list.co.uk/fi lm Reviews | FILM
TEEN COMEDY THE DUFF (12A) 101min ●●●●●
PSYCHOLOGICAL DRAMA CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA (TBC) 124min ●●●●● ACTION JOHN WICK (15) 101min ●●●●●
At 26, Mae Whitman shines as a confident teenage outsider in Ari Sandel’s hilarious high school comedy, adapted from a novel by Kody Keplinger, written when she was just 17. DUFF is an odious acronym for Designated Ugly Fat Friend. The neither plus-sized nor unattractive Whitman may seem odd casting in the title role but, as jock Wesley (Robbie Amell) explains, you don’t have to possess any of the traits described for the label to be applied.
When Bianca (Whitman) is called out as the DUFF in her social circle, she’s determined to rid herself of the tag, recruiting Wesley as an advisor in return for help with his homework. Whitman nails the energetic physical comedy and witty one-liners in a film that reaches for the heights of genre gems Easy A and Mean Girls. Rather than fully subverting the structure, The DUFF plays around with teen movie tropes, delivering an admirable message about the importance of staying true to yourself.
There are nods to She’s All That, including Bianca’s penchant for dowdy dungarees, but this film doesn’t place too much focus on appearance. It’s a heartfelt effort distinguished by its knowingness, sharp script and riotous central performance. (Katherine McLaughlin) ■ General release from Mon 6 Apr.
This inquisitive, enchanting film came about when Juliette Binoche challenged Olivier Assayas to deliver a daring examination of the feminine. The result is a story that explores uneven friendships and rivalries in a manner seldom seen onscreen. Binoche is thespian Maria Enders, who’s being
courted for a new production of the play that made her, only this time as the ageing lover of the manipulative mademoiselle she originally brought to life. Maria’s mentor is dead, her marriage is over and a usurper is looming (Chloë Grace Moretz’s bratty starlet). Thankfully, in her deliberations, rehearsals, tears and tantrums, Maria is flanked by her dependable assistant Valentine (Kristen Stewart). Clouds of Sils Maria deftly probes the relationship
between performers and their roles, and between stars and their staff, with Binoche and Stewart’s differing acting styles making for a compelling contrast. The film’s breezy, undisciplined quality suits the sometimes rural surroundings, if not the subject matter. And while things don’t always gel, it consistently intrigues. Assayas’ latest dips and soars in its grand ambitions but, at its best, blends the egos and insecurities of All About Eve with a fresh and playful modernity. (Emma Simmonds) ■ Selected release from Fri 15 May.
A sharp-suited Keanu Reeves is fighting the good fight in this bonny existential actioner. John Wick is a retired hitman striving to maintain an even keel after his wife’s death and his newly calmed mind is a zen garden until something very bad happens. Russian gangsters call him ‘the boogeyman’, who’ll get you when you least expect it. That’s disbelieved by a kingpin’s son (Alfie Allen) who steals Wick’s car and kills a puppy. A puppy! Wick’s ex-boss (Michael Nyqvist) is torn between his son’s stupidity and the code of vengeance. Suddenly, there’s a bounty on Wick’s head and everyone’s out to get him. You know John Wick is a fantasy because there’s honour amongst thieves, but Reeves is great: he’s cool, collected and applies his oblique style to full effect, while Ian McShane pops up as the deliciously scary / camp manager of a hotel for assassins (no killing on the premises, please).
Helmed by stuntmen Chad Stahelski and David Leitch (the latter goes uncredited), this is a sleek, satisfying hitman-with-a-heart flick. Shaky- cam is replaced by solid direction, innovative cinematography and terrific production design. Not only is it really rather good, but there will be a part two. (Karen Krizanovich) ■ General release from Fri 10 Apr.
ROMANTIC DRAMA FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD (12A) 119min ●●●●●
Danish director Thomas Vinterberg helming an adaptation of a Thomas Hardy novel is a curious notion. From provocative Dogme 95 film Festen to nail-biting modern morality tale The Hunt, his anti-establishment sensibility seems an odd fit for a literary classic. So it’s an unexpected pleasure to discover that his take on Far from the Madding Crowd is as straight-up as they come. The only thing radical about this, as far as Vinterberg is concerned, is that there’s nothing radical about it at all. No attempt to update the story, nor pull any narrative stunts which will doubtless come as a huge relief to fans of the novel.
Based around one of Hardy’s most intriguing heroines, second only to Tess of the d’Urbervilles, the story follows Bathsheba Everdene (Carey Mulligan), a headstrong lass who inherits a farm and dazzles three contrasting suitors. The first is shepherd Gabriel Oak (Matthias Schoenaerts), who hastily proposes marriage but faces rejection. The second is William Boldwood (Michael Sheen), a well-to-do middle-aged bachelor. But it’s the unscrupulous Sergeant Troy (Tom Sturridge) that sets her pulse racing.
Mulligan may not be quite up to the calibre of Julie Christie yet
(the star of John Schlesinger’s more characterful 1967 version) but still makes for a convincing Bathsheba. Vinterberg presents the Dorset countryside in all its glory, bringing powerfully to the screen some of the book’s more shocking episodes, not least when Oak’s flock is driven to its doom by a sheepdog.
For all the bucolic beauty and ravishing romance, we’re reminded that violence is never far from the surface and Vinterberg captures the brewing tragedy magnificently. (James Mottram) ■ General release from Fri 1 May.
2 Apr–4 Jun 2015 THE LIST 79