Sunday 30 June 2013

ONE TO WATCH: WARM BODIES (DVD)


Zombies. You just can’t get away from them. Which is kind of ironic really, because of all the bogeymen created over the years I’m pretty sure most of us could outrun a zombie. A traditional zombie that is, not one of those new age sprinting types. I’m fairly confident if zombies did overrun the world I would still be able to live my life, do the shopping and get some wine in for the weekend.

R (Nicholas Hoult) is a zombie with great taste in music, limited vocabulary and a love of brain food. Literally. Julie (Teresa Palmer) is a very attractive human that specialises in breathing and taking down zombies. When R makes an unexpected decision to rescue Julie from a zombie attack, his lifeless existence begins to take shape. As the unlikely relationship develops, R's decision to protect her sets in motion a sequence of events that could change them both forever. Directed by Jonathan Levine (50/50) and based on the debut novel by Isaac Marion, Warm Bodies is a curious take on the zombie sub-genre; funny, touching and uplifting at times.

Three films sprang to mind as I consumed Warm Bodies; Zombieland, Edward Scissorhands and Zach Braff’s Garden State. Levine’s screenplay tickles the funny bone in much the same way as Zombieland, though the jokes come less often than the fun premise would suggest. Hoult’s lovelorn zombie shares personality traits with Johnny Depp’s sharp dressed man, and Warm Bodies has a quirky Indie vibe running through its veins, much like the wonderfully offbeat Garden State. Hoult and Palmer make a great onscreen couple, the soundtrack is inspired, and John Malkovich offers welcome support as Julie’s overprotective father.

Most of the funny bits are shown in the trailer but Warm Bodies wins you over with a quality cast, decent effects, surreal charm and warmth by the bucket load. Not to be missed. AW


No comments:

Post a Comment