Tag Archives: Emma Stone

The Amazing Spider-Man | review

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This summer re-boot is watchable and well-acted, but far from amazing, argues contributor Joe Walsh.

It has only been 10 years since Toby Maguire donned the red and blue spandex as Spiderman, but both Sony and Marvel have felt it necessary to give our Friendly Neighbourhood Spiderman a reboot, retitled The Amazing Spider-Man.  This time, appropriately named director Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer) is at the helm with a cast that brings stronger performances and a greater teen appeal, including The Social Network’s Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker/Spiderman and new love interest Gwen Stacey played by Emma Stone (The Help).

Once again we have an origins story of how and why Parker became Spidey, with the added twist of drawing on the Marvel mythology to include a back-story relating to his parents. Many years after the death of his parents, Parker discovers a mysterious briefcase left with Parker’s Aunt May (Sally Field) and Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and he is led to his father’s old partner the geneticist Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans) who works for the Oscorp Corporation. The story follows a plot that we all know well by now (fanboys of the comics or not) in which Parker is bitten by a radioactive spider and gains superpowers. In a similar vein the same technology that creates Spidey results in Connors becoming the villain of the piece as The Lizard – a giant green lizard man with increased physical and mental abilities.

The focus on characterisation in the first act has meant that gender boundaries have been, at least in part, dissolved, allowing for an appeal to both the male and female teen market. This is achieved by brooding on darker themes of the difficulties of adolescence with a love story at the film’s heart. The excellent performances of Garfield and Stone allow the characters to be established and enjoyed before audiences have to cope with the disappointing action of the latter second and third act.

While the script is strong enough to develop the characters, it is weak in overall plot. The antagonist story of the Lizard is predictable and tiresome and there are one too many conveniences, linking characters into scenarios without providing exposition. Hilariously at times, this version has made sure not to replicate too much of the 2002 film. Most notable of all is the absence of the famous line “with great power comes great responsibility,” said without being said via a wink and nod in a rather clumsy and clueless manner.

More problematic are the special effects, not only of the Lizard, which is poorly designed and rendered, but also of scenes shot from Spidey’s perspective where he swings through New York. These moments come across as little more than a cheap attempt to warrant the unnecessary use of 3D which adds little to the film.

The Amazing Spider-Man could do with dropping the hyperbole from the title, as it is far from that, but as an uncalled for reboot of a still fresh-in-our-minds franchise it has done a decent job. Unnecessary but very watchable.

Contributor Joe Walsh is deputy editor of the film blog CineVue. He can be followed on Twitter @JosephDAWalsh

Crazy Stupid Love

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When it comes to romantic comedies, experience has taught us not to expect much substance. Forget about realism too. We automatically brace ourselves for two hours of saccharine, implausibly manufactured scenarios slanted towards pleasing a primarily female demographic. But Crazy Stupid Love takes those expectations on board, presenting a refreshing tragicomic romp designed to appeal to men and women alike. The film is thoroughly amusing and lighthearted, keeping its content familiar and accessible while packing in thoughtful details to keep the audience engaged on a deeper level.

At first glance, Crazy Stupid Love looks pretty unremarkable. The character types and plotline are familiar and predictable. A middle-aged man (Steve Carell) finds out his wife (Julianne Moore) is having an affair, so he leaves her to reassess his life and rediscover his manhood with the help of a devastatingly suave uber-bachelor (Ryan Gosling). But their performances are surprisingly charismatic and appealing, aided by fresh comedic writing. The montage of Carell’s transformation from a Gap-wearing dad to an Armani-wearing player while being bullied by Gosling is laugh-out-loud funny. And Carell’s rant on being ‘cuckolded’ comes to mind as a cleverer comic scene of despair than I’ve seen in other rom-coms.

To add dramatic irony and situational humour, there are love triangles sustained throughout the film – sure, it’s forced narrative complexity, but it’s nowhere near as contrived as what happens in Richard Curtis’ hyper-arbitrary Love Actually. Furthermore, the supporting cast involved in those love triangles add pleasant colouring to the film. In particular, the couple’s 13-year-old son (strongly acted by Jonah Bobo) is refreshing as a lovelorn tween approaching manhood himself. His character’s uncynical convictions juxtaposed with his dad’s wearied compromises are key to revealing the ‘heart’ of the film.

To its credit, Crazy Stupid Love’s strong thematic focus is served well by its technical side – the tight editing of its intercut storylines keeps the film moving at a good pace, and the thoughtful composition delivers the necessary exposition in interesting ways. There’s one long tracking shot that functions as a magical time-lapse montage of Carell’s character schmoozing with a slew of attractive women; it’s a memorable moment in which the film shows off its technical merits while still serving the story. The editing and composition are complemented by a decent soundtrack featuring the likes of Thievery Corporation and Talking Heads, largely avoiding cliched pop songs.

Crazy Stupid Love isn’t without its faults, especially as it nears its conclusion. The situations are almost cartoony, not helped by a horrifically over-the-top cameo by Marisa Tomei. But the script includes meta-commentary that addresses the unrealistic parts, making them easier for the audience to swallow. When it rains during the dramatic low point for the protagonist, he says: “What a cliche.” Indeed, aren’t most rom-coms chock full of cliches?

Thinking about other films in this genre, it seems most fall into three categories: relatively high-concept (see 13 Going on 30), topically niche (see My Big Fat Greek Wedding) or star-packed pastiche (see Love Actually). The fact that Crazy Stupid Love doesn’t follow these formulas is something to appreciate. The film clearly has a sense of humour about itself, which helps us also have a sense of humour about it as well. All in all, a good pick for a Valentine’s night in.

Crazy Stupid Love is now available on DVD. Contributor Cathy Landicho can followed on Twitter @ConfusedAmateur.