Throughout the Eighties and early Nineties there were a series of Merchant Ivory films that were quite popular here in America that included the likes of A Room With a View, Howard's End, and The Remains of the Day. My favorite of these films was Maurice, based on the novel by E.M Forster. The films had a reputation for being extremely posh and classy productions, but yet hiding under the surface of the film is one of genuine passion and romance that took me delightfully by surprise the first time I saw it.
Maurice Hall (played by James Wilby) comes from an upper-class upbringing and is attending Cambridge in early 20th century England. There he makes two new friends, Risley (played by Mark Tandy) and Clive Durham (played by Hugh Grant). Friendship turns to genuine affection between Maurice and Clive, however Clive insists it must remain platonic between the two of them and to go further would "diminish them both." Years pass as the two friends keep their feelings secret. However, when Risley is arrested by the police for soliciting sex from a male soldier and sentenced to six months hard labor, Clive panics and puts some distance between him and Maurice, breaking off their romance and stating they should be just friends. Clive, under pressure from his widowed mother, marries a naive rich girl named Anne (played by Phoebe Nicholls) and settles into a life of rural domesticity.
Devastated, Maurice turns to his family physician (played by Denholm Elliot) for assistance, telling him of his feelings "of the Oscar Wilde sort." His physician brushes him off, calling what he was saying rubbish. He then seeks the assistance of Dr. Lasker-Jones (played by Ben Kinglsey) to cure his homosexuality with hypnotism. When this doesn't seem to take, Dr. Lasker-Jones suggests Maurice relocate to another country, such as France or Italy where homosexuality is no longer criminalized. During this time, Maurice is making frequent trips to Clive's country estate in Pendersleigh. It's there that he catches the attention of under-gamekeeper Alec Scudder (played by Rupert Graves), with whom a far deeper and more passionate romance begins to bloom.
Filled with gorgeous cinematography and fantastic direction to match from James Ivory, the film is beautiful from the beginning scenes in Cambridge all the way to the end. It has a trifecta of three strong performances to match from James Wilby, Hugh Grant, and Rupert Graves. Initially, I checked out this movie because the inclusion of Hugh Grant in the cast intrigued me since about seven years after making this movie he rose to fame for his work on Four Weddings and a Funeral and I was curious about his early work. He does well here as Clive and gives a strong performance as a man torn between what he wants and what he feels obligated to do. As the film goes on, you do get the sense that Clive comes to regret giving into societal pressure and his own fears and let Maurice go. James Wilby is fantastic in the lead role of Maurice Hall, who wonderfully portrays the outward charm of Maurice, but inside his thoughts are far away and conflicted. And while I may have initially viewed the film for Hugh Grant, I left it absolutely smitten with Rupert Graves as Alec Scudder. Graves gives Scudder an undeniable charm and confidence that makes it easy to see why Maurice would be taken with him. There is an undeniable class divide between the two though, which is also portrayed well by both James Wilby and Rupert Graves.
The film is based on the novel by E.M Forster, which he wrote initially between 1913-1914, with further revisions later on in life. Himself a gay man who indeed attended Cambridge, he no doubt drew from his own life experiences as his wrote the novel. He wasn't bold enough to publish it in his lifetime though because he knew at that time the content would be quite controversial, especially since he was determined that the novel (and subsequently the film) have a happy ending. Subsequently the novel was published after his death in 1971. Upon Forster's death, the rights to his books wound up with the self-governing board of fellows with King's College at Cambridge. When Ismail Merchant and James Ivory approached them for the rights to make Maurice, they initially declined the offer, not because they objected to the content but rather they felt it was an inferior work. This bit of trivia always makes me laugh because that is such an academic response to such a request.
The film does a good job adapting the original novel though with a script by James Ivory and Kit Hesketh-Harvey. In fact, they strengthen the narrative in some places with the addition of Risley being arrested for the crime of homosexuality to make Clive's actions later more believable to the audience. Otherwise, the film is a rather faithful adaptation from the novel. Many have commented that they felt the romance between Maurice and Alec wouldn't last because of their class differences but I respectively disagree. They seemed to get on quite well when we see the two of them alone. Besides it is made clear several times in the narrative the Maurice had grown tired of the upper class and was perfectly content to chuck it all and live a regular life "without status."
Overall, Maurice is a sumptuous and romantic film with a unique and eye opening look and what it was like to be gay in Edwardian era England. There is a lot to love here as we follow Maurice on his long journey to finding true happiness and love. Filled with plenty of romance and passion, this film remains one of my favorites. At the moment though, it is a bit hard to find as the rights to it have changed hands and the current DVD is out of print, so apologies for that. It is worth seeking out though once it is re-released, as the current rights holders are in the process of re-mastering it for a long overdue Blu-ray release.
Trick is quite possibly one of the sweetest romantic comedies I have ever seen. With two appealing leads in Christian Campbell and John Paul Pitoc and a unique premise makes for a memorable and fun film.
Gabriel (played by Christian Campbell) is a quiet and reserved struggling playwright trying to make ends meet living in New York City. He works in an office during the day and shares a studio apartment with an obnoxious roommate Rich (played by Brad Beyer), who frequently kicks Gabriel out so he can spend some alone time with his girlfriend, of which he has more than one. He is struggling to finish a song for the musical he is writing when his friend Perry (played by Steve Hayes) suggests he get out more and perhaps in the process will find some inspiration. Gabriel takes him up on this suggestion and that night visits a Manhattan gay club where he encounters go-go boy Mark (played by John Paul Pitoc) dancing on the bar. Too shy to say anything and after a couple comically disastrous flirting attempts by other patrons to pick up Gabriel, he decides to leave.
Taking the subway home, he once again crosses paths with Mark. Still too shy to say anything, Gabriel gets off at his stop and is surprised when Mark gets off with him. Mark asks him if he lives nearby and after a little awkward conversation, the two are off to Gabriel's apartment. To their surprise the apartment is currently occupied by Gabriel's best friend, the quirky Katherine (played by Tori Spelling). Gabriel tries to suggest she needs to leave but she doesn't take a hint and stays to talk to the two boys. As soon as they finally get rid of her, Gabriel's roommate shows up with his girlfriend and one lost coin toss later, Mark and Gabriel are back on the street. This leads to a crazy night as the two try to find a place where they can be alone and in the process coming to know each other on a much deeper level than either had initially anticipated.
The charms of the film lie with the two leads, Christian Campbell and John Paul Pitoc. While the two are perhaps very different people, they do find a connection over the course of the night and the two leads perform their roles perfectly. Christian Campbell is absolutely endearing as the shy and reserved Gabriel who slowly comes out of his shell as the night wears on and he spends more and more time with the far more extroverted Mark. John Paul Pitoc is equally good as Mark, a guy who is looking for something more than just attention for his good looks. One of the great strokes of the script by Jason Schafer is a late in the film revelation that while Gabriel thought it was only a one night stand, Mark reveals he thought something more was happening between the two which is the reverse of what one would expect. The film is also populated by a slew of amusing secondary characters, including Katherine whose third act meltdown at an all night diner may be one of the funniest things in the film. There is also an extended cameo by famed drag queen Miss Coco Peru (played by Clinton Leupp) who makes a memorable appearance in the dance club Gabriel and Mark end up at one point. The film has a sure hand in director Jim Fall and writer Jason Schafer, who keep the story grounded well and never let things get too wild, with the humor coming from a very human and relatable place.
Overall, Trick is a sweet and endearing film with two charming actors at it's center makes for a memorable and fun romantic comedy. It's been one of my favorites ever since I first saw it, unashamed to admit I fell as soon as I saw Christian Campbell's smile and those cute dimples. A fun memory I have of the film was a few years back, it was the night before Anime Iowa, a convention I frequently go to with my friends Jessica Walsh, Brianna Lawrence and Chealsey Thomas. We were staying at Chealsey's house for the convention and that night we were looking for something to watch on T.V. Somehow I wound up with the remote and I saw this movie was on and decided my friends and I needed to watch it. Initially resistant, they were soon charmed by the film as I was as a chorus of "Awws" echoed through the room, which probably says something about this film.
I first saw Rebel Without a Cause in my senior year of high school. It was Media Studies class, which was basically film class and this was the first film of the course the teacher showed us. It really struck a chord with me at the time despite the film being 44 years old at the time. Even if the time period was different, the sort of internal struggles the three main characters went through still resonated with me, especially with the two male characters played by James Dean and Sal Mineo, each in different ways. I watched it several more times as a teen and it remains a favorite of mine today, having owned it on VHS, DVD and now Blu-Ray.
Jim Stark (played by James Dean) is a new kid in town and it's not long before he gets into trouble, being picked up by the police for public drunkenness. That same night, two other area teens are picked up and taken to the same police station, Judy (played by Natalie Wood) and John "Plato" Crawford (played by Sal Mineo). Unbeknownst to them at that moment, but their lives would become closely tied over the following 24 hour period. The following morning, Jim has his first day at his new school, where he once again crosses paths with both Judy and Plato. Judy tries to ignore him, preferring the regular hooligans she normally hangs out with, including lead tough Buzz (played by Corey Allen) and a very young Dennis Hopper. Plato on the other hand is immediately taken with Jim when he sees him in the school hallway. Later, on a class field trip to the Griffith Observatory, Jim manages to cross Buzz and his gang, leading to an altercation between the two with switchblades. When Jim gains the upper hand, Buzz suggests they reconvene that night and have themselves a "Chickie Run" on the bluff overlooking the ocean. The game is the two of them drive two stolen cars towards the end of the bluff and the first one to jump out of their car is a chicken. When this event ends tragically, Jim, Judy and Plato find themselves drawn together over the course of the rest of the night as they try to figure out where to go from there.
While Rebel Without a Cause is definitely a product of it's time, with a fair amount of melodramatic and overwrought acting in it's run time (Natalie Wood is probably the worst offender there), the overlying themes of the film still have power in them. I certainly responded to the film when I saw it far removed from it's own time period. There are just certain feelings and experiences during adolescence that are universal and this film captured it nicely. Add in some fantastic direction by Nicholas Ray and a dynamite script by Stewart Stern that certainly pushed the envelope further than one may initially think for a film made in 1955. The film also has three fantastic performances at it's center, with James Dean at his most iconic as the confused and angry Jim, Natalie Wood as the troubled Judy, and Sal Mineo as the very troubled and lonely Plato. Much of the film is focused on the friendship, and perhaps more, that grows between the three characters and more than anything that is what I responded to, especially with both the characters of Jim and Plato.
Now, you're probably thinking, "This is all well and great Nate, but why are you reviewing this for Pride month?" Well, Rebel Without a Cause has a unique place in LGBT film history. The film contains what is widely considered the first gay teen in American cinema with the character of Plato. Of course, this being 1955 the film can't overtly say that lest it not be approved by the Hays Code, which was a precursor to today's ratings system, and ensured that all Hollywood films were suitable for audiences. But it's still there, plain as day in every scene Plato has with Jim. The first time he sees Jim at school, the way he perks up when Jim sits near him at the Planetarium, the way he gushes about Jim to Judy before the Chickie run and on and on. It was all deliberate too on the part of Nicholas Ray and Stewart Stern, with both later confirming that it was always the intention for Plato to be read as gay. James Dean even supported it as he at one point suggested Plato should look at him the way James would look at Natalie. All of those looks I immediately recognized and know I have made myself. So, that was a certain kinship I shared with the character and he's always been one I've really liked. Well, except maybe for some of the darker aspects of his character. For example, the reason he was arrested at the beginning was for shooting a neighbor's puppies. Thankfully, we don't see it but it's still the first indication of Plato's fracturing psyche. But yet, Plato remains one of the more complex characters in the film because even though he did this terrible thing, there is also a sweetness to him and yearning to be accepted that he finally finds with Jim and Judy. Yet, he also lashes out violently when he feels he's been abandoned, no doubt stemming from his neglected home life.
The film is also very much a product of it's time and some of the conclusions it draws about it's characters are perhaps a little too easy. The conclusion that Jim's issues with masculinity and self esteem have to do with his overbearing mother and overly passive father or that Plato's mental issues, as well as his apparent homosexuality stem from absence of any parental figures and is only looked after by a rather powerless nanny seem extremely antiquated from today's perspective. Jim's suggestion that he would like to see his father knock his mother cold just once also makes me grimace. Likewise, the ending is a too cut and dry as everything is wrapped up in a neat little bow when it really shouldn't be and remains the film's biggest flaw to me.
Still, Rebel Without a Cause remains an absolute classic as it presents the definitive image of James Dean in the bright red jacket and white t-shirt, forever frozen in time. It was just a month or so before this film was released that James Dean tragically died in a car accident, leaving behind only three great films. It's interesting that it was this film, rather than East of Eden or Giant that most people seem to remember him from. I also can't help but wonder every time I see the film, or any of his for that matter, if he had lived where would his career have gone? What other films would he have done? It's an impossible question to answer of course. The film itself also broke new ground and transcended its intent to be a teen oriented B-movie on both the strength of it's acting, writing and directing to become a true classic.
I first saw Blake Edwards' Victor Victoria on Turner Classic Movies maybe five or six years ago. I had wanted to see if for quite some time but didn't get around to it until then. I knew the basic premise of the film and that was about it. Imagine my surprise when I found out that not only was this a delightfully funny film, but also a wonderfully gay positive film as well, especially for a film coming out in 1982.
Victoria Grant (played by Julie Andrews) is a very down on her luck singer trying to catch a break in 1934 Paris. At the end of her rope and having lost another audition, she decides to get a meal at a local restaurant, intending to scam a free meal by planting a cockroach in her food. While there, she encounters the equally hard up Carole "Toddy" Todd (played by Robert Preston), who recognizes her from the audition and the two share a meal together. Victoria's plan winds up working, but not quite how she anticipated as the bug is discovered and the restaurant erupts into chaos, which allows Victoria and Toddy to escape into the pouring rain of the Paris night. They regroup and get warm at Toddy's apartment. When Victoria goes to gather her now dry clothes and return home, she discovers the cheap garments have dramatically shrunk and are no longer wearable. Toddy offers her a place to stay for the night and says she can wear a suit his ex-boyfriend Richard (played by Malcolm Jamieson) left behind home the next day. However, when he sees Victoria decked out in Richard's clothes a daring scheme occurs to him. He wants to pass Victoria off as a gay female impersonator named Victor and since she's really a woman, her impersonations would be flawless. He takes her to the top talent agent in Paris, Andre Cassell (played by John Rhys-Davies), who books Victor at one of the biggest nightclubs in Paris.
After six weeks of rehearsal, Victoria makes her big debut and is an instant hit with the audience, especially American nightclub owner King Marchand (played by James Garner), who is in attendance with his brassy dame of a girlfriend Norma (played by Lesley Ann Warren) and loyal bodyguard 'Squash' Bernstein (played by Alex Karras). King is quite taken with Victoria but is shocked when she "reveals" herself to be a man to the audience by removing her wig. He finds himself having trouble reconciling his feelings of attraction to someone he believes to be a man, even though he isn't a 100% convinced. As King's feelings for Victor seem to grow, a jealous Norma returns to Chicago to announce to King's gangster associates of what is going on, leading to all sorts of chaos for King and Victoria as the Mob doesn't take too well to gay people ("Kill him but mustn't kiss him," quips Toddy at one point).
There is so much to like about this film. The script and direction from Blake Edwards is sublime. There are several fantastic and classic moments of physical comedy, from an entire restaurant erupting into chaos (seen in a shot from outside the restaurant no less) to an extended comic sequence that has both King and Squash sneaking around Victoria and Toddy's new Hotel room trying to find out the truth about Victor while trying to avoid detection by either Victoria or Toddy. The performances are all great with Julie Andrews, Robert Preston and Lesley Ann Warren all getting nominations for their performances. James Garner is likewise great with some fantastic chemistry with Julie Andrews. Meanwhile, Alex Karras damn near steals the show as Squash, King's teddy bear of a bodyguard.
The music in the film is dynamite with both score and songs written by Henry Mancini. The film was created specifically to star Blake Edwards' wife Julie Andrews and he created a wonderful showcase for her with a several fantastic musical numbers, especially "Le Jazz Hot" and "The Shady Dame from Seville".
Since I'm doing this review for Pride month, I should probably touch on the gay themes that run throughout the piece. Now, there will be some spoilers in this section, so if you want to see the film and not be spoiled you should stop here and come back after viewing the film. Okay, first thing I have to say is how I loved that the film went to great pains to present its gay characters as fully developed characters that are never the butt of the joke. Even the minor gay characters, the chorus dancers we see admiring Victor in rehearsal, are treated decently by the script. For me that seems amazing for a PG rated movie released in 1982. On top of that, the movie presents us with different types of gay men, from the more flamboyant Toddy and the chorus dancers but we also have the more rough and tumble type in what is revealed as a delightful plot twist. Squash returns to his and King's hotel suite to find King in bed with Victoria. Completely misreading the situation, Squash proceeds to come out to King in a sweetly endearing scene. Again, while the scene is humorous the film is never making fun of Squash. The fact that Squash winds up in bed with Toddy later in the film is just icing on the cake.
My one nitpick with the film, and this is one that even Blake Edwards copped to, is that King doesn't profess his love to Victoria until he's found out for sure she's a woman. Originally, he wasn't supposed to find out until after he's told "Victor" that he loves him and "doesn't care if he's a man" but Blake admitted he chickened out and added the scene of King sneaking around Victoria and Toddy's hotel room. It would have worked better as originally planned though, especially as 'Victor' challenges King's ideas of what makes a real man throughout their courtship. But, I'm willing to give him a pass on this because one, the added sequence was quite funny in the classic Blake Edwards fashion and two he realized his mistake and fixed it for the stage show.
That's a small nitpick though in a highly entertaining farcical comedy filled with memorable comic bits and witty zingers galore, most courtesy of the delightfully bitchy Robert Preston. It is a very funny comedy that I have watched many time since and has quickly become one of my absolute favorites.
The original film, The Conjuring, was one of my all time great scary movie experiences in the theater. It just had me utterly engrossed from beginning to end with the increasing tension and genuine scares. I had no idea where it was going and was just along for the ride. So, with the release of The Conjuring 2 I couldn't help but wonder if they would be able to so completely freak me out a second time. The short answer is no, they did not. But at the same time I think I may have liked this movie even more than the first.
The film opens with Ed and Lorraine Warren (played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga), along with assorted others, investigating the infamous Amityville haunting in Long Island, NY. During a seance, Lorraine has a sort of out of body experience as she goes around the house, experiencing first hand the murder of each member of the DeFeo family, ending with her coming face to face with the demon that apparently forced Ronnie DeFeo to murder his family. Along with it comes a premonition of Ed dying horribly and soon. This spurns Lorraine to ask Ed that they not take on any new cases for awhile and focus on the lectures they give instead. Ed hesitantly agrees.
Meanwhile, across the pond in London a family of four children and a single mother begin experiencing some intense paranormal activity. Much of the activity seems to be focused on the youngest daughter, Janet (played by Madison Wolfe). As the incidents increase in intensity, the mother Peggy (played by Frances O'Connor) is at a loss as to what to do and eventually consents to let a local T.V crew try and document some of the activity in an attempt to try and find some help. This attracts the attention of the Catholic Church, who reach out to Ed and Lorraine to go to London and try to confirm if this is an actual incident or a hoax. The church is hesitant to get involved after the publicity of the Amityville case left much of the public thinking it was an elaborate hoax. They hesitantly agree and fly off to London to try and assist the family plagued by the haunting.
I approached this film, much like I did with the original film, as a work of fiction loosely inspired by an allegedly true haunting. Within that context, this film is quite an effective scary movie. James Wan returned to direct the sequel and is quite good at creating an effective mood and tension throughout the story. At the same time, the film develops it's characters nicely so that you actually come to care about them. There are some light moments in the film, such as Ed trying to lighten the mood of the house and the family by playing a guitar and singing Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling in Love". I think it was these moments more than anything that really had an effect on me as well as the scenes where Ed and Lorraine reaffirm that they are partners in their paranormal investigations because they believe in each other. I know it sounds hokey, but Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga make these scenes work beautifully and add some real emotional weight to the film.
My biggest nitpick with the movie is the fact that they broached the Amityville case at all. My reason for this is because it is so well known and so famous, but also widely presumed to be either a complete hoax or at least extremely exaggerated. It is a case I know quite well and have done a lot of reading about it. Therefore I have a healthy amount of skepticism about it as well. Even when I decided to watch it in the context of a fictional film, my brain was still nitpicking how they got the layout of the Amityville house wrong, etc. So, perhaps it's just me having an issue with it and those less familiar with it wouldn't have as much of a problem with it. The only reason I had an issue with it is it brought out my inner skeptic at the forefront and took me out of the movie at the beginning. I was able to get back into it and enjoy the movie on the basis of the direction, performances and the strength of the writing but I suspect this may be part of the reason this one didn't impact me as much as the first one.
Still, The Conjuring 2 is a worthy follow-up, continuing the adventures of The Warrens and their battling the forces of darkness. The film has a suitably creepy atmosphere with some really strong performances behind it and some strong direction from James Wan. If you're looking for a good scare, this would be a good place to find it.
We may only be three weeks into the month of May, but I'm pretty sure I've already seen my favorite movie of the summer. Anchored by three fantastic performances and a cracking script and direction by Shane Black perfectly balancing thrilling action and hysterical comedy, The Nice Guys is superior action entertainment.
Holland March (played by Ryan Gosling) is a down on his luck private eye trying to make ends meet while raising his teenage daughter Holly (played by Angourie Rice). He is hired by an older woman by the name of Mrs. Glenn (played by Lois Smith), who claims she recently saw her deceased niece, the porn star Misty Mountains (played by Murielle Telio), and hires him to find her. Initially hesitant, he agrees to take the job when he sees a connection between Misty and another missing girl Amelia Kutner (played by Margaret Qualley). However, Amelia does not want to be found and hires enforcer Jackson Healy (played by Russell Crowe) to intimidate Holland into dropping the case. Shortly after, Jackson is intimidated by two thugs who want to know where Amelia is. Jackson is able to get the upper hand and chases them off with a shotgun. Not knowing where to find Amelia himself and realizing she's in real danger, he teams up with a hesitant Holland to try and find Amelia before the thugs and the mobsters they work for do.
The film is written and directed by Shane Black with all the wonderful little plot twists and sparkling dialogue he has become famous for. The man has a knack with these kinds of films and a real love for noir tales, having previously spun tales about the adventures of Private Detectives in such outings as The Last Boy Scout and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. This one adds the wonderful flavor of the late 1970s Los Angeles to the mix as well and is recaptured quite well from the smog to the long lines at gas stations and all the other assorted small touches. The film also nicely develops it's three main characters, Holland, Jackson and Holland's daughter Holly. The interplay and bickering between Jackson and Holland is classic Shane Black while the relationship between father and daughter with Holland and Holly is well done as well as Holland is trying to bring his daughter up right while working in a profession that can be notoriously seedy. You get the sense he's trying his best to create a better life for her, especially since it's heavily inferred her mother recently died. There are little moments, like when he tries to break her bad speech habits even at inopportune times, such as when he finds her stowing away in the car as he and Jackson attend a party at a known pornographer's house ("Honey, don't say "and stuff". Just say "Dad, there are whores here."). It's those little things that add depth to the film amid all the action and chaos, of which there is plenty. Likewise, Jackson Healy is a bit of a lost character, wanting more out of his life and trying to find joy in it when he can. He aspires to be a private detective like Holland, but found himself sliding sideways into the enforcer business instead. You also get the sense he's a bit of a lonely guy and that the partnership with Holland will ultimately be a good one for him.
Overall, The Nice Guys is classic Shane Black fun with a witty script, exciting action that is frequently and surprisingly subverted by Black and anchored by three fantastic performances from Ryan Gosling, Russell Crowe and Angourie Rice. It's got thrills and laughs aplenty and also makes a nice antidote to the overblown CGI that is otherwise overwhelming cinema screens today. Every once and awhile it's nice to see an action movie that values plot and character over finding a new way to show the end of the world for the umpteenth time. If you're looking for that as well, this may be the film for you. And stuff.
The Civil War saga in the Marvel comic books was a sprawling epic story arc that impacted every comic Marvel put out. Naturally, adapting this story line to the Marvel Cinematic universe was going to see some pretty sweeping changes. That being said, Captain America: Civil War was pretty damn good in it's own right.
After their latest mission goes south and ends in some unexpected collateral damage, the United Nation puts forth a motion to present accords to the world's governments that The Avengers work directly as part of the United Nations so that there can be some accountability to their actions. Tony Stark (played by Robert Downey Jr.) is all for it, feeling the team could use some oversight rather than act on their own volition. Steve Rogers (played by Chris Evans), with the Hydra infiltration of SHIELD and ensuing government corruption still fresh in his mind, rejects the accords on the grounds he feels that The Avengers should operate separate from any Government body fearing that said entity may decide to exploit them for their own ends. Meanwhile, a mysterious man named Zemo (played by Daniel Bruhl) is digging up records of the old Russian Winter Soldier program, intending to use Steve's old friend Bucky Barnes (played by Sebastian Stan) for his own ends. When an explosive attack on the signing of the United Nation Avengers accords leaves several dead and Bucky as the apparent attacker, the Avengers are split right down the middle. Steve believes Bucky is innocent and sets off to try and find him to prove it, breaking the accords and turning fugitive in the process.
This year has kind of been the year for Superhero smackdowns and between the two films, because it's impossible to talk about this one and not acknowledge Batman v Superman, this film works far better because they've earned the dramatic weight they're trying to achieve over the course of several films. There are developed and deep relationships between this team of heros and when it comes down to Iron Man vs. Captain America it has an intensity and is hard to watch because you know these guys were friends first and foremost. Coupling that with well done performances by both Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans and the whole this just works. It also helps that the movie is smartly written with a script by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely that balances the two sides and it's easy to see both sides of the issue.
I have to also give props to the newcomers to this film. This outing introduced Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther and Tom Holland as Peter Parker, otherwise known as Spider-man. Both nailed their roles and in the interest of not spoiling too much I won't go into major details as to how they factor into the film. Marisa Tomei also shows up as Peter's Aunt May, who Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark briefly flirts with, recalling their wonderful chemistry from the criminally underrated Only You. I also have to credit the fantastic special effects in this film, especially an early quasi-flashback scene with a de-aged Robert Downey Jr. that left my jaw on the floor. Seriously, it looked like he shot the scene back in 1987 on a day off from Less Than Zero or something.
Overall, Captain America: Civil War is another strong entry in the Marvel Cinematic universe with a strong script and equally strong direction by Joe and Anthony Russo and acting by a capable cast to match.
