Blu-ray Review: Under The Skin

Adapted from Michel Faber's novel, 'Under The Skin' underwent a ten year gestation period to finally emerge as a serious contender for film of the year. 'Under The Skin' begins with what first appears to be the docking of a spaceship before we realise it's actually the construction of the human eye, followed by a succession of words repeated and spoken in English. The re-birth of an alien being in human skin sets the scene for Scarlett Johansson to begin studying the UK wing
of Planet Earth in Glasgow.

A shopping centre, busy streets where day becomes night taking us to clubland and Scottish scenery, whether it's a beach of death or secluded snow-covered woods all form the tapestry of an alien planet ripe for discovery and learning.
The alien is slowly integrated into our society, luring single men with the prospect of the one thing that will entice them. The fact that the victims are single may suggest extra-terrestrial policy deems their disappearance will not be as noticeable as a husband and father, but it seems more likely the alien is fascinated by the unattached and the fact that they choose to live alone.
The death scenes in this film - which mostly take place in an area between two worlds - are beautifully staged and witnessed with no emotion: think back to the beach scene where reaction to human adversity and death are met with indifference, but in this case, familiarity can breed things other than contempt. An encounter with a deformed man installs compassion, or at least the stirrings of compassion in this visitor from the stars,who seems to be learning how to be human. We see from early in the film that she is not alone, with a being on a motorcycle monitoring encounters, interaction and reaction to this strange new world and its inhabitants. Is the creature slowly becoming human? Are the ebbs and flows of human existence beginning to take a grip?

It's a marvellous performance from Scarlett Johansson, who tailors her character to move from indifference to fascination to the germ of real feelings that may well take root and grow, threatening to cut short her allotted time on Earth.
'Under The Skin' would make for a fascinating double-bill with Nic Roeg's 'The Man Who Fell To Earth', (though it's possibly open to debate whether David Bowie's character really was an alien) and will likely reach the same level of cult stardom over the years ahead. With multiple cameras that place us at one with the alien's vision of Earth, a suitably other-worldly score from Mica Levi and a wholly successful mix of professional actors and members of Joe Public who were approached by Johansson's character, totally unaware they were being filmed, this is an absorbing, haunting feature that casts its spell right from the word go. There really is too much going on here to fully take in on a single viewing: consider the opening scene and a comparison to 2001: A Space Odyssey, with the dawn of man replaced by the rebirth of one being into a different race; the use of mirrors, waiting for the alien to recognise what it's becoming, and the processing plant where naked victims enter a dark void and undergo an eerie transformation - food to sustain or just a means of disposing of living, breathing witnesses to intergalactic investigation? There's also a rather intriguing sidebar concerning the alien on the motorbike who may well have engineered the final act that will stay with you for a long time.

With 'Sexy Beast', 'Birth' and now 'Under The Skin' under his belt, director Jonathan Glazer is a major talent, and we await his next film with not a little impatience.

Studio Canal's Blu-ray presentation has a lot to take in, from the grey Glasgow streets shot verite-style, to countryside containing beautiful scenery and unforgiving terrain, and rendering them with clarity . Darker scenes contain plenty of detail, and interior sets such as the shopping centre and grocery store exhibit bright colours that really stand out in high definition.

As far as supplementary material is concerned, we get ten featurettes which run for a total of approximately 40 minutes. Camera, casting, editing, locations, music, poster design, script, sound and VFX are all covered, with input from Glazer and his crew. Kahleen Crawford (casting), Paul Watts (editor), Eugene Strange (location manager) and Mica Levi (music composer) are just a few of the team to speak about their accomplishments. The music, representing nature and undefined forces; the challenges posed by an almost daily arrival of 30 hours of footage to go through, and the search for a professional rider for some dangerous motorbike footage are all discussed, with the material covering pretty much all the bases. It would have been nice to see a Scarlett Johansson interview, featuring her take on the role and the film in general, but the absence of a director's commentary track maybe isn't such a bad thing. Jonathan Glazer speaks well on the interview footage and would undoubtedly make for an absorbing commentator, but 'Under The Skin' is very much a film where you draw your own conclusions and interpret events without directorial signposts.

'Under The Skin' is released on Blu-ray by Studio Canal on 14th July. If you missed this film at the cinema, be assured all the hype is fully justified. A masterpiece, no less.

Blu-ray Review: Robocop 2014

In 1987, Paul Verhoeven's 'Robocop' assaulted cinema goer's with its savage, satirical vision of future law enforcement. Now, the ubiquitous remake train has arrived at this particular station, with the action remaining in Detroit but taking place in the year 2028. With almost every country in the world using robots to wipe out crime, America maintains its robophobic stance, thanks to the Dreyfus Bill which outlaws these crime fighting machines. Raymond Sellars (Michael Keaton) is determined to gain acceptance for his Robocop prototype, but needs a product the public will love: a product with a conscience, so why not put a man inside the machine? A being with emotions that knows right from wrong, and can identify with the people it is there to protect. Dr Morton (Gary Oldman) constructs the first Robot/man hybrid when police officer Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) arrives at his clinic, the victim of a car bomb planted by accomplices of crime lord Antoine Valon. Murphy suffered 80% 4th degree burns and his lower spine was severed. Wife Clara (Abbie Cornish) and son reluctantly bid farewell for now, as Alex undergoes a change that will threaten to decimate this tight family unit.

Of course, the remake is, in many respects, a different animal to its illustrious predecessor. Gone are the bloody impact squibs of the original, replaced by toned-down conflict, though rest assured there are plenty of hi-tech gun battles on display. We also get a more agile Robocop this time round, boasting an increase in hardware and a Cruiser 1 motorbike which gets from A-Z at a speed of 248 mph. Murphy's family is also more prominent here, with his wife and young son part of an emotional tug of war with a powerful and ruthless corporation on the other end of the rope. Director Jose Padilha has constructed a tightly-wound action picture that works well in its own right, and he's helped by an excellent cast. Gary Oldman as the genius who never loses sight of the human being inside the machine; Michael Keaton emerging as a man you'll most surely love to hate, scheming and double-crossing in a film that's packed with police corruption, political agendas and some nifty action scenes. The character of Alex Murphy is beautifully portrayed by Joel Kinnaman, and do watch out for Samuel L. Jackson who keeps popping up as the propaganda-flinging presenter on Cable TV.

It's inevitable there will be fans of the original film who dislike the remake for a number of reasons - including its very existence - but I believe it will win over a fair percentage of would-be detractors and certainly gain a new generation of fans who have yet to see Verhoeven's movie. 'Robocop 2014' is an intelligent, fast-paced modern action film, with some great chase sequences through rain-drenched neon-lit Detroit streets, impressive visual effects and ferocious gun battles: check out the frenetic training session where Robocop attempts to repel a crack squad led by odious Rick Mattox (Jackie Earle Hayley) which plays out perfectly to the strains of 'Hocus Pocus'. I hope those yet to see the original will seek it out, and that die-hard fans of Verhoeven's film will check out the remake. There is ample room for both to flourish.

Studio Canal's Blu-ray presentation offers a splendid incarnation of this film, with strong colours, nice inky blacks and the detail and clarity one would hope for from a recent cinema release.
The extras begin with 5 deleted scenes which run for a total of approximately 4 minutes. While it's debatable whether any of those scenes would have improved the finished product, it's particularly interesting to witness the Mayor of Detroit expressing concern over possible re-election and to see yet more PR spin at work. The second batch of extras take the form of 10 information segments which run for a total of approximately 3 minutes. Here, the M2 battle rifle, the amazing Cruiser 1 motorbike and the TSR handgun are amongst the technology under the spotlight, reminding us of the technology at Robocop's disposal.
'The Illusion Of Freewill' follows, being a 7m 46s featurette where director Jose Padilha reveals he asked to direct 'Robocop' after being offered several other films. Jose - a trained physicist - wanted to reach a broad audience with his film, and producer Eric Newman and production designer Martin Whist are also on hand to talk about this process.
'To Serve And Protect' runs for 6m 5s and focuses on the weapons at Robo's disposal. Joel Kinnaman reveals he underwent intensive firearm training, eventually being able to hit a 3ft target from 135 yards with a handgun. The design of the Cruiser 1 is also discussed; an important string to Robocop's bow that underwent many changes.
The final featurette is 'The Robocop Suit' and runs for 14m 54s. Here, key personnel (including Kinnaman) chat about important aspects such as freedom of movement, and their collective desire to remain respectful to the original; an ideal that runs through the entire film.

'Robocop' 2014 will be released in the UK by Studio Canal on 9th June and will be available in a standard Blu-ray case or a classy looking steelbook.

Blu-Ray Review. The Servant.

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"Released in 1963, The Servant marks the first collaboration between director Joseph Losey and Harold Pinter, who wrote the screenplay and also appears in the film. The Servant is set in a Chelsea townhouse where a 23 year old James Fox plays an aristocrat named Tony who dreams of building cities in the jungle; lofty ideas from a dreamer who appears to spend his days and nights avoiding even the suggestion of real work. Such a lifestyle almost demands a manservant and Hugo Barrett (Dirk Bogarde) is duly appointed to cook for and generally look after his new employee. Barrett is already well versed in the art of attending to every whim and, for a while, seems to be a dream come true: the sort of man who is only too happy to serve and obey, and who sees his job as a vocation rather than just another way to put food on the table. Soon, however, the situation changes. Even before an angry altercation outside a phone booth ("Get out of the way, you filthy bitch!"), we see Barrett's character gradually change, en route to attempting to become the new master of the house. Throw into the mix Tony's fiancee Susan (Wendy Craig) and Barrett's fiancee Susan (a sultry Sarah Miles) posing as his sister, and we have a volatile four-hander containing some frankly terrific performances. It's entirely fascinating to watch the balance of power shift several times, as relationships shatter and attempt to regroup with life-changing consequences for the quartet. "

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"It's all too rare for a film to attain perfection, but The Servant manages to achieve this. From Pinter's script, Losey's brilliant direction, Douglas Slocombe's cinemaphotography, the outstanding performances to Johnny Dankworth's score.... all examples of artists at the evry top of their game, and it's gratifying to see Studio Canal's Blu-Ray bestow such reverential treatment on this film."

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"First of all, The Servant looks ravishing here, acting as a wonderful showcase for Douglas Slocombe's photography. The transfer exhibits real depth with exquisite detail and no problems to report. There's also a generous amount of extras to enjoy, including interviews with Fox, Craig and Miles who all talk about Losey's style of direction, his (and their own) attitude towards the subject of class differences, and there's a wonderful moment when Miles reveals her parents were mortified when they attended a preview of the film, and feared the family name would be in tatters because of the character she played. We also get the chance to see Stephen Woolley recall his first viewing of The Servant at a tender age, while experts on Bogarde and Pinter discuss the careers and involvement of their specialist subjects. I was also delighted to discover a substantial featurette containing Losey's participation at a panel discussion during the first New York Film Festival in 1963, and there's also an audio interview with Douglas Slocombe and an excellent interview with Harold Pinter. "

" The Servant has lost none of its power down the years, and remains a challenging excursion into the tangled web of the British aristocracy.