reese Witherspoon, of the more well known names, shine in great supporting roles, whilst newcomer Katherine Waterston, and the relatively untested Joanna Newsom as the film’s relaxed narrator, are a pleasant surprise. Inherent Vice delights, amuses and thrills, sometimes all at once. Think the Coen’s The Big Lebowski by way of Robert Altman’s The Long Goodbye, and you are almost there.

So, whilst not exactly double-bill material in the strictest sense, the two films do compliment each other in unexpected ways. The shadow of a stern, corrupt authoritarian system looms over the plotlines of both films. Two talented film-makers have given us a glimpse into two very startling visions of the sixties, albeit one based on fact, the other fiction. Come Oscar night, they will no doubt be forgotten. However, history will be kinder than any annual  awards ceremony.

Reviews by Andy Jamieson, Editor-in-Chief of Geekzine UK

FILM REVIEW: Disney’s Big Hero 6 (PG)

Feb 032015
 

Big-Hero-6-character-poster

Big Hero 6  

Directed by Don Hall & Chris Williams 

Written by Jordan Roberts, Dan Gerson & Robert L. Baird

Running time: 98 minutes approx. 

 

How do you follow a film like Frozen, one of the most successful films of all time, and certainly the most successful animated feature film of all time? A question that Disney no doubt asked themselves some time ago. With John Lasseter at the helm, the current head of animation and industry veteran, the answer was, and indeed remains, clear: variety and contrast.

For as Frozen was released to the world in 2013, so Big Hero 6 was already well into full production. No one expected Frozen to be the multi-billion dollar success that it has become, and I cannot imagine that Disney, let alone anyone else, expects Big Hero 6 to rival that success (its box office in the US alone has reached nearly $500million, so it is not exactly a failure).

The current motto at the Lasseter-run animation studio seems to be to keep it fresh and varied (aside from Planes and its sequel, of course, both of which follow the tried and tested format of cutesy vehicles in peril format, in the Cars template): from dog-with-a-purpose Bolt, back in 2008, through the more traditional, yet innovative and ground-breaking (Disney’s first African-American heroine), The Princess and the Frog in 2009, to fairy tale-with-a-wink Tangled in 2010,videogame-set adventure Wreck It Ralph in 2012, and the mega-smash Frozen in 2013. We now reach Big Hero 6, the first fully fledged team-up of Disney and Marvel (the former owning the latter), and Disney’s first superhero movie. Big Hero 6 is a loose adaptation of a Marvel comicbook series (Sunfire and Big Hero 6), featuring a Japan-based superhero team, tweaked liberally for its animated counterpart.

And it is a joyful blast of entertainment, its 98 minutes running time a rollercoaster of action, thrills and blissful eye candy. For anyone at home with superhero comics or movies there are lots of familiar, but not weary, tropes to settle you into its world. The setting is the semi-futuristic (and NOT part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which had been a rumour doing the rounds) city of San Fransokyo. This unusual melding of cities is never really explained or delved into but provides a wonderful glaze of Japanophile style via kitsch Americana. An almost anime-flavoured Metropolis of the future, if you will. Special mention must be made of how utterly glorious the visuals of Big Hero 6 are: it is a stunning looking film, with slick, funky design work. (The character animation in particular has stepped up, even since that of the none-too-shabby Frozen). Credit is due to Production Designer Paul A. Felix and to Art Director Scott Watanabe and their respective teams for their incredible work on this, quite possibly the most visually stunning Disney movie in recent history.

No superhero film is complete without its heroic central character, and here that role falls to the troubled young teen tech-wizard, Hiro Hamada, a genius wasting his talent on robot wars-styled gambling bouts (gambling in a Disney film!). Very early in the film, Hiro’s older brother, Tadashi, a Robotics student, concerned that Hiro is wasting his talents, encourages Hiro to apply for a place on Tadashi’s course at the city’s university. Hiro rises to the challenge and invents the microbots, a swarm of tiny robots which can be manipulated into forming shapes at the will of the wearer of a special remote control headband device. He is accepted onto the course by the tutor Professor Callaghan (voiced by James Cromwell), and here we meet the rest of the colourful supporting cast, an assortment of geek tech-heads, taken straight from the comicbook series; there is GoGo Tomago, a tough young athletic gal; Honey Lemon, who is the saccharine opposite; Wasabi, the athletic OCD neat-freak, built like a football player (and voiced with aplomb by Damon Wayans); and then there is Fred, the comedy relief, a monster-obsessed nerd (voiced by the light relief vehicle that is T.J. Miller). It is in these early character building scenes that you get a great sense of a team coming together, as they interact fluidly with each other, displaying their various contrasting tech-themed talents.

Soon after joining the course, Hiro and the other students take part in a technology expo and it is here that Hiro gets to demonstrate the power of the microbots in an eye-catching way, attracting the attention of billionaire industrialist entrepeneur, Alistiar Krei, who makes him an offer on the spot to buy his ‘bots. Professor Callaghan, who seems to have a grudge with Krei, advises Hiro to ignore Krei’s advances, and Hiro decides to follow his tutor’s advice.

BigHero6_YokaiFig

The Bandai action figure of
Big Hero 6’s villain, Yokai.

Disaster strikes that night, a fire destroying the expo and all-but-one of Hiro’s microbots, altering Hiro’s outlook drastically and leading him to seek seclusion from the rest of his student friends. In his isolation, he inadvertently discovers the personal healthcare robot, the lovable and freshly minted screen icon that is Baymax, created by Hiro’s brother Tadashi. Baymax activates the remaining microbot, which begins to act like a compass, leading Baymax to set off across San Fransokyo. Hiro chases after and they discover a mysterious warehouse, where Hiro’s microbots are apparently being mass produced by a sinister, masked nemesis (named Yokai in the range of merchandise).

(Editor’s aside: the geek flavour here is that Yokai’s mask, a traditional Japanese variant, is actually pretty much spot on identical to the design of Marvel superhero Sunfire’s mask in the classic Age of Apocalypse storyline from the mid-90s)

Yokai chases them away and Hiro and Baymax manage to escape. Hiro decides that to further investigate the masked stranger, clearly up to no good, he must rejoin his student comrades – and then they must form a superhero team. It sounds a jump, but the scene where this takes place, at the mansion of Fred’s parents, makes it seem a natural leap of logic. We get a fun montage sequence where Hiro designs their outfits to suit their tech talents – Fred’s monster fetish is satisfied, for example, whereas GoGo Tomago’s speed-freak experiments are rendered into a Tron-esque suit with motorized ankle appendages.

The plot ratchets up a level, and there are twists and turns aplenty (you will find no spoilers here!), revelations are made, villains are unmasked, motivations are laid bare, disaster inevitably strikes, sacrifices happen, and we are left with one of the finest superhero films, and Disney animated features, to date. It this is a taste of what the Disney-Marvel partnership can produce, then we are in for some excellent future films, including, hopefully, a return to the world of Big Hero 6.

And, like the best animated features, there is something special about Big Hero 6 that means kids and adults will enjoy watching it together. (My five year old daughter and I love this movie).

Miss this and you deny yourself a real treat.

Review by Andy Jamieson, Editor-in-Chief of Geekzine UK. 

FILM REVIEW: A Most Violent Year (15)

Jan 232015
 

AMostViolentYear_poster

A Most Violent Year

Written & directed by J.C. Chandor

Rating: 15

Running time: 125 mins

Starring: Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, David Oyelowo, Albert Brooks and Alessandro Nivola.

 

Set against the back drop of New York City’s historically most violent year (1981), this is director J.C. Chandor’s third feature, after last year’s Oscar-nominated Robert Redford-one-man-show, All Is Lost, and the previous year’s financial thriller, Margin Call. The title is misleading, perhaps deliberately so, as it is not a particularly violent film, rather punctuated with flashes of violence, including a shocking suicide towards the end.

Oscar Isaac, an actor quite clearly in the ascendance (2014 was a very good year for him, 2015 promises to be even better: two words – Star Wars), is Abel Morales, a heating oil magnate, attempting to be an honest businessman in a dishonest market. His rivals seem to have it in for him, and Morales’ oil trucks are consistently targeted for hijack and theft, leading to one young driver, Julian (played by Elyes Gabel – recognizable as Rakharo from tv’s Game of Thrones), to take matters into his own hands with disastrous consequences, leading to one of the film’s murkier subplots. The crux of the narrative is Morales seeking to win the moral conflict, within and without, as well as the more incendiary business conflict.

Of far more interest is the relationship between Morales and his wife (and sometime business partner), Anna, played by the once-again incredible Jessica Chastain. Their dynamic is the powerful beating heart of this film and turns what is essentially quite an ordinary crime thriller into a far more engaging character piece.

It is a stylish affair, and the early eighties setting is subtle and never overly played. Costumes (and haircuts!) and locations are evocatively placed, enhancing the vice-like atmosphere that Chandor gradually builds (there is a great sequence where the Morales’ lush modernistic home is broken into whilst they are sleeping, that brings to mind Michael Mann’s Manhunter). Cinematography, editing, score and soundtrack, direction – everything about this film is understated and restrained, almost to the degree where you begin to crave more drama or perhaps a dynamic plot twist. This film provides neither, simply (or not so simply at times) playing itself as studious drama of complex moral themes. As a viewer you are rewarded with the satisfaction of seeing Isaac and Chastain spark off each other as the tension of their situation begins to take its toll on their relationship. How they have not been nominated for BAFTAs or Academy Awards is a mystery.

A Most Violent Year is, ostensibly, a thriller, and is structured as such, with a few great action set-pieces throughout. Great in the sense that they feel real; they are messy and bloody and have impact – the shootout on the highway, the chase through the tunnels, all are handled without any showboating from the director. Michael Bay, take note. But despite its thriller elements, it deceives us as an audience. The level of threat throughout is questionable. There aren’t, for example, any clear antagonists as such; threat is present through the mysterious hijackings that are sending Morales’ company into near-financial peril. There are a number of characters who seem allied (in their motives, at least, if not their tactics) against the Morales. Then there is David Oyelowo’s Lawrence, the relaxed-but-determined DA who is building a case against Abel Morales – he is not exactly a threat per se, as he, in one of his meetings with Morales, essentially warns the oil man and his lawyer, Andrew Walsh (played by the ever-green Albert Brooks), that he will be issuing his case within the week. Unbeknownst to Abel Morales, his wife, Anna, and his lawyer, Walsh, are in cahoots when it comes to legitimizing the company’s finances. Although he is no saint, Abel is determined to do things right, but seems to always be caught blind by the actions of his lawyer and, more frequently, his wife: there is one scene at the Morales’ home, at one of their children’s birthday parties, where Oyelowo’s DA, accompanied by a horde of police, search the house. We see Mrs Morales rope in her husband into helping hide boxes of dodgy documents in the drifts of snow beneath their house.

There is also Alessandro Nivola’s Peter Forente, the most shadowy character in the film, who is either a duplicitous friend, or friendly rival; the actor plays this murkiness with great skill, and his scenes with Oscar Isaac radiate comradeship and menace.

The acting throughout is marvelous, and Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain hold the screen with intensity and presence; the film is arguably less interesting when they are not around. Isaac’s performance here reminds me of a young Al Pacino, with that similar characteristic passion and borderline simmering restraint. Chastain goes from strength to strength, and each successive exceedingly well-picked role displays her skill admirably. Here, her Anna Morales is a tough Brooklyn girl who, whilst not quite being a duplicitous Lady Macbeth type, is the vicious yin to her husband’s earnest yang.

Chandor is an intriguing director. With A Most Violent Year he once again shows he is a film-maker of range and vision, and his work here evokes Sidney Lumet’s American crime features (I’m thinking in particular of Serpico, Night Falls On Manhattan, and Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead). Its pace is well balanced but perhaps packs not enough punch for it to find a breakout audience. A great crime drama that succeeds, despite its low-key story, thanks to some superb performances.

Review by Andy Jamieson, Editor-in-Chief of Geekzine UK.

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