Genre: Action & Adventure, Drama, Science-Fiction
Directed by: Rupert Sanders
Written by: Jonathan Herman, Jamie Moss
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Pilou Asbæk, Michael Pitt, Takeshi Kitano and Juliette Binoche
In Theaters: Mar 31, 2017 (Wide)
Runtime: 106 minutes
Directed by: Rupert Sanders
Written by: Jonathan Herman, Jamie Moss
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Pilou Asbæk, Michael Pitt, Takeshi Kitano and Juliette Binoche
In Theaters: Mar 31, 2017 (Wide)
Runtime: 106 minutes
Since the day it was announced Scarlett Johansson was cast as Motoko Kusanagi in a live-action adaptation of Ghost in the Shell (called by simply The Major or "Mira" in the movie), there were a lot of controversy around the whitewashing of an iconic manga character. But, guess what: it is Johansson's ghost who saves the movie from being a huge misfire.
The source material from the 1996's animated film of the same name is unique, with a sublime soul, hard philosophic questions and some amazing visuals. That said I must confess I was surprised by the choice of Rupert Sanders for the director's chair, since he showed so little as a storyteller in Snow White and the Huntsman and being able to tell a story and ask the audiences to think was something essential for a Ghost in the Shell adaptation. Well, the director might fail as a storyteller, but I must recognize it would be difficult to elevate such a weak screenplay. No matter what, Sanders amazes the audiences with the world he built on-screen: everything's so amazing and every detail is so polished, turning Ghost in the Shell into one of the most beautiful movies to look at in recent years. Production design, cinematography work and visual effects all work like an A-class symphony in order to create a visual feast on-screen - kudos for the amazing recreation of the shelling sequence!
Just like I said, thank God they cast Scarlett Johansson in this one. While most of the critics who assumed to be fans of the original movie seem more concerned to keep the whitewashing controversy alive than to actually review the lead's performance, I must say I was quite impressed with Johansson once again. After a series of acting performances we can name "What means to be human?" composed by her turns in Her, Lucy and Under the Skin, I asked myself how could Johansson pull a different performance from a material that's similar to the previous ones... but she delivers one of the most refined performances in the last years of the sci-fi genre. She's a living weapon, for sure, but if you look at her eyes she shows she has a soul, an inner something that's far more complex and subjetive than the action sequences she's in. The script demands Johansson to ask the wrong questions, but in the quieter moments you understand she is haunted by her ghost. The actress proves she's a true star with this commanding performance, but I don't think it will be the acting turn that will give her the first Oscar nomination she's overdue for.
Thumbs up for Pilou Asbæk, who has great chemistry with the female lead and manages to make a huge impression everytime he's on-screen. The sound work is spectacular and some of the action scenes are thrilling too... Too bad it fails to capture the essence of its source material - a beautiful and visually magnetic shell but a ghost that only lives in Scarlett Johansson and not in the movie has a whole.
RATING: 3 / 5
Academy Award playing categories:
- Best Cinematography
- Best Production Design
- Best Sound Editing
- Best Sound Mixing
- Best Visual Effects
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