The enchanting Gemma Arterton stars as Tess in the excellent 2008 BBC adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s masterpiece Tess of the D’Urbervilles, which is near perfect. Arterton is amazing as Tess: immensely talented, resilient, free spirited, ethereal, gorgeous, and the very image of Tess in my mind. The film is about a young woman named Tess who discovers that her family has noble roots, and the sorrow and misfortune that (quite literally) befall her along the way. Eddie Redmayne was also good as Angel Clare, appearing so innocently yet such a despicable character. Strangely enough, I actually hated  him more than Alec D’Urberville (which is shocking considering Alec is basically a serial rapist!) – perhaps it was the fate that Tess pours her heart and all her trust into him and he throws it all away and leaves her to the night. Of course, he feels sorry about it afterwards, but too late. It was really interesting that they decided to portray Alec in a somewhat more sympathetic light (of course, his actions cannot under any circumstances be forgiven and he’s an evil bastard), giving some background as to why he’s as much of a mess as he is. I really enjoyed the chemistry between the actors – reactive, bonding, and at times explosive, but always engaging, always interesting. I just wish she could be truly happy!

The cinematography and pacing were excellent, and the rich pastoral imagery (or what Stephen Regan calls the ‘darkening pastoral’) and the rustic setting (I loved all the harvesting closeups and the pagan dancing) really compliment the idea of Tess as an Earth goddess, one who should have been loved and respected and worshipped, but instead suffers to no end, but perhaps that is the great tragedy that is Tess of the D’Urbervilles. I think my one minor complaint with the film was that Alec’s death and the ending of the film seemed a bit rushed (maybe the network only limited them to four episodes), considering it’s a four hour adaptation of a 500+ page novel, it’s certainly a faithful and compelling one. I love Tess, certainly Thomas Hardy’s greatest character alongside Bathsheba Everdene and Gabriel. I would have loved to have seen her flourish and feel fulfilled, but perhaps she was born at the wrong time, and perhaps that is the great tragedy that is Tess of the D’Urbervilles. I wish I could go back and push Alec off a horse or something! It was such an incredible experience – great BBC viewing (and the DVD is relatively inexpensive) and wonderful production values, and plus Gemma is such a babe. It’s right up there with Vinterberg’s superb Far from the Madding Crowd as far as I’m concerned.

I was writing a horror short story about a young boy lost in the woods that attempted to blur the line between reality and fiction (tentatively titled ‘The Woodsman’) when I came across the excellent 2004 film The Woodsman, which stars Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick. Bacon is the Woodsman, aka Walter, a man guilty of a heinous crime. As Roger Ebert writes, to name the crime would prompt presumptions and preconceptions of his character. For the film’s purposes, the nature of his habit will be left unsaid, as the film gradually lulls us into the truth of his identity and nature.

Walter is a man recuperating from his unspeakable past, taking a job in a lumber mill to make ends meet. Shunned from most of his family except a loyal brother-in-law and hated and condemned by society, he lives a hard life. Even his parole officer, played by Mos Def, doesn’t cut him any slack. He meets a wonderful woman named Vicki (Sedgwick) who takes a liking to him, and we are as blind and unknowing about his past as she is. When his past secrets become known, we are forced to reconsider how we see these people, and more importantly what happens after. The film certainly doesn’t sympathise with his character, nor does it condemn him. He is simply shown as he is, a human being with a horrible passion. It’s a hard watch but philosophically rewarding, as we endure the hardships that he is forced to endure, and recognise that, despite his monstrosity, he is still a human with needs and feelings and a life to live. There are plot twists abound, and Walter’s story is not the only surprise that awaits. Great performances all around, and it’s a compelling psychological journey. It’s a film from the view of a outsider that confronts social taboos and forces us into his role, giving us rare insights into a much maligned social role. Highly recommended.

My favourite films of 2014:

Cold in July
Grand Budapest Hotel
The LEGO Movie
Interstellar
The Babadook

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While I’ve enjoyed quite a few films that Nicolas Cage has been in (notably Face/Off, Leaving Las Vegas, Bringing out the Dead, Raising Arizona, The Rock, Red Rock West, Windtalkers, and Bad Lieutenant: Port Call to New Orleans), I tend to avoid films with him in it completely as of late because his execution is often over-the-top and obnoxious. David Gordon Green’s (George Washington, Pineapple Express) recent offering, however, brings out the best of his acting capabilities and through this opportunity comes arguably one of Cage’s best roles to date. He plays Joe, a kind-hearted yet turbulent and emotionally distant man who befriends a young boy named Gary (Tye Sheridan, Mud), who suffers abuse from his monstrous alcoholic father and torment from the local town loser. Cage gives us a performance that is emotional, passionate, and felt without being excessive. The rest of the cast does a fine job as well, particularly Sheridan, who struck a vein in Mud, and newcomer Gary Poulter as the father. Poulter nails the role, and in real life he was a homeless man who really wanted to act in a film. He caught Green’s eye and tried his best to sober up for the part and really delivered his role. Unfortunately, however, it was not meant to last, and he was found floating facedown in a lake shortly before the movie was released.

His character epitomises the monstrous, appearing initially as a humorous, incapable drunk who can barely stand, but then we see his monstrous aspects appear. His heinous acts include beating his son and taking his hard-earned money to buy booze and claiming he worked all day for it, pimping his daughter to local scum for booze, pretending to befriend another local drunk in order to beat his head in and steal his booze, and threatening to kill his son with a knife. The revelation of his monstrous self is gradual and continuous, and the shocking scene where he kills the other man for his booze is a moment of savage ferocity that embeds itself in your mind as a depraved act of human cruelty. It is a dark, harrowing film, and from the onset you know that things are going to be miserable and sad and violent before they get better. What redeems humanity in this film is the touching relationship between Gary and Joe, and this redemptive father-son relationship, though ultimately impossible, from teaching him how to drive to spending time with him and believing in the boy’s potential the virtues of both actors shone through. The film affirms to us the values of human connections despite the depravities and violence that perpetuate our existence. Joe finds solace in his conversations with Gary, and it takes his mind away from the losers who taunt him at the bar and the reality of harm being done to people who don’t deserve it.

Some viewers and critics compared the film to Mud (probably because Sheridan was in that one too). While it’s also set in the South, Mud is a much different film, a Tom Sawyer-esque journey where the boys tried to save Mud (Matthew McConaughey) instead of Joe trying to save the boy from his destructive environment. To me, Joe seems much darker and much more unforgiving, and it’s much closer to Winter’s Bone in terms of atmosphere and brutality. Joe is a hard yet rewarding watch, and it recognises the depths and diversity of Cage as an actor. While it does retain some of his trademark quirk, it’s a step in the right direction for Cage after a series of misfires, and it would be great to see more Cage films like this. Perhaps he deserves more credit than I give him.

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Based on the novella by Joe Lansdale, Cold in July is an exceptional 2014 crime drama film directed by Jim Mickle. With its ’80s setting, striking visuals, revisionist narrative, and dark tone, inevitable connections will be made between it and No Country for Old Men. I loved both works and I can see similarities, but Cold in July ultimately establishes an atmosphere of its own and is perhaps less symbolic than Cormac McCarthy’s work. Mickle’s film is also compared to Blue Ruin, which was good but somewhat lacking (I hated the dweeb protagonist), which pursues a Hamlet-style story arch and considers the relationship to the southern U.S.

Starring Michael C. Hall of Dexter fame, the story tells about a man named Richard Dane who kills a home invader and incurs the wrath of the deceased’s ex-convict father Ben Russell (Sam Shepard). The father starts coming after Richard and his family, and then the storyline takes a turn when it seems that the authorities are trying to cover up the incident. Revelations abound when it is discovered that the dead home invader is actually alive and well and living under FBI protection. What the FBI doesn’t know, however, is that the not dead son is committing the most heinous acts of all.

After being lauded for his performance in Dexter, Hall really delivers with this role, which sees him become uncertain of what he is doing, unlike his Dexter character. In fact, the performances are great all around, and I was delighted to see Don Johnson (Miami Vice) appear halfway through the story as Jim Bob Luke. He basically plays himself, but he’s so charismatic and awesome that we are drawn to him. I would probably recommend the film just for Johnson alone. As I mentioned, it’s a true ’80s style neo-noir in the vein of Blood Simple and To Live and Die in L.A..  There is no CGI used and the film is very nostalgic (there’s a scene where they’re in a rental video store that made me miss the Blockbuster days a bit), and it’s a creative and entertaining story. The final showdown is a terrific payoff, reminiscent of the epic gundown in Rolling Thunder. There’s one scene where they watch a home movie that you won’t forget anytime soon.

There are only two issues that stop Cold in July from being an absolute classic, and they are mainly centred on the plot holes of the film. Firstly, the film never explains why the authorities try to get rid of Ben Russell and why they leave him for dead; we are only left for implications. Perhaps they are trying to protect the son, but it doesn’t add up. Secondly, Ben Russell’s transformation as a character through the film is a bit unconvincing. He comes across as an intimidating, obsessive stalker at the beginning of the film, but then he becomes this weird, grumpy sidekick later in the film. I didn’t really buy into his moral redemption, but I still liked his character.

The great acting, compelling storyline, fascinating characters, stirring atmosphere, gorgeous visuals, and sense of adventure and spark, however, ultimately redeem Cold in July from its slight flaws. It’s a great summer movie and most certainly the movie of the year. It’s refreshing, engaging, full of action and surprise, and not to be missed.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6peMZlQlEM&w=560&h=315]