list.co.uk/fi lm Reviews | FILM
DRAMA IMPERIUM (15) 106min ●●●●●
WAR DRAMA ANTHROPOID (15) 120min ●●●●● ANIMATION KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS (PG) 101min ●●●●●
FBI analyst Nate Foster is dismayed by the agency’s habit of framing young, impressionable Muslims in its fight against Islamic fundamentalism. So when he’s given the opportunity to go undercover and take on a different threat – white supremacy – he grabs it.
He does have one misgiving though: ‘I can’t defend myself.’ When Nate is played by Daniel Radcliffe we easily believe it. And that goes to the heart of what’s wrong with Imperium: implausibility. Racial hatred and home-grown terrorism are red-hot themes, but this drama doesn’t deliver on the potential.
It’s all very by the numbers. And all the while we keep thinking, ‘But Daniel is so small. He looks so nice.’ There’s a heavy irony here: the actor is playing an undercover agent trying to prove to monsters that he is one of them; while the character succeeds, the actor fails to convince. To be fair, so does everyone around him. Even Toni Collette’s hard-boiled, gum- chewing turn as fellow agent Zamparo feels as though it’s been lifted from a template.
Director Daniel Ragussis co-wrote the script with a former FBI agent, so we assume a degree of authentic detail. A shame, then, that the whole feels so terribly rote. (Demetrios Matheou) ■ Selected release from Fri 23 Sep.
Directed by Sean Ellis (Metro Manila), Anthropoid tells of the eponymous World War II operation to assassinate high ranking SS officer General Reinhard Heydrich in German-occupied Czechoslovakia, focusing in particular on soldiers Josef Gabcik (Cillian Murphy) and Jan Kubis (Jamie Dornan). This meticulously assembled stop-motion adventure is the fourth feature from LAIKA, the animation studio behind Coraline, ParaNorman and The Boxtrolls. The directorial debut of CEO Travis Knight, Kubo similarly combines humour and emotional storytelling with breathtaking animation.
Heroes in the truest sense, Ellis ensures these Set in ancient Japan, the story focuses on one-eyed
men (and women) of the resistance are also human and, crucially, fallible. Josef and Jan carry the scars of battle in their shaking hands, grim-set faces and outright fear, and their endeavours, while valiant, are a poignant reminder of the human cost of warfare. Anthropoid’s blanched colour palette and detailed
production design encapsulate a sense of both history and helplessness. Similarly, Ellis – who also acts as cinematographer – has chosen to shoot in super 16mm, which gives a suitable grittiness and texture to the visuals. This is most effective in the frenetic climax where the men hold a cathedral against the Nazi army, a blistering contrast to the more restrained nature of all that has come before. It’s a powerful conclusion to a film that, while fairly traditional, is a fitting homage to these extraordinary men. (Nikki Baughan) ■ General release from Fri 9 Sep.
origami expert Kubo (voiced by Game of Thrones’ Art Parkinson), who has been hunted since birth by his evil grandfather, the Moon King (Ralph Fiennes). To defeat him, Kubo joins forces with no-nonsense Monkey (Charlize Theron) and goofy half-human, half- insect warrior Beetle (Matthew McConaughey) to find three magical artefacts. The stop-motion animation is stunning, drawing visual inspiration from both origami and Japanese woodblock printing, and is coupled with striking character design. This is augmented by excellent voice performances and an emotionally literate script which doesn’t shy away from addressing complex themes, with sensitive observations on death and grieving. While it’s occasionally unclear what is fantasy within the narrative, this ultimately enhances the dream-like atmosphere. (Matthew Turner) ■ General release from Fri 9 Sep.
COMEDY HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE (12A) 101min ●●●●●
There’s been something funny emanating from New Zealand for some time, which can be traced back to Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement’s beloved parody group Flight of the Conchords. Writer-director Taika Waititi worked on the Conchords television show, as well as creating breakout cinema hits like Eagle vs Shark, Boy and What We Do in the Shadows; his latest, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, is an offbeat story of mismatched friendship that fuses character comedy with heartfelt sentiment.
Urban malcontent Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison) has been
through a series of unhappy situations that leave him on a last warning before juvenile detention; he reluctantly heads for the New Zealand countryside to stay with foster aunt Bella (Rima Te Wiata) and gruff husband Hec (Sam Neill). When the boy runs off into the bush after a tragic event, Hec locates him, only to discover that the authorities have assumed he’s kidnapped Ricky. As they close in, Ricky and Hec forge an odd couple friendship that lends them the aura of folk heroes.
Adapted from Barry Crump’s book Wild Pork and Watercress, Hunt for the Wilderpeople escalates in deliberately episodic form, swinging from gentle comedy to full-on action, and Waititi handles the gear changes with style. There is a neat digression in the form of some hostile pigs, deft pop culture nods to The Terminator and The Lord of the Rings and, best of all, Psycho Sam (Rhys Darby), an amusingly deranged denizen of the forest.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a simple, affecting comedy; its
grizzled elder and young upstart camaraderie may be as old as the rolling hills it’s played out against, but Neill and Dennison’s chemistry ensures this story is so knee-deep in charm that even moments of gloopy pathos feel thoroughly earned. (Eddie Harrison) ■ General release from Fri 16 Sep.
1 Sep–3 Nov 2016 THE LIST 57