LFF 2014 - Fury

War has been depicted on-screen throughout the decades from many different angles; whether from land, sea or air there is a common denominator in that all look to portray the true horrors of such historical events. The latest director to take on such a challenge is David Ayer, whose aptly titled Fury is both grounded in realism and instantly striking with its emotional connectivity.

As the close of the Second World War approaches in 1945, army sergeant 'Wardaddy' (Brad Pitt) takes his Sherman tank Fury into one final battle as the troops look to complete their mission in the heart of Nazi Germany. Joined by his motley crew (Shia LaBeouf, Jon Bernthal and Michael Pena), Wardaddy not only has to encounter the dangers of the enemy, but also the threat of a new recruit in Norman (Logan Lerman), whose inexperience in the field - let alone in a tank - makes him a liability.

With Norman refusing to embrace the harsh lifestyle of a soldier and a seemingly impossible mission in their path, the tank-bound soldiers are about to face their most testing times on a gruelling battlefield.

It can often be all-too-easy for war-based films to fall into the trap of relying heavily upon respect for former films and coming across as an end result that feels all too familiar. Thankfully, Ayer has full awareness of the genre he has entered into and the strong subject matter he finds himself embroiled within. War is a harsh and harrowing thing and the director carries this message throughout a film that is grounded in its realism and ultimately looks to depict just how psychological the warfare can be, as well as the physicality of it.

In assembling such a strong team to lead the film, Ayer has accomplished an immediate connectivity with the audience. With Brad Pitt in the driving seat as Wardaddy we have a sergeant whose layers slowly unfold for him to become the beacon of right and wrong, while the brilliant Lerman showcases the harsh terms in which younger men are drafted into an unavoidable fate. In addition, Shia LeBeouf hits back with a powerful performance as the emotion-driven Boyd, and the likes of Bernthal (immersed in yet another dark role) and Pena ensure that chemistry is at its peak level.

The cast pulling together in harsh circumstances (both lived through on and off screen) helps Fury power through the muddy and treacherous landscapes like a classic war movie. Filmed predominently in the UK, the presentation of the film is every bit the dangerous and damning scenario of war, the tank tracks squelching through the mud and bodies being deposited left, right and centre. The background sound of exploding shells and overflying planes only heightens the realistic edge to Ayer's representation of war and when battle commences it is an intense experience.

That is where Fury often revels; in-between some emotionally harrowing and affecting scenes (one within a German home especially handled perfectly), Ayer barrages us with a foray of thrilling and tension-thrilled battle cries, often coming out of nowhere. From seemless explosive tank head-to-heads to town raids, the End Of Watch director uses every opportunity to solidly bring us the horrifying nature of war without ever feeling heavy-handed or brutal. Indeed, bloodhsed is of high levels but this is once again the grounded reality of the situation and continually feels well handed under his direction.

Surprisingly moving, incredibly engaging and brimming with a level of humanity that many war films lack, Ayer's Fury is a film that is exceptional on many levels. Many may have issues with some of the characters but their actions only heighten the damning reality of soldiers involved in such horrific events. Handled beautifully in both its emotion and action, Fury is a sure-fire hit.

Cinema Review - Transformers: Dark of the Moon 3D

The Transformers franchise has seen somewhat of a criticism storm since the drivel that was Revenge of the Fallen. Michael Bay was criticised for lack of a decent plot, boring characters, unnecessary humour, to be honest the list could go on. Let's fast forward to present day and the release of his third, and final (apparently) outing behind the lens of the robot-heavy trilogy. 


This turn around he takes note from recent superhero success X Men: First Class and incorporates his story into real life events; the landing on the Moon in 1969. According to the story, the mission to the Moon was not simply for history purposes, it was indeed to recover evidence of an alien spacecraft crashing on the far side of the moon. The spacecraft, known as the Ark, contains pillars with the technology to save Cybertron and these are recovered by NASA and kept under lock and key. 


Cut to present day and low and behold, with the Autobots now working closely with humans as allies, the Decepticons are once again planning their next move. Their plan soon surfaces that they aim to recover the hidden pillars and wreak havoc by transporting Cybertron to Earth and ruling over the human race. The one thing they require to do this is the recently recovered Sentinel Prime (voiced by Leonard Nimoy), whom Optimus Prime and his crew have recovered from the Ark on the moon and resurrected. Sentinel is one of the most respected Autobots of his race and his knowledge is of huge importance.


Meanwhile, while the serious events occur, we are reminded of Earth's 'hero' on two occasions, Sam Witwicky (Shia LeBeouf), who has a new girlfriend in the beautiful Carly (Rosie Hunitington-Whitely) but is still on the search for a job following his abandonment by the government. Cue some job interviews including some hilarious cameos from the likes of John Malkovich, and a star turn from creepy work-mate Ken Jeong. 


Soon enough, predictably Sam and Carly become embroiled in the raging battle between the Autobots nad the Decepticons, with Chicago turning out to be the battlefield for what turns out to be an epicfinal hour of the film, coming to a fantastic climax.


So Transformers should be your run-of-the-mill action movie with plenty of bang for your buck and generally an enjoyable thrill ride. For all the action-filled scenes in the movie Michael Bay hits the nail on the head with no problems, after all action and explosions are his speciality. It's just a shame that he still manages to fall short in the third outing with a lack of direction and some really disposable characters, most notably the Witwicky clan and Sam's girlfriend. 


The Witwicky's; exceptionally irritating with their apparent humour and Shia LeBeouf appears to just want to speak at an extremely fast rate and tries to replicate Star Wars' famous 'Nooooo' with the screaming of 'Optimus!'. And as for the Megan Fox replacement, where do you start. Rosie Huntington-Whitely is a Victoria's Secret and should stick to the day job. There is no doubting her credentials as a stunning woman but acting-wise she clearly does not make the grade and cannot command a scene to save her life, Bay lost out when Fox walked out believe it or not. 


As for the 3D, well this is the single most breathtaking 3D experience that you will have the pleasure to watch since Avatar. Visually, Michael Bay has it perfect, with some fantastic slow-motion transformation scenes and switches from vehicle to robot. Also is has to be noted the scene in which we witness and follow army personnel in wingsuits flying across the Chicago battlefield, one of the unforgettable 3D moments of recent times.


In terms of action and 3D ability Transformers 3 is a great success but with flailing performances from some of the film's leads and some extremely unnecessary scenes totalling the film up to a 2 and a half hour running time the film is massively let down. 


Film rating: 3 out of 5 stars


The Lowdown: Certainly a huge improvement on the previous installment but still does not touch the original franchise opener. If only you could just watch the final hour and you would have a highly entertaining action movie, unfortunately a dragged out storyline lets us down. Autobots roll out!