Capsule reviews: The Immigrant, The Double, The Normal Heart, The Faultin Our Stars

Part of any trip abroad is of course getting to your destination. And for me, that means movies. If going international, then that really means lots and lots of movies. Here I give a brief rundown on the three movies (and one made for TV movie) that caught my eyeballs recently.

The Immigrant (2013) (dir. James Gray)
The story: Ewa and Madga, two Polish women flee to New York in search of the American Dream but are separated. Madga is declared ill and quarantined while Ewa is forced into prostitution as a means of reuniting with Magda.

The Immigrant hearkens back to the age of the classic melodrama with lush settings, a character-driven narrative and a tortured romance at the centre. And what better face to put at the heart of the drama than Cotillard. Continuing her string of strong performances, Cotillard owns the screen with an admirable dedication to illuminating Ewa's desperation and fierce love for her sister. What's more, she's utterly believable as a Polish woman (Cotillard learned Polish for the part). Fortunately, the rest of the cast stands bring their best to the table, with Joaquin Phoenix carving out a formidable presence as Bruno, the entertainer-cum-manipulator who keeps Ewa under his thumb, and Jeremy Renner evincing the good-hearted cousin of Bruno's who may represent Ewa's only hope of salvation. The Immigrant is a slow burn rather than a scintillating drama but it rewards those who persist with it. 3.5/5 stars.


The Immigrant © Wild Bunch 2013

The Double (2013) (dir. Richard Ayoade)

The story: An unremarkable man's life is upended by the arrival of a physically identical doppelgänger with a diametrically opposite personality.

With a thrilling score, a fast-paced narrative and a noir atmosphere, The Double is a briskly entertaining and darkly comedic exploration of the gulf between who we are and who who wish we could be. Featuring Jesse Eisenberg in the twin roles of the unassuming Simon and the sinister and smooth operator James, Eisenberg handles the the deftly intelligent script with ease, and is ably supported by an inquisitive, passionate and sweet performance from Mia Wasikowska who clearly understands the rhythm Ayoade is going for by meeting Eisenberg on the same wavelength. This is a true 'three-hander', and in the hands of these gifted actors, it works brilliantly. 4.5/5 stars.


The Double © Magnolia Pictures 2013

The Normal Heart (2014) (dir. Ryan Murphy)

The story: Set during the growing 1980s AIDs crisis in New York, a gay activist attempts to raise awareness of HIV/AIDs.

Thanks to the infamous Grim Reaper campaign, we all know what AIDs and HIV are. The Normal Heart brings this fear to horrible light through death, rapid and indiscriminate. Initially booming amongst gay men, it shocks activist Ned Weeks (Mark Ruffalo) into gear and into battle with both politicians and his gay peers as people struggle to contain the illness and prevent a national crisis at the same time. The starry cast mostly get at least one excellent monologue, with Julia Roberts, Jim Parsons and Joe Mantello in particular impressing. The Normal Heart is best described as an angry movie, anger towards injustice, anger towards bureacracy and anger at a merciless spectre that kills those we hold dear. 4/5 stars


The Normal Heart © HBO 2014

The Fault in Our Stars (2014) dir. Josh Boone

The story: Two teenagers who meet at a cancer support group, Hazel (who has terminal cancer) and Gus (a cancer survivor), quickly fall in love.

The cancer weepie has a reputation for a reason - constant reminders of death, tear-filled outbursts and doomed romances - easily threaten to derail even the strongest of set ups. Despite containing all of these elements, Stars is mostly successful in avoiding these traps by focusing on the romance instead of the disease, and by channeling into the essence of a young person's experience of cancer. Youthfully effervescent dialogue spouted by Shailene Woodley remind you that Hazel will heartbreakingly never see adulthood, while Ansel Elgort as the confident, rich-kid boyfriend Gus balances Woodley's wit with brooding machismo and a delicate sincerity. Yes it is hokey, but Stars succeeds with a solid script, great casting and a twist ending that should provoke more than a few tears. 3.5/5 stars.