Dark City (1998) review

 Number 514 on the top 1000 films of all time is the neo-noir science-fiction film 'Dark City.'

Dark City is set in a dystopic future where the Earth is being secretly controlled by an alien race called the Strangers, who have telekinetic powers. It follows an amnesiac John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) being framed for a murder he can't remember committing. Nor can he remember being married to his wife - nightclub singer Emma (Jennifer Connelly.) Murdoch must figure out the truth while he is being pursued by police-inspector Frank Bumstead (William Hurt.)

Dark City fell victim of one of the classic traps of science-fiction, and noir for that matter, - overly-clever writers who in their rush to show off how clever they are by writing a complicated and convoluted script that they forget to include memorable characters. When writing this review, I had to look up the character's names, as I struggled to remember any of them. I only remember how weird and confusing the film was.

It's entirely possible that I just wasn't smart enough to understand the film. Studio executives were afraid that "stupid" viewers like myself wouldn't get the film, so they insisted that an expository voice-over was added to the beginning. That helped me find my feet, but I soon lost them again.

It didn't help that I had no characters to ground me. William Hurt was bland as the police detective and Kiefer Sutherland was over-the-top as the "mad scientist," Dr Schreber. I say OTT, he was positively camp. Even the future Oscar-winning Jennifer Connelly brought little to the screen. Rufus Sewell was positively fine as John Murdoch, but nothing more than that.

Reportedly, Dark City was one of the Wachowksi sisters' biggest inspirations when it came to making the Matrix - another film that isn't for the stupid like me. But that isn't where the comparisons stop. Both films share the cyber-punk, techno-dystopia housing people who are unknowingly living a lie. Like Neo, John Murdoch becomes the one and escapes the Matrix. Oh my God. I can actually remember the film's plot.

I'm sure there are fans who loved Dark City. It probably has a cult following somewhere or another. But it won't be a cult I will be joining anytime soon.

Bound review

 Number 862 on the top 1000 films of all time is the Wachowski sisters' directorial debut and neo-noir crime-thriller 'Bound.'

Violet (Jennifer Tilly) is the girlfriend to the violent and unpredictable money launderer to the mob Caesar (Joe Pantoliano) and is sick of being in the life. She starts a clandestine affair with ex-con and neighbour Corky (Gina Gershon.) The two start plotting to rip off Caesar and the mob and then cut and run.

What the Wachowskis did with Bound was take a genre that's had its heyday - noir - and injected some new life into it. They did this through Violet and Corky's lesbian relationship. Reportedly, the Wachoskis struggled in finding an interested studio and actresses, but they stuck to the guns and I'm glad they did, instead of giving the more conventional route of a straight relationship. Putting a lesbian love affair front-and-centre was a brave choice for the nineties, but it worked well. Representation in mainstream media is such a buzzword in modern cinema, but Bound, showed that when representation is done right, it's great to watch. Gay women can do everything straight men can do.

It would have been all too easy to have a man in Violet's place, convincing his lover to help him flee the mob. But this gender-bending helped to subvert a clever cliche. I also enjoyed how Violet and Corky were both equals. In the noir films of old, it would be the male hero doing all the exciting stuff, while the woman stood by and looked pretty. yet as much of a badass Corky is, Violet was every bit her equal.

It is Violet who kicks the story into gear. When things go wrong, it is she who stays calm and doesn't panic. And when Caesar figures out their plan, it is she who manipulates things to her advantage. And it is Violet, not Corky, who *spoiler alert* kills Caesar, successfully completing their heist.

Conversely, the tough-as-nails, closed-off Carly has a chance to display her more sensitive side - and all credit to Gina Gershon who took what could have been just another emotionally closed-off woman and made her a character in her own right. Jennifer Tilly was also great as a femme fatale type role.

I've been speaking at length about the female leads, but I have to mention Joe Pantoliano. In his debut lead role, he played the slimy and manipulative Caesar to a tee. Pantoliano has a penchant for playing memorable villains whether that's in on the Sopranos or Memento or the Matrix. He's a great actor. So is Christopher Meloni who gave a memorable performance as secondary villain, fellow mobster and Caesar's rival 'Johnny.' He provided a lot of dark comic relief.

I thoroughly enjoyed this neo-noir thriller. It was gripping throughout, maybe not always the most believable, but it was a hell of a ride.