War Horse
2.5/4
Starring: Jeremy Irvine, Niels Arstrup, Emily Watson, Peter Mullan, Toby Kebbell
Rated PG-13 for Intense Sequences of War Violence
Without a doubt, Steven Spielberg is the most famous figure in film history. About half of his films are masterpieces, including two ("Schindler's List" and "Saving Private Ryan") that are among the best films ever made. But he is not without his misfires. "War of the Worlds" was notable only for its scary action sequences. "Munich" was good, but really only worked as a metaphor rather than a narrative piece. And "The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn" (which, like "War Horse," was released last year), lacked any of his usual touches, and as a result, was pretty generic. "War Horse" is the only misfire on the brilliant filmmaker's resume.
Ted Narracott (Mullan), a war hero turned alcoholic farmer, is bidding on a horse to help him plow the fields. Everyone tells him to get a draft horse, but in a drunken stupor, he decides on a young and feisty colt. He is nearly outbid by his greedy landlord, Mr. Lyons (David Thewlis), but he wins at great cost. As a result, he is unable to pay the rent. But this is a special horse, and Ted's son Albert (Irvine) has formed an intense bond with it including naming it Joey). But just as he has tamed the horse, war breaks out and in order to pay the rent, Ted is forced to sell Joey to the Army. But when Joey's rider is killed in action, Joey changes hands multiple times, and the question becomes, will he get home?
This is not Spielberg's finest hour. The acclaimed director is known for his superb handling of big emotional moments, but for most of the film he appears to have lost his touch. Only the ending truly touches the heart.
Part of the reason is that the lead character is actually Joey. I love an animal movie as much as anyone, but horses are not the most expressive animals (there's a reason why dogs and chimpanzees are so big in movies), and it's hard to form an emotional bond with him. Another reason is that, for reasons I cannot understand, Spielberg isn't able to get a good performance out of anybody. And he's working with a cast to die for: Emily Watson, Peter Mullan, Tom Hiddleston (as Joey's rider), David Thewlis, up-and-coming British actor Benedict Cumberbatch (as a major), Liam Cunningham, Eddie Marsan, David Kross...all are talented actors, but everyone appears to be walking through their roles. Even reliable actors like Watson, Mullan and Thewlis are flat. Newcomer Jeremy Irvine is especially so. You'd think that if you're working for a legend like Steven Spielberg, you'd want to do your best. After all, it's the chance of a lifetime for an actor. The only actor who gives a truly good performance is French legend Niels Arstrup, who plays the kindly grandfather of a girl (Celine Buckens) who finds Joey and his companion Topthorn.
Where the film shines is in the battle scenes. The first one starts out cool (a group of cavalry walking through the hay fields), but it's clearly neutered to get a PG-13 rating. The big one, which involves trench warfare, is brilliant, and it brings to mind the D-Day scene in "Saving Private Ryan." It's not nearly as gory (hence the PG-13 rating), but the effect is similar. The cinematography by Spielberg's right hand man, Janusz Kaminski, is often gorgeous.
The script is also oddly formatted. Although screenwriters Lee Hall and Richard Curtis do a good job of opening up the play that it was based on, it feels episodic, which further limits our emotional connection to the characters and the story. I remember seeing the play performed on stage in London. I found it to be pretty good, but sadly Spielberg and his screenwriters don't find a way to translate it for the screen.
Should you see it? I can't answer that, but my answer is leaning on the side of no.
Starring: Jeremy Irvine, Niels Arstrup, Emily Watson, Peter Mullan, Toby Kebbell
Rated PG-13 for Intense Sequences of War Violence
Without a doubt, Steven Spielberg is the most famous figure in film history. About half of his films are masterpieces, including two ("Schindler's List" and "Saving Private Ryan") that are among the best films ever made. But he is not without his misfires. "War of the Worlds" was notable only for its scary action sequences. "Munich" was good, but really only worked as a metaphor rather than a narrative piece. And "The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn" (which, like "War Horse," was released last year), lacked any of his usual touches, and as a result, was pretty generic. "War Horse" is the only misfire on the brilliant filmmaker's resume.
Ted Narracott (Mullan), a war hero turned alcoholic farmer, is bidding on a horse to help him plow the fields. Everyone tells him to get a draft horse, but in a drunken stupor, he decides on a young and feisty colt. He is nearly outbid by his greedy landlord, Mr. Lyons (David Thewlis), but he wins at great cost. As a result, he is unable to pay the rent. But this is a special horse, and Ted's son Albert (Irvine) has formed an intense bond with it including naming it Joey). But just as he has tamed the horse, war breaks out and in order to pay the rent, Ted is forced to sell Joey to the Army. But when Joey's rider is killed in action, Joey changes hands multiple times, and the question becomes, will he get home?
This is not Spielberg's finest hour. The acclaimed director is known for his superb handling of big emotional moments, but for most of the film he appears to have lost his touch. Only the ending truly touches the heart.
Part of the reason is that the lead character is actually Joey. I love an animal movie as much as anyone, but horses are not the most expressive animals (there's a reason why dogs and chimpanzees are so big in movies), and it's hard to form an emotional bond with him. Another reason is that, for reasons I cannot understand, Spielberg isn't able to get a good performance out of anybody. And he's working with a cast to die for: Emily Watson, Peter Mullan, Tom Hiddleston (as Joey's rider), David Thewlis, up-and-coming British actor Benedict Cumberbatch (as a major), Liam Cunningham, Eddie Marsan, David Kross...all are talented actors, but everyone appears to be walking through their roles. Even reliable actors like Watson, Mullan and Thewlis are flat. Newcomer Jeremy Irvine is especially so. You'd think that if you're working for a legend like Steven Spielberg, you'd want to do your best. After all, it's the chance of a lifetime for an actor. The only actor who gives a truly good performance is French legend Niels Arstrup, who plays the kindly grandfather of a girl (Celine Buckens) who finds Joey and his companion Topthorn.
Where the film shines is in the battle scenes. The first one starts out cool (a group of cavalry walking through the hay fields), but it's clearly neutered to get a PG-13 rating. The big one, which involves trench warfare, is brilliant, and it brings to mind the D-Day scene in "Saving Private Ryan." It's not nearly as gory (hence the PG-13 rating), but the effect is similar. The cinematography by Spielberg's right hand man, Janusz Kaminski, is often gorgeous.
The script is also oddly formatted. Although screenwriters Lee Hall and Richard Curtis do a good job of opening up the play that it was based on, it feels episodic, which further limits our emotional connection to the characters and the story. I remember seeing the play performed on stage in London. I found it to be pretty good, but sadly Spielberg and his screenwriters don't find a way to translate it for the screen.
Should you see it? I can't answer that, but my answer is leaning on the side of no.
Comments
Post a Comment