The Scruffy Looking Nerf Herder

“Let me give you some advice. Assume that everyone will betray you, and you will never be disappointed.” ~ Tobias

“You look good. Little rough around the edges, but good.” ~ Qi’ra

“I heard a rumour about you, and I wanted to know if it was true.” ~ Han Solo 

“Everything about me is true.” ~ Lando Calrissian

The ever expanding Star Wars universe sees a new installment in the companion films that started with Rogue One. The new film Solo is now out, set a few years before the events of A New Hope, and tells the origin story of the scoundrel and smuggler Han Solo, including his first meetings with friends Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian, in a story that feels much like a heist film. Director Ron Howard capably handles a project from screenwriting father and son team Lawrence and Jonathan Kasdan, in a project that has had some bumps along the way.

We first meet a young Corellian named Han (Alden Ehrenreich) and his lover Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke) seeking a way off the shipbuilding world, and their attempt doesn’t go according to plan. Han winds up in the Imperial forces as a cadet, given a surname fitting his character, and three years later finds himself expelled from the flight academy for insubordination (typical of the man he’s becoming). He encounters a criminal, Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson), comes across a Wookie, Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), and a smuggler, Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover), among others, and is caught up in a heist scheme involving minerals and a criminal syndicate led by Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany).

The idea of a young Han Solo film had been around before the Lucasfilm deal that saw the Star Wars brand sold to Disney. Writer and director Lawrence Kasdan, who’s had a hand in a substantial part of the cosmic epic as a co-writer in films like The Empire Strikes Back, Return Of The Jedi, The Force Awakens, and The Last Jedi, was attached early on, and he and his son Jonathan have developed the idea over time. Their script, crafted to feel like a heist film, mixed with sci-fi fantasy and action, carries over the influences of the Star Wars universe while standing out well on its own. 

The script weaves in little tidbits such as the formations of friendships between the three main characters, Han’s roots, the ownership of the Millennium Falcon, and ties to other elements of the established continuity. There are hints of a building rebellion, an established Imperial military that is still finding its footing, and even a few surprises along the way. This being a heist film, the story brings sleight of hand and backstabbing to the equation, along with a healthy dose of cynicism that explains a lot about the man we first meet in a seedy bar on Tatooine. Characters are invested with a sardonic world view at times, charm at others, and wistfulness at yet other times. 

The production of the film has a complicated history. Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were originally attached to the project, had gotten filming done, but were removed from the project by Lucasfilm executives over creative differences. Ron Howard, who’s spent years as a well established director, was brought in to take over the project, and the finished product has a bit of a jolted feel as a result- some of it is still Lord and Miller, but most of it’s Howard, and the difference in style can feel a bit disjointed. 

That said, however, the film works well- Howard has a talent for balancing characterization of actors with a big story, and that certainly shows itself here. Lucasfilm’s production crew handles everything well- the creation of sets and CGI for ships and locations all fits into the previously established Star Wars continuity, albeit one that’s decidedly on the seedier side of the galaxy. Special effects enhance as opposed to overwhelm (something that was problematic during George Lucas’ prequel trilogy), and action sequences unfold in a way that allow you to keep track of the action. This is not a surprise, given that Howard’s shown himself to be adept at that before. The score incorporates themes from John Williams, but it’s the under appreciated John Powell who composes the bulk of the score and takes things in new directions for the franchise.

The cast as assembled is an impressive one, well suited to their roles. Paul Bettany has made a career out of playing character roles, people who are on the side of right and the side of wrong. Here he plays someone who is definitely on the side of wrong. He was brought in during Howard’s reshoots, as the previously cast actor was not available for reshoots. His character, Dryden Vos, is a ruthless sort of crime lord (aren’t they all?), and Bettany gives the character a menacing energy, chewing the scenery as he goes along. 

Woody Harrelson first made a reputation for himself as the simpleton bartender Woody on Cheers, but has been known to play characters with a dangerous, unpredictable quality in film roles. Such is the case with his take on Tobias Beckett, the capable leader of a rag tag group of crooks for hire. He’s the sort who plays his cards close to the vest, keeps his agenda hidden, and goes through life pretty much not trusting anyone. Which makes his influence as a mentor to Han pretty much a good reason Han turns out the way he does. It’s noted that the character is influenced by Long John Silver from Treasure Island, and that fits with Harrelson’s performance. Thandie Newton appears as his wife Val, a member of his gang. She’s an actress I’ve liked in roles before, and her take on the role is that of a resourceful and reliable crook, with few scruples. The actress makes her compelling to watch.

Droids have long been a part of the Star Wars universe, both in terms of background and in terms of central characters. Solo gives us a new one, voiced by a British actress. Phoebe Waller-Bridge gives the voice performance for the droid L3-37, physically a CGI presence as a character who nonetheless merges into the environment with the other actors. The droid is a companion to Lando Calrissian, and proves to be sardonic but resourceful, capable of improvising in a given situation. The actress gives her vocal take on the role a hint of humour and irony, making this droid a good deal more welcome than, oh, that pesky protocol droid from the main movies who worries far too much.

While the core films established Han and Leia as a couple, it would have been easy for the smuggler to have had other relationships long before he became a Rebel. The proverbial one that got away appears here in the form of Qi’ra, played by Emilia Clarke, from Game Of Thrones, which I’ve never seen. I’ve only seen the actress in that last Terminator film, and this is a different kind of role for her. Her character grew up with Han, in a rough environment, and they were childhood friends, partners in crime, with a dash of romantic spark between them. Her performance is sympathetic and nuanced, a woman fighting to stay alive in environments where a mistake can be lethal. The character is likable and self reliant, and she’s got chemistry with Ehrenreich. I’d like to see more from her in other roles.

Chewbacca has been a central character in the Star Wars mythos from the beginning, appearing in the original trilogy, the final film of the prequel trilogy, and the new trilogy as well. For much of that time he had been played by Peter Mayhew, but health issues finally had the actor step down from the role and turn it over to Joonas Suotamo, a Finnish actor and former basketball player who had started doubling for Mayhew in The Force Awakens and assumed the role in The Last Jedi. Being a Wookie, Chewbacca can live for hundreds of years, and we learn he’s a spry 190 years old when he first meets Han, which explains why he still has no grey in his fur in the current trilogy. The character has always been a fierce but loyal ally, a walking mountain of fur with a temper who acts for the greater good, and Suotamo inhabits the role (with a lot of recorded growls and grunts from various animals making up his vocalizations, which Han understands perfectly) in just the right way. The film quickly establishes the friendship and trust between the two characters as they meet for the first time.

Donald Glover gets a lot to do as Lando Calrissian, the suave, smooth talking swindler played in the original trilogy by Billy Dee Williams (I wonder if we can get a return from the actor in the last of the current trilogy?). Here Lando is younger, still years away from taking on the responsibilities of administering Cloud City and ending up in the Rebellion. He’s a smuggler on the rise, but the charm of the man is well established, as is his tendency to talk and think his way out of a difficult situation. Glover gives the character an effortless grace that fits in with what we already know about the man, while pointing the way towards his future. I like the bantering energy between his Lando and Han as the two smugglers get to know each other and build a friendship, albeit a friendship between scoundrels.

Alden Ehrenreich has done a lot of roles over the last few years for big name directors- Francis Ford Coppolla, Warren Beatty, and the Coen Brothers. He got the role as Han Solo over several other actors, and gives us a new take on Harrison Ford’s well established character. Han is living something of a rough life when we first meet him, but there are hints of the idealist in him. He has dreams for the future, dreams that hit hard against the reality of a galaxy where the Empire rules. Defiance and insubordination fit the character, both in this story and in where he’ll go down the line, and the film’s story gives him reasons to become more of a cynic, more of a scoundrel, as he falls into the life of a crook. While he might be a crook, there are lines he doesn’t cross, and the actor plays to that, giving us a believable take on a starting out on the road smuggler, a few years away from crossing paths with destiny.

Solo is a worthwhile addition to the Star Wars mythos, inhabiting the continuity of the saga and telling the origin story of some of its most compelling characters (sorry, Luke, but somehow Moisture Farm Boy: A Star Wars Story doesn’t sound likely to be greenlit anytime soon). It has a fun energy, a good sense of humour, and is at heart a heist film populated by crooks and cutthroats, seeking the easy score in a galaxy where the darkness is rising. The cast is well suited to their roles, and the film overall, despite being a bit uneven, adds a new chapter to its franchise.

An Inferno Of Conspiracies

"Dante's Inferno isn't fiction. It's a prophecy." ~ Robert Langdon

“There is a switch. If you throw it, half the people on Earth will die, but if you don’t, in 100 years, the human race will be extinct. You are humanity’s final hope.” ~ Bertrand Zobrist

"Professor, you are having visions, aren't you?" ~ The Provost

"You won't be able to trust your own thoughts for awhile." ~ Sienna Brooks

“The greatest sins in human history were committed in the name of love.” ~ Robert Langdon

Conspiracies and chases through breathtaking Old World architecture abound as Tom Hanks and director Ron Howard return for Inferno, another adaptation of a Dan Brown novel. Following in the footsteps of The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons, which featured troublesome authority figures, dark conspiracies, hidden truths contained in art, and an overly curious and knowledgeable American professional, the film returns to Europe for a country hopping exercise in preposterousness and high stakes poker. Well, not the poker, just the high stakes.

Having had taken a hand in deciphering Leonardo's great secrets and saving the Vatican in previous film outings, Robert Langdon (Hanks) finds himself waking up in an Italian hospital with no idea how he got there, and suffering of a head graze. The attending doctor, Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones) informs him he was shot, which has affected his short term memory. Before he has time to even adjust, a woman (Ana Ularu) turns up armed and ready to kill. The two flee, following a trail that starts with an oddity among Langdon’s personal belongings that points the way to the works of Dante, a conspiracy that has global implications, a villain who’s gone and killed himself even before the first act starts, and shadowy forces whose agenda seems murky at best.

This is the third Robert Langdon outing in film, though the character has appeared in four books now, each time as the proverbial Smartest Man In The Room, able to figure out cryptic mysteries long hidden away in art, books, or aged documents. Dan Brown has made a bloody fortune off the character, who’s proven to be exceedingly popular since the second book of the series, The Da Vinci Code, became a runaway bestseller. That book and Angels & Demons got film adaptations from Howard and Hanks, though the third book in the series, The Lost Symbol, got passed over in favour of this most recent book, which follows the characters from Florence and Venice in Italy to its finale in Istanbul, Turkey. It’s been seven years since we last saw Hanks in the leading role.

David Koepp, who has many screenwriting credits, as well as directing credits to his name, previously co-wrote Angels & Demons as an adaptation, so this is his second time around with Langdon. The adaptation makes some significant departures from the source novel, particularly in the second half, telling a tale of a biological weapon and a madman who thinks he’s doing the right thing for the world- even if there’s some sense to the root cause, what with overpopulation being a real issue. Unlike the previous books and films, which stressed old secrets hidden away by secret societies in various odd places, this story has a more contemporary thread in its conspiracy, even if it makes use of old creative outlets and artistic sensibilities.

The preposterousness that’s standard to a Dan Brown plot is there, of course, along with the plot holes. Also returning are some of the standard Brown operating procedures: shifting allegiances, authority figures who might be on the side of the right or wrong, the highly intelligent young female counterpart to Langdon, and the broad conspiracy theories. The formula might seem a bit well worn by now, what with having had seen it already play out before. The pacing of the film itself seems rather frantic, and deeply convoluted at times. Of the three films, this one doesn’t work as well as its predecessors (particularly Angels & Demons), perhaps because of that frantic, convoluted pace, and because it’s following already familiar territory. And I found myself a bit irritated by the villain’s entire plan- why not just release the damned virus instead of going through this whole elaborate, grandly staged scheme? The notion ends up coming across rather like a Bond villain- only there, you expect that sort of grandiosity out of the villains.

Howard filmed on location, some of that being in Florence and Venice, but also on sets in Hungary, substituting perhaps for Turkey, which, let’s face it, isn’t exactly friendly territory for filming these days. He’s already well familiar with the world of Robert Langdon, the incessantly curious academic with a tendency to find himself wrapped up in mysteries and hidden secrets; the films mark his only actual film franchise, since his directing work has usually been self contained stories. He films at times both in the frantic chase style that the story requires, but also like he’s doing a travelogue, looking at places you’d love to get a look at yourself- if not for the fact that his characters are being chased by one dangerous lunatic or another. He does what he can with what he’s got- Inferno as a source material isn’t quite up to the entertainment reading value of the first two Brown novels- and ends up bringing out a film that’s at least a capable, if not quite as satisfying, follow up.

The cast are well chosen. Ben Foster appears only briefly as the villain, playing Zobrist as a man who entirely believes in himself and his cause, and damn the consequences. There’s something inherently dangerous, charismatic, and unhinged in the man, but he believes he is absolutely right, and that his path is the only path to follow. It reminds one of a cult leader, without the cult. Omar Sy appears as Christoph Bouchard, an official who turns up as the story goes along, and ends up playing to the what's his real agenda aspect of most of the characters in the film.

Ana Ularu is a Romanian actress, and she finds herself following in the footsteps of Paul Bettany and Nikolaj Lie Kaas before her, playing the profoundly dangerous henchman, the immediate threat to the protagonist. She certainly impresses in that job, as the actress conveys a thoroughly ruthless, efficient energy to the performance, coming across as a credible threat on screen.

Irrfan Khan is best known to audiences in India as an actor, but he’s done some work in Hollywood, including last year’s Jurassic World. Here he plays a character nicknamed The Provost, the head of a private security concern whose allegiances shift as the story goes along, from working on behalf of a client to coming to grips with the fact that his client is a monster. It makes for a rather interesting take on the character, less clinical than the character was in the book.

Sidse Babett Knudsen is a Danish actress, playing a pivotal role for the film, Elizabeth Sinskey, head of the World Health Organization (though we must wonder why the WHO has officials who run around with weapons). The character is desperately racing against time to contain a crisis, and like others in the film, we are left to wonder for a time at her own agenda. The character is an interesting one, with some history with Langdon, and the actress gives the character a sense of gravity and resolve as she goes along.

This is only the third project I’ve seen Felicity Jones in. She had a blink and you’ll miss it appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and appeared in Julie Taymor’s adaptation of The Tempest (which I absolutely hated- honestly, Shakespeare should come back from the grave and sue her for that). The actress appears next in the Star Wars one-off tale Rogue One next month. Here she plays the highly intelligent young partner by circumstance of Professor Langdon, but she too has her own secrets, which take her in different directions from the character’s place in the books. She certainly conveys the intelligence of the character in just the right way.

Tom Hanks returns once more as Professor Langdon. He brings to film the sense of curiosity and intelligence so integral to the character, which is a good thing. Langdon is a wellspring of information and arcane knowledge, and here he finds himself in a situation where his memory, one of his greatest gifts, isn’t quite reliable, which gives him a reason to be shaken up. He’s also shaken up by the stakes of the story, which go rather beyond what has come before. Langdon’s curiosity, even in the face of danger, does make him an interesting character, and Hanks plays to that. Being an already established character helps (as does being played by Hanks)- we’re generally already on his side and sympathetic to him. Hanks does have that history of playing characters we can at least empathize with; though personally I will never, ever, ever empathize with Forrest Gump, a character I would rather see wiped out of existence for all time.... did I mention I hate double infinity hate Forrest Gump? Fortunately this character is a world away from that loathsome irritant, and while he seems decidedly perplexed by the situation he’s in, it’s good to see him again.

Inferno doesn’t measure up to its predecessors in the series. For me, Angels & Demons with its high stakes and countdown to an awful thing happening tone works best as a film. This adaptation, with its plot holes, is treading ground we’ve already seen before, and does tend to be rather frantic and convoluted as things go along. Still, as long as you ignore the plot holes, the film works well enough, giving us another Langdon caper that also serves as something of a travelogue.

A travelogue, mind you, with bullets and deadly bio weapons.

The Need For Speed

Director Ron Howard returns to theatres with Rush, a new movie centered on the 1976 season of Formula One auto racing and the rivalry of two of the best drivers: James Hunt and Niki Lauda. It's an unlikely movie for me to like... because I've never really seen the point to auto racing (I really, really don't understand the obsession with NASCAR in particular, but that might be a cultural thing). Still, one doesn't have to appreciate the sport to appreciate the movie. What we really have here, beyond the sport of auto racing, is a character study, a tale of two men who are very different, and yet strive to be the best at what they do. And grounding the story in that character study makes the film succeed.

Hunt is played here by Chris Hemsworth (Thor, The Avengers). He's brash, cocky, a womanizer, the life of the party. He loves the thrill of the race, lives large and loves fast. His rival, Lauda, is played by the German actor Daniel Bruhl, whose previous works for American audiences include Inglourious Basterds (never saw it, thanks to my disdain for Quentin Tarentino), plus a walk on in The Bourne Ultimatum. Lauda is much more introverted and calculating, a serious minded racer with an engineer's mindset and a cold, withdrawn personality. The two men are very different from each other, aside from their considerable skills as drivers. That strong rivalry exists between them, and we see that play itself out, but neither man is the antagonist of the film. The story doesn't pit one firmly in our favour and the other against. It instead examines their personalities, showing us the sort of people who'd want to enter a profession with such a dangerous (and well deserved, at that) reputation. Indeed, some of what happens through the course of the film is decidedly traumatic, to say the least (you might want to close your eyes once or twice). We also meet the women in their lives; Hunt briefly marries Suzy (Olivia Wilde), while Lauda ends up getting involved with a socialite, Marlene, played by Alexandra Maria Lara. 

Writer Peter Morgan gives us the screenplay, and he's worked with Howard before, on the character drama Frost/ Nixon. His other work includes The Queen, The Other Boleyn Girl, and The Last King Of Scotland, so as a screenwriter, he has an innate understanding of character. Morgan gives us a story that shows us this side of the world, the sort of person who's drawn to a sport where a single small mistake can be catastrophic. His story makes the audience think about that central question: who'd want to be in a sport this dangerous? Is a championship worth one's life?

From a production point of view, the film sets us directly in the world of racing, and the time itself; it's very much the Seventies. The cinematography by Anthony Mantle sets us squarely into the races and lets us keep track of what's happening in a way that perhaps isn't so easily done in auto racing live. Attention to detail has been paid in every way you might expect, and we feel like we're right there. At the same time, Howard and Mantle pay as much detail, along with the crew, to sequences away from the track, as it should be. The film is accompanied by frequent Howard collaborator Hans Zimmer's rock-infused score, as bombastic as you might come to expect from him.

The casting is ideal, and let's start with the supporting roles. Alexandra Maria Lara is a Romanian actress whose work has mostly been in Europe (I hadn't seen her before in anything), but her resume is impressive, and she gives us an interesting take on the wife of a racer here. I'd like to see more of her. Olivia Wilde, an actress whose work I like and who takes on roles that interest her and never seem quite the same, embodies the excess of the era in the flamboyant Suzy. I last saw her in a character drama called Deadfall, where she and most of the rest of a cast that included Eric Bana, Kris Kristofferson, Sissy Spacek, Kate Mara, and Treat Williams completely outdid the talent lacking Charlie Hunnam in the acting department (this does not bode well for the future star of that 50 Shades adaptation). This role is a switch for her, but then she is a chameleon in her film choices anyway. Pierfrancesco Favino, who last appeared for Howard in Angels & Demons, turns up here as a racer, and character actor David Calder does a turn as well. Both are familiar faces, and both are very welcome.

It is ultimately the casting of the two leads that forms the core of the film. Hemsworth is ideally cast as the brash and handsome Hunt, the daring racer who strives to win, who's willing to play the game, and who lets his ego take the driver's seat from time to time. At a moment when he must confront the consequences of disaster- when we see him confronting the prospect of mortality, it makes his performance all the more compelling. We get to know what makes this man tick through Hemsworth's take on him. And Bruhl is well cast too. He conveys the calculating, insular nature of Lauda, the intensely serious man well, and his performance gets us into his head. The two actors bring across that rivalry very well, that obsessive need for speed, and they make the audience understand a mentality of people we might otherwise assume belong in an asylum for pursuing such a line of work.

Ron Howard has become known for blockbuster films, of course. Had he remained an actor, he would have been cursed by typecasting for the rest of his career. Instead he became a director, and as such, he became an interesting storyteller. He's delved into the blockbuster side of things throughout his career, the grand scale with films like Apollo 13, Backdraft, The Da Vinci Code, and Angels & Demons. Yet all of those were based in character, as was the aforementioned Frost/ Nixon, and I was reminded of another film in his past: Cinderella Man. Boxing is another sport I could care less about, but he told a story in that film that drew in the audience and made us care. He accomplishes the same here, giving us a terrific racing film regardless of what we think of the sport. And since it's so steeped in character as its basis, it becomes a movie that is both blockbuster material and art house film. It gives us two compelling, human leads, keeps us in suspense, and draws us right into the time and place.