Fassbender has royal blood and guts
Macbeth
( Cert 15; 113mins)
IT is hard to recall a Shakespeare adaptation as raw and bleak as Justin Kurzel’s version of Macbeth.
The director of brutal Australian thriller Snowtown seems determined to leave the audience feeling bruised and traumatised. It is as savage and merciless as some of the highly atmospheric Scottish locations it uses.
It is a deadly serious Macbeth of mud and guts, smoky battlefields and gloomy interiors in which the crimson red of fresh- spilt blood becomes the dominant colour in a muddy palette.
It starts as it means to go on with Macbeth ( Michael Fassbender) and Lady Macbeth ( Marion Cotillard) held in the vice- like grip of grief as they stare into the funeral pyre of a small boy. They might as well be staring into the abyss.
Everything that happens subsequently takes place in the shadow of their loss and the void it has left. No amount of blood- soaked ambition will ever fill up their lives again. The spectre of death haunts their every waking hour.
Macbeth takes the spectacle and substance of the “Scottish play” and views it through the prism of a modern psychological understanding of trauma, whether it stems from the horrors of battle or the loss of a child.
It provides an insight into the soul of Macbeth and is highly unusual in the way it allows us to feel sympathy for the main characters rather than horror at the never- ending evil of their actions.
All the traditional elements are here from the prophecy of what will come to pass to the murder of the king Duncan ( David Thewlis) but Kurzel’s success lies in making them feel unfamiliar and unexpected.
The Scottish locations, including Skye, are a real asset to the production. You can almost feel the damp chill and hear the howl of the wind.
In fact the natural world is so present in the soundtrack of the film that some of the dialogue can be hard to catch. Kurzel doesn’t seem too interested in the big speeches or the opportunities for the actors to grandstand. He just wants to rush on back to the battlefield, hurtling towards a finale the way the Macbeths gallop towards oblivion.
Michael Fassbender is well cast as Macbeth. You can believe him as a virile warrior king eager to risk his life in battle once more, carefree in his swagger because life has little meaning for him. His gravel- voiced introspection injects real pathos into his fall from grace.
Marion Cotillard’s Lady Macbeth feels a little short- changed by the film, a quiet whimper to his raging fury but an impressive British cast includes Jack Reynor as a callow Malcolm, Paddy Considine as the loyal Banquo, Sean Harris as Macduff and David Hayman as Lennox.
Macbeth unfolds like a primal scream. It is oppressive, unrelenting and difficult to endure but it also has a raw, haunting power that makes it one of the most inspired Shakespeare adaptations we have seen in a very long while.
the Walk
( Cert PG; 123mins)
IF you saw the Oscar- winning documentary Man On Wire then you will already be familiar with the story of daredevil Frenchman Philippe Petit and his stomach- churning high wire walk between New York’s Twin Towers in August 1974.
At first it looks like The Walk will have little to add to the subject beyond Joseph GordonLevitt’s accent which is true to the real Petit but seems to stray into Inspector Clouseau territory.
Early scenes are far from promising as black- and- white flashbacks reveal Petit’s childhood fascination with the circus. Things improve considerably once we arrive in Manhattan and Petit, Annie ( Charlotte Le Bon) and JeanLouis ( Clément Sibony) embark on their hare- brained scheme.
What really distinguishes The Walk is the moment when Petit steps away from the tower and begins his stroll high in the sky.
The appliance of science allows you to do something the documentary never could and that is to walk in Petit’s shoes.
You feel every gust of wind, careful step and weary muscle as he goes walking in the air. If you
suffer from vertigo these scenes are utterly terrifying but they also take the breath away and ensure that The Walk is an experience you will never forget.
The Intern
( Cert 12A; 121mins)
IF retirement feels like being thrown on the scrapheap of life then The Intern will strike a chord with you. This cosy, mild- mannered comedy features Robert De Niro at his most genial and understated.
De Niro’s Ben Whittaker is a 70- year- old New York widower with time on his hands and the sense that he still has something to contribute to the world.
He jumps at the chance of becoming a senior intern at a fashion company run by workaholic control freak Jules Ostin ( Anne Hathaway).
Ben is an old- school gentleman who believes in wearing a smart suit, sporting a tie and always having a clean handkerchief in his pocket. In an office of scruffy adolescents he is regarded as an alien in their midst.
Predictably this old alien can still teach them a few tricks about how to run a company and show some consideration for your fellow human beings.
Once he thaws the icy resistance of Jules he even becomes a kindly father figure.
There is nothing original or earth- shattering about The Intern but it is perfectly pleasant and there is a nice chemistry between De Niro and Hathaway as he helps her achieve a less punishing work/ life balance.
Convenience
( Cert 15; 85mins)
THE makers of Convenience deserve some credit for creating a low- budget British comedy that is mostly watchable and occasionally even funny.
It is far from perfect but it has an endearing enthusiasm and an easy chemistry between stars Ray Panthaki and Adeel Akhtar. Heavily in debt to Russian mobsters, Shaan ( Akhtar) and Ajay ( Panthaki) decide to rob a petrol station.
The safe is on a time lock and will not open until 6am so they stay the night, kidnapping the manager and dealing with a succession of customers.
It starts to feel like a long night’s journey into day but the sweet relationship between Ajay and bumbling, gormless Shaan helps to keep you on its side and there is the added bonus of This Is England’s Vicky McClure as shop assistant Levi.
31/ Minutes, Ten
2 Bullets
( Cert 15; 99mins)
THREE years ago unarmed African- American teenager Jordan Davis was shot dead at a petrol station in Florida.
Middle- aged white man Michael Dunn had asked him to turn down the rap music coming from his car. Their dispute ended in a senseless death and a charge of first- degree murder.
3 ½ Minutes, Ten Bullets is an enthralling documentary conveying both the personal tragedy at the heart of the story and the bigger issues about race and justice in modern America.
Director Marc Silver never preaches but calmly presents the facts of parents facing an unimaginable loss, the eyewitness testimony of three of Davis’s best friends who were in the car with him and the private conversations between Dunn and his fiancée that are so revealing about his prejudices and his intentions.
The result is a true story every bit as compelling as a James Ellroy thriller.
Ghosthunters
( Cert PG; 99mins)
IS it just the awful dubbing into English that scuppers Ghosthunters or was this German production already beyond salvation?
This adaptation of Cornelia Funke’s novel seems desperate to be the next Harry Potter but feels more like a poor kid’s Scooby- Doo.
Milo Parker is Tom, a lonely young lad who finds ASG ( averagely spooky ghost) Hugo in his basement. The duo join forces with a grumpy ghosthunter to fight an AIG ( ancient ice ghost) to prevent the world being transformed into a winter wonderland.
Sentimental stuff with lots of special effects but little logic or charm.