FILM | Reviews
THRILLER THE FIFTH ESTATE (12A) 124min ●●●●●
The very notion of Benedict Cumberbatch playing the otherworldly Julian Assange is enough to attract anyone’s interest in The Fifth Estate. Cumberbatch brings a mixture of steely self-determination and implacable, inscrutable calm to his portrayal, proving once again what a fine Bond villain he might make one day. The film that surrounds him, on the other hand, is frantic in its attempt to chart the rise of WikiLeaks. Very much in the mould of The Social Network, WikiLeaks’
story is told through the relationship between Assange and loyal lieutenant Daniel Domscheit-Berg (Daniel Brühl). It’s a friendship that gradually sours as Assange places the leaking of official information above lives that might be endangered in the process. The Fifth Estate lacks the focus and cogency that made The Social Network so compelling. The ethical and moral concerns about WikiLeaks and the chance to deliver a psychological profile of the enigmatic Assange are generally sacrificed to the creation of a dynamic, Bourne-style slice of international intrigue. It‘s a well-made and entertaining conspiracy thriller but remains a disappointingly superficial treatment of material that promised much more. (Allan Hunter) ■ General release from Fri 11 Oct.
DRAMA FOR THOSE IN PERIL (tbc) 93min ●●●●●
Paul Wright’s feature debut is a sad, salt-streaked fable with the timelessness and sour melodrama of a sea shanty, if little of the boisterousness. Its style takes two strains of strongly Scottish-linked cinema – the grim social realist drama of deprived and stunted lives, and the documentary portrayal of hard rural work – and ties them together with a strip of nightmarish magic realism. George MacKay plays young Aaron, sole survivor of a fishing
accident and sufferer, consequently, of a small community’s resentment and scorn. Aaron manages his pain via the increasingly elaborate wish / delusion that there’s been some sort of mistake and his dead buddies, who include his older brother, are on the point of returning from the deep.
A more realistic connection to continued life and hope is offered by the companionship of the beautiful Jane (Nichola Burley), but she has problems of her own. Burley’s luminous moments onscreen aside, the grimness does get wearying. Ultimately, For Those in Peril doesn’t have quite enough plot to fill its length, but it’s original in idea, style and conception, and made with loving dedication, which bodes well for an interesting future for Wright. (Hannah McGill) ■ Limited release from Fri 4 Oct.
DRAMA BLUE JASMINE (12A) 98min ●●●●●
After two decades of disappointing movies inaccurately heralded as a ‘return to form’, Woody Allen finally gets back to his dexterous best with a beautifully wrought character study of Jasmine (Cate Blanchett), an unstable socialite poorly equipped to cope with the unpredictable lifestyle of her adoptive sister Ginger (Sally Hawkins). Introduced to us in the act of spilling her life story to a deeply uninterested fellow first-class air passenger, Jasmine’s enthusiasm to overshare is matched only by the selective quality of her lies. After years of affluence while married to successful businessman Hal (Alec Baldwin),
her world has collapsed after his arrest for fraudulent work practices. With an aspirational lifestyle over, Jasmine moves in to Ginger’s tiny apartment, where the attentions of her sister’s boyfriend Chili (Bobby Cannavale) are a constant reminder that both women have dubious taste in men. A chance encounter, however, seems to offer a way back into high society on the arm of wealthy widower Dwight (Peter Sarsgaard). Blue Jasmine is Allen’s most accomplished comedy / drama since Hannah and Her Sisters, and boasts a wealth of pitch-perfect performances. Cannavale, Hawkins and Baldwin are all well-cast, and there’s also good work from two comedians, Louis CK and Andrew Dice Clay, as Ginger’s lovers, past and present.
But the film belongs to Blanchett in a self-deceiving, selfish but never unsympathetic role; her Jasmine is an intoxicating presence, acerbically drawing a complex character whose dark secret is revealed in a powerful climactic scene. Blue Jasmine is a high-water mark for both Blanchett and Allen, who demonstrates a unique gift for balancing comedy and pathos which has eluded him for so long. (Eddie Harrison) ■ General release from Fri 27 Sep.
DRAMA THE ARTIST AND THE MODEL (15) 104min ●●●●●
This pensive wartime drama about an ageing sculptor regaining artistic inspiration in the twilight of his life is the very definition of ‘beautifully crafted’. Its sumptuous black and white photography, subtle performances and minimal soundtrack invite hushed contemplation. But its story feels more like a sketch than a fully developed piece.
Jean Rochefort is perfectly cast as Cros, a withdrawn sculptor living an uninspired life in rural southern France, a comfortable distance from the raging conflict. Cros’ devoted wife Léa (Claudia
Cardinale) discovers young Spanish refugee Mercé (Aida Folch) in their village, and she begins modelling in return for a place to live, gradually forming a connection with Cros.
The story has meaty concerns – the artist’s quest for inspiration, the place of art in a world at war – but its leisurely pace too often feels like padding. Director Fernando Trueba (Belle Époque) and veteran co-writer Jean-Claude Carrière (The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie) do create some great moments: Cros explaining the brilliance of a Rembrandt sketch to Mercé is wonderful and some lines have the authentic ring of hard-won wisdom. (Paul Gallagher) ■ Out on limited release now.
62 THE LIST 19 Sep–17 Oct 2013