February 2018 movie review part one

PAPILLON (1973) D- Franklin J. Schaffner.
A French guy (Steve McQueen) convicted of murder finds himself doomed to spend the rest of his life on Devil’s Island. But from day one he’s plotting to escape from this hell-in-paradise. He enjoys limited success, despite the assistance of fellow inmate Dustin Hoffman. He keeps escaping, keeps getting caught, and every time he is, the punishment is more severe. Does he give up? Does he fuck. There wouldn’t be a movie if he did.

Henri Charriere achieved the writer’s dream with his book, which sold in the millions and was then turned into a highly successful film. This is a trick about as rare as winning the lottery, and like that there’s a huge element of luck involved. To be fair, however, which I try to be, it is a great story, well told, and the film does the book justice, with its accomplished director, strong cast and high production values throughout. You could do a lot worse than give it a go, although if you are anywhere near my age you’ve probably done so already.

 BAYWATCH (2017) D- Sam Gordon.
Wel, they had to do this, didn’t they. A highly successful TV series, adored by teenage boys who liked looking at good-looking girls in swimsuits, updated for the millennials with only slightly more political correctness, and no better credentials. We have Dwayne Johnson standing in for the now pretty decrepit David Hasselhoff, and Kelly Rohrbach substituting Pammie Anderson.

Reviewers have spoken admiringly of the cast, which I suppose is fair enough, though for me it doesn’t matter how strong your players are, if they’re having to deal with a paper-thin plot and an execrable script, it wouldn’t be saved even if you staffed it with RSC alumni. Which it so isn’t. Terrible.

THE SHAPE OF WATER (2017) D- Guillermo del Toro
In 1960s America, the FBI has captured some sort of amphibian monster and have taken it home so they can conduct horrible experiments on it, even though it appears to be highly intelligent. The Indians in the Amazon basin where they found it worship it like a god, but once in the US they’re treating it more like a particularly interesting frog. But one of the cleaners in the research establishment where it’s kept seems to bond with it, and when a plan is hatched to spirit it out of there, she’s willing to risk everything to help it escape.

This film has opened to high acclaim around the world, and I certainly admired it a lot. There is more than a nod to earlier ‘monster with a heart’ movies such as Creature from the Black Lagoon and Splash, and Elisa Esposito as the mute cleaner who falls for it is very powerful. But there is one little problem with it. Michael Shannon who plays the evil FBI guy is very good, but he reprises his role in Boardwalk Empire as, you’ve got out, an evil FBI agent, so closely it jars a little. But perhaps I’m being a bit persnickety.