“Gladiator” Movie Review

This year officially marks the 20th anniversary of this classic, even though it’s fallen somewhat in reputation. What better way to celebrate than to look back and review it?

This epic historical action drama was originally released in theaters worldwide by DreamWorks and Universal Pictures on May 5th, 2000. It was a commercial smash, grossing over $460.5 million at the global box office against a production budget of $103 million. This made it the second-most successful film of the entire year, in addition to the wave of positive responses from both critics and audiences. The film also managed to surprise everyone in the industry when awards season came around, collecting a total of 5 Academy Awards, including Best Actor and Picture, and led to renewed popularity in the sword-and-sandal genre.

Directed by Ridley Scott, the film was originally pitched by screenwriter David Franzoni, who was partially inspired by Daniel P. Mannix’s 1958 novel Those About to Die. Two weeks before filming was supposed to start, writers William Nicholson and John Logan were brought in to help flesh out the characters, in addition to Scott’s extensive storyboards. However, the production was forced to film without a completely script and a handful of cast members ended up writing their own lines and speeches. Before filming wrapped, actor Oliver Reed died of a heart attack in Malta, and the producers were forced to scramble and adjust his role with body doubles and CGI.

Russell Crowe stars as Maximus Decimus Meridius, a highly respected Hispano-Roman general who successfully leads the army to crush the Germanic tribes. Deeply impressed by his leadership and care for the men under his command, he is told by Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, played by Richard Harris, that he will rule as regent to help end corruption. When he catches wind of this, Marcus’ unstable son Commodus, played by Joaquin Phoenix, kills him and then immediately takes power and slaughters Maximus’ family. Now finding himself as a slave, Maximus attempts to rise through the ranks of the gladiator ring so he can find Commodus and exact his revenge.

Regardless of what you think of his style and consistency in quality, it’s hard to deny that Ridley Scott is at least an interesting filmmaker. He hasn’t been afraid to dip his toe in multiple different genres over his decades-long career, whether it be a science-fiction adventure or a period drama thriller. While he doesn’t always succeed at this gamble, when he hits it out of the park, he can make absolute classics such as Alien, Matchstick Men, and Thelma and Louise that still hold up today.

And with the 20th anniversary approaching for this epic, I was curious to see Scott’s cinematic vision of Ancient Rome was as great as I remembered it being. The period hadn’t really been given the big-screen treatment since at least the early 1960s and while numerous studios afterwards tried to recreate both it and Medieval times, I specifically wanted to see if the film that rekindled interest was still worthy. And thankfully, Gladiator turns out not just to be just as captivating as ever, but it still holds the spot as my personal favorite film of Scott’s, which is a big accomplishment.

Yes, it is a rather simple story of revenge and redemption, but whatever clichés there might be in the narrative are made up for by Scott’s incredible ambition and attention to detail in everything else. The script packs in a bunch of different, interesting characters that allow us to see Rome from different viewpoints, whether it’s the power-hungry politicians in the Roman Senate or the slaves forced to fight for people’s entertainment. There’s an emotional core to the film that’s hard to shake as we witness Maximus trying to regain his lost honor against a mad ruler that destroyed his life, especially as he has very little left to lose.

Something I truly appreciated about Gladiator on this rewatch is how despite a handful of subplots to follow and a runtime of 2 hours and 35 minutes, the film is perfectly paced. The way the film brings Ancient Rome to life in such a vivid and lived-in manner makes it easy to remain focused on what’s happening on-screen, even if it’s just a few characters talking quietly. And of course, it backs these moments up with some truly epic set pieces that are still a delight to watch even after all these years, making this a near-complete package for almost any film fan.

Winning the Academy Award for Best Actor here, this is arguably Russell Crowe’s most iconic film role to date, and it’s easy to see why. As Maximus Decimus Meridius, he’s sharp-witted, resourceful, and completely ruthless on the battlefield, much preferring to stay on the countryside instead of the political halls of Rome. Despite his outwardly masculine exterior, he’s incredibly soft-spoken and humble in private conversations, and is gradually better at winning over both the colosseum crowds and his new comrades in arms.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Joaquin Phoenix is riveting and despicable as Commodus, the nefarious son of the current Caesar. From the very beginning, it’s abundantly clear that he is only concerned about himself and the power he can gain, unafraid to get rid of anyone he thinks are even considering turning against him. Phoenix plays up his sickening behavior remarkably, adding a quivering lip and emotional unpredictability to a villain that is meant to be liked by no one.

And in his last film role, Oliver Reed is excellent as Antonious Proximo, a seasoned trainer who buys Maximus in North Africa. As the film goes along, he starts to take a liking to Maximus and begins shedding his world-weary thoughts and emotions. Acutely aware of how the world works, he trains him and the rest of the gladiators how to survive, saying, “I wasn’t the best because I killed quickly; I was the best because the crowd loved me.” Although he died before finishing his scenes, it’s kind of the perfect role for Reed to end his career on.

The supporting cast is equally impressive and wide-ranging in a variety of roles. This includes Djimon Hounsou and Ralf Möller as two gladiators Maximus forms a bond with, Derek Jakobi as the one Roman senator wanting to improve the system, Tomas Arana as a conflicted former legatus in the army, Connie Nielsen as Commodus’ unhappy sister, and Richard Harris as the ailing Caesar Marcus Aurelius. Everyone is able to bring unique dimensions to their characters and make the drama feel more tangible.

And from a technical perspective, Gladiator is an extraordinary accomplishment that sees Scott pushing his boundaries even further. Shot by John Mathieson, the cinematography is gritty and robust, always willing to get down in the dirt with the protagonists. The film features many tracking shots as the character traverse the vast landscapes and battlefields of millennia past. The colors are relatively muted, giving it a grainier, classical touch that’s frequently missing in blockbusters.

This also works in tandem with the editing job by Pietro Scalia, who finds a delicate balance between drama and action. During the fantastic and riveting battle sequences, there are a number of cuts but not too much to the point where it becomes incomprehensible. It manages to keep clever special effects tricks just out of sight while still showcasing some truly incredible blocking and stunt work. And during the quieter moments, the camera wisely shifts perspectives whenever a certain character is given more priority in a given moment.

Musical god Hans Zimmer composes and conducts the instrumental film score, and much like other iconic soundtracks, it’s a total work of genius. The score features a huge diversity of instruments and sounds, ranging from ominous strings to triumphant brass to heavenly choral voices. Through each track, he expertly weaves these sounds together in an organic way that feels appropriate for the scale and time period, calling back to Gustav Holst’s “Mars”. In fact, it’s practically the blueprint for his score in the later Pirates of the Caribbean film series, mixing both exciting battle tunes with more haunting tracks.

With interesting characters, immortal quotes, fantastic action scenes, and a solid emotional throughline, Gladiator is a brilliant old-school epic tailor-made for the 21st century. Ridley Scott shows us all that he’s capable of turning a relatively simplistic narrative into a captivating masterwork of giant proportions. Armed with a highly resourceful cast of willing actors, he’s able to bring Ancient Rome to life in a way few filmmakers had before or have since.

This is the kind of big blockbuster that Hollywood doesn’t really make anymore and that’s a damn shame because there’s so much more potential to explore now. Whether or not Scott actually follows through on plans for a sequel, there will always be an audience for this film, in this life or the next.

“The Invisible Man” Movie Review

You wanna know how effective the scares were here? Thanks to this movie, if I’m ever in a room alone again, I’m going to look at empty couches and chairs very differently.

This science-fiction horror film was released in theaters worldwide by Universal Pictures on February 28th, 2020, having been moved up two weeks. Made for the budget of $7 million, it managed to gross over $134.3 million at the global box office before moving to premium VOD due to the coronavirus. And yet, it has still managed to stay relatively popular at homes around the world. Not to mention, the film has garnered some of the best reviews of any film this year and has even been predicted by some outlets to make rounds whenever awards season comes.

Written and directed by Leigh Whannell, this is a modern adaptation of H.G. Wells’ science-fiction novel of the same name. Universal had originally approached David S. Goyer to write the script but departed after about 4 years of no serious development. It was then pitched as part of the studio’s “Dark Universe” franchise with Johnny Depp in the title role but scrapped all plans after the disappointment of 2017’s The Mummy. Producer Jason Blum instead decided to pursue the project as a standalone horror movie and hired Whannell for the job on the strength of his previous feature, Upgrade.

Elizabeth Moss stars as Cecilia Kass, a young architect trapped in a violent and controlling relationship. With help from her sister and childhood friend, she escapes in the dead of night from her unstable boyfriend Adrian Griffin, played by Oliver Jackson-Cohen, a wealthy tech genius in the field of optics. Two weeks after running away and laying low in hiding, it is discovered that Adrian has apparently committed suicide and has left her with $5 million. However, Cecilia quickly becomes convinced that he faked his own death and has found a way to torment her invisibly, and desperately tries to find a way to prove her experience to others around her.

Leigh Whannell is someone who I’ve only become aware of recently, but thus far, I really like his approach to filmmaking. He wrote and starred in the first Saw movie, (The only good installment of the series, in my opinion) and also created the criminally overlooked sci-fi body horror Upgrade. The latter film, in particular, really showcased his ability to handle high-concept films with a relatively limited budget and squeeze believable performances out of his cast.

So when it was announced that he would be writing and directing a new take on this character with Elizabeth Moss, I was cautiously optimistic for it. I was still feeling the sour taste of the colossal failure of the “Dark Universe” a few years ago and was unsure if the studio could really recover and find a way to put these classic monsters into the modern era. But not only does The Invisible Man surpass my expectations as an interpretation of the iconic character, it’s a fantastic horror film on its own merits.

In hindsight, the idea of telling the story of this iconic character from another character’s perspective was a bit of genius on Whannell’s part. By rearranging the story and putting it into a MeToo context, we get to see a unique film about domestic abuse and the emotional consequences fallen upon the victim. The real horror of the story comes not from Adrian using his powers to wreak havoc on mankind at large but from causing so much torment for Celia and no one believing her.

It’s a huge testament to Whannell and Blumhouse that The Invisible Man brings a lot of specificity to this serious issue in order to avoid making broad statements about it. Celia is desperate to find a way to live life on her own terms for the first time in a long while, but her relationship with Adrian still haunts her (Both literally and figuratively) and not even those closest to her really understand her trauma. The analogy of people being reluctant to believe Celia’s story is infuriating and true to life, making me glad that the initial plans for the “Dark Universe” were completely scrapped.

Elizabeth Moss has always been an incredibly capable and versatile actress, and this role might be her best work yet. As Cecilia Kass, she’s absolutely riveting as a woman trying to regain her agency after being gaslighted and manipulated for such a long time. While she wants to come back into the larger world, she’s still deeply aware of the influence Adrian has over her, remarking, “He said that wherever I went, he would find me, walk right up to me, and I wouldn’t be able to see him.”

By her side for much of the film is Aldis Hodge as James Lanier, a San Francisco detective and Celia’s childhood friend. Even though he clearly cares about her and wants to protect her, he’s highly skeptical about her claims of Adrian still being alive and tormenting her. When the vicious mind games start involving him and his own daughter, he starts taking it more seriously, despite also believing Celia to be somewhat unstable.

Harriet Dyer also deserves to be mentioned as Emily, Celia’s headstrong and loving sister. Unlike James, she’s able to more clearly see the psychological hold that Adrian has over her and tries to understand her claims, even if they don’t sound plausible. You can see just from her subtle facial expressions the disgust and terror of having to witness her own flesh and blood survive through someone that monstrous.

The supporting cast is filled out by Storm Reid as James’ curious daughter trying to cheer Celia up, Michael Dorman as Adrian’s submissive brother and attorney representing his vast estate, and Oliver Jackson-Cohen as Adrian Griffin himself. Jackson-Cohen only appears in a handful of scenes throughout the film, but he makes sure that his presence is known and felt. Every time he smiled, every time he opens his mouth, there’s just a horrifying feeling of what might happen.

And just from a filmmaking perspective, The Invisible Man showcases Leigh Whannell has a firm grasp on dynamic visual storytelling. Shot by Stefan Duscio, the cinematography is slick, controlled, and intensely atmospheric. For many sequences, the camera will sit still at the corner of the room when Celia or another character walk out. Sometimes, we see something moving around invisibly, other times, it’s just meant to bring out dread in the audience. And when the camera does start roving around in beautifully constructed long takes, it begins to feel like a character all its own.

The editing job by Andy Danny compliments this perfectly, splicing together shots into longer scenes. It plays a lot with the feeling of perspective, as there might be something we the audience see that no one else does and cuts between angles when needed. This is exemplified in the fantastic opening sequence, which sees Celia trying to quietly escape the house and the camera cuts between different shots just in case a sound might be set off. We’re watching every corner of the frame.

Rising star composer Benjamin Wallifisch gives us the instrumental film score here, and much like the film, it’s intense and utterly brilliant. The majority of tracks use a mixture of distorted electronic sounds to bring a sense of unease out of the viewer. They simultaneously sound like cries for help choked by vocoders and unseen forces punching you out of nowhere. It also hides subtle bits of strings and piano to bring up the inherently tragic elements of the story and even for moments of catharsis.

With a clear eye on the subject matter and a genuinely terrifying approach to its story, The Invisible Man is a hauntingly bleak portrayal of a truly disturbing monster. More stressful than fun to watch, Leigh Whannell has crafted one of the best and most inventive entries of the horror genre and further proves his mastery behind the camera. Anchored by a stunning lead performance from Elizabeth Moss, all parties involved make sure that you won’t forget this film any time soon.

If this is the route that the studio wants to go for their Universal Monster properties in the future, then I’m absolutely here for it. Whannell and Blumhouse knew exactly what they were doing here and I can’t wait to see anything else they make together down the road.