Film Review - Fantastic Four

Origin Of the Species

Film: Fantastic Four

Cast: Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan

Directed by: Josh Trank

Duration: 1 hr 40 mins

Rating:  *  *  * 

Director Josh Trank was just 28 when he made his debut with the low budget sci-fi thriller Chronicles in 2012. Armed with a multi-million dollar budget he has helmed the latest Fantastic Four and it was going to be an uphill task for many reasons – to begin with, there is an overdose of super hero films and secondly, the earlier Fantastic Four films (in 2005 and 2007) didn’t exactly create a new or loyal fan following. Given those circumstances, Trank has done a decent job. 

Fantastic Four is more of an origins story. We learn how Reed Richards (Miles Teller of Whiplash fame) became Mister Fantastic, Johnny storm became Human Torch (Michael B. Jordan), Sue Storm (Kate Mara turned into the invisible woman (Kate Mara) and poor Ben Grimm (Jamie Bell) became The Thing. 

They were all ordinary people once – Reed was a whizkid working on teleporting at a rather young age with Ben ably assisting him. They meet Sue (who likes to listen to the British band Portishead) at a science fair and her father is in charge of recruiting fresh talent at the Baxter research institute. Her brother Johnny is keen on racing cars but he eventually joins the team working on teleporting. Turns out that Victor Von Doom a contemporary of theirs has already done considerable work on it but has other issues that need to be sorted before he can come on board. Besides, he also has a thing for Sue.

The build-up moves steadily at a brisk pace with not many dull moments. It hits a few bumps when they become superheroes when an experiment goes horribly wrong. In fact even the initial portions when they discover what has happened to them is handled well but when it comes to saving the earth it is on a familiar and sticky wicket. Von Doom when he turns into a villain is such a cardboard character (and looks straight out of a B grade movie) and the final act is the weakest. With a sequel scheduled for 2017, they are hoping you’ll come back for more. 

Meanwhile, this installment goes in the Comme ci, comme ça category. 

Published in The Navhind Times on 23rd Aug 2015

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Film Review - Whiplash

Drum Maro Drum

Film: Whiplash

Cast: Miles Teller, J.K Simmons
Directed by: Damien Chazelle
Duration: 1 hr 47 mins
Rating: * * * * 1 / 2

Based on his short film, director Damien Chazelle has expanded Whiplash into a full length feature. To put it plainly, this is an extraordinary film. In terms of the basic story of a student-teacher relationship it not only has a slightly different arc but it is the execution and all the other elements, acting, direction, music, editing which make Whiplash an exhilarating cinematic experience of the highest order.

When you step out of the theatre after a stupendous climax, you might even feel that you are floating in the air, like Birdman.

So what makes Whiplash so special? One word to describe it would be intensity. This is TNT packed in a can.

Through a dark corridor, we see a young man picking the sticks getting ready to play the drums. The camera starts moving towards him, slowly as he lets himself loose on the drum set. The young man in question is Andrew (Miles Teller), who in the middle of it all suddenly realizes that a senior teacher is watching him. The teacher is Fletcher (Simmons) who turns out to be the hardest task master you can imagine. Not only is a highly disciplined but one mistake and you are roasted in front of everyone. So much so that a young man literally wets his pants on being scorned by Fletcher.

Andrew is a loner of sorts – occasionally he spends time with his father (they go to the cinema to watch Rififi, one of the greatest heist movies). He fancies a girl (Melissa Benoist) working at the cinema but his first love still remains drumming.

He gets the odd chance to perform for Fletchers band but it is not easy dealing with the man. Large part of the film delves on the two – while the young man is ambitious, talented and hardworking, is that enough to make the cut?

Writer / director Chazelle also focuses on the fact that how much one should or can push himself and others to take them to the next level? It could well end in the student turning out the next big sensation or it could end in a tragedy.

There have been films about teacher- student relationships but they are mostly the goody-goody ones where the former inspires the latter and brings out the best in them. But Fletcher is one sadist you don’t want to mess around with.

The film builds the tension and winds up on a high – the music score is in overdrive and even the manner in which the music is shot throughout the film is terrific. 

The two lead actors contribute immensely – Miles Tellis as the young protégé literally spilled blood while playing the drums and more importantly he conveys the vulnerability of his character with conviction. As for J.K Simmons (recognizable as Peter Parkers boss in Spiderman), he has given a performance of a lifetime. As the Best Supporting Actor, the Oscar award is his for the taking.

For those who love music and for also for those who don’t, Whiplash is a must watch. 

Published in The Navhind Times, Goa on 22nd February 2015
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