'71. A Review.

’71 blisters and burns on the screen, lit by molotov cocktail and set to a soundtrack of dustbin lids and broken glass, it is a film that feels vital, angry, and dangerous. 

It is 1971, young British Soldier Gary Hook is deployed in Belfast at the height of the violent period known as the troubles. Separated from his squad, Gary is forced to run for his life through a rabbit-warren of terraced streets and try to make it back to his barracks. 

Gary Hook knows very little about the conflict he is dropped into, he is simply a toy soldier who becomes more of a rabbit trapped in headlights. He is an ideal character to centre on, for he discovers information at the same time as the audience, however he is saved from being simply the audience’s surrogate by the brilliant casting of Jack O’Connell. Director Yann Demange has said that O’Connell simply understood the character, he even changed the script so that Gary was from Jack’s hometown of Derby because he felt O’Connell so embodied the character he wanted on screen. O’Connell suffered for his art, filming took place in a rare March heatwave while he was wearing layers, apparently it ‘friggin hurt’, however on screen it seems as though he worked this into his performance. While Gary’s motivations are simple and relatable, O’Connell gives a complex performance, conveying a great range of emotions often with a single look.

A friend once told me every time he watches Black Hawk Down he spots another star before they were famous, the cast of ’71 give a similar vibe.The young IRA members are frighteningly unpredictable, Killian Scott gives an excellent turn as Quinn, an ambitious and bitter young man who escalates events beyond his control. Sean Harris’ shady Captian Browning dominates the screen in every scene he’s in, dangerous, calculating, and utterly terrifying. It is unfortunate that there are so few roles for women in the film, however this is more a consequence of the setting and the tightly focused plot rather than any prejudice. The women in the film are as caught in the middle as Gary, they represent conscience as a counterpart to the violence, as shown in an early scene where a distraught Denise Gough tries to calm the escalating violence. In years to come, when the cast move on to more prominent roles, they can be proud of their performances in ‘71.

One of the most prominently displayed reviews on the promotional material for ’71 declares that the film holds you in a ‘vice-like grip’, it certainly seems that Director Yann Demange had a vice-like grip on the story and tone of this, his first feature. He never allows the film to become bogged down in politics or sentiment, instead he focuses on human drama and tragedy. He has cited films like the Warriors, Escape From New York, and the work of Bourne director Paul Greengrass as touchstones for the film, this is evident in the breathless pace of the action sequences. ’71 also brings to mind the aforementioned Black Hawk Down, as it seems to be a commentary on the futility of war - as Richard Dormer’s world-weary medic states, it’s just ‘posh cunts telling thick cunts to kill poor cunts’. Words like raw and visceral are used far too often in reviews, and many a time are simply euphemisms for bloody and violent, however in the context of ’71 they are entirely appropriate. It is a film which shocks, but does not revel in or draw out the shocking sequences. Demange has said that in riot sequences it is the extras that he watches, and he let his riot sequence play out in full for every take. While it must have been hard on the crew, this tactic pays huge dividends - as the riot sequence feels real, as though we are seeing it through Gary’s eyes rather than some director who has a shakey-camera. 

’71 is very much a war film, however Demange wanted the film to transcend reality, and this effect is achieved in part through cinematography, editing, and sound. Director of Photography Tat Radcliffe often keeps Hook in the centre of the frame while violence seems to be happening in the darkness all around him. Chris Wyatt’s editing, particularly in the running sequences, creates a feeling of claustrophobia, making the streets of Belfast feel more like the maze of theseus - dizzying and endless. David Holmes is a veteran film composer, his work on ’71 is enchanting with lone strings echoing in haunting fashion almost reminiscent of the opening of Apocalypse Now featuring the iconic ‘The End’ by the Doors. All these elements pull together to create a film with a creeping sense of tragedy and inevitability, making it at times a hard watch but also impossible to turn away from. 

Yann Demange has said that when making ’71 he was aware it may be the only film he ever gets chance to make. While ‘71 is an excellent film which surely has earned him another gig, it was a fitting comment to have made about a film which feels at all times as if everyone involved was giving their all, a film in which first chances must be grasped because its characters may not survive to get a second one. 

WHO: Jack O’Connell is brilliant, there is barely a trace of performance, he is Gary Hook

WHAT: There are several moment which will shock you. I’m still recovering. 

WHY: An essential and unforgettable film, it will have you glued to the screen.

WHEN: Clear 99 mins on your calendar and see this film as soon as you can. 

Inside Out. A Review.

Have you ever wondered why you get songs stuck in your head, where invisible friends go, or why you sometimes say the things you really shouldn’t? Inside Out, the latest from the animation powerhouse Disney Pixar, has answers to those and many other questions - it’s all in your head. 

Inside Out tells the tale of 11 year old Riley as she struggles to cope with her family moving to a new city, starting a new school, and generally growing up. Inside Out also tells the tale of the five emotions who are in Riley’s head, and the journey they go on when the move throws everything off balance. 

Pixar chief John Lassiter was apparently greatly excited by the pitch for this film, specifically with what fun they could have with voice casting. Pixar have typically been spot-on with voice casting, however, casting the voices of anthropomorphic emotions surely posed something of a unique challenge as the voice cast had to convey the emotion they were meant to be and avoid becoming caricatures. Amy Poehler steps up as Joy, a character of relentless enthusiasm, however she infuses Joy with enough self-doubt that she is inspiring rather than irritating. Phyllis Smith (best known as Phyllis from the American version of the Office) is Sadness, Joy’s unlikely partner in a quest that forces them to work together. The evolution of Sadness is one of the scripts greatest feats, taking her from being something of a nuissance, to something else entirely, Smith manages to capture the feelings of hopelessness that we all sometimes feel - making her a relatable character rather than a burden on the story. The other three chief emotions get less screen time, however rack up the laughs thanks to the delivery of Mindy Kaling (Disgust), Bill Hader (Fear), and Lewis Black (Anger) - as these three extremes try to run Riley’s head while Joy and Sadness are on their own quest. 

Pixar have always made beautiful films, going back to the original Toy Story for which John Lassiter claimed the goal was to make the technology invisible, a tool in service of the story. The outside world occupied by Riley and her parents is classic Pixar, San Francisco realised with impressive attention to detail, though coloured in drab tones to depict the absence of Joy in Riley’s life. It is inside Riley’s head that the production design really gets interesting; the animators and designers were essentially given free reign to create a world where anything is possible, but think less Inception and more…well there really isn’t a visual frame of reference for Inside Out, it is unique. What is surprising and commendable is that Pixar have been remarkably disciplined with this free reign to create, Production Designer Ralph Eggleston (Finding Nemo, Wall-E) has said in interviews that such creative freedom made Inside Out perhaps the most difficult production he has ever worked on. Riley’s mind is a visually stunning environment, however it follow’s an internal logic where by the whole place is connected via a network of memories. Perhaps some of this design will go over the heads of younger viewers, however they will no doubt be delighted with lurid landscape and potential for adventure contained in every frame. Older viewers will marvel at the extent to which Pixar have created a world which looks as though it actually could work, as well as the clever observational gags such as the ‘train of thought’ or the room of ‘abstract thought’. My personal favourite was the Dream Studios, in which Riley’s dreams and nightmares are conducted in a TV studio with actors following a script - it is ingenious. 

Co-Writers/Directors Pete Doctor and Ronaldo Del Carmen have made a film which sticks to the family friendly territory familiar to the Pixar audience, however this does not mean they have avoided some very grown-up emotions. Inside Out is at its best when the narrative switches between Inside and Out to give us a full picture of what is driving Riley’s actions, for example a video chat with a friend shows Riley lashing out almost aggressively, however the audience is allowed to peek inside her head to see the frustration and insecurity driving this action. These moments work brilliantly because they are executed in the simplest way, however they force the audience to think more deeply about the characters and their choices. This is perhaps Pixar’s greatest skill, with disarming simplicity and clarity they tell stories driven by emotion - quite literally in this case - and so they appeal to all ages. Pixar seems to be leading the charge for family-friendly films in which no character is ever just sad, or happy, or good, or evil; they have grasped the notion that children (and children-at-heart) are not stupid and will not be satisfied with lazy storytelling, and it has been the secret to their success. 

Normally when I write a review I follow a formula (a secret recipe which I’ll never reveal mwhahaha), however I found myself unable to do that with Inside Out. Instead I just began typing and realised just how much I loved this film, and can’t wait to see it again. Inside Out is a fantastical and inventive take on what rules the mind, however, ultimately it is the heart that rules this witty and charming film.

WHO: Amy Poehler’s boundless enthusiasm is completely infectious. 

WHAT: The Dream Studios section creatively poking fun at the film industry. 

WHY: The script is packed with wicked-smart observational comedy.

WHEN: If you can’t see it early like I did at Glastonbury (hooray humblebrag) then catch as soon as you can.