Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller, Luke Evans,
Director: Ben Wheatley
Rating: 3.5/5
High-Rise
British filmmaker Ben Wheatley returns to the director's chair this week with High-Rise, which is an adaptation of the J.G. Ballard novel of the same name. The film sees Amy Jump on writing duties once again while Wheatley teams up with actor Tom Hiddleston for the first time.
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...
Hiddleston is one of the most in-demand actors around at the moment and it is great to see him tackling such an interesting and daring project - he has never starred in anything like this in his career so far. It is always good to see him back on the big screen.
And High-Rise sees him deliver another terrific performance as he takes on the central role of Dr Robert Laing. There is something quite cold and calculated to his portrayal of this character - he is someone that you never quite warm to and yet you are totally intrigued and engrossed by.
The character of Laing acts as a guide through the chaos of the high-rise and yet, he is a character that is compromised along the way. While the cast is loaded with talent, it is Hiddleston who truly shines from start to finish and it is his performance that further elevates a terrific screenplay.
Writer Amy Jump has wonderfully captured the essence of the book in what is a dark humoured and, at times, a rather uncompromising look at human nature.
This is a film that explores ideas of class war, social climbing, wanting to flaunt your success... all of which descends into madness, hate, and war. All of this is conveyed with a satirical edge and a bleakness that really is terrific.
You can see that Wheatley has a high regard for the source material as he has crafted this film with such care and attention; it really is one of the best movies of his career to date. This is one of the most ambitious films of Wheatley's career to date and he really does pull it off as the visuals are just spectacular.
High-Rise is a movie that I have been looking forward to for some time and it is a film that has not disappointed. Wheatley was the perfect choice to bring Ballard's vision to the big screen and, while staying faithful to the book, he has put his own unique stamp on the story and on these fascinating, interesting, and incredibly unlikeable characters.
High-Rise is out now.
Tagged in Tom Hiddleston Ben Wheatley