X-Men: First Class A Lively Orientation Session.

X-Men: First Class

As the old saying goes, if at first you do not succeed, try and try again. In many ways this perfectly encapsulates the X-men film franchise. Of the three previous X-men films, and the Wolverine spinoff, only X2 truly captured the essence of the comics on screen. The original X-men played it too safe while the third film, X-Men: Last Stand, cared more about its special effects that of its plot. As for X-men Origins: Wolverine, well the less said about that debacle the better. As a result my expectations were lowered significantly going into the latest reboot X-Men: First Class.

Set against the backdrop of the Cuban missile crisis, X-Men: First Class highlights the events that first brought Charles “Professor X” Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik “Magneto” Lensherr (Michael Fassbender) together. Shortly after receiving his doctorate, Charles Xavier and his companion Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) are recruited by CIA agent Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne) to assist in tracking down Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon). Leader of a group of mutants known has the Hellfire Club, Shaw plans to bring the United States and Russia to war for his own personal gain. While pursuing Shaw, Xavier meets Lensherr who is hunting Shaw to settle an old score. Joining force the two men, along with a team of young mutants, attempt to stop Shaw before he starts another World War.

In many ways X-Men: First Class is best viewed as its own separate entity. The film tries too hard to align itself with the narratives of the X-men films that came before it. This however is a mistake as the continuity errors become apparent the more they reference the other films. However X-Men: First Class is a film that does not need to acknowledge its legacy as it has its own unique voice. Director Matthew Vaughn creates a film that is smartly reinvents the mythology of the X-men while keeping the lighter tone found in the comics.

What makes this film work so well is the strong performances by both Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy. Although the X-men have always been team based, the story would have still worked if the film featured only Xavier and Lensherr. These two characters are the most interesting aspect of the film. McAvoy may not carry the same commanding presence that Patrick Stewart did in the other films, but he does manage to make the character of Xavier exciting again. The way he conveys Xavier’s struggle between his ideology that mutants and humans can co-exist and his desire to fight side by side with Lensherr comes across well in the film. Fassbender in particular does a fantastic job of providing his own unique take on Lensherr. Bringing a mixture of compassion and coldblooded rage to the role, Fassbender walks the thin line between good and evil displays why Magneto is one of the more compelling villains in the Marvel universe.

The rest of the cast is hit or miss at the best of times. Kevin Bacon continues to have fun in the villain roles he has been taking of late and Jennifer Lawrence does the best she can with the limited script given to Raven. Although the Raven/Hank McCoy (Nicholas Hoult) subplot was interesting, the triangle between Xavier/Raven/Lensherr did not carry the punch it should have. Similar to the comics, the problem with most X-men films is that there are more characters than there is enough time to truly develop them. January Jones’ Emma Frost is not given much to do besides look pretty, and henchmen like Riptide and Azazel join the long list of quickly forgotten characters.

Still, as far as comic book inspired films go, X-Men: First Class manages to make the X-men entertaining and relevant again. Vaughn offers up several exciting action sequences that are designed to highlight each character’s mutant ability. Plus, the overall story works well and actually generates interest in seeing these characters again in a sequel. Is X-Men: First Class better than X2? Not quite. However this is a film that soars when the previous films are ignored.

Bridesmaids Wiig Out Under Pressure.

Bridesmaids

It is amazing how fickle the business of film can be. Studios executives and Hollywood pundits are constantly talking about a film’s success in regards to dollar values. Yet they consistently are surprised when certain films, that they show little faith in, get big numbers at the box office. The funny thing is that many of these" surprise hits" are not surprises at all. Take Bridesmaids for example, it has been called the sleeper hit of the summer, but is it really that much of a “sleeper”? You would think Hollywood would learn from the success of the Sex in the City films, Titanic, Dear John, The Blindside, The Twilight franchise, and almost every single Tyler Perry film that women are big cinema goers. They always have been and, just like their male counterparts, they crave a good story with identifiable characters.

Written by, and starring, Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids is a comedy that looks how life can alter friendships in the most unexpected ways. Annie (Wiig) and Lillian (Maya Rudolph) have been best friends since they were children. Annie’s life has been in a tail spin ever since her bakery business closed down. Working at a job she hates, and in a “friends with benefits” type of relationship with Ted (John Hamm), Lillian is the only uncomplicated thing in Annie’s life until she announces that she is engaged. Annie then finds herself in the Maid of Honor role responsible for planning the Bachelorette Party for Lillian and the rest of the bridesmaids. Lillian’s bridesmaids include Helen (Rose Bryne) who is the wife of Lillian’s fiancé’s boss, Lillian’s future sister-in-law Megan (Melissa McCarthy), Lillian’s jaded cousin Rita (Wendi McLendon-Covey), and her naive friend Becca (Ellie Kemper). As the cost surrounding the wedding events continue to rise, Annie struggles to fulfill her Maid of Honor duties for fear of not only disappointing Lillian, but of being usurped by Helen who is itching to replace Annie as Lillian’s number one friend.

Bridesmaids is a film that delivers the laughs without sacrificing the story. Sure it may not be the laugh-a-minute film that the hype may have led some to believe but, when the jokes hit the mark, there is plenty to smile about. While Melissa McCarthy has been getting all the praise, and rightfully so, for her scene stealing work as Megan, I thought that John Hamm and Kristen Wiig were extremely good as well. As Ted, Hamm has some hilariously sleazy lines that had me howling with laughter. Kristen Wiig shows that she is capable of carrying a film. Not only does she hit all the right comedic notes but she manages to keep her character grounded in reality despite all the craziness that occurs in the film. It is not only a reflection of Wiig’s talent as an actress but her skilful writing as well.

Wiig’s script is not only well written and manages to capture the complexities of female friendship. Especially in regards to how situational female bonds can be. Annie and Lillian are friends who have built a bond since they were children yet, in many ways, Annie is replaced by Helen long before the insanity ensues. Lillian and Helen are only friends because their husbands roam in the same circles. She is drawn to Helen, the very type of person she used to despise. Annie is essentially pushed aside for a woman Lillian has only known for a few months.

My only real complaint with the film is that Megan, while funny, is given the worst outfits. I understand that Megan is rough around the edges but her character looks awful even by tomboy standards. You would think Hollywood would have evolved from the “she is fat, so she is sloppy” style of humour. It would have been better had McCarthy been given a reasonable fashion sense like the rest of the characters. Especially considering what her character reveals about herself in the last act. Also, another minor gripe is that, the arc between Rita and Becca is completely dropped once the airplane scene ends. In fact they are barely seen at all in the second half of the film.

Minor issues aside, I had a good time watching Bridesmaids. It did not have me crying with laughter like I had expected, but it was a very good film nonetheless. It is one of the few recent comedies that I foresee holding up well upon repeat viewings.

Hollywood actress Rose Byrne|Hollywood celebrity Rose Byrne

Movie Marketing Monday

Larry Crowne

Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts reunite for the first time since Charlie Wilson’s War. While this film does not look as strong , Tom Hanks is usually Mr. Consistency when it comes to making hits out of the most unlikely premises.



Bridesmaids

I am big fan of Kristen Wiig’s style of comedy, so I am hoping this will wash away the awful memories I have of the film Bride Wars. Hopefully this film will cement Wiig as a legitimate leading lady in Hollywood. I could see her having a similar career path to Sandra Bullock.