Tag: Ben Kingsley

SPECIES (1995)

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Directed By: Roger Donaldson
Written By Dennis Feldman 
Cinematography: Andrzej Bartkowiak
Editor: Conrad Buff

Cast: Natasha Henstridge, Ben Kingsley, Michael Madsen, Forest Whitaker, Alfred Molina, Marg Helgenberger, Michelle Williams 

In 1993, during a search for extraterrestrial life, a transmission was received, detailing an alien DNA structure, along with instructions on how to splice it with human DNA. The result is Sil, a sensual but deadly creature who can change from a beautiful woman to an armor-plated killing machine in the blink of an eye. Government agent Xavier Fitch assembles a team of scientists and mercenaries to locate and destroy Sil before she manages to find a mate and breed.

This film is one that might take you by surprise at how enjoyable it is.

One of the few times Michael Madsen has been the good guy but also essentially playing the hero. A kind of romantic one 

This is the movie that I believe started all the police procedural such as CSI were to solve the case was seen as a team effort and we saw how much each team member’s work helps to solve the crime that the star will get full credit for as the leader. Ironically one of the stars of CSI co-Stars in this film.

We get to learn about each member of the team and they each get their chance to shine some less triumphantly. Though forest Whitaker’s character is the one who has more of a psychic link with her. Which bumps his character up as much more needed in scenes. Madsen is the leader but mostly the action hero in this scenario. 

Ben Kingsley is the boss who gets them all together but can’t be trusted as every decision seems shady for the rest of them.

Essentially making this more an ensemble movie, with a cast of well-known character actors, but majorly focused on the alien played in a glamorous debut by Natasha Henstridge. As she tries to find a mate to procreate and inhabit the earth.

So it’s like a fantasy turned nightmare scenario. Whereas most films find this plot more through horror. This film also goes the sci-for horror route but also leaves room for fantasy. As in most films it is finding a mate or person and using them but maybe getting caught or the person dies before the process can happen. Here most of the men she encounters unfortunately are not good enough or don’t have the goods for what she needs.

This film has its fair share of tension and action to keep you interested and it has an alien character designed by H.R. Giger who created the alien Look for ALIEN 

The film has its fair share of exciting action and chase scenes but also leaves room for there to also be a bit of horror throughout. This alien is like a slasher but only truly kills when she is threatened in defense. 

Followed by an inferior sequel that just changes the sex around and seems crueler and oddly like they had less money which never comes as close to fun as this film has at least for the audience. 

This is an original and enjoyable action Science fiction movie. They don’t feel like a carbon copy. One which I saw In The theaters and made a huge impression on me. The film is never boring and keeps you entertained and interested. 

Only wish Natasha Henstridge got roles just as good as this one again. Even though her character is in the end a villain. You do care about her character and root for her a bit. No matter what her actions, plus at times she comes across as innocent snd shows some kind of humanity before she becomes more of a predator. 

Grade: B

THE DICTATOR (2012)

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Directed by: Larry Charles
Written By: Sacha Baron Cohen, Alec Berg, David Mandel & Jeff Schaffer
Cinematography By: Lawrence Sher
Editor: Greg Hayden & Eric Kissack

Cast: Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris, Ben Kingsley, Bobby Lee, Aasif Mandavi, Jason Mantzoukas, Joey Slotnick, Kevin Corrigan, Chris Elliott, Kathryn Hahn, Megan Fox, Ian Roberts, Jon Glaser, Chris Parnell, Chris Gethard, Fred Armisen, J.B. Smoove 

The Republic of Wadiya is ruled by an eccentric and oppressive leader named Hafez Aladeen. Aladeen is summoned to New York to a UN assembly to address concerns about his country’s nuclear weapons program, but the trip goes awry. 

It seems most of the time the only real comedy in this film is more the shocking aspects of the material. As the regular, more comic nature gags seem like they go well on paper, but physically fall flat.

The film plays like a Saturday Night Live skit character who gets their own film But struggles to fill out the premise. So that the film feels like a collection of skits tied together with a rather thin plotline. Soon the envelope is pushed so far all the outlandish details become common. You start to wonder if anything will be considered sacred. 

Unfortunately when it comes to Sasha Baron Cohen who is a gifted comedic performer. His best ability that has so far been shown is his ability to stay in character while improvising around and off of real people not in on the joke, With hilarious awkward, and shocking moments. As others around him seem to drop their guard and open up themselves mostly to his questions and suggestions that have worked for him so far. While he has defined characters he also became more recognizable. So with small roles in other films the natural next plateau was to try to create feature films with characters though more scripted. Though try to feature the same type off the cuff comedy. With a certain looseness in the filmmaking leaving room for happy accidents. In this film he seems to be the only one allowed to do anything really funny, others try but are either cameos that go nowhere or just weak. So this film feels almost like a vanity project. 

He is funny and a good performer, but he is also better than this material. Which only seems to only be shocking to be shocking. No real reason it can’t be funny without going to such extremes. It’s like stand-up who’s act is full of offensive and shocking scenarios. Just no real jokes or sense of humor. Though everything said is supposed to be in some type of humor. Which is a shame especially when you have a cast that is full of funny actors. 

It feels like a mash-up of Different Charlie Chaplin scenarios and scenes from his films only updated badly. –It seems that Sasha Baron Cohen is the closest that we have to a modern Peter Sellers as he totally allows himself to truly be lost in character and there seems to not be any breaking and not know where one ends and where another begins. Also, his films tend to revolve not only around characters that he plays but almost exclusively around him and his character. There are other comedians and characters but most of the humor revolves around only his and others’ reactions to him. 

His previous films that play more off of hidden cameras and regular people reacting to his antics are a bit more powerful as they reflect more of a social satire with a reality. This film is more sketch than anything else scripted satire that is made to look off-kilter but is obviously more formulaic. It’s a shame as the film shows peaks of comedic brilliance and some interesting ideas that are quickly dropped for more traditional comedy in the form of just trying to make the jokes way too offensive and shock humor. 
Which seems to be on the rise in the form of comedy instead of humorous jokes and situations. Comedies seem to be more of a barometer of how much they can get away with that is off-color. There are of course exceptions, but Comedies seem to be going the way of horror with torture porn. The more shocking and graphic it seems the better. 

Like the film, it seems to be inspired by just a bit Charlie Chaplin’s THE GREAT DICTATOR it has a great speech at the end that tries to inform and send a message. It’s more didactic and not inspiring like its influence. 

The film has a love story that doesn’t work nor is it really needed, but since it seems that most films today have one whether they are needed are not have one involved in the film. Why not this one? 

Grade: D