High-Rise (2015)

My first taste of this year's BFI London Film Festival was Ben Wheatley's High-Rise, a film based on the 1975 novel of the same name by J.G. Ballard. High-Rise is one of the more bizarre films you could wish to see but its perfect blend of out-there characters and devilish humour make it one of the most mesmerising films of the last few years.

In 1975 London, Dr Robert Laing (Tom Hiddleston) is a young doctor seduced by the lifestyle in a high-rise, created by Anthony Royal (Jeremy Irons) as an isolated community cut off from the rest of society.

Laing meets many of the high-rise's residents and soon realises that normality isn't something easy to find on any of the floors. One of the residents, Richard Wilder (Luke Evans), who works as a documentary filmmaker, takes it upon himself to expose the class injustices that come as a way of life in the high-rise, causing a dangerous social situation to arise and social groups breaking up into violent tribes.

Believe it or not, High-Rise is the first Ben Wheatley film I have seen however, if this is anything to go by, I will need to check out the rest of his filmography right away. Wheatley has that rare quality as a filmmaker to make a film feel unique within its genre, with High- Rise being quite unlike many thrillers I've ever seen.

The film is brilliantly written by Amy Jump, a long time collaborator with Wheatley, with the twisted characters clashing throughout with the equally twisted screenplay devilishly weaving its way from floor to floor. The social commentary that both the book and film delves into regarding the developments in technology warping the human psyche is such an interesting aspect of the story and one that resonates very loud and clear in today's world.

The performances in High-Rise play a massive part in making it such an engrossing watch. Each and every one of the actors delves right into the psyche of their respective character and look like they're having an absolute blast taking them on such a downward spiral. Tom Hiddleston just oozes class and yet again delivers a fine performance, though for me, the most impressive performance comes from Luke Evans as the mentally tortured Wilder.

The film is also shot incredibly well, with Mark Tildesley's production design being brought to life through some wonderful cinematography from another long time collaborator with Wheatley, Laurie Rose. Clint Mansell's menacing score really does bring that sense of impending chaos to the fore and accompanies the film's visuals very effectively.

Of course, with any film as bonkers as High-Rise, comes the chance that audiences may feel alienated from the plot and characters however, if you are willing to switch your mind to escape mode, High-Rise may prove as captivating to you as it was to me.

Fmovies: JG Ballard's dystopian science fiction novels have long been regarded as being unfilmable. Ironically it was Steven Spielberg who first made a film of one of his books, the autobiographical Empire of the Sun which was also more conventional.

In High Rise the building clad in some kind of neo 1970s decor is really the star as it represents the social strata. A society in decay. The film opens where there has been a total nihilistic breakdown amongst the occupants where we see a man roasting a dog's leg before we jump back three months earlier.

Dr Robert Laing (Tom Hiddleston) is a middle class doctor, almost an every-man who is at ease both going up and down the social classes in the tower block. He is helped by Charlotte Melville (Sienna Miller) a sexy neighbour who helps Laing get to the upper floors where tastes are more refined. Better parties, music, swimming pool and restaurants for example.

Richard Wilder (Luke Evans whose get up reminds me a lot of actor Stanley Baker) is a truculent documentary maker who lives near the ground floor with his wife and children amongst the rest of the block's poorer tenants. Wilder is aware and resentful of the inequality that exists in building. He has to put up with electricity outages, lifts not working properly, inferior restaurants, shops, parties. Wilder wants to expose the building's architect Anthony Royal (Jeremy Irons) who lives on the top floor and he also happens to be Laing's occasional squash partner.

As we head towards hedonism, one-upmanship, sex fuelled violence the narrative structure of the film breaks down. The descent into madness is too rapid as Laing suddenly starts to paint his room and himself. The film becomes disjointed although we see some of the upper floor residents who wish to Balkanise the lower floors and re-organise the place more to their benefit.

It is as the novel was just too big and intricate to just chew off and director Ben Wheatley did not have the budget and resources to do it justice.

The film ends with the words of Mrs Margaret Thatcher former Prime Minister of Britain who did so much to ramp up the divisions between rich and poor in the 1980s.

Eight people - about half the audience - walked out of this; usually I think, big deal, let them leave, some people have no taste. For example, fans of Tom Cruise disappointed by Eyes Wide Shut. Here, I guess you could say these were Hiddleston fans who wanted a bit more of him with his top off... but to be honest, I think they were just bored. I was. I should have walked too. As another reviewer here has written, JG Ballard can't be adapted for the screen. He's about right. That's the main problem - the script is a mess, both pretentious and trite, also very pleased with itself. Performances are uneven, and nothing much happens - for example, there is talk of a lobotomy, but that's about it. It's cobblers. Never has anarchic behaviour seemed to tedious and naff. Well worth avoiding, despite a couple of promising moments - the costume party, for example, and the thug who says 'You won't be needing that' - both of which director Wheatley fails to capitalise on. Oh, and it features an annoying intelligent kid, which is a big no no.

High-Rise fmovies. High-Rise is director Ben Wheatley's 5th full length feature (Down Terrace, Kill List, Sightseers, A Field in England) his biggest budget and his most ambitious. An adaptation of J.G. Ballards novel of the same name, although I haven't read the book I do hear that it's a pretty faithful telling. The film is full of stunning imagery and crammed with dreamlike (and at times nightmarish) moments. It seems to be one big metaphor on social status and class systems.

Neurologist Dr. Laing (Tom Hiddleston) moves into a futuristic looking tower block in the 1970's. Only to see the new society crumble into age old violence.

The main character of the film is the High-Rise itself, the whole movie set/shot within its walls barring the brief commute to Laing's office. The Architect (Jeremy Irons) goal was for a seemingly self sustaining society with everything needed to survive and thrive having its own supermarket and gym etc. It's also mentioned at one point that one of the tenants hasn't left the building in years. Although still dealing with "teething" problems with regular power outages and chute blockages (A catalyst for the violence that arise between the levels). The question can be asked as to why the inhabitants don't just leave the complex once the chaos starts? As the doors are always open but it's clear these people seem to be wholly dependent on it. Trapped on their levels of society and unable to move any further up.

The performances are great all round with nice turn-outs from Seinna Miller and Elisabeth Moss but for me Luke Evans as the (in the end) savage Richard Wilder steals the show a seemingly natural leader for the lower levels who becomes devoted to exposing the violence and mayhem that's descending within the buildings walls, and the creator himself Jeremy Irons is fantastic as usual giving a slightly ethereal feel to the proceedings. Tom Hiddleston is our centerpiece and our eye amongst the chaos being able to shift between classes. Excellent in the role (and between this and the BBC drama John Le Carre's The Night Manager) it's clear to see why he has become the icon/sex symbol he is.

The main strength of the film is not the at times over convoluted plot or the loose narrative but the visual flair and bravura showmanship that Ben Wheatley and his crew deliver. Some of the Slow-Motion shots are breathtaking (Similar to the technique he showed in the minute budget for A Field In England) I feel he has only enhanced his reputation where some directors who have made good films with low budgets fail given the much larger scale to work with. The editing is tight and add to that Clint Mansell's brilliant score which elevates what is happening on screen building tension and atmosphere where there should be none. There is also a great cover of Abba's SOS which works ever so well.

High-Rise is certainly not without its flaws the plot is all over the place at times to which certainly in the last third the plot kind of becomes irrelevant a next to non-existent narrative making it hard to follow. All that in turn makes it suffer with a lack of empathy with many of the characters and once the mayhem and unpleasantness is in full swing the violence can feel monotonous, making the third act tension free and meaningless. The performances and the arresting cinematography keeps your eyes peeled even if your attention to the plot is wavering.

Darkly humorous and at time ugly and unsettling certainly flawed but undoubtedly e

There is some intense hatred for High-Rise, which I think comes from people expecting something very different to what they found. So I'm going to try and tell you what to expect without any spoilers.

A lot of people will find this movie hard to relate to because it has anti-heroes and is driven by concept rather than character - its pacing is guided more by the ideas it wishes you to consider than the emotions it wants you to experience. Another swathe of viewers will be put off because it offends their politics, and sociology and politics are at the core of this movie. Ballard made some observations about human nature, the which Jump and Wheatley relate to the politics of their own generation. The majority of High-Rise's observations are pessimistic to say the least; those overly sensitive to the observations' bleakness, or who can't relate to their context may not find much here.

But if you can immerse yourself into the film's style, enjoy the outstanding performances and cinematography, and enjoy decrypting J.G.Ballard's metaphors through Ben Wheatley and Amy Jump's lens, there is a lot here for you.

My only gripes are 1) that it didn't show at any cinemas within a reasonable distance from me, and 2) having Abba stuck in my head (although vastly reinvented versions appear in the movie, it is the original song which burrows into my ear like a parasitic worm).

Ben Wheatley is one of the most exciting British directors working today. His two best films are Kill List, a deeply disturbing horror/thriller about a tormented contract killer, and Sightseers, a black comedy about a troubled couple on their parochial, psychopathic honeymoon.

Key to these films' success are strong characters with interesting dynamics. Kill List begins almost like a domestic kitchen-sink drama centred on the failing relationship between Jay (Neil Maskell) and Shel (MyAnna Burning), but it subsequently evolves, or rather devolves, into something dark, dank and horrible in a most unpredictable manner. Sightseers may be most commonly remembered for its scenes of outlandish violence, such as when Chris (Steve Oram) deliberately runs over a litterer in a fit of righteous anger. However, underneath the comic outbursts of gore is the poignant relationship between Chris and Tina (Alice Lowe), an oddball pair with a past of loneliness and insecurity.

Having proved himself as a director of visceral horror and emotional substance, Ben Wheatley is the natural choice to direct J.G. Ballard's High-Rise, a Goldingesque tale of violent class war exploding within a brutalist tower block. The fragility of civilisation, and the primitive savagery that lurks beneath it, is a darkly fascinating subject that has made for excellent films and books, such as Threads, a devastating vision of post- apocalyptic Britain, and William Golding's Lord of the Flies, which needs no introduction.

High-Rise does not brush shoulders with such works, for its allegory of class divide gets lost in a dull montage of blood, sweat and blue paint. Oh, and dancing air hostesses, for reasons that are, to put it politely, enigmatic.

The focal characters – Robert Laing (Tom Hiddleston), a measured, middle class doctor; Charlotte Melville (Sienna Miller), a sultry woman who serves as Laing's gateway in to upper floors' high culture; Richard Wilder (Luke Evans), a pugnaciously aspirational documentary maker; and Anthony Royal (Jeremy Irons), the patrician architect who designed the building – are introduced well enough, but ultimately do not receive sufficient development.

As the lead and perhaps most relatable character, we are in the body of Laing when he traverses the tower's social scene, which he admits to 'not being very good at'. Some may find him steely, but Laing has an affable reserve and high emotional intelligence. He isn't particularly interested in the petty one-upmanship that comes with climbing the social ladder, but he manages to deftly negotiate it anyway through his insouciant reserve that maintains peoples' interest and disarms any potential enemies. Hiddleston, one of Britain's hottest exports, is well cast here, he delivers the best performance of the film.

However, after a competent introduction to society in the high rise, Laing and the others get lost in an incoherent narrative that favours aesthetics and absurdity over credible character interplay. It begins three months ahead of the main events, showing a blood spattered Laing roasting a dog's leg over a fire surrounded by dirt and detritus. After the introductory period of around thirty minutes, the film then charts what led to this repellent spectacle with a disjointed series of set pieces that give little sense of progression.

Electrical problems are plaguing the building and resentment is brewing between the upper and lower floors, but the descent into nihilism justÂ… happen