Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow (Doug Liman, 2014)

Judging the poster, Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow looks like a computer game – I wonder, is this the new state of cinema? The clunky, robotic military gear harks back to Total Recall or Starship Troopers – or, in games, Gears of War. Tom Cruise, last seen in similar dystopian-future film Oblivion, is Major Cage, a press-face for the military who suddenly finds himself on the front line of the fight against the alien. Emily Blunt, returning to time-travel films after Looper, is Rita, an outstanding soldier who knows what Cage is going through. In true Groundhog Day fashion, Cage wakes up every time he is killed to relive the final two days of an epic battle, and Rita is the key to his redemption and to saving planet Earth itself.

Located in London, Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow is initially a fish-out-of-water plot, fused with a socio-political edge. The charming, cheeky Major Cage is a high-ranking official who appears on TV but doesn’t fight himself. Confronted by General Brigham (Brendan Gleeson), he is ordered to serve alongside the troops in France (in an invasion modelled on the opening attack in Saving Private Ryan). Glibly, he refuses. He attempts to bribe the General too, only to wake up in make-shift army barracks on Heathrow’s airstrips. What begins as a subtle criticism of those in power lacking awareness of those on the front line is soon forgotten though, as the time-travel plot begins. Suddenly, the focus is primarily on Tom Cruise’s need to survive. It harks back to the socio-economical subtext of Elysium, which again, is forgotten about once one-man’s survival is at stake.

Outside of Cruise, the majority of roles are standard caricatures for a sci-fi/war genre film. Almost immediately after waking, we repetitively meet Master Sergeant Farrell (Bill Paxton), a Kentucky-born disciplinarian. Reciting lines of literature to rank himself amongst the hard-nuts of army officers in cinema, his approach is so stern as to direct gambling soldiers to preposterously eat their own playing-cards. Emily Blunt herself seems bland and lacks authority to truly support her ‘Angel of Verdun’ credibility. Against Ellen Ripley or Sarah Conner, the angel would have her wings clipped.

But (going by its cinematic title) Edge of Tomorrow is not aiming to showcase complicated characters, or make profound political points. In Gareth Evans’ The Raid, many noted the computer-game progression of the narrative. Level-by-level, working your way through the building, to the big-boss at the end. Edge of Tomorrow is the same, with “extra lives” and advanced weapons to make the stakes higher. Except some people (though not the target-market for this film perhaps) don’t play computer games – let alone play them for the nearly two-hour runtime of this film. For some the relentless action is too chaotic.  The frustration with repeating a sequence can grate, while the more profound elements are left to the side for the sake of a plot-beat that keeps you engaged. Edge of Tomorrow does manage to showcase some breath-taking war-torn landscapes while the comedic-moments as Cruise plays with his time-travel skills are fun. But the story lacks the philosophical scope of The Matrix, and misses the political points of District 9. This is fun, goofy action, with a quirky unique-selling-point, but it can’t break free from the formulaic core at its centre. It feels like we’ve seen most of this before.

This post was originally written for Flickering Myth on 1st June 2014 and adjusted for the change of title when released on DVD/Bluray

The Simon and Jo Film Show: 11/04/2010

This week Simon and Jo cover all three Bourne films: The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum. They then discuss the new releases and Top 5 London Box-Office and then continue their quests - Simon watching anotherBest Picture Academy Award Winner and Jo watching another 'Sci-Fi' classic at The Prince Charles Cinema.

Links for things discussed in this epidsode:

Mike at  GMAM - aka: Got Me A Movie - reviews Kick-Ass
The LAMB celebrate the 500th Movie Blog ... there are so-o-o many!

Music is from The Bourne Identity - with a few tracks by Moby (Extreme Ways) and Paul Oakenfold (Ready, Steady, Go!)

The Bourne Identity (Doug Liman, 2002)

"How could I forget about you? You're the only person I know."

Introduction

I've decided that my reviews, opinions, analysis, etc of a film is only ever appropriate for people who have seen the film. Spoiler-free on the podcasts, everything else is going to be spoilt on the blog. Chances are most people have seen this, so lets get stuck straight in.

Right. Lets do this. These Bourne movies have been haunting me for a while. Seriously, I have watched this at least three times and every time it never gives me a purpose to watch the second one (alas, inevitably I did - but we'll cover that in the future...). Why? I don't know. I think all the Paris stuff bothered me and the whole deconstruction of the Bond-like character - though interesting - wasn't the most neccessary thing in the world. I feel like the whole concept of James Bond is unrealistic so why do we have to make it realistic? The shitty mini - can it really do all those stunts? No. So the films not realistic. But wait, Bourne and girl discuss how frustrated he is at not knowing who he is. Wow - deep.

I haven't read the Robert Ludlum its based upon - maybe thats a problem - and again, Ludlum openly said how it was inspired by James Bond. Again, why watch 'realistic' James Bond when you still have James Bond? Fact is, this film, in turn, inspired the incredible reboot of James Bond with Casino Royale so maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it isn't as bad as I am saying. Maybe, deep down, I am well aware of how much Graham, the Bangor Represetative, loves the film whilst I am ultimately denying it any credibility purely on that basis. Same reason Muse are rubbish.

Opinion/Analysis

So, Jason Bourne wakes up. In the sea. We know nothing and, just like him, we begin to realise what is going on. Its not long until we are clued into Chris Coopers character who believes Bourne is after him and his "Treadstone" team - when in fact Bourne is just defending himself against all the killers Cooper is sending to kill him - one of which is none other that considered-at-the-time-to-be-a-potential-007 Clive Owen. Obviously, akin to Jon Voight and the NSA in Enemy of the State, "Treadstone" is government run - and has every resource at its whim to get Bourne. And like Will Smith in Enemy of the State, again, Bourne has no idea why they are after him - but unlike Smith - he also has no memory of what happened when he woke up in the sea.

After this set-up, it changes direction as the love-interest - akin to Bourne himself - is, by chance, found on the street. Turns out, she is greedy and will take Bourne to Paris. If I was her, I would think that if I was to be offered that amount of money for a car ride ... something is up. Will he kill me upon arrival? Why not? Take the trip and then leg-it. Or, maybe the guy has already killed someone or robbed a bank or ... some illegal activity, and he is expecting me to help him? help an armed felon? Personally, I'd leg it. But turns out, straight off Run Lola Run, love-interest Marie (Potente), is greedy and takes the money and - along the journey falls for Bourne. As he does for her. But then again, in his memory, this is the first love interest he has ever had so of course he'll take it. Think of your first crush - you never forget it.

Upon this third viewing I'll admit, its got good points. The soundtrack is interesting with great music from Moby - 'Extreme Ways' becoming a staple of the franchise - whilst the Paul Oakenfold track 'Ready, Steady, Go!' simply reminds me of Collateral - a far superior film. John Powell was the man behind these choices so well done to him. This range of dance and, as itunes says, "electronica" works exceptionally well but then again, Powell is also the man behidn the music choices in Shrek and - believe me, I'm not a fan - but I can vividly recall plonkers singing to that bloody Eels track from the film. So judging songs to mix into a certain type of film is clearly a talent, and he - by choosing 'Extreme Ways' knows how to choose memorable music that is firmly attached to a film. Then again, I watched Collateral after The Bourne Identity and Paul Oakenfolds 'Ready, Steady, Go!' reminds me more of Tom Cruise, with a gun, in a club rather than a mini. In Paris.

So, to finish. The film is, pretty much, completely set in Paris, giving it a very Europeon flavour. Again, I only recently heard that the James Bond films that have often bombed were set in America. Except Live and Let Die. Then again. That film is racist so ... peak and troughs. Nevertheless, this only adds to the fact that, by being set in Paris, the exotic location reeks more of Bond again rather than a cultured-tone which I assume it was going for. The film ends as the "treadstone" project is terminated in Washington D.C. We watched a film that was ultimately pointless - 'Conklin', aka Chris Cooper, was stupid while everyone else was just following orders from him. The fact that Bourne was merely defends himelf I don't think stands - he can do loads of things, he just can't remember anything. I mean, come on! thats a specific memory. Think Memento - he had a serious problem. Bourne should count his lucky stars in terms of memory-loss.

Fact is, there are a lot of good things - and more importantly - these things set-up a great parrallel and support for Supremacy. Its not as 'incredible' as people say - but I appreciate the different angle on a genre already owned by Bond and Bauer and delivering this successfully. But as 'influential' as this is, The Bourne Identity was influenced by more films that preceded it and, if we're honest, these films were better.

And Matt Damon's "I-don't-know-who-I-am" acting grates after a while. Luckily, by The Bourne Supremacy he knows enough about himself to keep me interested.