Chris and Rose are a young couple heading to the countryside to spend a weekend with Rose’s parents. Along the way, their car is struck by a deer and creating an awkward encounter with the local police. After getting to the house, Rose’s father appears open and a little too comfortable with Chris’s race. Rose’s family clearly lives a life of leisure, but it strikes him that the groundskeeper and the housekeeper are both black. He also gets surprised by the planned garden party the day after their arrival and starts to notice something significantly wrong with his situation.
Definitely Not Post-Racial: Starting in the first scene at the apartment, there was a sense that the mixed race relationship was going to be a theme of the film. Though it was a brief setup, the scene with the officer dove just a bit deeper into the conversation. While Chris chose to not pick a fight and just follow orders, Rose took it upon herself to push the officer near a breaking point. They both got to walk away with a warning about fixing the headlight, but the result could have been different if he had spoken up. This theme continued when they got to the house with the appropriation of black culture and questioning of Chris’s natural qualities.
More of a Thriller than a Horror Film: While this can easily be classified as a horror movie, there was more mystery and suspense rather than gore and jump scares. The care staff had creepy elements to them and there were a few moments with strategic sound effects or eerie music, but I spent more time trying to figure out what the twist about the Armitage family actually was and why the flash from a camera would cause a person to break like Andrew King.
Surprising Acting and Storytelling: While there is a tendency for horror films to be either one-dimensional or focused specifically on the twist, this one dabbled in discussions of race and privilege while blending those themes into the more classic horror/thriller elements. The lighting kept things dark and ominous at times, but Chris broke most horror tropes reserved for black characters and found a way to see through the smoke and mirrors and fight back at the right moments.
Final Verdict: Get Out is one of the best horror films in years. It has a small bit of the comedy from other films like The Cabin in the Woods with some much more depth and intensity than the rest of the crowd. Plus, Rod the TSA stole every scene he was in.
Attempting to beat a blizzard on the way to Red Rock, a stagecoach is stopped on its path when Major Marquis Warren requests for assistance heading the same direction as a fellow bounty hunter looking to collect on a few bounties. Though hesitant, John “the Hangman” Ruth agrees to let him join the trip and agrees to help protect each other’s rewards. Before making it to their resting point, they come across the supposed new sheriff of Red Rock stuck out in the blizzard on foot. They agree to take him in as well and proceed onward to Minnie’s Haberdashery. Upon arrival, there are several men already inside and Minnie is nowhere to be found. Suspicions start to run high as nobody appears to be who them claim.
Tarantino’s Intensity through Cinematography: While he is best known for a violence-laden style of storytelling, Tarantino has continued to claim that filming on 70mm provides a unique and detailed experience not provided by most films. It was clear that cinematography was a focus in this film, as the blizzard conditions and the single location of the haberdashery were gorgeously harsh and covered in detail. While his direction complemented his strong storytelling nature, there was also a bit too much lingering in these details that it somewhat took away from his actual story.
Complex Characters, Slowly Revealed: One of Tarantino’s other staples happens to be his deep character development. It can take an entire movie to understand the true backstory and personality of even a lead character, but this film takes that to a higher level. All the way until the end of the film, Major Warren (Samuel L. Jackson) and Sheriff Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins) remain a bit of a mystery. With a story covered in lies and deceit, it is no surprise that the only character who appears to be clearly who they say they are is John Ruth (Kurt Russell), the bounty hunter.
The dialogue and character development were certainly intriguing, but the way the storytelling was dragged out felt like it could have presented the same detail in nearly a hour’s less time. One could say that the audience is trying to work out the details at the same time as the characters, but it still felt like it was dragged out. There certainly were a few surprises, including the ones involving Bob (Demian Bichir), Oswaldo Mobray (Tim Roth), and Joe Gage (Michael Madsen). It just felt like characters had to keep repeating things out loud for exaggerated dramatic effect.
Final Verdict: Between some engaging visuals and creative character development, there is much to appreciate about this film. The 2 hour 4o minute run time is not one of those things. Tarantino still continues to fill the need for people to mix that character development with some exaggeration gratuitous violence. I can definitely give some credit to Jennifer Jason Leigh for her gritty performance and ability to hold her own against such a strong male cast.
It is their fifth wedding anniversary and Nick Dunne feels less interested in celebrating than attempting to get some stress off of his back. Returning home after a trip to see his sister at the bar, he finds his house has been broken into and his wife is missing. When the police arrive and investigate the scene, they bring Nick in for questioning. He begins to realize that they might suspect foul play and he could be the primary suspect. Searching for his own answers and getting a lawyer onboard, Nick begins to fight for his innocence as the evidence seems to pile up against him. The question is…where is Amazing Amy? Even though Nick begins to look guiltier by the second, is all really as it seems? Is she really dead?
Review: Based on the best-selling novel, David Fincher looked to capitalize on previous success with the thriller genre. While the theme on the surface was simply a quest to answer what happened to Amy Dunne, it was actually only half of the story. While the mid-story twist (though not a secret to readers of the novel) was certainly an enjoyable one, the storytelling and the overall acting felt a little flat. The one exception was Rosamund Pike (Amy Dunne), as her level of intrigue only grew with each maniacal move toward framing her husband. This was a breakout role for her, getting the chance to be featured as a woman going from innocent victim to secret schemer and murderer. Hers was the only performance truly identified as exceptional.
As the story goes, viewers may actually get annoyed or frustrated with the arc. With the first half including an angry Ben Affleck (Nick Dunne) and an untrusting Kim Dickens (Detective Rhonda Boney), the second half features a very eerie Neil Patrick Harris (Desi Collings) and a tolerable Tyler Perry (Tanner Bolt). With Nick first fighting to find Amy and then for his innocence, Affleck did a decent job at portraying the frustration with seeing the world turn against him and of a man more concerned with his image than uncovering the truth of the ordeal. When he finally realized what really happened, he simply fell into a helpless state. This ending may have been the most frustrating thing, particularly since almost all of Nick’s wrongdoings had been aired out already.
For Amy, her story was intriguing, but it was also a little too farfetched that one woman could deceive so many people without making a single mistake. The way the film ended left a bitter taste and an uneasy feeling that the story was still missing some other element to provide a better sense of closure.
Trying to land a new contract for his agency, advertising professional Joe Doucett fails to land the contract after taking his interest in his associate’s partner too far. After getting drunk and wandering the streets, he collapses and vanishes. Waking up in a small room, he discovers that he is in some sort of solitary confinement with no sense of why or how he ended up there. Whoever has imprisioned him has gone to great lengths to keep him alive but also under control. The television begins to broadcast news reports about his involvement in the murder of his wife and his subsequent disappearance. Obsessed with trying to survive for his daughter, he eventually finds a way to escape and goes on a tear to find Mia and enact his revenge. Armed with his list and a new friend, he begins to hunt the people who imprisoned him, only to discover that his imprisonment and release was much more complicated than he could have guessed.
Starring: Josh Brolin (Joe Doucett), Elizabeth Olsen (Marie Sebastian), Sharlto Copley (Adrian/The Stranger), Samuel L. Jackson (Chaney), Michael Imperioli (Chucky), Pom Klementieff (Haeng-Bok), James Ransone (Dr. Tom Mebly), Max Casella (James Prestley), Linda Emond (Edwina Burke), Elvis Nolasco (Cortez)
Starting off as a rather brash and unlikable character, Brolin brought a certain misguided natural to his role. While his character seemed to find a way to go on a methodical rampage, he seemed to be able to find his order through the confinement over the 20 years. Olsen appeared to be a very kind and caring individual, though easily misguided and unclear with the conclusion of the film. Copley was quite the villain, with just the right amount of obsession to make his plan an intriguing story. Jackson portrayed his trademark brutish and over-the-top nature.
Adapted from the original 2003 South Korean film, Spike Lee’s version pitted a hapless advertising agent against a vengeful conspirator set on completing an eye-for-a-eye mission in as painful a way as possible. Joe’s abduction was one that seemed to have no sense or purpose, other than to destroy his life. Spending 20 years locked away, he believed that he discovered a way to escape but seemed to not realize that his getaway was part of a grander plan set forth by Adrian. Having suffered an experience of incest and witnessing the murder/suicide of the rest of his family for a rumor spread by Joe during college, Adrian was able to manipulate Joe into a path that would allow him to experience nearly the same fate that he had befallen.
The film is one that maintained a dark and dangerous tone throughout while also including a lot of violence and gore. Once released from his imprisonment, the film depicted the rampage of Joe with the use of a hammer and a knife to Chaney’s neck. The aggression in Joe’s demeanor was clear, as was the transformation once he discovered the truth behind his imprisonment and subsequent release. Adrian’s story was tragic and brought a certain sense of compassion for his situation, even though it was not revealed until near the end of the story. While these events were intriguing, the character development was so minimal and rushed that it felt like there was something significant missing. Joe just seemed like an alcoholic who mysteriously was able to kick it and become fit in a montage and Chaney felt like his involvement in the plan was weakly supported by the plot.
Oldboy is a movie that seemed to mirror a lot of the elements of the original but lacked the depth and connectedness needed to be a stronger adaptation.
Air Marshal Bill Marks is a man struggling with a fractured past. Taking a drink before boarding a flight to London, he observes the chaos of the terminal and eventually takes his seat on the plane. Meeting the woman sitting next to him, Jen Summers helps him cope with the takeoff. Once airborne, Bill begins to receive texts on his secure air marshal network from a man claiming to kill passengers every 20 minutes unless $150 million is wired to the provided account. He suspects the other air marshal but is surprised to learn that he knows nothing of the threatening texts. Enlisting the assistance of Jen, one of the flight attendants, and the pilots, Bill begins his mission to stop the terrorist before anyone dies or worse. Unfortunately, his mission will be tougher than he thinks, as he is suddenly suspected of being involved in the terrorist plot.
Liam entered this film ready to take action like many of his previous roles. He held a strong sense of command, even in his moments of uncertainty. While there was an expectation that Moore would eventually break down into tears, she surprisingly gives a balanced performance with a few moments of intensity toward Neeson. Dockery was an interesting case study, as her character seemed to struggle the most with the conflict but also follow Neeson’s command. The rest of the passengers combined to create the sense of mystery of who was leading the terrorist charge.
Having previously worked with Neeson on Unknown, Jaume Collet-Serra looked to create terror in an enclosed, inescapable space. The terrorist plot that Bill had to uncover was one that was well planned and multiple steps ahead. While he was chasing down the person who was sending him the texts, he was unaware that he was being manipulated to help the terrorists with their plot. As each set of 20 minutes passed, Bill unknowingly helped execute another passenger, either by his own hands or in response to his actions. Later on during the flight, he was unaware that his realizations regarding the extent of the danger to the plane were putting the terrorists closer to their inevitable conclusion. To his benefit, the terrorists were not all on the same page, so he had an opening to make a heroic recovery.
The suspense of the film was high from start to finish. Although Bill’s challenges were a little unclear at the beginning, the alcoholism and smoking addiction were quite clear and would be plot points later in the film. The texts helped to set the scenes, but they also caused Bill to react in specific ways to try and reduce the threat. When he suspected his co-air marshal, they found themselves in a brawl in the bathroom. When the cabin took a sharp course change, it left the passengers in a mess and the pilot terminated in the chaos.Once he had the realization about their awareness, he still struggled to take them down. It ended up being a bit of luck to attempt to save the passengers.
The film is high-energy and clever in the way that it presents this challenge at tens of thousands of feet in the air. The beginning and the motives for the terrorists were a bit rushed, but this film will keep viewers on the edge of their seats regardless.
After a war with the alien Scavs that left the Earth decimated, the remaining human survivors have retreated to a space station called Tet and a colony on Titan (one of Saturn’s moons). Left on Earth to observe and support the mineral extraction of the remaining ocean water, Jack Harper and Victoria have only two more weeks of observation before they are set to join the colony. When there are two drones reported down, Jack goes to repair them. He finds the first and completes the repair, but the second one leads him to a signal set by the Scavs. Barely escaping with his life, he goes on a search the following day to find the missing drone but actually takes some time to get an escape at his secret cabin. An object crashing through the atmosphere captures the attention of both Jack and Victoria, but the discovery of the crash site reveals much more about their situation.
Starring: Tom Cruise (Jack Harper), Andrea Riseborough (Victoria), Morgan Freeman (Beech), Olga Kurylenko (Julia), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Sykes), Zoe Bell (Kara), Melissa Leo (Sally)
Much of the film is dominated by the combination of Cruise, Riseborough and Kurylenko. Cruise has a similar sense about his character as many of his previous action films. He phases from oblivious to determined fairly well, but there are some strange moments where his emotional changes do not seem to match the scene transitions and context. Riseborough plays her character to a solid consistency, while Kurylenko has a slight imbalance to hers. Freeman also joins the group in a supporting role, but did not add much to the overall presentation.
Joseph Kosinki’s film was based on an unpublished graphic novel by the same name. Jack and Victoria were survivors of a war that caused the remaining humans to flee Earth and try to establish life elsewhere, only to later discover that everything they know is false. The Scavs were not the aliens they thought they knew. The drones were not programmed to protect them and the mission to help humanity. They were not even who they thought they were. This discovery caused Jack to decide to side with the resistance group aiming to destroy the Tet, believing that the space station is the source of their plight.
The movie highlighted the grim setting on Earth post-war, but the tone killed some of the momentum of the story. An imbalance between the scenes of discovery and realization and the ones to fill out the story ended up creating a number of lulls that dulled out the action sequences. As mentioned previously, the acting was also imbalanced save for a handful of more dramatic moments. There also seemed to be a lack of solid understanding and consistency between the time elapsed between major events and the development of the clones and infrastructure of the Tet system on Earth. Why was there a need for the ocean water and why specifically Earth? There were celestial bodies where Tet could have mined their need for H2O without the need for war.
The film had some interesting elements and a richly developed environment, but the story lacked consistency and significance to make this a true blockbuster.
Early in his career, advertising guru Misha is experiencing much success. He can figure out the best ways to cause his company’s partnerships extend their profits through targeted and successful marketing. When he meets Abby, he decides to split from longtime friend, Bob, and develop his own company while working on a new television Extreme Cosmetica. Everything looks like it is going to be a huge success until Bob chases after Misha’s success and the focal point of their show does not wake up from the anesthesia. Broken and woeful, Misha escapes to the countryside. Several years later, Abby finds the lonely man and happens upon him at the moment of a breakthrough. Attending to the ritual of sacrificing the red calf, Misha’s eyes are opened to the hidden world of brands and their affect on the world around him. Determined to bring down the marketing industry, he sets out to develop a campaign to destroy them all.
Mostly focusing around the insanity of a man confused by his profession, Stoppard made for a believable visionary who could not seem to get his thoughts reigned in. His insanity was really one of the only bright parts to this film. Tambor simply came off as an executive jerk, though that was the point of the film. Sobieski was a decent partner for Stoppard but does not add too much to the film. When confronted with Stoppard’s crazier scenes, she seemed to have very stunted emotional reactions. Sydow’s character also seemed somewhat pompous and underdeveloped.
Jamie Bradshaw’s and Aleksandr Dulerayn’s film looked to make a statement about the power and abuse of marketing on today’s society. The scene for the film was not set too far off in the future so as to make the development of a brand-obssessed populous (not unlike today) believable. The premise of the film surrounding a man chosen to see the hidden world of marketing by a power greater than himself was a bit “trippy” even though the point was to show how the supernatural can sometimes make a visionary appear like a maniac. By sacrificing the red calf, Misha allowed himself to see weird creatures that clung to people and buildings that represented the automated desires feeding the larger brand-oriented creatures. Having finally realized the dangers of marketing, he used his marketing skills to take out the unhealthy brands one by one, though he was not going to go unnoticed by the government and the confused but angry populous.
While avoiding the use of any actual brand names, it was clear what the writers and directors were going for when they showed which brands were dangerous to people. On the board in Misha’s office, there was a list that included company names that represented real brands like McDonalds, Apple, Microsoft, Johnson & Johnson, Coca-Cola, Burger King, Samsung and more. Even though it can be difficult to figure out some of the connections, it was clear that every industry was under attack in this film. The problem with this film was that this message was lost behind how dark and freaky the whole concept was presented. There was no widespread appeal for a film that used blob-like monsters to represent major company brands, when the cast was also not A-list and whole presentation seemed a bit droll.
While the film failed to take off, there are some redeeming qualities, mostly in the message of the dangers of brand loyalty and obsession. Without a more compelling, connected presentation and stronger acting, this one will simply stay faded in the background of other politically-themed movies.
Told through the novel written by Clay Hammond, Rory Jansen was a struggling writer trying to find his place in the world. With a beautiful woman by his side, he shifted away from his passion for a short period of time until he one day realized that there was a surprise in the gift Dora purchased while in Paris. Reading the manuscript brought him to tears but he kept it hidden. After feeling restless one night, he arose out of bed and felt an urge to type the story word for word if only to get the tactile experience of the words. After Dora discovered the story on his computer and believed that he wrote it, she convinced him to present it to someone at his work. Hiding the fact that he did not write it, Rory gained significant esteem for his accomplishment. Always feeling a little guilty but able to hide it, Rory was shocked one day when he was confronted in the park by a man who claimed to have lived the story Rory wrote.
Starring: Dennis Quaid (Clay Hammond), Bradley Cooper (Rory Jansen), Zoe Saldana (Dora Jansen), Jeremy Irons (The Old Man), Ben Barnes (The Young Man), Nora Amezeder (Ceila), JK Simmons (Rory’s father), Olivia Wilde (Daniella), John Hannah (Richard Ford), Zeljko Ivanek (Cutler)
The focus of this movie really keys into the combination of Cooper, Irons and Barnes. Cooper has been proving in each of his films that he has quite the range even this early in his career. His performance is somewhat reminiscent of his character from Limitless but with more compassion for the predicament he falls under. Irons fluctuates between restrained anger and deflated frustration, giving his character real conflict with his story told by another person. Barnes represents more of the flow of life from happiness to sadness and despair. Quaid, Saldana, Amezeder and Wilde all add to the film’s conflict of conscience.
Creating this story of interconnected tales, Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal entertained viewers through the conflict of conscience and the mystery of how everything was actually connected. The film started with the telling of a story that may or may not be a work of fiction. The story followed Rory’s writer’s block, followed by his lucky find and finally his guilt, but this was only a part of the storytelling. The Window Tears actually misrepresented the biographical work as a fictional story, causing the old man to come out of hiding to confront Rory. The old man told the story of his luck in love, life in Paris and loss of both his child and then his wife. While the story originally brought Rory to tears when he read it, the discovery of the real person who experienced it left him speechless. Tossing in the fact that Clay’s book seemed to be more personal than he originally let on, this film is extremely intertwined.
The primary message of this film relates to reconciliation. Rory eventually ended up struggling with the fact that he stole the old man’s story and marketed it as his own. Feeling uneasy about the old man’s lack of a request, Rory kept searching for something to redeem himself and give credit to the right person. The old man kept resisting and essentially told Rory that he has to live the guilt for what he did and make whatever other choices he deemed fit. This left Rory to realize that there was nothing he could do to ever fully move on, as the decision to steal and withhold the truth affected too many people to keep the effects contained.
The Words is a rather engaging film that seemed to be get lost in the shuffle of a number of big name films of the past year. The acting is strong and the story is intricate to a point that keeps viewers guessing and interested to dive deeper.
In a world that appears to be connected across generations, the stories of six time periods seems to project a series of themes of the significance of life, death, love, faith and triumph. In the early 1800s, a young lawyer named Adam Ewing is on route to deliver a proclamation to extend the slave trade, when he is confronted with a difficult choice to show kindness to a black stowaway seeking freedom. In the 1930s, Robert Frobisher seeks to work with the aging composer Vyvyan Ayrs to learn from his experience and compose a life-changing work of his own. In the 1970s, reporter Luisa Rey takes on an assignment to research the practices of a nuclear power plant that seems to be cloaked in a veil of deceit. In 2012 after his client’s book drags him into a dangerous game between a gang of extortionists and a deceitful brother, publisher Timothy Cavendish is thrown into a retirement community and seeks to find a way to escape. In 2144, Sonmi-451 finds herself in an epic conflict when she is broken free from her monotonous existence and is shown a world of power and privilege. In a much more significantly distant future, Zachry seeks to protect his tribe from a band of savages while trying to understand the motives of a prescient being named Meronym.
Starring: Tom Hanks (Dr. Henry Goose/Hotel Manager/Isaac Sachs/Dermot Hoggins/Actor/Zachry), Halle Berry (Native Woman/Jocasta Ayrs/Luisa Rey/Indian Party Guest/Ovid/Meronym), Jim Broadbent (Captain Molyneux/Vyvyan Ayrs/Timothy Cavendish/Korean Musician/Prescient 2), Hugo Weaving (Haskell Moore/Tadeusz Kesselring/Bill Smoke/Nurse Noakes/Boardman Mephi/Old Georgie), Jim Sturgess (Adam Ewing/Poor Hotel Guest/Mega’s Dad/Highlander/Hae-Joo Chang/Zachry Brother-in-Law), Doona Bae (Tilda/Megan’s Mom/Mexican Woman/Sonmi-451/Sonmi-351/Sonmi Prostitute), Ben Whishaw (Cabin Boy/Robert Frobisher/Store Clerk/Georgette/Tribesman), Keith David (Kupaka/Joe Napier/An-kor Apis/Prescient), James D’Arcy (Young Rufus Sixsmith/Old Rufus Sixsmith/Nurse James/Archivist), Xun Zhou (Talbot/Hotel Manager/Yoona-939/Rose), David Gyasi (Autua/Lester Ray/Duophsyte), Susan Sarandon (Madame Horrox/Older Ursula/Yusouf Suleiman/Abbess), Hugh Grant (Rev. Giles Horrox/Hotel Heavy/Lloyd Hooks/Denholme Cavendish/Seer Rhee/Kona Chief), Robert Fyfe (Old Salty Dog/Mr. Meeks/Prescient 1)
While the story itself is complicated and interwoven, the cast is just as complex. Each of the main actors plays multiple characters across each of the moments in the timeline, with similar traits converging with each character. Hanks takes on roles that range from a greedy doctor to a conflicted scientist to a protective tribal member. As impressive as his transformations are, Halle Berry’s are much more dramatic. Berry takes on roles including a white woman, an investigative reporter and a futuristic explorer. Serving as the villain across each of the time periods, Hugo Weaving’s sinister nature takes the form of more realistic characters (like that of assassin Bill Smoke and Nurse Noakes) to supernatural beings (like that of Old Georgie). Also playing a combination of male and female characters, Whishaw takes a significant role as the optimistic composer and amp up the intensity of the composition process. Jim Sturgess, similar to Berry’s dramatic transformations, is transformed into an Asian hero and is nearly unrecognizable.
A complicated film takes a complex directoral crew (Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski) and a talented writer (David Mitchell). Spanning the breadth of the story, an image of a comet-shaped birthmark seems to distinguish each of the characters that will take on the heroic role for their times. While each time’s heroic story has varying levels of impact, they still represent the connectedness of things. Adam Ewing (1800s) discovered Autua aboard the ship and was conflicted with his role in the slave trade. After discovering that Dr. Goose was poisoning him and after being saved by Autua, Adam builds enough strength to both take down the greedy doctor and declare to his father-in-law that he refused to support the slave trade any longer. Robert Frobisher (1930s) had a strong desire to work with the aging Vyvyan Ayrs, but discovered that the old composer was much more greedy and manipulative than he realized. Gunning down the controlling old man allowed him to complete his symphony without fear of losing credit for his work. Luisa Rey (1970s) gained access to the nuclear power plant and discovered that a secret relationship with coal had developed a plot to make a public demonstration to protect the coal industry from becoming obsolete. After surviving a near-death experience, she teamed up with Joe Napier to take out the assassin and make the plot public in order to save the lives of thousands. Timothy Cavendish’s (2012) story was a bit less impactful, but his adventure was steeped in trickery to escape the thugs and the intimidating Nurse Noakes. Sonmi-451 (2144) would have continued her controlled experience had Yoona-939 not killed their owner and exposed her to a life outside of their experience. Rescued him Hae-Joo Chang, he showed her the truth about the current version of slavery and introduced her to her role as a martyr. Zachry (2321) was cautious of Meronym, while he tried to sort out the guidance by Abbess and the threat by Old Georgie). Discovering his tribe destroyed by the natives, he seeks a peaceful existence with the prescient beings.
The complexities of this film a significant enough that one viewing is not enough to catch the little intricacies. Throughout the film, there are lines that highlight the interconnectedness of life and the concept that interactions and relationships are actually predestined as spirits travel from one physical form to the next. Weaving’s and Hugh Grant’s characters may not be the only ones that are villainous from start to finish, but the common themes seem to be that their actions either follow direct physical violence or attempts to control the people around them. The other characters seems to fluctuate between victims, supporters, villains and heroes. Even when one of the main characters is not central to the story, they still play a role that may have been filled by a different actor or actress during the other time periods. Critics have been rather polarized, either praising the way the stories are interconnected or identifying them as convoluted and impossible to appreciate. The film seems to be designed to require more than one viewing in order to catch all of the details, but it would be easier to identify this film as more ambitious than even last year’s epic journey The Tree of Life.
Cloud Atlas is an intense and impressive attempt to show the complexity of life by exploring very different yet related stories from six different time periods. The art direction, costuming and makeup alone make this a must-see film.
Though Bob Lee Swagger has been regarded as one of the best marksmen in the US military, he is now secluded in the Rockies, living off the land. When he is approached by Colonel Isaac Johnson about concern for safety at a series of public speeches by the president, Swagger eventually accepts to scout out the sites and give feedback to the colonel. After checking out Baltimore, Washington DC and Philadelphia, he determines that the Philadelphia location is the only one of the three that would put the president at risk of a sniper. During the speech and while consulting the colonel, he is double-crossed and set up for the attack and murder of the Archbishop of Ethiopia. One the run and wounded, he has to figure out how to stay alive and clear his name. His only supports out in the world are an FBI agent who suspects something wrong with the situation and the widow of his partner when he was out in the field.
Starring: Mark Walhberg (Bob Lee Swagger), Michael Pena (Nick Memphis), Danny Glover (Colonel Isaac Johnson), Kate Mara (Sarah Fenn), Elias Koteas (Jack Payne), Rhona Mitra (Alourdes Galindo), Jonathan Walker (Louis Dobbler), Rade Serbedzija (Michael Sandor), Tate Donovan (Russ Turner), Louis Ferreira (Howard Purnell), Ned Beatty (Senator Charles F. Meachum), Alan C. Peterson (Officer Stanley Timmons)
With Walhberg’s standard stoic acting style, he was actually a great fit for this movie. He had a seriousness and simpleness to his character that was better fit with his personality. Pena served as a great sidekick as he had not completely established himself as more of a breakout star. Glover is a bit of a surprise in the way his character is a little more secretive about his intentions than he initially lets on.
Antoine Fuqua and Jonathan Lemkin based this film off of the best-selling book by Stephen Hunter. Still plagued by the anguish of the loss of his partner out in the desert, Swagger sought out to simply live a secluded life in the mountains. Johnson was able to use Swagger appreciation for patriotism and the history of his father’s service to entice Swagger to come out of retirement. Unaware of the motives of the colonel and his team, he scoped out the three cities to determine the biggest terrorism concern. Swagger was surprised that he was double-crossed but immediately dropped into survival mode. His training prepared him for the challenges of evading capture and surviving injury. Able to think steps ahead of the conspirators, Swagger is able to go on a rampage to unearth the leaders responsible for framing him.
While this is of course a movie and therefore fiction, some of the elements of the film are both intriguing and challenging. While Swagger is an amazing shot (as proven by his work with moving targets in the desert, he makes some impossible shots between the handgun attack on the soldier on the roof and the multiple shots while standing on a boat on the water. The high-powered shots are also incredibly explosive, including the ones to completely disarm one man and take out helicopters. The most controversial element though is with the evidence for or against Swagger. The conspirators are able to get access to his guns and use his scouting against him, but the firing pin was the turning point in his guilt. While it seems like a small, quick way to wrap things up even with only a quick, negligible scene to show that he switched the pins, it followed the storyline of the book and represents a tactic that a marksman would use to keep his weapons disarmed until he wanted to use them.
This film is Walhberg’s best one of his career so far and represents the best tone of a storyline for his personality. Definitely worth watching.
Down the Red Carpet: Dan's Movie Reviews 