Ender's Game Review

I wonder if Ender's Game is what George Melies imagined science fiction cinema would become one day in the future. Hugo's George Melies Sir Ben Kinglsey reunites with Hugo himself Asa Butterfield in this frequently spectacular voyage into space that sees a young boy trained for command in a war against a deadly alien race.

It is light years ahead of Melies stop/start special effects and contains contemporary relevance that has clearly not been lost even though the book it is adapted from is nearly 30 years old. After Earth is attacked by a huge swarm of aliens, the population of the planet is decimated then swiftly saved by the sacrifice of one great warrior. Humans, including Harrison Ford's gruff Colonel Graff, are not about to let another massacre occur again should the 'evil' alien race return and so for some dubious and far too quickly explained reason, have decided to train children into warriors to tackle the threat.

It seems an implausible set up and the future Earth is brusquely brushed over in order to get the action into space. Ender Wiggin (Butterfield) is a bullied kid who beats the crap out of another kid to ensure the bully never picks on him again. That's all it takes for Harrison Ford to think Ender is the next John Connor, great military leader and saviour of the planet. So off to space they go for a film about training kids in future space warfare and zero gravity shoot outs.

Ender quickly rises in the ranks and becomes a commander of the other kids in their space training facility. He forms some bonds, particularly with Hailee Steinfeld's Petra and also makes a few enemies. All the while Harrison Ford and Viola Davis (as some kind of psychologist) battle for Ender's soul, Ford wanting him to become a heartless killer and Davis concerned that Ender will be pushed too far.

The training scenes zip along but amount to little and it is never really clear why Ender is the chosen one. What makes Ender's Game a must see for gung-ho let's go to war and nuke the bastards types is the bleak message it pounces on the audience at the end. The politics of heroics are replaced by sacrifice, shame and genocide as Ender learns the true cost of war. However, then the producers and writer/director Gavin Hood clearly get a bit nervous about such a downbeat ending so they attach a pointless grab for a more hopeful sequel.

Nevertheless Ender's Game makes up for an occasionally clunky script with some impressive spectacle and weighty themes that lift it slightly above the average soulless science fiction extravaganza.

Check out my videos from the Ender's Game Q&A in London:













More on Ender's Game:

Ender's Game Q and A with Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley, Asa Butterfield, Hailee SteinFeld and Gavin Hood

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The Call Review

When the main characters of a film are connected only through the audio means of a phone call, sound obviously plays a major role. Opening with recorded 911 calls, sirens and other sounds of the city, in The Call what is heard is consistently as important as what is seen.

The Call sees 911 operator Jordan Turner (Halle Berry) taking a call from a distressed girl whose house has been invaded by a prowler. When that call ends badly, Jordan is left traumatised and takes up training newbies to the challenging role instead. However the possibility of redemption comes when Jordan hits the phones once more when another girl is kidnapped and held in the boot of a car with only a mobile phone as her link to the outside world.

The Call is a ruthlessly efficient thriller that races by at the pace of a panicked 911 call. Introducing the audience to the buzz of the hive where 911 operators work under huge pressure and with the stress of responding to panicked, terrifying and often horrific emergency calls, it is clear scriptwriter Richard D'Ovidio has done his research. The sounds of the phones, the screaming voices and the stakes that are being dealt with are immediately clear and the hive is such a fascinating world that a documentary on 911 operators would surely be riveting.

It is easy to care for characters whose job it is to help people in their greatest need and may never even learn the outcome of each of their cases. The strain and the pressure are understandably great and Halle Berry is an actress who finds an easily balance between calm, collected, steely resolve and shattered wreck when it all goes wrong. The scenes of Jordan being vulnerable and scarred mainly amount to a quick tear, popping a couple of pills and then she is back in the hot seat taking another urgent call and handling it with poise, intellect and care.

Casey (Abigail Breslin) is at the mall with her mate when she is abducted, thrown in the boot of a car and by a hugely fortunate coincidence is left with a working mobile phone. Again, sounds are important as Casey has to listen for clues as to where she is. Jordan has the unenviable task of keeping the teen calm and focused and getting her out of there alive. She is not only 911 operator but also crisis counsellor, detective and even friend. The relationship between the woman and the girl provides unexpected bursts of emotion with Breslin particularly putting in a brave, manic, desperate and despairing performance throughout. Though infrequent calmer moments provide brief bits of humour; Casey tells Jordan Bridesmaids is her favourite film; they also break the breakneck pace and alleviate the constant tension.

Once the chase is on for the kidnapper and Casey is confined to the dark space of the trunk, The Call really hits its stride. Jordan suggests many ingenious ways for Casey to reveal her location and the cops on her trail (including Jordan's boyfriend) are seemingly moments away from finding her all the time. It's like the recent Buried but with a girl in the boot of a car rather than Ryan Reynolds in a coffin. Tension mounts with the kidnapper soon getting wise to the shenanigans of Casey and Jordan and the body count rises as the kidnapper turns killer to cover his tracks.

Aided by some of the world’s stupidest (but sympathetic) Samaritans, the chase goes on longer than it should with the killer outsmarting the cops despite his clichéd lines, behaviour and performance from Michael Eklund. Eventually the pace lulls and in the final act The Call turns to the ludicrous side as the phones are put down and this being Hollywood, Halle gets a chance to get out from behind the desk and inevitably into the midst of the action. Thrill ride slips to slasher movie conventions in a particularly nasty final set piece but both Breslin and Berry make fine scream queens despite the increasingly silly set up.

Director Brad Anderson graduates from memorable low budget films like The Machinist to something more formulaic but also more thrilling. Excellent editing, cinematography and music keep The Call tense, immediate and effective. The script may descend into cliché and ridiculousness by the end but Anderson and his two lead performances keep things enjoyable even as events get nastier and the final scene turns completely laughable.

Release date:  September 20th, 2013

Running time: 94 minutes

Director:  Brad Anderson

Writer: Richard D’Ovidio

Cast:  Halle Berry, Abigail Breslin, Morris Chestnut, Michael Eklund

 
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