The BFG (2016)

Based on the book by Roald Dahl, this film is a treat for audiences young and old.

Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) is a young orphan, living under quite oppressive rules in the orphanage. She struggles with insomnia, and while reading late one night, she hears a noise just outside her upstairs window.

Looking out the window, she sees a large figure in the darkness. When the figure spies her looking at it, it comes towards her and snatches her right out of her bed, carrying her away.

She finds herself whisked away to a faraway land filled with giants, including the giant who has snatched her. She begs the giant not to eat her, but he laughs at her, saying he has no intention of eating her - he isn't a "canny-bull" he tells her, and doesn't eat "human beans".

Sophie (Ruby Barnhill).

He is the BFG (Mark Rylance), or Big Friendly Giant. It is only the other giants, he tells her, who eat people. Giants with names like Fleshlumpeater (Jemaine Clement) and Bloodbottler (Bill Hader), who even terrorise him, as he is much smaller than they are. They call him the Runt, and pick on him on a daily basis.

His job - as he sees it - is to catch dreams, which look like coloured fireflies (that's the best description I can come up with for their appearance), and blow them into children's windows using his large trumpet. But now that Sophie has seen him, he can't let her go back home, for fear she will spill his secret.

Seeing that the BFG isn't truly happy where he is, being picked on by the bigger giants, Sophie comes up with a plan that has them appealing to the Queen of England (Penelope Wilton) to rid Giant Country of the giant bullies once and for all.

The BFG (Mark Rylance) and Sophie (Ruby Barnhill).

Melissa Mathison's screenplay - the last one she would write before tragically passing away - is based very closely on Dahl's book, a book I remember fondly from my childhood. Roald Dahl was certainly one of the greatest writers of childrens' books of his time, as he really had great insights into the way children think: their dreams, their fears, and he never talked down to them. Mathison has done a tremendous job of capturing the feel of the book, and bringing it to the screen.

As with the vast majority of Steven Spielberg's films, the score has been composed by John Williams. And as with the vast majority of Williams's scores, this one is absolutely brilliant. The use of leitmotifs and additionally developed themes is extremely clever, and ties the entire film together musically in a way that sets this score apart from one by a less experienced composer.

The production design by Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg is truly inspired. The set design - particularly that of the BFG's cave, where large sequences of the film take place - is beautiful. The other major sets used in the film are of course the interior rooms of Buckingham Palace and, while few people can be certain of exactly what these rooms look like, these rooms are as realistic as the film requires. There are also some stunning locations used for the scenes set in Giant Country, and these are just as 'realistic' as any of the constructed interior sets.

Fleshlumpeater (Jemaine Clement) and the other giants picking on the BFG
(Mark Rylance).

Without exception, the performances of the entire cast are near-perfect, with all the characters behaving and appearing as any fan of the original book might expect. Young Ruby Barnhill is fantastic as Sophie, and Mark Rylance - who previously worked with Spielberg on Bridge of Spies - though performing using motion-capture technology, brings a humanity and a tenderness to the BFG that brings real emotion through the screen and into audiences' hearts. Minor roles for seasoned actors Rebecca Hall and Rafe Spall as attendants to the Queen are well done, too.

Director Steven Spielberg has done it again, and given audiences for generations to come a truly beautiful film. This is definitely a film I will be watching again and again and, if you enjoyed Roald Dahl's book, I suggest you do the same.

8 out of 10.

Duel (1971)

The film that started the career of one of the world's greatest living filmmakers, Steven Spielberg, this film takes a relatively simple premise and turns it into a brilliantly executed thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final, satisfying conclusion.

David Mann (Dennis Weaver) is driving down the highway, desperate to make it to a meeting and get home again to his wife (Jacqueline Scott) and his family.

Along the way, he finds himself behind a large truck, driving a little too slowly for his liking and spilling out smoke pollution. He overtakes the truck, as he is in a hurry, and feels his problems are over.

But the truck driver (Cary Loftin) doesn't take too kindly to being passed, and overtakes him again almost immediately.

David Mann (Dennis Weaver).

This simple event begins a terrifying chain of events that sees the truck driver continually trying to run David off the road, pushing his car across train tracks, or ramming the phone booth when he tries to call the police. Long story short, David's very life is in danger, and no one seems to be able to help him.

The screenplay - written by Richard Matheson, adapted from his own short story - is incredibly tight, and well paced, filled with conflicts galore from beginning to end. The premise itself may be simple - and indeed well-suited to a short story - but the execution in turning it into a longer form film such as this is brilliant. The original script - written as an ABC Movie of the Week - resulted in a 'film' that ran for only 73 minutes, meaning it could be broadcast with commercials and still run for only an hour and a half. The film was later expanded to be released as a feature film for the European market, which required features to run for at least ninety minutes.

As mentioned above, this was director Steven Spielberg's first film project. Having only directed for television prior to this, he was given the project, and expected to finish production in only ten days. The project ran a few days over schedule, but was completed in thirteen days, with post-production being completed in under three weeks, allowing for the film to be broadcast in its already-advertised timeslot. Had the film not been the success it was, Spielberg would not have gone on to make The Sugarland Express, or indeed any of the numerous films he is now known for.

David Mann (Dennis Weaver) trying to enjoy a brief respite in a roadside diner.

The cinematography for this film is fantastic. Cinematographer Jack A. Marta worked closely with Spielberg to create some wonderful shots throughout, that bring the viewer right into the centre of the action. The opening shot of the film, which runs for nearly four minutes, is shot from David's point-of-view as he drives through suburban streets, onto small highways, and finally onto the major interstate where the remainder of the film takes place. Given that the entire film was shot on location - not a single frame was shot in a studio - the cinematography needs to be expertly done, which it is.

Billy Goldenberg's score is truly inspired, with the majority of the music being repeated notes or short phrases that escalate the tension as the film progresses. There is very little use of traditional instruments, with the majority of the score being performed on experimental instruments and African drums, an interesting choice, but a choice that has turned out well.

The cast of this film carry out their roles well, with the obvious standout being Dennis Weaver. Considering most of the film consists of various close-up shots of Weaver, he carries a huge burden on his shoulders; it is a role that requires true skill. There are many smaller roles - of characters he encounters along the way - and these are all well done as well, but without a doubt, Weaver is the true star here.

David Mann (Dennis Weaver) trying to get back on the highway before the
truck catches up with him again.

Spielberg has made an amazing film here, certainly amazing considering it was his directorial debut. True fans of his later films will spot links between this film and some of his later works, as he does like to recycle shots, sound effects, or even cast members whenever he can. I definitely recommend this film if you haven't seen it before, and even if you have.

8 out of 10.

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

Inspired by a true story, and based on the tell-all book by Frank W. Abagnale and Stan Redding, this film tells the remarkable story of the youngest person to ever make it onto the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list.

Frank W. Abagnale Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio) lives in a small suburb of New York, with his father Frank Sr. (Christopher Walken) and French-immigrant-mother Paula (Nathalie Baye). His life is relatively happy, until he returns from school one day to an ultimatum: his parents are getting a divorce and he must choose which parent he wants to live with from now on.

Rather than making a decision, he runs away, and begins to support himself with the assistance of a slew of bad cheques, until he decides to pose as an Pan-Am airline pilot.

Using the practice of 'deadheading' (a term in air travel for a pilot who flies on an aircraft in a 'spare' seat (not actually piloting the aircraft, but 'hitchhiking' in a sense), he flies all over the country, and even internationally, though never with Pan-Am itself, for fear they will clock his fraudulent ID badge.

After he has enough of flying, and all while contiuning to cash fraudulent cheques, he settles for a time in Georgia, where he poses as a paediatrician, and winds up supervising the night shift in the emergency ward of a hospital, where he meets young candy-striper Brenda Strong (Amy Adams).

The two become engaged, and Frank then begins working for Brenda's father Roger (Martin Sheen) in his law firm as an assistant prosecutor (having successfully passed the bar exam in the state of Louisiana).

All through his exploits, he is relentlessly pursued by FBI Agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks), who works in the bank fraud department. There are a few near misses for Hanratty, moments where he comes so close to capturing Abagnale, but only to have him slip away yet again.

The screenplay by Jeff Nathanson, from Abagnale's book, is reasonably well written, with plenty of action, and plenty of twists and turns to keep the audience on the edge of their seat. Of course, most of these twists are taken from the book, rather than being of Nathanson's invention; Abagnale's life was filled with twists. There are a few minor alterations from the book to the script, but these are nowhere near significant enough to affect the plot of the film greatly (these are just things I happen to know, having followed Abagnale's story since hearing him speak a little over twenty years ago).

John Williams's music is fantastic (but when has John Williams ever written a bad score?), with a repeated leitmotif throughout the film that, while appearing simple in its construction, is anything but, particularly as it recurs throughout the film in different arrangements and with modified instrumentation at each occurrence.

One of the strongest elements of this film, however, is the cinematography. Janusz Kaminski has an incredible touch when it comes to his use of light and dark, and particularly the use of shadow. There are many sequences which take place in almost total darkness, which give these moments a film-noir feel, and highlight particular elements exceptionally well. I refer primarily to the scenes set in the French prison (nothing more about that here; I don't want to spoil the film for you).

Jeannine Oppewall's production design and Mary Zophres's gorgeous costumes both set the scene perfectly, and particularly ground us in the world of the 1960s when most of the film takes place.

The performances of the cast are also fantastic, particularly those of DiCaprio and Hanks, as the two opposing forces who continue to be forced together by fate. An honourable mention must also go to Christopher Walken who, as always, is brilliant in his performance, bringing so much life to his character, but doing so in the most subtly beautiful way.

Director Steven Spielberg has made a wonderful thrill-ride of a film here that, though I may be biased due to my fascination with Abagnale's exploits, is a film I always enjoy watching. If you haven't seen it yet, make sure you check it out at your earliest opportunity.

8 1/2 out of 10.

The Sugarland Express (1974)

One of Steven Spielberg’s earliest films, this comedy is an absolute riot from start to finish.

Young mother Lou Jean Poplin (Goldie Hawn) hatches an elaborate escape plot to break her husband Clovis (William Atherton) out of the pre-release facility he is in, having served nearly all of his twelve-month prison sentence for larceny.

The two of them go on the run, trying to get to Sugarland, the town where their infant son lives with his foster parents. Having been deemed by the court to be an unfit mother, Lou Jean plans to kidnap their son back to prove them wrong.

Following a severe case of mistaken intentions, they take a police officer named Maxwell Slide (Michael Sacks) captive, and force him to drive them to Sugarland.

This brings about a massive manhunt/car-chase sequence that lasts for most of the rest of the film, led by Captain Tanner (Ben Johnson).

As with practically every single one of Spielberg’s movies, this film is scored by John Williams. However, it’s not your typical Williams score, if there is such a thing. The music of this film is very different, very uniquely Texas (the state where the film is set), and very sparse as well. It works very well in my opinion, allowing the comedy to come through loud and clear, leaving the music to the background.

The comedy is the main feature of this film, with a very clever script written by Hal Barwood & Matthew Robbins. The characters are all very well developed, with plenty of backstory and existing connections. The majority of the comedy comes not from witty dialogue and numerous jokes, however, but from the actions the characters (in particular Clovis and Lou Jean) take as things continue to escalate as the film goes on. It feels very similar to a film like, say, The Gods Must Be Crazy, where things just keep getting worse and worse, and the laughs coming more and more frequently, until the final resolution (don’t worry, I won’t spoil it for you).

The other thing I want to mention is the tight editing of this film, by editors Edward M. Abroms & Verna Fields. The pacing of the film is very quick, particularly in the higher-energy chase sections, and the editing of the film throughout is perfectly matched to the level of tension. We have a lot of longer shots as the film opens, and each shot becomes shorter and shorter in duration as things pick up. I realise this is a very simple description of exactly the effect that film editing consists of, but the editing is particularly impressive in this film. I wouldn’t say this of every film that is fast-paced, though, but here it is a key element of the action, and particularly of the comedy.

Spielberg demonstrates clearly with this film that he is not only a master of serious dramatic movies, but also has a keen sense of comic timing. I suppose he is just an all around cinematic genius. I am yet to see a Spielberg film I haven’t enjoyed.

8 out of 10.

The Terminal (2004)

Viktor Navorski (Tom Hanks) lands in New York City. During his flight, his home country (the fictional country of Krakozhia) has been the subject of a military coup and is now at war. His passport and visa are no longer recognised by customs officers, and he is forced to remain in the airport terminal until such time as his paperwork can go through, in other words until the war in his homeland is over.

While in the airport, he meets a flight attendant named Amelia Warren (Catherine Zeta-Jones), and the two become on-and-off friends, as they continue to meet up - often by chance - as she comes and goes through the terminal on occasion.

Every effort Viktor makes to come to a conclusion regarding his status is thwarted by Frank Dixon (Stanley Tucci), the man in charge of Immigration at the particular airport where Viktor now resides, I think it's JFK airport.

Interesting comic relief is also provided by a trio of airport employees, played by Chi McBride, Diego Luna and Kumar Pallana.

Viktor is such a sweet character, played incredibly well by Hanks, who has shown over the years he has what it takes to tackle any role that comes his way. And this film is no exception. Even its two-and-a-half-hour running time is barely noticeable, as this film is such a delight to watch. As we learn more of the story behind why Viktor has come to New York City, we laugh and cry with him along each step of his day-to-day routine in the airport terminal, and especially as he comes to be loved by almost everyone he comes across.

Steven Spielberg has directed a wonderful, light-hearted comedy, that is hard-hitting at the same time, pointing out just how ridiculous immigration laws and bureaucracy can be at times.

I don't want to spoil the ending, but I will just say that it is a beautiful ending.


8 1/2 out of 10.