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High Rise (Blu-ray Review)

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high-rise-slideStarring: Tom Hiddleston, Sienna Miller, Jeremy Irons, Luke Evans, Elisabeth Moss
Directed By: Ben Wheatley
Running Time: 120 mins
BBFC Certificate: 15
UK Release Date: July 18th 2016 (UK)

Our Score

Director Ben Wheatley was certainly ambitious when he decided to take on JG Ballard’s cult, 1975 novel, High Rise. It’s one of those books that for decades many have proclaimed unfilmable, but there’s no doubt Wheatley and his cast and crew have put their all into it.

Set in a dystopian version of the 1970s (or at least a hyper-real 1970s), Dr. Laing (Tom Hiddleston) moves into a new, high-rise tower – supposedly the pinnacle of modernist living. His apartment is on one of the middle floors, while the poorer people live near the bottom, and the higher up you go, the richer and more rarefied the people become. [Read more…]

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High-Rise (Cinema Review)

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high-rise-slideStarring: Tom Hiddleston, Sienna Miller, Jeremy Irons, Elizabeth Moss, Keeley Hawes, Reece Shearsmith, Luke Evans
Directed by: Ben Wheatley
Running time: 119 mins
BBFC Certificate: 15
Release Date: March 18th 2016 (UK)

Our Score

When JG Ballard’s novel came out in 1975 it was seen as a savage, and timely, reminder of the failures of modernism. In the 1970s – ask your dad – Britain was indeed a grey, litter-strewn mess of a place, with constant power cuts, a poor standard of living and a housing shortage. The glorious future that was promised by modernist architects, of high-rise apartment blocks with heating, hot water and – joy of joys – indoor toilets (believe it or not readers, I had an outside toilet up until 1982) – had gone horribly wrong. Within a few short years new post-war housing was graffiti-strewn, broken, leaking and in some cases completely abandoned – and it was all the architects’ fault.

The trouble with the film of Ballard’s book – well, the main problem – is its timing. In 1975 tower blocks were indeed misfunctioning nightmares, the lifts broke down, the windows didn’t fit, the flat rooves leaked. Modernism had failed. Now though, technology has caught up, and the basics of Modernism – fresh air, light, space, good lighting – have been proved right. Windows are triple-glazed, rooves don’t leak, floors are scrubbed, bathrooms are white. We’re all modernists now. [Read more…]

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High-Rise Trailer – Tom Hiddleston takes on a retro-futuristic apartment building

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high-rise-teaser-poster2High-Rise got slightly mixed reports at its film festival screenings (although some people absolutely adored it), but there’s no doubt it looks like a really interesting movie – and everyone who’s seen it has praised its ambition and visual style. That style is certainly on show in the new trailer for the movie, which you can watch below.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘1975. Two miles west of London, Dr. Robert Laing moves into his new apartment seeking soulless anonymity, only to find that the building’s residents have no intention of leaving him alone. Resigned to the complex social dynamics unfolding around him, Laing bites the bullet and becomes neighbourly. As he struggles to establish his position, Laing’s good manners and sanity disintegrate along with the building. The lights go out and the lifts fail but the party goes on. People are the problem. Booze is the currency. Sex is the panacea. Only much later, as he sits on his balcony eating the architect’s dog, does Dr. Robert Laing finally feel at home…..’

Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller, Luke Evans and Elisabeth Moss star, with Ben Wheatley directing this adaptation of JG Ballard’s novel. High-Rise arrives in UK cinemas on 18th March. [Read more…]

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New High Rise Teaser Trailer – Tom Hiddleston is living in a retro-futuristic dystopia

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high-rise-teaser-slideA few weeks ago a teaser trailer for the much anticipated High-Rise dropped, but it didn’t show us too much of the movie, instead coming across as a faux promotional video for the retro-futuristic building referred to in the title. Now a more traditional teaser has arrived, suggesting this will be a bizarre but incredibly eye-catching movie.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘High-Rise centers on a new residential tower built on the eve of Thatcher’s England, at the site of what will soon become the world’s financial hub. Designed as a luxurious solution to the problems of the city, it is a world apart.

‘Enter Robert Laing (Hiddleston), a young doctor seduced by the high-rise and its creator, the visionary architect Anthony Royal (Irons). Laing discovers a world of complex loyalties, and also strikes up a relationship with Royal’s devoted aide Charlotte (Miller).

‘But rot has set in beneath the flawless surface. Sensing discord amongst the tenants, Laing meets Wilder, a charismatic provocateur bent on inciting the situation. Wilder initiates Laing into the hidden life of the high-rise and Laing is shocked at what he sees.

‘As the residents break into tribal factions, Laing finds himself in the middle of mounting violence. Violence that he also finds emerging in himself’.

The movie hits UK cinemas in March. Take a look at the teaser and a new poster below. [Read more…]

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High Rise Teaser Trailer – Tom Hiddleston wants you to join him in a new way of living

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high-rise-tom-hiddleston-slideThere’s been a lot of interest in Ben Wheatley’s take on JG Ballard’s dystopian tale High Rise, to the point that for some film fans, it’s the most anticipated movie of 2016. Now we can get our first taste, and there’s no doubt that it’s looking absolutely gorgeous, with Wheatley creating a mix of the 60s/70s and the future.

Many have said over the year that Ballard’s book is unfilmable, but it looks like they’re given it a damn good go, even if the reviews from film festivals have been decidedly mixed.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘High-Rise centers on a new residential tower built on the eve of Thatcher’s England, at the site of what will soon become the world’s financial hub. Designed as a luxurious solution to the problems of the city, it is a world apart.

‘Enter Robert Laing (Hiddleston), a young doctor seduced by the high-rise and its creator, the visionary architect Anthony Royal (Irons). Laing discovers a world of complex loyalties, and also strikes up a relationship with Royal’s devoted aide Charlotte (Miller).

‘But rot has set in beneath the flawless surface. Sensing discord amongst the tenants, Laing meets Wilder, a charismatic provocateur bent on inciting the situation. Wilder initiates Laing into the hidden life of the high-rise and Laing is shocked at what he sees.

‘As the residents break into tribal factions, Laing finds himself in the middle of mounting violence. Violence that he also finds emerging in himself’.

The movie hits UK cinemas next March. [Read more…]

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