STACK January 2017 Issue 147

14 / 68

ALSO SCREENING
IN JANUARY
It's been 14 years since we last saw Vin Diesel
as extreme sports junkie turned secret agent,
Xander Cage. Now he's back alongside handler
Samuel L. Jackson and our own Ruby Rose
and Toni Collette. 2017 gets off to a Diesel-
powered start on Jan 19.
xXx: RETURN OF XANDER CAGE
Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence stuck on
an interstellar voyage together – what could
possibly go wrong? The imminent collapse of
their ship for a start, which interrupts their
burgeoning romance. Awakening on Jan 1.
PASSENGERS
Will this really be Alice's last stand against
the hordes of the undead and the evil Umbrella
Corporation? Box office will ultimately decide
her fate. Evil is back in residence on Jan 26.
RESIDENT EVIL:
THE FINAL CHAPTER
Taking its title quite literally, this action-comedy
from Ice Agedirector Chris Wedge features a
squid-like creature with a need for speed and
big tyres. Hitting the road on Jan 12.
MONSTER TRUCKS
visit
14 JANUARY 2017
CINEMA
REVIEWS
It's 1942 and Wing Commander Max Vatan
(Brad Pitt) has arrived in French Morocco to
meet Marianne Beausejour (Marion Cotillard), a
high ranking member of the French Resistance
who will impersonate his wife and assist in the
assassination of the German ambassador. This
sham marriage quickly becomes the real deal
following a steamy romp in a car during a desert
sandstorm (during which the camera endlessly
circles them like a voyeuristic vulture). Then it's
back to London to set up house and welcome the
birth of their daughter, who arrives dramatically
during an air raid. But marriages made in the field
seldom work, according to Max's superior (Jared
Harris), and he quickly discovers this to be the
truth when leaked intelligence suggests that his
wife might be a German spy. Max's subsequent
attempts to deal with this crushing revelation and
uncover her true identity sets up an intriguing
central mystery, and for much of its running time
Allied generates some serious suspense, although
Marianne strangely vanishes for much of the film
thereafter, despite being crucial to the intrigue.
Things quickly fall apart in the third act, however,
which resembles Spielberg at his worst –
or best, if sentiment is your thing. Robert
Zemeckis directs on autopilot here – you could
easily mistake this for the work of Edward
Zwick. The period recreation is impressive,
especially the early scenes set in Casablanca
(which intentionally evoke the classic film of the
same name), with Pitt and Cotillard adequate
stand-ins for Bogart and Bergman. But for a
big, star-powered romantic spy thriller from
a dependable filmmaker, Allied is surprisingly
mediocre. There are moments you'll wish you
were watching Pitt in Inglourious Basterds
instead. Scott Hocking
In love and war, who can you trust?
ALLIED
RELEASED: Now Showing DIRECTOR: Robert Zemeckis CAST: Brad Pitt, Marion Cotillard, Jared Harris RATING: M
Along with westerns, musicals are arguably
Hollywood's greatest invention. But whereas
the oater has continued to evolve and still
occasionally throws up a classic, fans of musicals
have largely subsisted on a diet of jukebox
crowd-pleasers and proven Broadway hits. La
La Land changes all that. As an homage to the
golden age of Hollywood musicals, Damien
Chazelle’s stunning third feature more than holds
its own against the classics from masters such
as Vincente Minnelli and Stanley Donen. But it
also offers a witty deconstruction of the form
itself and a bittersweet meditation on how the
real world will inevitably intrude on the magic of
romantic and artistic dreams. There are echoes of
both A Star Is Born and Martin Scorsese’s New
York, New York in the storyline. Emma Stone is a
struggling actress working as a barista, Gosling a
frustrated jazz pianist who is determined not to
sell out; in true Hollywood fashion they take an
instant dislike to each other, but eventually fall in
love and encourage each other to pursue their
respective artistic visions. However, things begin
to sour when Gosling is reluctantly recruited
into an appalling jazz-funk outfit led by John
Legend, while Stone struggles to realise an
ambitious one-woman theatre show. However,
don’t fret too much about the familiar storyline;
instead marvel at the vibrant primary colours of
cinematographer Linus Sandgren, the beautifully
choreographed musical set-pieces and the
gorgeous production design. As singers, Gosling
and Stone probably wouldn’t get far on The
Voice but they don’t put a foot wrong in the
dance sequences – the scenes in which they
waltz together in the Hollywood hills or literally
take flight at a planetarium will melt the heart of
most show-tune cynics. John Ferguson
Prepare to be dazzled.
LA LA LAND
RELEASED: Now Showing DIRECTOR: Damien Chazelle CAST: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone RATING: M