Review - Footsteps in the Fog (1955 - Dir. Arthur Lubin)

I was always going to like this film. It's got the the word fog in the title and stars Stewart Granger. Who could resist giving those little grey bits of hair at the side of his head a stroke? I know I couldn't. Well, maybe not now, seeing as though he's dead, but at the time this film was made...

Strangely I can't give much of a plot synopsis apart from it's about a recently widowed fellow called Stephen Lowry (Granger) and his maid Lily Watkins (Jean Simmons). And that's about it. Any more would give away far too many spoilers. 

Footsteps in the Fog has more story content in the first five minutes than the whole of Pacific Rim. There are so many aspects to it: thriller, drama, romance, violence and a little bit of twisted sexuality (sadly no pirates). I was never quite sure where it was all going and what would happen next. It became the film I was expecting at one point, but it happens midway through rather than at the end and it only lasts about five minutes. 

So it's got a twisty-turny story. What else has it got? Stewart Granger not playing a swashbuckling hero or charging about shooting elephants in a Charlton Heston/Prince Phil type fashion. He hasn't got the range of James Stewart but it's good to see him playing something different. It's also in colour so black-and-white-ists can enjoy something that has the atmosphere and pace of a black and white film, but without all of that pesky greyscaliness.

Yet again in a film from this era our aged hero ends up romantically entangled with a lady half his age. It's those grey bits that does it. So I've got a scheme. When this miracle hair growth cream comes out in a year or so, I'm going to grow some really thick luxuriant hair. Stage two - dye it black. Next, wrap masking tape around the top portion of my hair. And finally, recreate that Granger greyness using some grey car spray paint. It can't fail.

Anyway, back to business. Footsteps in the Fog is a minor gem. It lacks an emotional punch but for sheer story content it's a winner.
7/10
evlkeith



If you like this you could also try:
Gaslight, The Spiral Staircase, Rebecca.

Review - Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001 - Dir. Christophe Gans)

Continuing our birthday celebrations we come to the final entry in our Mark Dacascos Season, and it is one of my favourite films of all time.

The idea of mixing the genres of kung fu, horror, mystery and period french drama, whilst adding a savage stonking great wolf as a garnish may seem a tad foolish. But it works stunningly well, making for one of the most refreshingly original films I've ever seen.


Naturalist (not naturist - that would have been one genre too many. I don't think wolves play volleyball anyway) Gregoire de Fronsac, played by Samuel Le Bihan is sent by the King to the small french province of Gevaudan, along with his native American sidekick Mani (Mark Dacascos). Numerous deaths have been occurring and they have been attributed to a rather large wolf. Fronsac and Mani investigate this general unpleasantness. And hit people a lot. So what we basically have is a berzerk version of Hound of the Baskervilles (not a bad thing).

Gans certainly loves his slow motion and Dacascos has never looked cooler. Forget his Straight-to-DVD actioners. This is what he is truly capable of. There are so many well choreographed fights. His assailants, in true kung fu fashion, take their turn, coming at Mani with fists and various weapons, but he just sorts them. No messing. The sound effects are excessively loud and crunchy, further adding to the stylised nature of the fights. Bihan also gets to do a fair bit of scrapping and is not too shabby in the 'hitting people hard' departpartment.

There is love interest in the form of the gorgeous Émilie Dequenne (The Pack) and Monica Bellucci (Irreversible), just enough to add yet another dimension to the film. Both female leads are great but Dequenne is so great she should get her own season. Now, there's a thought... 

You also get Vincent Cassel as a really creepy villain. He's always good value for money and doesn't let the side down here. Supposedly, he put in a lot of training for his fight sequence and it shows.

Let's get the one negative out of the way. Surprise, surprise, it's the CGI. The wolf looks ropey and a bit too light and lacking in contrast compared to the backgrounds for my liking. Saying that, the close-ups (by Henson) using a practical wolf are premium quality (again, surprise, surprise).

For a film to be so full of disparate elements and still be coherent and top fun is a testament to Gans' skill as a director. (It's a shame Onimusha fell through. That would have been a treat.) He brings out the best in Mark Dacascos (see Crying Freeman) and it would be great to see them work together again. So do the dodgy effects knock the rating down at all? For sheer audacity, I'll let it off.
10/10
evlkeith

(Please note: It's well worth getting the Blu-ray because with the DVD you are limited to a plain stereo soundtrack if you opt for the french language version, the 5.1 sound is only available on the useless dubbed version. The Blu-ray has got the proper full surround experience. Way better. And not smelly.)


If you like this you could also try:
Crying Freeman, Drive, The Pack, the 2002 BBC version of Hound of the Baskervilles.

Review - An Empress and the Warriors (2008 - Dir. Sui-Tung Ching)

It isn't that long since I watched The Warlords and I can't really say that I was looking forward to another historical epic.  Fortunately, the clunkily titled An Empress and the Warriors isn't an historical epic. Well, it is a bit. But it's also got romance, comedy, action, adventure, martial arts and good old war scenes.

It all starts off like a standard issue historical epic though, with a huge battle, the death of an Emperor and mucho political machinations. It is initially disappointing because the acting is so full of rope you could tie a Fisherman's Bend with it. If you feel that way inclined. Which I do. Just give me five minutes... Okay, that's better. The music is another alarming factor. It lurches from overly dramatic to quirky and comedic. It all feels wrong.

But when you finally twig that this film is many things, you realise that it is all a stylistic choice. The titular Empress Yen Feier (Kelly Chen) is threatened by people from her own country, led by Hu Ba (Xiaodong Guo). One minute he tells some dodgy old beardy fellow to take care of her (many shades of Sword and Sorcery here, tick them all off on the Sword and Sorcery Checklist, except there's no sorcery) and then we're straight into an action sequence including leaping masked nutters with blowpipes. There's isn't any slack time in between events apart from a short slow section in the middle of the film.


The film then veers into romance, comedy and whimsy with a sub-plot concerning a doctor, Duan Lanquan (Leon Lai) and a hot air balloon. Eventually, we get back to war scenes and action again, with the Empress' top mate Muyong Xuehu (played by the seemingly never out of work, Donnie Yen of Hero fame) facing off against four soldiers, then a regiment and finally a full army. He doesn't fare too badly either.

There are some gorgeous images within An Empress and the Warriors. The highlight has to be the sewn together air balloon flying over a forest. It looks more like something out of a Terry Gilliam film but it bizarrely still fits in with this mish-mash of styles. 

This was way more enjoyable than I was expecting and although it doesn't hit you emotionally like The Warlords, enough stuff is shoe-horned into ninety minutes to keep you fully entertained. Included in the price is a really clever way of knacking a chariot, if you ever find yourself being charged down by one. Bonus.
6/10
evlkeith



If you like this you could also try:
The Warlords, Hero, House of Flying Daggers, Last Hero in China.

Review - Angel-A (2005 - Dir. Luc Besson)

At first sight Angel-A looks like it may have a great deal of gritty potential, however there is little or no grit on show in this fantasy based, romantic drama. I'm not sure I should have liked it as much as I did, but Angel-A is a light hearted, fun packed fairy tale that held my attention to such an extent that I watched it in a single sitting, which is unusual to say the least for me.

The plot is simple, and basically you know what will happen about twenty minutes into procedings. But there's an innocent charm about the film that makes you think it could have been made in the 1950s and shown on a Sunday afternoon throughout the 1970s between episodes of Randall and Hopkirk and Highway to Heaven. Don't expect a rollercoaster ride, this is a much gentler experience.


The majority of the acting is shared by the excellent Jamel Debbouze and Rie Rasmussen who make the most of the opportunity and clearly enjoy the limelight. Debbouze is especially impressive showing his vulnerability, passion and positivity at various stages of the film. The main supporting actor is the city of Paris and Besson uses a range of shots and angles to present Paris as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, with the lack of colour adding a richness and atmosphere to the cinematography. The soundtrack is also worth a listen.

This is essentially a cinematic 'chillout', so if you're in the mood for something slower paced and relaxing, sit back and enjoy one of the few fantasy/romance dramas that actually delivers. Having said that I don't think I've seen any other fantasy/romance dramas.
7/10
Doccortex





If you like this you could also try:
Paris, Je T'Aime, Run Lola Run, He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not.