Displaying items by tag: Gaia Wise

DEAD OF WINTER

Germany, 2025, 98 minutes, Colour.

Emma Thompson, Judy Greer, Marc Menchaca, Laurel Marsden, Gaia Wise, Cuan Hosty-Blaney, Paul Hamilton, Lloyd Hutchinson, Brian F. O'Byrne.

Directed by Brian Kirk.

The emphasis is definitely on winter. But, of course, there is an emphasis on dead.

The setting is Minnesota but the filming was actually done in Finland and Germany, with winter scenes of Finland, snow, iced over rivers and lakes, hills and forests, slippery roads, most of the action taking place over one day, we are immersed in the dead of winter.

Within that day, there are quite a number of flashbacks, cheery and romantic, summer on the lakes. Which means that there is some personalising of the grim story on that fateful day.

And this is very much Emma Thompson’s film, producing it, starring, and, sometimes we might notice in the expression of the actress portraying her in the flashbacks, resemblances, we are right because she is played by Emma Thompson’s daughter, Gaia Wise.

From the 90s, we remember Emma Thompson as archetypally English, Howard’s End, Remains of the Day, Sense and Sensibility (winning an Oscar for writing the screenplay). But, here she is what Americans might call a tough old gal, harsh accent (perhaps channelling something of Glenn Close’s performance as JD Vance’s grandmother in his autobiographical Hillbilly Elegy). And, in some ways, she is moving into what we might call Liam Neeson territory, action hero. But, for most of the films, she has to use her brains rather than brawn though there are quite some physical struggles at the end.

And, why is she here in the dead of winter? Driving slippery roads, getting lost, asking advice from a big tough codger, eventually finding the lake which she and her boyfriend, then husband, used to visit and fish decades ago. And, with some pathos towards the end, we discover that she has a mission to the lake in memory of her husband.

What began as an excursion, turns into something of a deadly thriller. The man who gave her advice is seen pursuing the a young woman with a gun. Barb, our tough adventurer, has a sense of righteousness and goes to investigate, leading her into a complex drama, the young girl abducted and imprisoned, the man under the thrall of his physically and mentally disturbed wife, played by Judy Greer. The screenplay keeps us wondering what exactly is wrong, what exactly the couple are up to, why the young woman has been abducted, and what is her fate.

Some complications when Barb is able to contact two hunters and they approach to investigate the situation, fatally.

So, tough action, an Emma Thompson film – some bloggers have objected to the flashbacks being too romantic and spoiling the thriller atmosphere. This reviewer actually welcomed them, humanising Barb and spelling out her motivation for being there, intervening as well as her skills in action.

1. The title and expectations? Landscapes, the US North, Minnesota, filming in Finland and winter? Frozen lakes and rivers, slow, the roads, the woods? Dead of winter atmosphere? In the background ominous score?
2. The emphasis on dead, indications of dramatic thriller? Variations on the theme?
3. The fishing, revealed as Barbara at the end? Her driving, determination, her age looking her age, the snow, the British, the lake, the fork in the road, the heart, meeting the man, giving directions, her finding the lake, going out to fish, setting up the old shed, the office? Sitting fishing?
4. Audience puzzle, who she is, why, the fishing? The effect of the insertions of the flashbacks, the young couple, together, on the lake, fishing, the ring, the bond, the marriage, together and happy, pregnant, the birth, the loss of the child? The flashbacks indicating memories, urging motivations for action?
5. The man from hat, the young girl running, the shots, his taking her back to the house? Her initial response, going to the house, careful, finding the girl, trying to get in, writing the promise to stay in the window? Losing her glove? The later consequences, her searching, the wound in her arm, needing cover?
6. The arrival of the wife, ill, her nose, the blood, her relationship with her husband? The mystery of her motivations, her frantic behaviour, the rifles and shooting? Personality? The girl, the abduction? Keeping her chained? The husband, lumbering, subservient to his wife? The treatment of the girl?
7. The cars, driving, bar and her car stranded? The confrontation on the ice, the husband falling in, frozen, his wife rescuing him? In the car, the confrontation as Barbara, his wanting to go to hospital, her trusting him, his driving away, erratic, the meeting with his wife? Barbara later coming, the car, the hunters, discovering the husband did in the car?
8. Barbara, her interventions, going to action, using her wits? The confrontation, her being chained? Her story about keeping going, to encourage the girl?
9. Barbara, making communication, the hunters? Her encountering them, their caution, going with her, the house, the car, the wife emerging, shooting dead?
10. The container, the tent and the ice, the revelation about the truth, the illicit organ transplantation, the wife, her illness, her intentions?
11. The two women, on the ice, in the tent, the young woman on the table, her being marked by wife, the shooting, Barbara and her previously on the shoulder, something the stitches? In the tent, wounded, upsetting the table, the starting the fire, the two women on the ice, the physical confrontation? The young girl, getting free, burnt, watching?
12. The rifle, the struggle, the ice, the wife falling through, holding on to Barbara’s and Paul, both women and the water, the flashbacks, the reason for Barbara being the lake, the discussion of the lawyer, the breakfast with her husband, his death? His will and the scattering the ashes in the Lake? Her going down through the ice, scattering the ashes?
13. The plausibility of the plot, especially the illicit transplant? The husband and wife out in the backlogs? The abduction of the girl, the intentions? Barbara, her presence, her interventions?

THE LORD OF THE RINGS. THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM

New Zealand, US, Japan, 2024, 134 minutes, Colour.

Voices of: Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, Miranda Otto, Luca Pasquarello, Lorraine Ashbourne, Shaun Dooley, Laurence Ubong Williams, Michael Wildman, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan.

Directed by Kenji Kamiyama.

This is a pre-Hobbit tale, 183 years before the story of the rings. The characters and places are taken from appendices to J.R.R.Tolkien’s sagas. However, one character has been invented for this film, a young, vigorous, heroic princess, Hera, with the narrator telling us that none of the stories told about her survived. A license then for the screenwriters to be creative.

The immediate striking aspect of the film is that it is an animation saga. The director is Japanese, Kenji Kamiyama, with much experience in Japanese Anime. So, on the one hand, this is very much anime style of storytelling and action, particularly characteristic, the minimal mouth movement of the characters as they speak. But, on the other hand, the influence of Peter Jackson’s films, backgrounds, castles, warfare, is still very important. And, the style of animation, building on the live performance of the actors.

It is surprising to learn that the film has not been a box office success. One would have thought that there is a continual succession of generations fascinated by Middle Earth, its characters, the conflicts, the magic.

For audiences able to accept this anime style and an animated version of the stories, it is very enjoyable in its way. It is a very masculine world, a mighty king, voiced by Brian Cox, his prince sons, his Rio prince nephew, his Armed Forces, and a conflict with a rival lord, a sudden death, the Lord’s son consumed with vengeance, unrelenting, attacking the castle, laying siege, a bitter winter, unwilling to take advice to raise the siege.

But, we have been alerted straightaway to Hera, another embodiment of the development of the Disney princesses, the Warrior Princess, doted on by her father, protected by him, but learning to take stronger and stronger stances, eventually confronting the angry vengeful besieger of the castle, and hand-to-hand combat.

At the end, there are some links to the future Rings stories, the image of Christopher Lee’s Saruman (and his actual voice, a clip from one of the films, reminding us of his evil power). Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan from the originals are also in the voice cast and, interestingly, Hera’s devotedly strong-minded maid is voiced by Lorraine Ashbourne (who, in fact, is the wife of Andy Serkis, Gollum).

Plenty of action, plenty of colour, memories of Howard Shore’s rousing score, a venture into a different kind of Middle Earth.

1. The popularity of Tolkien’s books? Tales and imagination? Fantasy? Heroes? The popularity of the films? Peter Jackson, the adaptations, producer of this film? Philippa Boyens and her writing the screenplays?
2. The decision for an animation film? The Japanese , the directors, Anime style, formal, strong characters, the importance of the layouts and backgrounds, musical score (and the echoes of Howard Shore’s original score)? The animation style fitting the Tolkien world, Middle Earth, the delineation of each of the characters, costume design, the backgrounds, the action sequences, the battles and hand-to-hand fight?
3. The background of the characters and places in Tolkien’s appendices? The invention of Hera? The voice-over, the explanation of her character, the fact that her stories were not recorded? Free opportunity for the screenwriters?
4. The introduction to Hera, age, background, her father and younger brothers, skilled in riding the horse, and action in vigorous heroine?
5. The kingdom, the King, his appearance, strength, leadership, the sudden appearance of his rival, the confrontation, the one-to-one fight, the fatal blow, the reaction of the son, vengeance, consumed? And his past relationship with Hera in their childhood, his proposal, her rejection?
6. The title, the war, Wulf and his vengeance, the importance of his assistant and advice? Laying siege to the Castle, his forces, the long winter, the effect on the troops, on those trapped in the Castle? His adviser suggesting he withdraw, his refusal, ultimately killing him?
7. Hera, the situation with the Eagles, the offering of the food, their power, her later returning, the request, their understanding the language, the helmet, the Eagle flying to urge her cousin to come and fight?
8. The situation in the Castle, the King, his blaming himself, protecting his daughter, going out, the fight and confrontation, his surviving, his single-handed warding off the enemy? The reconciliation with Hera? His watching from the battlements, Wulf and the death of his son, the hostage, cutting his throat?
9. Hera, her maid, tough-minded, her son, his role in the Castle, the proclamations?
10. Hera, the decisions about the escape, the inhabitants rounded up, the young boy, leadership, escaping the castle?
11. Hera, her cousin and his forces coming, the siege, the fortification pressed against the castle wall, the attack, the opening of the gates, their seizing, the king remaining outside?
12. Hera, her plan, with her maid, writing to confront Wulf, the combat, his attack, wounding her, her killing him?
13. Order restored, but Hera wanting to be free and go her own way?
14. The links with The Lord of the Rings, Suraman’s appearance, the Orcs and their stealing, 183 years before the Rings?