Lawless: A hymn to how violence used to be
Sat, Sep 8 2012 04:20
| shia laBeouf, Nick Cave, films, film review, bare knuckle fighting, violence, street fight, lawless, tom hardy, weapons, Guy Pearce
| Permalink
Lawless is perhaps one of the best films I have seen for a very long time, for many reasons. There’s no getting around the fact that what could have been a star-studded dud, exceeds expectations and offers us a glimpse into a past we rarely consider. Albeit from a much safer place.
Based on a book, based on a true story the film is set in prohibition Virginia with a tangible of air of the authentic. In a time and a landscape both intoxicating and unforgiving it offers us an arena in which we all feel we know, but proves that most of us probably don’t. Tom Hardy seems to dominate this blogs film section of late and he comes into his own here. Much like his role as Bane here he also dominates the screen too as a brooding and menacing figure. Hardy plays the eldest Bondurant brother, the patriarch of a family gang of bootleggers and mentors in violence as he does in business.
The film is written by Nick Cave and the script is punctuated with a subtle acceptance of the consequences of breaking the law and making enemies of it with graphic and well placed depictions too. If the Wild West and all the retellings of it are revised, romantic, myths about the birth of America. Then the revisiting of the turbulent and desperate Depression era is surely the mythologising of the nation’s puberty. Stark demonstrations of effectively used brass knuckles, knives and honest gun fights make the point in visceral blood-spattered, scream-stifling, toe-curling fashion. It’s still Hollywood but without the lacquer we come to expect so often.
Compared to the slick, urban masterpiece of Michael Mann’s Public Enemies, Lawless doesn’t tread quite such familiar ground. Often we see films place “gangsters” as box office busting, flawed, semi-heroic, pedestal pacing, vessels of immorality. They sit beyond the social pariahs of their modern counterparts. Thanks to hindsight the names and the deeds of Al Capone, Dillinger et al. are well known folk tales. The comparatively obscure Bondurants are presented as opportunistic, rustic and greedy exponents of base desires and base actions – struggling with their own limitations and taking those assumed expectations and running with them.
It strikes me as interesting that Britons and British media prefers to downplay the violence of their forefathers, most people seem unaware of Victorian society’s relationship with the coshes, knives and bare-knuckle boxing which dominated it. Recent films are doing their best to remind us now and again, but ironically it’s not as high on the list as Dickensian rogues and the school Master’s cane. Class and power are far bigger preoccupations it seems.
American history and particularly American film strikes me as starting with the violence and working from there. Lawless is no different. Scenes are riddled with the audience seeing weapons concealed to be drawn later. Hardy offers us a real life example of confusing your opponent with questions to distract them before blindsiding them. The relentless nature of fight scenes within the film leaves us in no doubt how “real” the film makers intended them to be. Whether they succeeded or not, is something I’ll leave to you to gauge.
Martial artists these days often forget that weapons only stopped being the norm for many people relatively recently. We often think in terms of hand to hand combat, facing a weapon is rightly of extreme concern because we ourselves rarely if ever carry one. Society as a whole still has a lust and an urge for the days when that wasn’t the case, especially if the protagonists are that much more everyday. It’s important to reconcile the realistic with the reality, what’s likely with what’s entertaining and engaging. Every so often a film like Lawless comes along and gives everyone a meditation on reconciling those contradictions. Asking questions of us all, this is a film worthy of high praise and closer inspection.
The Dark Knight Rises: Keysi does it again
Mon, Jul 23 2012 06:25
| krav maga, keysi, martial arts, film review, christian bale, fighting, street fight, fighters, KFM, tom hardy, self defence, batman
| Permalink
This was always going to be my “film event of the year” the trilogy Chirstopher Nolan has masterminded sees it’s third installment crash on to screens with hype, controversy and just a little bit jaded cynicism murmuring away in some quarters which it answers at a canter.
For me, I’m not much a comic book fan, but Batman was always my favourite by a long chalk. The other two films took something not easily done and nailed it. Blending the fantasy of caped crusaders, sexy women and a life of danger and intrigue and not falling squarely into clichéd parody should be applauded. While I’m not here to review the film as a whole, suffice to say it makes a bold claim as part of trilogy which rivals Jackson’s LOTR venture.
This ‘reboot’ of Batman first landed in 2005 and for me only one other cinematic example of blending realistic martial arts with acting existed. All others before and since the Bourne films (oddly another trilogy, soon to be quadrilogy) had been put under a shadow of scrutiny when it comes to offering up audiences acceptable hand-to-hand combat for screen. Not only did Bourne take on-screen fight scenes and make you question the word ‘scene’ but they showed that our tendency to assign ‘hero’ status to a character doesn’t need to be sated like most childish urges by making theses characters immortal, flawless and untouchable when it came to the actual fighting.
To do that with the excellent but somewhat everyman that is Matt Damon was a landmark for me. It showed when Daniel Craig became the new Bond and then Bale as Batman showed that “real” just got a whole lot well, “realer” in Hollywood. Whatever the “style” it’s important to remember that stuntmen, actors, fight choreographers etc are all limited, by skill sets, resources and more importantly presentation.
To do that with the excellent but somewhat everyman that is Matt Damon was a landmark for me. It showed when Daniel Craig became the new Bond and then Bale as Batman showed that “real” just got a whole lot well, “realer” in Hollywood. Whatever the “style” it’s important to remember that stuntmen, actors, fight choreographers etc are all limited, by skill sets, resources and more importantly presentation.
When people remark they want to “fight like that” what they usually mean is, I want to be successful – copying ‘moves’ from a film is not high on my list of training methods. What these forays of my passion crossing over into the mainstream world does though, is question not only what is possible for these professionals honing a craft; but also what is possible in my own training.
The Batman films use the Keysi Fighting Method (KFM) as devised by two stuntmen who give vague reasons and recollections of their credentials when it comes to offering an art of sorts up. I know of one club locally, and anecdotal evidence of their training worries me. Putting a new student in at the deep end should be done to benefit the student, not everyone else. All KFM’s claims about being “solely” for the street should be scrutinised. Even Wing Tsun acknowledges, embraces and explores the history and heritage of the art as a cultural endeavour. Selling what you do, often involves managing the expectations of potential students – with this film behind them the KFM boys might need a bigger damp cloth right now.
What we see in The Dark Knight Rises is a stoic but still impressive continuation of the action scenes which have helped make it such a landmark set of films. Batman has after all still not shed the Adam West days of high camp for most people, for the films to steer well clear of it is logical. Instead we see fight scenes where Batman still utilises gadgetry and the advantage of surprise but ultimately he has to wade in and go toe to toe with adversaries to get the job done.
You can see why the Bourne and Bond films have so much in common beyond alliteration with our hero. To really make people believe these days you have to show them, almost unflinchingly that fighting is something visceral and animalistic, a necessary state and capability within everyone. While I have my doubts about KFM based on their own literature and the fact it seems very much “for screen” it does have a certain base which makes this film and Batman utterly captivating.
The physiques of Bale and Batman and Hardy as Bane are truly exceptional. As athletes they are clearly well coached and well drilled. The fitness, nutrition and physical training aspects of Hollywood, is a big industry in its own right. Hardy has already delved into MMA and clearly has the physical ability to play such roles. Here he ups his game. There is one scene where Bane and Batman go toe to amidst a crowd of people which really could have been a turkey. To give an audience that much visual stimulus and keep us engaged on the swinging fists, forearms and bone crushing hostility of the fight was exceptional.
This is where KFM comes into its own. I often think it looks like Krav Maga. It’s quick but unsubtle, smashing and carving into opponents offers the best reward for audiences. The hammer fists, elbows and repeated blunt blows to the same targets offer a strategically valuable insight into ‘real fighting’ but lack the realism of tissue, blood and bone trauma for a film aiming squarely at the young male market and in need of upholding it’s 12A rating. For me there is nothing new in the technique or approach. There are no secrets or hidden gems I haven’t used a thousand times myself. That’s why I remain a little unsure about KFM beyond entertainment. It looks great, but it doesn’t seem to be much more than the basics of self defence executed with a visual flourish and Hollywood’s eye.
The film itself is exceptional. It delivered for me. The action likewise, but before running off to don your cape and ape your hero take the time to ensure you separate fiction from reality. The likely from the possible, and check that what stuntmen have given the world of cinema shouldn’t remain there and there alone.
Celebrating Wing Tsun
Sat, Sep 17 2011 11:27
| cameron diaz, film review, sport, sammo hung, fighting, violence, fighters, celebrity, chike okeafor, ip man, strikes, donnie yen, jake gyllenhaal, martial arts, black belt, Wing Tsun Kung fu, jackie chan, martial arts Altrincham, Bruce Lee, robert downey jr
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One of the many things that help spread a martial art is a celebrity endorsement. How many of these famous faces do you recognise? More to the point, how many of them did you know studied the martial art we all know and love?
Robert Downey Jr has been studying since 2003 (about as long as me!) and clearly loves it too. Check out Sherlock Holmes for sneaky bits and pieces chucked into the fight scenes.
The beautiful Cameron Diaz had to undertake an intense crash course for her part in Charlie's Angels. I'd happily roll with her if she's reading.
Apparently Mr Gyllenhaal undertook Wing Chun alongside other martial arts and training for his tranformation into the "Prince of Persia" for the Disney movie. I cannot guarentee that chain punches do this for your physique but it can't be a bad idea to give it a bash!
This is Chike Okeafor (no, me either) but he's a big name in the NFL which means loads of people who like that sort of thing will know who he is. Apparently his study of kung fu has helped him improve his techniques and physical skills for his job in the NFL. I'm not going to doubt it, all power to him in fact! Well done Sir.
If you don't know who this is kindly never come back here again........only kidding. Bruce Lee, the epitome of Wing Chun celebrity. A lot of schools good and bad use him to sell themselves and who can blame them? The guy was a pint-sized phenom of kick-ass shrieking wickedness. In fact I insist all of my students watch Enter the Dragon before they get to black tee-shirt or they fail their grading immediately. (This may not be true but it's not a bad policy, I'll consider it for the next grading).
This is Donnie Yen, playing Ip Man (a very famous late great Wing Chun deity) so yes he knows his onions. Whether he's as serious as this all the time, I wouldn't like to comment. Either way any kung fu geek worth his salt will be able to bore you silly about how good Mr Yen is. Check him out.
This is Jackie Chan - probably more famous than Jesus and more likely to sock you in the face. He's awesome, I love him. It's a massive shame that to be successful in the Western world he's been patronised into being a comedy version of himself because back in the day he was untouchable in the chop-sockey game. For the closest thing to "real" martial arts choreographed for the camera this man's where's it. All Hail Jackie!
This is Sammo Hung, a blue-blooded pedigree of kung fu film. If you don't know who he is look him up. Watching him do kung fu is like seeing an elephant do a handstand. It makes no sense but it looks very cool!
Apparently Mr Gyllenhaal undertook Wing Chun alongside other martial arts and training for his tranformation into the "Prince of Persia" for the Disney movie. I cannot guarentee that chain punches do this for your physique but it can't be a bad idea to give it a bash!
This is Donnie Yen, playing Ip Man (a very famous late great Wing Chun deity) so yes he knows his onions. Whether he's as serious as this all the time, I wouldn't like to comment. Either way any kung fu geek worth his salt will be able to bore you silly about how good Mr Yen is. Check him out.
This is Jackie Chan - probably more famous than Jesus and more likely to sock you in the face. He's awesome, I love him. It's a massive shame that to be successful in the Western world he's been patronised into being a comedy version of himself because back in the day he was untouchable in the chop-sockey game. For the closest thing to "real" martial arts choreographed for the camera this man's where's it. All Hail Jackie!
This is Sammo Hung, a blue-blooded pedigree of kung fu film. If you don't know who he is look him up. Watching him do kung fu is like seeing an elephant do a handstand. It makes no sense but it looks very cool!
The Fighter - Film Review
Tue, Feb 8 2011 10:50
| film review, boxing, martial arts Altrincham
| Permalink
This film has it's work cut out. Much hyped in a much trodden path of underdog struggling on his way to stardom and once again placed in the four corners of the boxing ring – or so it seems. Hollywood has gotten smarter than trotting out a film that simplistic and here we see not just a rise to fame and glory but a story too.
Based on the Life of “Irish” Mickey Ward (the harshly maligned yet excellent Wahlberg) a welterweight from the run down old Industrial town of Lowell, his story is not that unknown in boxing circles but up until now he's probably remained off the radar of the man in the street. A more traditional brawler and half brother of Dicky Eklund (Bale), Ward had grown up in awe and in the shadow of Dicky a fighter who once went toe to toe with Sugar Ray and knocked him down. The feat overshadowed the whole town and the lives of the Eklund/Ward clan. A veritable gallery of white trash sisters portrayed in the film as a mix of My Name is Earl extras and the cast of MacBeth make up the other seven siblings that Dicky and Mickey share are all controlled and dominated by the lean chain smoking matriarch of Alice Ward (Leo) who is a manager to the boys. She orchestrates the fights where Mickey looks to get established and runs the household whilst Dickey looks to “come back” despite constant run ins with the law and a crack addiction being captured by a cold and mocking documentary crew. Mickey bears his brothers sins and shortcomings and the rest ignore it where they can.
Interestingly Ward's trainer Mickey O'Keefe plays himself in the film adding to the sense of authenticity and honesty that a Hollywood biopic will often strive for and rarely deliver on. If we look for clichés they can be found in abundance – self-doubt, familial feuds and reconciliation, training montages, brutal fight reconstructions, a mix of archive and diegetic footage, brushes with the law etc. These things can all be found in varying from Rocky's syndicated story, to the excellent Ali to the less renowned The Hurricane, or any other boxing flick you care to mention and perhaps here we see the real tightrope the film walks.
Everyone who goes to see it will do so for various reasons and it's likely they'll see what attracted them to the film subsumed into a much greater product. There's a boxing movie within a very real and raw human drama. A story of hope, of wrongs being righted, forgiveness and the glory of persistance and belief. The culmination of Mickey's career is bookended nicely with footage of both Wahlberg and Bale in character talking about the fraternal relationship now healed, followed by the real brothers laughing and joking. The reality dawns on you there as to how well they've been portrayed and how all of us can find inspiration in the labours of men who never gave up on each other or themselves no matter how damned and desperate they seemed to be.
The actual boxing scenes, which are really what of interest to martial artists looking to see America's favourite martial spectacle for decades are excellent, professionally handled and brutal at times. The spatter of blood and Ward's chances fly across the canvas and the screen with such unflinching realism that it is easy to feel like you're in there with Ward, dodging every punch you can. Much like Mann's excellent Ali and the seminal Raging Bull the fight scenes leave their mark on the audience and there is feeling such are the leads' dedication they probably insisted on being hit properly and you see and feel every dig with them.
Based on the Life of “Irish” Mickey Ward (the harshly maligned yet excellent Wahlberg) a welterweight from the run down old Industrial town of Lowell, his story is not that unknown in boxing circles but up until now he's probably remained off the radar of the man in the street. A more traditional brawler and half brother of Dicky Eklund (Bale), Ward had grown up in awe and in the shadow of Dicky a fighter who once went toe to toe with Sugar Ray and knocked him down. The feat overshadowed the whole town and the lives of the Eklund/Ward clan. A veritable gallery of white trash sisters portrayed in the film as a mix of My Name is Earl extras and the cast of MacBeth make up the other seven siblings that Dicky and Mickey share are all controlled and dominated by the lean chain smoking matriarch of Alice Ward (Leo) who is a manager to the boys. She orchestrates the fights where Mickey looks to get established and runs the household whilst Dickey looks to “come back” despite constant run ins with the law and a crack addiction being captured by a cold and mocking documentary crew. Mickey bears his brothers sins and shortcomings and the rest ignore it where they can.
Interestingly Ward's trainer Mickey O'Keefe plays himself in the film adding to the sense of authenticity and honesty that a Hollywood biopic will often strive for and rarely deliver on. If we look for clichés they can be found in abundance – self-doubt, familial feuds and reconciliation, training montages, brutal fight reconstructions, a mix of archive and diegetic footage, brushes with the law etc. These things can all be found in varying from Rocky's syndicated story, to the excellent Ali to the less renowned The Hurricane, or any other boxing flick you care to mention and perhaps here we see the real tightrope the film walks.
Everyone who goes to see it will do so for various reasons and it's likely they'll see what attracted them to the film subsumed into a much greater product. There's a boxing movie within a very real and raw human drama. A story of hope, of wrongs being righted, forgiveness and the glory of persistance and belief. The culmination of Mickey's career is bookended nicely with footage of both Wahlberg and Bale in character talking about the fraternal relationship now healed, followed by the real brothers laughing and joking. The reality dawns on you there as to how well they've been portrayed and how all of us can find inspiration in the labours of men who never gave up on each other or themselves no matter how damned and desperate they seemed to be.
The actual boxing scenes, which are really what of interest to martial artists looking to see America's favourite martial spectacle for decades are excellent, professionally handled and brutal at times. The spatter of blood and Ward's chances fly across the canvas and the screen with such unflinching realism that it is easy to feel like you're in there with Ward, dodging every punch you can. Much like Mann's excellent Ali and the seminal Raging Bull the fight scenes leave their mark on the audience and there is feeling such are the leads' dedication they probably insisted on being hit properly and you see and feel every dig with them.
The last word should go to Leo and Adams who as the main female leads keep pace and probably outshine the efforts of Bale in his broken and skittish portrayal of Eklund ravaged by crack and his own myth. Their roles are such that the film really hangs on them and they carry out their duties flawlessly bringing a dimension to a film and wider genre dominated by testosterone and masculinity. In fact not since Mann's Public Enemies have I seen this good at the cinema, such is the quality of execution and entertainment the stellar cast and crew bring to the Fighter.