Film Review | Transcendence
★★☆☆☆
Helmed by Christopher Nolan’s longtime DoP Wally Pfister and packing an all-star cast, there were plenty of reasons to be excited about Transcendence (2014). Sadly, the end result is a disappointing mess of a movie which fails to deliver on its strong premise.
Transcendence follows Will Caster (Johnny Depp), one of the leading minds in artificial intelligence research along with his wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall). That makes them the target of anti-tech extremists, and an assassination attempt leaves Will wounded and dying from a radioactive bullet. With time running out, Evelyn and colleague Max (Paul Bettany) hatch a desperate plan to upload Will’s consciousness into an experimental A.I. Evelyn and Max ultimately succeed in their Neuromancer-esque goal, but as Will’s thirst for knowledge and power grows stronger, technological advancement soon gives way to fear and paranoia.
Interview | Director John Crowley talks Closed Circuit
Since conquering London’s West End in the late 90’s, Irish filmmaker John Crowley has gone on to have numerous successes on both stage and screen, with BAFTA-winning dramaBoy A a recent career highlight.
His latest film is Closed Circuit, an international suspense thriller in which two ex-lovers are forced to work together on a high profile terrorism case. The impressive cast includes Eric Bana, Rebecca Hall, Ciarán Hinds, Julia Stiles, and Britain’s own Jim Broadbent.
The film hits UK cinemas this week, and on behalf of HeyUGuys I got a chance to sit down with Crowley to discuss the visual palette of the film, in addition to the differences between stage and screen directing.
Film Review | Iron Man 3
Much like Tony Stark, Marvel Studios have been tinkering with Iron Man for over five years now, striving to upgrade and improve upon the previous model. In some ways, the success rate of the franchise mirrors Stark’s own cinematic journey. The first Iron Man (2008) was an unexpected hit, delighting cinemagoers whilst sowing the seeds for Marvel’s ‘Phase One’. Iron Man 2 (2010) saw both protag and film succumb to expectation, whilst Avengers Assemble (2012) took the character’s popularity to new heights. Enter Shane Black’s Iron Man 3 (2013) – a fun, action-packed superhero yarn that’s arguably Marvel’s best solo instalment to date.
Film Trailer | Iron Man 3
Robert Downey Jr.’s much loved interpretation of Tony Stark aka Iron Man has won fans all over the world, and he will be back to reprise his role for a fourth time in the highly anticipated Iron Man 3 next year. Earlier this year, the lucky fans at comic-con got a first look at some new footage, and in the past few days we have been privy to stills and, in what has become the latest marketing tool for big films, teaser trailers of teaser trailers. Now, we have the first full trailer for the Iron Avenger’s next solo adventure. Directed this time around by Shane Black, Iron Man 3 will pit the hero against the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley). With his back against the wall, Stark must rely on his smarts to protect those he cares about.
Watch the trailer for Iron Man 3 at CineVue here.
AMONymous 