On the couch

DVD REVIEW

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol ****
Directed by: Brad Bird
Starring: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Paula Patton

Wuthering Heights **
Directed by: Andrea Arnold
Starring: Kaya Scodelario, James Howson, Oliver Milburn

Say what you want about Tom Cruise – he’s crazy, he’s short, his religious beliefs are… curious, his wanton disregard for sofas is alarming, 87% of his total body weight is made up of tooth and glistening enamel – but it cannot be denied, the man’s a freaking movie star.
When it comes to high quality stuff blowing up he really is yer only man. In Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt, superspy and Mission Impossible top dog, who, when last we saw him, was settling into the life of a wedded bliss with his missus, Michelle Monaghan.
Oh how times have changed…
We pick up with Mr Hunt as he cools his heels in a Russian prison, languishing in a ratty little cell for an undisclosed (until quite a bit into the film) crime.
It all kicks off, however, when two of his IMF buddies show up to break him out on account of his help being needed to save the world from a nutter who wants to start a nuclear war in order to strengthen humanity in the long run.
Unfortunately, this little plan all goes rather wrong and, instead of saving the world, the team gets framed for blowing up a sizable chunk of the Kremlin and goes on the run armed only with the knowledge that the world is still dire straits and a small train carriage full of guns and technology.
Directed by Brad “Incredibles” Bird, MI:GP is arguably the best of the series. There are fewer gimmicks than the last films (so long as you don’t count vertigo-inducing shots of the Cruiser scaling the world’s tallest building gimmicky) and the focus rests more with a thundering story and consistently well-executed and exciting action scenes.
Backing up Cruise on his adventure are Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton and Simon Pegg as the mysterious diplomat, the tough girl and the geeky computer guy respectively. All do respectable jobs of keeping up with the hero and Renner shows off his action chops in advance of his upcoming Avengers and Bourne outings.
Pure popcorn fun from beginning to end, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol marks a franchise getting it just right for the first time – expect a sequel coming soon.
The Leaving Cert ruined Wuthering Heights for me. It was exactly the sort of story I loved – dark, moody, anti-authoritatrian – and still do and if somebody had had the time to sit me down and tell it to me I’m sure I would’ve been fascinated.
Unfortunately the fine mesh sieve that every word, image and allusion was forced through during my studies obliterated any real appreciation I had for the book.
Sitting down to Andrea Arnold’s adaptation of the book I hoped I could shed my unwarranted loathing and enjoy the story the way I knew it should be.
Disappointment, thy name is Brontë.
Actually that’s not fair. Emily Brontë’s story of passion and heartache on the moors is still one of extraordinary richness and power. It’s Aronld’s tiresome interpretation that’s done the damage this time, not my over-eager English teacher.
Arnold’s film is a gritty, realistic rendering of things, chock full of swearing, puking and steadicam shots. While this approach is perfect for the story, its effect is ruined by the tortuously slow pace. While the glory and harsh beauty of the moors is well captured, it is dwelt on way too much and the meaningful shots of birds, insects and foliage make things feel like a parody of a Calvin Klein ad from the early ’90s.
While Kaya Scodelario and James Howson are both fine leads the omission of a large lump of the end of the film means that this isn’t even useful for swotting up before the exams. Snore.