Paddington (2014); adventure comedy family film review

Korean poster artwork for the adventure comedy family film Paddington.

Beloved Bear by Linh

One of the most loved fictional bears in children’s literature finally has his own movie. Paddington is the brainchild of author Michael Bond and the young bear began life on the pages of a children’s book series. The Paddington books inspired an animated television series and a stage musical adaptation depicting the funny misadventures of Paddington bear. With Bond’s blessing, Paddington is brought to cinematic life with an ensemble cast featuring some of Britain’s best stage and screen performers. Keep an eye out for Bond’s cameo appearance in the film as a kindly gentleman at Paddington train station.

Paddington is an origin film for Paddington bear, with most of the storylines from the first book and a few stories from later Paddington books. The film opens with a black and white short documentary created by British explorer Montgomery Clyde (Tim Downie). Clyde is amazed to learn that a species of highly intelligent bears live in the jungles of Darkest Peru and he teaches them to speak English. He introduces them to marmalade, which they immediately love. The bears featured in Clyde’s short documentary clip are Uncle Pastuzo (voice of Michael Gambon) and Aunt Lucy (voice of Imelda Staunton) and in the documentary, Clyde tells them they will be warmly welcomed if they ever visit London. Many years later, Uncle Pastuzo and Aunt Lucy are still living in Darkest Peru with fond memories of meeting Clyde and hope to visit him in London one day. They are raising their nephew (voice of Ben Whishaw), who is a curious and adventurous teenage bear. The young bear loves marmalade and helps his uncle and aunt make marmalade according to a special recipe. He is also bilingual and can speak, read and write English as well as his own bear language.

The bears’ happy life is disrupted when an earthquake destroys their home and kills Uncle Pastuzo. The young bear was able to retrieve his uncle’s red floppy hat, which he then continues to wear almost every day. Aunt Lucy decides that due to her old age, she cannot raise her nephew any longer and she will need to live at the Home For Retired Bears. She instructs her nephew to go to London and find Clyde who may help him find a home. She packs a suitcase full of jars with marmalade, ties a tag around her nephew’s neck which says “Please look after this bear. Thank you.” and hides him inside a boat bound for London.

When the young bear arrives in London, he is wide-eyed with wonder and excitement, until he discovers the warm welcome he expected was not forthcoming. At the train station, people ignore him and quickly walk past him without a word. The bear stands in front of the ‘lost and found’ office at the station until the Brown family walk past, and Mrs. Mary Brown (Sally Hawkins) turns around to converse with the bear. Mr. Henry Brown (Hugh Bonneville) is immediately suspicious of the bear while his children, Judy (Madeleine Harris) is disinterested and Jonathan (Samuel Joslin) is bemused. After the bear tells them his name in his bear language, Mrs. Brown suggests that he might like an English name. She names him Paddington as that is the name of the train station where they met him. The Browns take Paddington to their home to stay temporarily, where they live with their housekeeper Mrs. Bird (Julie Walters), and they offer to assist Paddington in finding Clyde. Unbeknownst to Paddington, his new life in London will soon become dangerous as Clyde’s daughter Millicent (Nicole Kidman) has some nasty plans that threaten his existence.

The cast is excellent and computer-generated images and special effects used to create Paddington works seamlessly.to blend animation with live action. Colin Firth was originally cast to voice Paddington, yet Ben Whishaw is commendable and better suited for the role with his younger voice and modulated tones. Hugh Bonneville, best known for his role as Robert Crawley in the television drama Downton Abbey, relishes the opportunity to show some comic and action skills as Mr. Henry Brown. He is brilliant as a cleaning lady in one scene and as a risk-taking rebel in an earlier scene. Oscar nominated actress Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine, X+Y) is delightful and affable as Mrs. Mary Brown whose inquisitiveness and curiosity attracted her to Paddington at the train station. Julie Walters (One Chance, Brooklyn) is always a hoot in any comic role and her portrayal as the observant and wise Mrs. Bird outshines the CGI feathered birds (Paddington’s hungry pigeons) in the film. Fans of the Doctor Who television series will be pleased to see Peter Capaldi (The Fifth Estate, World War Z) as the nosy and grumpy neighbour Mr. Curry, especially in the scenes when he appears inside or near a London telephone box, in reference to himself as The Doctor. Nicole Kidman (Lion, The Secret In Their Eyes) played a nasty character in The Golden Compass which was not well-received by most viewers, yet her portrayal of Millicent Clyde, a knife-throwing taxidermist for the Natural History Museum in this film, is vastly superior in nastiness. There was a brief sombre moment for some viewers when Kidman’s character said “My father is dead”, as some people were aware her father in real life, Dr. Anthony Kidman, died during the film’s post-production stage.

Paddington is a film which reminds us that no matter where we come from, we can always find a home elsewhere. However, the film depicts possible obstacles and other challenges that make ‘fitting in’ more difficult depending on one’s race or ethnicity. Paddington not only comes from a different country, he is also of a different species, which makes his presence in the human community very interesting and sometimes complicated.  He is the only anthropomorphic bear in London who speaks English, which makes him especially unique and finding a home for someone like Paddington requires open-mindedness, kindness and patience. Although he is a bear, Paddington contributes to the community and to the Brown family through cultural means of food and language, such as sharing his special marmalade recipe and teaching them his bear language.

There are underlying themes of immigration, social inclusion and acceptance which are depicted implicitly through Paddington’s misadventures and his interactions with other characters in the film. For example, Mr. Gruber (Jim Broadbent), who owns the antique store, has a strong German-Jewish accent and represents immigrants who may have escaped war-torn countries to find a home in London. Through hard-work and perseverance, Mr. Gruber has settled comfortably in London to become a familiar and friendly face in the community. Paddington’s arrival in London would be deemed by some as “illegal” as he arrived by boat without any legal identity papers. The community’s acceptance of Paddington is a result of his misadventures, so he is liked for his considerate, polite and generous nature.

Paddington is a highly enjoyable and entertaining film that will entice viewers to read or re-read the Paddington books and is a great introduction of Paddington bear for the uninitiated. Director Paul King succeeds in bringing the warmth and humour of Paddington bear from the books to the film. The fantasy scenes from Paddington’s imagination and his misadventures in the bathroom, in the kitchen and chasing the wallet thief are highlights of the film. For fans of Paddington, there are many more stories from the Paddington books that would make sufficient and superb material for another Paddington film.

Director: Paul King

Writers: Michael Bond (books), Paul King (screenplay), Hamish McColl (screenplay)

Cast: Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters, Nicole Kidman, Jim Broadbent, Peter Capaldi, Madeleine Harris, Samuel Joslin, Tim Downie, Ben Whishaw (voice), Michael Gambon (voice), Imelda Staunton (voice), Matt Lucas, Madeleine Worrall, Theresa Watson, Geoffrey Palmer, Lottie Steer, Michael Bond

Producers: David Heyman, Harvey Weinstein, Bob Weinstein, Rosie Alison, Alexandra Ferguson, Ben Irving, Jeffrey Clifford, Ron Halpern, Manohar Tahilramani, Oliver Courson

Cinematographer: Erik Wilson

Original Music Composer: Nick Urata

Film Editor: Mark Everson

Production: Gary Williamson (production design), Cathy Cosgrove (set design)

Costume Designer: Lindy Hemming

Running Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Still Life (2013); drama film review

British poster artwork for the drama film Still Life.

Dignified Departures by Linh

Still Life is Italian film-maker Uberto Pasolini’s second feature film as director and writer, following his previous film Machan which dealt with the hardships of people who move to another country to seek wealth and a better life. While Machan had some light-hearted humour juxtaposed with the seriousness of socio-economic conditions and treatment of immigrants, Still Life is gentle and poignant in its depiction of death, connections, relationships, compassion and humanity.

Still Life is deeply moving at times where the main character John May (Eddie Marsan) goes about living his quiet and lonely life while working to “assist” those who have lost theirs. The film opens with John being the only one at three different funeral services for his “clients” and he attends the burial service afterwards. John is a council worker in London, working for the Client Services department, who is tasked with seeking the family of the deceased. Many of the cases involve those who have died alone in their own homes and have no family or no contact with family members for many years. This makes it difficult for John to find his “clients” family to attend funerals and organise burials or cremations. John arranges funerals as a courtesy and out of kindness for the deceased even though family or friends never attend. A curious thing John does, that is possibly not part of his job, is collect photographs of his deceased “clients” and place them inside a large photo album with his other “clients”. It seems creepy but it also shows that he is keeping alive memories of the dead which otherwise their family members should be doing.

After a series of sad cases such as a single lady named Jane Ford who was found dead in her bed at her home and her cat named Susie died shortly after, John comes across a case concerning a middle-aged man named William ‘Billy’ Stoke. Stoke’s case becomes John’s final one as his manager Mr. Pratchard (Andrew Buchan) announces that John’s role will be made redundant due to cost-cutting and he will be “let go” in the next three days. However, John pleads for a few more days to complete Stoke’s case, which gives him more time to find Billy’s family and friends. As John traces the family and work history of Billy, he finds the connections he makes with the Stoke family, especially with Billy’s long-estranged daughter Kelly (Joanne Froggatt), and Billy’s ex-workmates and army friends, provide a better idea of who Billy Stoke was as an individual and not just another “client”.

DEATH DUTIES: John May (Eddie Marsan) speaks with a client's family member who refuses to attend their relative's funeral in the film Still Life. Image: Redwave Films.

Throughout the film, audiences are given a glimpse into a person’s private life according to their material possessions and personal documents. Obviously, people cannot take material possessions with them when they die, yet these physical objects can represent part of a person’s individuality; giving them a name, an identity and leaving behind a history of a person’s life. In the film, John takes some of these possessions, particularly photographs, to help him write eulogies and plan for funerals as the family members often never attend or care about the deceased relative. Therefore, John places more value on the individual than onto the objects, yet in society (usually in capitalist ones), humans are often seen as commodities. The film seems to suggest that commodification is prevalent in modern society, turning underlying human relationships we have with each other into commodities. Hence, John refers to the deceased as his “clients” instead of personally addressing them by their name and his manager sees the deceased in monetary terms. This begins to change when John worked on his final case for Billy Stoke. Not only did he manage to convince family, friends and ex-colleagues to attend Billy’s funeral, he saw other possibilities in his life.

DEPARTED'S DWELLINGS: John May (Eddie Marsan) must visit his deceased clients' homes to seek information for contacting family in the film Still Life. Image: Redwave Films.

Eddie Marsan (The World’s End, God’s Pocket) is excellent as the laconic and meticulous John May, and convincingly portrays a character with a personality that suits his job. John is a reserved and quiet man who pays attention to details and is very organised and orderly about everything he does. He almost seems to possess obsessive compulsive disorder, being very cautious and careful in his personal life as he is at work. John’s personality changes gradually from controlled to spontaneous following the news of his redundancy, yet these changes seem to be more positive than harmful, particularly when he meets Billy’s daughter Kelly. 

Joanne Froggatt is mostly known for her roles in British television dramas such as Coronation Street and Downton Abbey, and she is delightful and wonderful as Kelly in Still Life. Not only is Kelly a romantic interest for John in the film, she is also a catalyst for John’s change in his life’s perspective. He even stops wearing a suit and tie and dresses in colour instead of his usual black coat and white shirt. 

CLOSE CONNECTIONS: Kelly Stoke (Joanne Froggatt) finds a friend in John May (Eddie Marsan) in the film Still Life. Image: Redwave Films.

The supporting cast give some memorable performances such as the two homeless men (Paul Anderson and Tim Potter) who knew Billy very briefly and his ex-colleague Shakthi (Neil D’Souza) at the meat pie factory. These characters represent the disconnect often seen between family, friends or colleagues when a person’s bad or unwise decisions result in disagreements and animosity.

CONSOLING CONVERSATION: John May (Eddie Marsan) buys a bottle of whiskey for two homeless men who knew Billy Stoke to encourage them to attend Billy's funeral in the film Still Life. Image: Redwave Films.

Still Life is a cathartic experience for anyone who has lost a loved one and the film is emotionally-stirring in its simplistic depictions of the deceased who are only seen in photographs and spoken about by others. The film also shows that sometimes we all remember our loved ones differently when they die and the impression left by the deceased may not always be positive, but they will not be forgotten either. This film is a remarkable and must-see independent film from Pasolini and the unexpected ending will leave some audiences teary-eyed or dissatisfied.

Director: Uberto Pasolini

Writers: Uberto Pasolini

Cast: Eddie Marsan, Joanne Froggatt, Andrew Buchan, Neil D’Souza,
Tim Potter, Paul Anderson, Karen Drury, Bronson Webb, Mark Oliver

Producers: Uberto Pasolini, Barnaby Southcombe, Ceri Hughes, Felix
Vossen, Christopher Simon, Marco Valerio Pugini, Michael S. Constable

Original Music Composer: Rachel Portman

Cinematographer: Stefano Falivene

Film Editors: Gavin Buckley, Tracy Granger

Production: Lisa Hall

Costume Designer: Pam Downe

Running Time: 1 hour and 35 minutes

12 Years A Slave (2013); historical biographical drama film review

Korean poster artwork for the historical biographical drama film 12 Years A Slave.

Intercepting Injustice by Linh

The film adaptation 12 Years A Slave is based on the true story of Solomon Northup, whose 1853 memoir titled Twelve Years A Slave was used as the original source for the film. Northup was a legally free *negro who was born in New York State but was kidnapped in 1841 to be sold into slavery. The film chronicles the twelve years Northup spent as a slave working in the plantations for different masters and the people he encountered who showed kindness or cruelty towards black slaves.

Director Steve McQueen (Hunger, Shame) is beginning to develop a reputation for films regarding issues or themes of human suffering or afflictions that are riveting and leaves the viewer in silent awe. This film is exceptional despite the few alterations in the story that are made for dramatic effects but do not change the overall sentiments of the original book. 

FAMILY FREEDOM: Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) enjoys life as a legally free negro with his wife Anne (Kelsey Scott), son Alonzo (Cameron
Zeigler) and daughter Margaret (Quvenzhané Wallis) in the historical biographical drama 12 Years A Slave. Image: Icon Films.

The film begins in Saratoga Springs, New York, in 1841 where a legally free negro named Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who works as a skilled carpenter and plays the violin, is spending some family time with his wife Anne (Kelsey Scott), son Alonzo (Cameron Zeigler) and daughter Margaret (Quvenzhané Wallis). Later, he meets with his white friend Parker (Rob Steinberg) for business and consequently encounters two white men named Mr. Brown (Scoot McNairy) and Mr. Hamilton (Taran Killam), who offer him a brief and high-paying job as a musician with their travelling circus. Solomon goes to Washington D.C. with Hamilton and Brown where he is drugged, bound and kept in a slave pen, before being transported by ship to New Orleans.  On the ship, there are abducted women and their children, and the negro men tell Solomon that he must be silent, endure the beatings and never reveal he is literate.

Solomon is re-named Platt by the slave traders and sold to a debt-ridden cotton planter named William Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch) who treats him kindly. Another owner named John Tibeats (Paul Dano) feels Solomon is using his carpentry and communication skills to challenge Tibeats’s superiority as a master. Solomon suffers cruelty and ill-treatment at the hands of Tibeats, even being hung by the neck from a tree for many hours, until Ford returned from a trip to release him. Stricken with guilt that he cannot protect his slave from harm, Ford sells Solomon to the notoriously cruel Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender). Solomon meets a young slave girl named Patsey (Lupita Nyong’o) who is the hardest worker and fastest cotton picker on Epps’s plantation. He witnesses her suffering while enduring his own. She seeks his help in committing suicide but Solomon refuses. He spends a decade working for Epps as a cotton picker, driver, and overseer who must punish fellow slaves for disobeying Epps. While working on a gazebo for Epps, Solomon meets a Canadian carpenter, who is also an abolitionist, named Samuel Bass (Brad Pitt), whose generosity alters Solomon’s life.

SKILLED SLAVE: Solomon/Platt (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is grateful for the kindness of his master Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch) when his other master Tibeats (Paul Dano) attempts wrongfully punish him in the historical biographical drama film 12 Years A Slave. Image: Icon Films.

The performances in this film are excellent, particularly with the subject matter of slavery, where extreme prejudices, cruelty and discrimination are depicted through the strong characterisations and cohesive screenplay.

Chiwetel Ejiofor (Half Of A Yellow Sun,Triple Nine) is outstanding in the lead role of Solomon/Platt and he convincingly portrays a man who never gave up on his fight for freedom and to reunite with his family; the versatile Michael Fassbender (X-Men: Days of Future Past, Frank) who worked with Steve McQueen in Hunger and Shame, provides an admirably stellar performance as the racist and cruel Edwin Epps; Paul Dano (Prisoners, Love and Mercy) is brilliant as the envious bigot John Tibeats, whose insecurities manifests as hatred and rage against his slaves; making her debut in this feature film, Lupita Nyong’o is gentle, vulnerable and sweet as slave girl Patsey, whose inner strength wanes with the sex abuse at the hands of Epps and her attempts to escape result in severe whipping.

Supporting roles are equally impressive including from Sarah Paulson as Mary Epps the jealous wife of Edwin Epps; Paul Giamatti as the conniving slave trader Theophilus Freeman; Alfre Woodard is delightful as Harriet Shaw, the former slave woman who became the wife of a wealthy plantation owner, and an inspiration for Patsey; Benedict Cumberbatch is unforgettable as the benevolent cotton plantation owner William Ford whose kindness towards slaves briefly gives Solomon hope in humanity; Brad Pitt is commendable as carpenter and abolitionist Samuel Bass with a passable Canadian accent for his brief scenes in the film.

SOCIAL STATUS: Patsey (Lupita Nyong'o) greatly admires Harriet Shaw (Afre Woodard) who was formerly enslaved but was able to use her personal powers as a woman to become the wife of a wealthy plantation owner in the historical biography drama film 12 Years A Slave. Image: Icon Films. 

The film depicts common practices related to slavery in the pre-Civil War period such as the treatment of negroes as not possessing any human value, but are seen as objects worth monetary value, therefore can be sold, bought or exchanged; the undressing of negroes and line-ups in the nude, then displayed for potential buyers; using negroes for entertainment purposes such as dancing; black women are seen as property of slave owners so they are at high risk of rape and sexual abuse; children of slave women are often removed from their mother’s care and sent away; treatment of slaves varying from kindness to cruelty with whippings, hangings and mutilations.

MANIPULATIVE MASTER: Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender) informs his slave Solomon/Platt (Chiwetel Ejiofor) that punishment is inevitable and painful if he is caught escaping in the historical biographical drama film 12 Years A Slave. Image: Icon Films.

12 Years A Slave is mostly about the years of one man in slavery, but is also a shared story for many others who have lived through similar experiences of struggles and indignities associated with slavery. It is a difficult film to watch as it depicts moments in America’s history of injustice, inequality and inhumanity towards a race of people, and this appalling pre-Civil War period may still have emotional resonance for future generations of African Americans. However, it is an important film to watch, in the sense that by witnessing the wrongs of the past, we may learn to right those similar wrongs in the future and attempt to never repeat them.

Director: Steve McQueen

Writers: Solomon Northup (author of memoir Twelve Years A Slave), John Ridley (screenplay)

Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Lupita Nyong’o, Sarah Paulson, Paul Giamatti, Rob Steinberg, Taran Killam, Scoot McNairy, Quvenzhané Wallis, Kelsey Scott, Cameron Zeigler, Afre Woodard, Brad Pitt, Dwight Henry, Ashley Dyke, Deneen Tyler, Bryan Batt, Michael K. Williams, Marcus Lyle Brown, Vivian Fleming-Alvarez, Anwan Glover, Craig Tate, Chris Chalk, Garrett Dillahunt, Adepero Oduye, Eliza J. Bennett, Bill Camp, Ruth Negga, Jay Huguley, Christopher Berry, Devyn A. Tyler

Producers: John Ridley, Bianca Stigter, Tessa Ross, Steve McQueen, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Bill Pohland, Arnon Milchan, Anthony Katagas

Original Music Composer: Hans Zimmer

Cinematographer: Sean Bobbitt (Director of Photography)

Film Editor: Joe Walker

Production: Adam Stockhausen (Production Designer), David Stein (Art Direction), Alice Baker (Set Decorator)

Costume Designer: Patricia Norris

Running Time: 2 hours and 15 minutes

*The term negro/negroes is no longer in general use but is used in historical context for this written piece. Negro is a term that may still be used in anthropological or historical studies for academia.