If I've said it once, I've said it thirty times, me loves a revenge story. But because it was Jodie Foster's story, I was secretly hoping The Brave One would be a little more than just the tale of a vigilante. I'm so glad my hopes weren't dashed. This drama follows a woman who not only responds to a paralyzing amount of fear, but who also outlasts an enormous amount of grief. Who among us hasn't wondered 'what would I do if everyone I cared for was taken away' - especially if taken under circumstances of violence? Sure, it's one of those what-ifs to which it's easy to respond "well hell, how can I really predict what I'd do until faced with such a terrible thing" but I believe it's crucial to realize there are women, men, children all around us who have had to endure such horrific circumstances. The only teeny weeny opposition I have to the movie is Terrence Howard's Detective Mercer who is at risk for becoming too predictable of a bow on this package of tragedy; but because of his marvelous talent, Mr. Howard delivers both a believable storyline and gratifying ending.
I noticed today that People magazine only gave this film 1 & 1/2 stars. Really. What a surprise from such a classy magazine.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
WWVD (What Wouldn't Viggo Do)
I don't know shit about directing, but when I read that the new film Eastern Promises was directed by David Cronenberg, the director of 2005's A History of Violence, that became almost as good a reason to see this movie as its star, Mr. Renaissance himself, Viggo Mortensen. Eastern has much the same feel as Violence; similarly savage but crucial bloodshed, comparable plot twists. It also has compelling performances from every single character, from the smallest to the biggest, including Viggo's Nikolai: A body full of tattoos. A flawless Ukranian accent topped off with the signature understated tenor. A confidence in the strength of his naked body.
While the final 1/4 of the film is not particularly surprising, it's still so satisfying because of what the characters have contributed to the story. There is simply too much that can be said about this movie, so I won't even begin to try. But there are some beautiful surprises including the acting heavyweight Armin Mueller-Stahl cast as the godfather of the Russian mob. His sausage-y lips give him the look of a sweet old man, but the fierce blueness of his eyes reveals something entirely different. Be scared.
While the final 1/4 of the film is not particularly surprising, it's still so satisfying because of what the characters have contributed to the story. There is simply too much that can be said about this movie, so I won't even begin to try. But there are some beautiful surprises including the acting heavyweight Armin Mueller-Stahl cast as the godfather of the Russian mob. His sausage-y lips give him the look of a sweet old man, but the fierce blueness of his eyes reveals something entirely different. Be scared.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Monday, September 3, 2007
Two Giants
Jet Li + Jason Statham = War = lisflix bliss.
Even though Statham's last film Crank was a piece of crap, I'll never stop paying for a second row seat to his cinematic ass kickings. This is a great pairing with an ending just ambiguous enough to indicate we may be seeing more from these two. Jet plays a two-timing bad guy working for both the Chinese Triad and Japanese Yakuza in a feud that's lasted decades. Statham plays an FBI agent who's also an expert in Asian organized crime, and whose partner is killed in retaliation for an FBI sting. Some good fight scenes, great dialogue, and lots of ego bruising. Winner!
Even though Statham's last film Crank was a piece of crap, I'll never stop paying for a second row seat to his cinematic ass kickings. This is a great pairing with an ending just ambiguous enough to indicate we may be seeing more from these two. Jet plays a two-timing bad guy working for both the Chinese Triad and Japanese Yakuza in a feud that's lasted decades. Statham plays an FBI agent who's also an expert in Asian organized crime, and whose partner is killed in retaliation for an FBI sting. Some good fight scenes, great dialogue, and lots of ego bruising. Winner!
Space Invaders
I'm not sure if there needed to be another remake of Invasion of The Body Snatchers, the original was before my time. But I did enjoy watching the supernatural luminosity of Nicole Kidman's skin and listening once again to Daniel Craig's beautifully husky voice in the current The Invasion. For me however, the star of this movie is the fantastic Jackson Bond who plays not only Kidman's son Oliver, but the savior of all mankind with his selective immunity to the creepy alien virus. His mile-long lashes and cool ability to jab a needle of epinephrine into his fake mom's thoracic cavity may make him a contender for James Bond circa 2030.
Where's the Bacon
This I believe: Kevin Bacon needs to be in more movies. He's a pleasure to watch. He can inhabit characters effortlessly. Sometimes he still looks like he's 23. So when I first saw the trailers for Death Sentence (and dear readers, you know how I love a revenge film), I was Ex. Cit. Ed. Even when I knew Kelly Preston was cast as the wife, it did not deter me from the ticket window. Sadly, this I also believe: save your $$ for the rental.
This movie has so many great ingredients: a (really) perfect family, ferocious violence, a parent willing to risk everything in the name of his child. Unfortunately for Kevin, in this mishandled screenplay/soupcon, the result is a mushy, yucky stew.
One night as dad and eldest son are enjoying time together, the family's suburban sensibility is destroyed by the murder of the son by a pack of no-goodniks out for a thrill kill. It's a brutal scene, but powerful. The perpetrator is easily captured (he gets delayed at the scene of the crime as a result of being hit by a car), identified, and brought before a judge. Yet because Bacon's character disagrees with the notion of a plea bargain, he suddenly turns vigilante. And not in the clumsy, carelessly naive fashion that most wounded suburban fathers would employ; apparently this dad has so quickly embraced the darkness within him that he can stab, outrun, and throwdown on a half-dozen meth heads half his age.
It would have been so interesting (and not difficult) if the screenwriters would have added some dimension to the young man who killed Bacon's son. It would have been interesting if there had been more attention paid to the younger brother's awkward grief - his parents literally abandon him to it - after all, this was the perfect family, they would have talked about their feelings. And it certainly would have been interesting to give Bacon some opportunity to show that he had a bad ass hiding inside before he suddenly showed up ready to manhandle a pump action shotgun and 4 pound cannon stuffed in his waistband.
A little p.s. on product placement: with all the car grills that get shoved at the audience, it's perfectly evident the Ford Motor Co. was a silent partner in this film. Bacon drives a new 500 (even though it's from a Fusion he gets his tire iron to whack a bad guy), a Taurus goes off a roof, even the bad guys have a primo souped up Shelby fastback. Screw subliminal. Buy American!
This movie has so many great ingredients: a (really) perfect family, ferocious violence, a parent willing to risk everything in the name of his child. Unfortunately for Kevin, in this mishandled screenplay/soupcon, the result is a mushy, yucky stew.
One night as dad and eldest son are enjoying time together, the family's suburban sensibility is destroyed by the murder of the son by a pack of no-goodniks out for a thrill kill. It's a brutal scene, but powerful. The perpetrator is easily captured (he gets delayed at the scene of the crime as a result of being hit by a car), identified, and brought before a judge. Yet because Bacon's character disagrees with the notion of a plea bargain, he suddenly turns vigilante. And not in the clumsy, carelessly naive fashion that most wounded suburban fathers would employ; apparently this dad has so quickly embraced the darkness within him that he can stab, outrun, and throwdown on a half-dozen meth heads half his age.
It would have been so interesting (and not difficult) if the screenwriters would have added some dimension to the young man who killed Bacon's son. It would have been interesting if there had been more attention paid to the younger brother's awkward grief - his parents literally abandon him to it - after all, this was the perfect family, they would have talked about their feelings. And it certainly would have been interesting to give Bacon some opportunity to show that he had a bad ass hiding inside before he suddenly showed up ready to manhandle a pump action shotgun and 4 pound cannon stuffed in his waistband.
A little p.s. on product placement: with all the car grills that get shoved at the audience, it's perfectly evident the Ford Motor Co. was a silent partner in this film. Bacon drives a new 500 (even though it's from a Fusion he gets his tire iron to whack a bad guy), a Taurus goes off a roof, even the bad guys have a primo souped up Shelby fastback. Screw subliminal. Buy American!
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