🍿#8: The Mauritanian
This week: Justice League's injustice, a bonus trailer, Marlon Brando's Oscar snub and a full review of The Mauritanian.
“Better to suffer injustice than to do it.”
~ A Hidden Life, 2019
A league of their own…
Speaking of justice, there’s been a lot of hype over Zack Snyder's Justice League, which was released last month. This is the new director’s cut of the 2017 superhero flop Justice League, for which the original director, Zack Snyder, was banished from finishing. As a result, the 2017 version was shunned by fans and critics alike.
This new director’s cut however has been highly anticipated as it has been finished and released in accordance with Snyder’s vision. It is, in many ways, the film that the fans wanted.
I won’t go into details (read this Vanity Fair interview if you’re interested) because the point is that Snyder has been able to finish the film he set out to make - a testament to the power of his fanbase.
Now, I’m not a massive fan of superhero movies—I’m a Scorsese apologist—and I’m probably not going to watch The Snyder Cut (it’s four hours long!) but I’m genuinely happy for everyone that’s waited nearly four years for it. If you’re one of them, I’d love to know what you thought of it, so let me know in the comments below.
Like the taste of Salty Popcorn? Let me know your thoughts below.
Upcoming Releases
Spiral
UK: 17 May // USA: 14 May
Apparently, eight Saw films weren’t enough so now Spiral: From the Book of Saw will be hitting the big screen next month. In the latest instalment, Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson team up in an effort to catch the criminal mastermind unleashing their twisted form of justice.
Profile
UK: 14 May // USA: 14 May
Inspired by a true story, Profile follows undercover journalist Amy (Valene Kane) as she investigates jihadi recruitment techniques by seducing Syrian-based terrorist, Abu Bilel Al-Britani (Shazad Latif).
This ‘screen-based’ thriller takes place entirely on a computer screen, which isn’t a format that typically appeals to me, but I saw a clip (watch here) that made me think it could be pretty good.
Moffie
UK: 19 September (2019) // USA: 9 April (2021)
Set in 1981, South Africa, Moffie follows a young man (Nicholas van der Swart) as he completes his mandatory two years of military service whilst keeping his sexuality a secret.
Despite Moffie being released in the UK in 2019, it completely slipped under my radar and since it’s one of the best trailers I’ve seen this week, I felt it deserved a mention.
If you’re in the UK you can watch Moffie on Amazon Prime for £2.49. If you’re in the US, it comes out tomorrow.
Fact of the week
On the theme of injustices…
In 1973, Marlon Brando rejected his Oscar for Best Actor following his performance in The Godfather, in protest of Hollywood’s portrayal of Native Americans.
Brando sent Native American actress Sacheen Littlefeather to reject the award on his behalf, along with a speech that she wasn’t able to read due to lack of time. If you watch the clip, you’ll hear how Littlefeather was both booed and applauded.
Some people were furious with the boycott, including John Wayne who apparently had to be held back by six security guards.
Review: The Mauritanian
Star rating:
3.5 (out of 5)
Worth a watch?
Yes
Where to watch:
USA: Amazon Prime ($19.99)
UK: Amazon Prime (free with Prime)
Blurb:
The Mauritanian is based on the harrowingly true story of suspected terrorist Mohamedou Ould Slahi (Tahar Rahim), who allegedly recruited for 9/11 and was detained in Guantanamo Bay for 14 years without charge.
Meanwhile, humanitarian lawyer, Nancy Hollander (Jodie Foster), fights for Slahi’s right to a fair trial while military prosecutor Stuart Couch (Benedict Cumberbatch) builds a case against him.
The review (NO spoilers):
Fans of BBC drama The Serpent will be more than pleased to see Tahar Rahim starring in a Hollywood film. Whilst he’s had prominent parts in several French films over the years, acting alongside the likes of Jodie Foster and Benedict Cumberbatch could mark his ‘big break’.
Rahim doesn’t waste the opportunity mind you, as it’s his performance that really stands out against the rest of the cast. Cumberbatch does a good job of inflicting a southern drawl on his accent and Foster does a good job of looking stern, but that’s about it. Although Foster did win a Golden Globe for her performance, I’m not sure it was entirely deserved.
Rahim on the other hand was a definite contender for the Golden Globe for ‘Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture’, but it’s no surprise that it was given posthumously to Chadwick Boseman for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.
The film itself, however, lacked any urgency or notion of time, which made it difficult to empathise with Slahi. He was stuck in ‘Gitmo’ for an incredibly long time and whilst we know that - we don’t feel it.
Slahi’s story is one that deserves our tears, our shock and our disgust but it’s been glossed over with a Hollywood sheen that detracts from its poignancy.
Scroll down for what’s coming in the next issue and the Critic’s Cut.
If you liked The Mauritanian…
Unthinkable
2010 | UK: Amazon Prime // USA: Amazon Prime ($2.99)
Following a threat to detonate three nuclear bombs across the US, FBI agent Helen (Carri-Anne Moss) seeks the help of a CIA interrogator (Samuel L. Jackson) to pry the locations of each bomb from the extremist behind the plot (Michael Sheen).
In the next issue:
Sound of Metal
UK: 12 April // USA: 20 November (2020) | Watch the Trailer
The Critic’s Cut 🚨SPOILER ALERT🚨:
For me, there are three parts of The Mauritanian that really stand out. Firstly, there’s the torture sequence, which I think is the closest the audience gets to feeling what Slahi is going through - although, there is something slightly off about it.
Simran Hans writes in The Guardian: “Depict an interrogation scene too realistically and run the risk of torture porn, but veer too off-kilter and the effect is distancing.” Whilst The Mauritanian walks a fine line, the surrealist style of the scene does detract from its reality in a way that makes it feel more like a nightmare than a true experience.
The second stand-out moment was Slahi’s courtroom speech, delivered via a video uplink, which is much more to do with Rahim’s delivery than the actual words. I watched it again while writing this and my eyes started to sting - especially at the end when he asks the guard: “They heard me?”
Finally, and this is the most delightful part of the film, is when we see the real Mohamedou Ould Slahi singing along to a Bob Dylan track during the end credits. For someone to have been through more pain and suffering than most people experience in a lifetime and to then see them joyfully singing, is quite a sight.
Do you know someone who’d like a taste of Salty Popcorn? Feel free to send it on.
It also gets you thinking about how many good movies were ruined because of studio interference.
The bank battle with Wonder woman got so much more violent, AMAZING MOVIE!!
Please watch it Mr Salty Popcorn 😁
I did start to watch it, but it’s too long! I think I will watch the film like a series, half an hour each day. Ramadan is approaching and this is the time where I can catch up on films I’ve missed. Your newsletter will be very helpful :)
Back to Justice League, I’m really interested to see what the difference is between the two films. It’s crazy to think how one director can receive such poor reviews and another director receive such praise; of the same film!