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Tuesday 26 February 2013

Bullet To The Head

Following the mediocre return of Arnold in my Last Stand review, Sylvester Stallone has never really dispersed. Bullet to the Head is a fine throwback to 80s action movies.

James Bonomo (Sylvester Stalloneis an experienced hit-man. He is given the opportunity to avenge his partners death through Taylor Kwon (Sung Kang); Washington D.C cop looking to nail the same enemy. That enemy is Keegan (Jason Momoaa ruthless handy man for Robert Morel (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje). 

Morel is head of a crime family who is known to have cops and judges under his payroll. However, it is the gruesome death of James's partner that leads to a portrayal of violence, as James and Taylor begin to wipe the gang off the map, one by one in typical Stallone fashion. 

Walter Hill's latest is pretty straightforward, re-creating a genre of movie that fantastically resembles the 80s retro theme. With very little to the plot but revenge, Stallone leads the way in fantastic shape, promoting a high level of violence, with fight scenes such as the massage parlour going down in epic fashion. Each scene is played out with typical buddy-cop interactions, with a routine chemistry similar to Walter's 48hrs (but fails to blend on occasions).

It was great to see Stallone on screen following Arnold's recurrence, taking me back to the bones of his career. The Last Stand failed to that for me. Sure, we could say that Stallone has a bigger modern day catalogue, but his presence on screen, along with his physical shape is overwhelming. We know Stallone fancies the violence, e.g Rambo (2008) and The Expendables, but the latest serves him well because he ain't directing anybody behind the scenes. Walter Hill, who comes with a serious amount of experience has taken Sly on board and made a good-guy bad-guy throw back to an era we know all too well. The retro theme tunes, fight scenes, iconic heartless bad guy and yes, one or two humorous quotes. And Taylor Kwon - who wasn't too bad either. 

Bullet to the Head is surprisingly enjoyable. It is weird because Stallone looks awful in some, yet terrific in others. Walter Hill mashed up all the pros of 80s action, some cons (bad actors) and ran with it. 

Overall: From modern day crap to 80s nostalgia, Walter Hill revives a genre of action that consistently proves forgetting your brain ain't such a bad thing. Bullet to the Head is a joy to watch, with Stallone starring in his best film since Cop Land.

7/10

Related material: Read up on more Sly Stallone with The Expendables 2 review.

Flight

 
 

Flight sees Denzel Washington convey a static performance, one that has been hiding since Training Day.

 
It was a quiet night at the Oscars regarding the service behind Flight. What were the chances for Denzel anyway? Mixed with nominees such as Daniel Day-Lewis and Joaquin Phoenix (my winner). Denzel's performance in Flight does not need to be celebrated with an Oscar, rather a celebration between movie lovers global, because in my opinion, his performance is as good as anyone this year.

Flight begins with immediate impact, introducing a storyline that collaborates and connects smoothly with the consequences of decisions from Whip Whitaker (Denzel Washington); an airline pilot with problems broader than family disconnection. The morning of a flight departing from Orlando to Atlanta would distinguish all possibilities in life, affecting characters of the movie both physically and mentally.
Waking up in a coma is always a bad sign. For Whip, it's about to get worse. Despite his majestic manoeuvre that saves the majority of lives on the plane, Whip is welcomed with the possibility of jail time following a blood test revealing traces of alcohol and drugs within his system. 
However Whip is offered an ultimatum from Charlie (Bruce Greenwood); head of the pilots union who along with Hugh (Don Cheadle), offer to destroy the evidence behind the blood test in order to save the airline. Post crash, Whip struggles to overcome his alcohol addiction. In a bid to save Whip's dying reputation, Charlie consistently reminds him of his priority which is to avoid drinking, and avoid the media.

Flight evaluates the struggle of one man's character who, despite finding a likable persona in Nicole (Kelly Reilly), they both find themselves fighting a losing battle as Nicole seeks to throw a heroin habit, while Whip's rouge personality is destined to drag them both down, unless Charlie and the union can keep him sober, which is a task more daunting than the union could have imagined.

's latest directorial creation is aimed to elaborate on two tragic angles of events; the crash and more so, the battle of human alcoholism. Robert brings out an unsympathetic character in Denzel that reveals an ecstatic performance and quite an original portrayal regarding the constant resemblance of movies we have seen from Denzel over the years. What is possibly Denzel Washington's best movie/performance since Training Day, his alcoholic persona is played out to perfection, while on the other hand Zemeckis introduces a level of romantic optimism with the chemistry of Whip and Nicole opening up a chapter in Whips life; one he has not embraced since his wife disowned him.
 
Flight is extremely centred on one mans battle, despite the inclusion of some crafty actors such as  John Goodman who plays the humorous character of Harling; Whip's not-so trusty friend, more so his dependent drug supplier. John Goodman was clearly included to add a touch of comedy to a movie rounded up of depressing, dramatic sequences (quite appropriately).
 
Denzel has not featured in a story with this much craft and originality since Training Day and American Gangster. Movies such as Unstoppable, Deja Vu and Out of Time have advertised a stinking spell in his career. However I have always been a major fan of Denzel, and Flight really does showcase and once again rekindle the acting tools of a man who sometimes lacks the consistency of Hollywood choices.
 
Overall: Entirely focused on the presence of Denzel's character, Flight is an emotional thrill-ride, opening up a completely new side to Denzel's acting. Robert Zemeckis has created a dramatic story consisting of the battles of addiction, human ambition and that hope of potential romance, revealing a movie that can only be described as thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish.
 
8/10
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

Monday 18 February 2013

Hitchcock

A chapter of romance and suspense; Hopkins and Mirren are a joy to watch


I can't remember the last time I saw Anthony Hopkins on screen; maybe it wasn't a movie worth remembering if I did. But this time around he portrays the master of suspense in what unfortunately isn't a full biopic, but a chapter of great importance regarding the man he would be forever remembered for. 

With movies such as Vertigo and North by Northwest added to his catalogue, Alfred Hitchcock (Anthony Hopkins) is on the look out for an entirely new premise of film making, one that is bound to leave him knee deep in despicable perceptions. With a majority of writers destined to work with Alfred, he struggles to accept a plethora of scripts that ultimately lead him to reading Psycho; a suspenseful novel by Robert Bloch. The book is loosely based on Wisconsin serial killer Ed Gein. Fascinated by Bloch's creative serial killer, Alfred can see the script for his next movie the more he reads the book. His wife Alma (Helen Mirren) is far from convinced as she consistently reminds him that such a genre is not only unheard of then, but she believes that he is setting himself up for a media crucifixion.

This brief chapter in Hitchcock's life is centred around his desperate fight in persuading Paramount Studios boss Barney (Richard Portnow) to take Psycho to the big screen. While on the other hand we are treated to the highs and lows of his relationship with Alma. Despite her love for Alfred, his frontal involvement with shower victim Janet Leigh (Scarlett Johansson) and twin sister Vera Miles (Jessica Biel) of the Psycho cast is proving difficult to over come this time around. Alfred starts to feel the Pressure as his lack of attention toward Alma results in a solo project, while Paramount Studios on the other hand are beginning to show signs of regret as their reputation hangs in the balance of a film revealing more downs than ups. 

Director Sacha Gervasi shoots another euphoric movie following the Terminal in 2004. However, with a movie entitled Hitchcock, viewers may have expected more of the man himself rather than Alma Reville. There is a huge focus on Alma and her apparent drive toward making Psycho the movie that it is, with some saying she is hugely responsible for helping Psycho to the big screen.  With the movie largely titled Hitchcock, I would have liken to get a deeper insight into the man behind the darkness; instead we get a number of haunting sequences of Hitchcock's nightmares involving Ed Gein. Never the less, it showcases Hitchcock's relationship status in fantastic form with some feel-good romance as well as both personalities offering a comedic twist.

The sequences on the set of Psycho are rare, with the brief chemistry of Janet Leigh and Hitchcock running a little bit short. I would have liken to see more of James D'Arcy as Anthony Perkins/Norman Bates, who despite his cameo appearance is quite memorable in what is a shocking resemblance to the original both physically and verbally.

Overall: Hitchcock is a fascinating insight into the life of a man struggling to cope with certain expectations. It is unfortunate this is not a full biopic, however the performance from Hopkins doesn't go unnoticed, along with the chemistry he shares alongside Helen Mirren proving exceptionally funny and emotionally heart-felt. 

7.4/10




















Friday 15 February 2013

A Good Day to Die Hard


A good day to die hard is nothing short of abysmal...it makes 4.0 look quite the exception.


Ah, how things have changed since the Nakatomi plaza was over-run and saved by an average Joe in a tank-top. A sequel and a third completed what was quite a fantastic trilogy in my opinion. Fast forward, with a brief mention of how 4.0 was mediocre, the latest instalment stars Bruce Willis in a movie that should not be classed among the rest. In fact to call what I am about to review a Die Hard movie is insulting its predecessors.

Following the arrest of his forgotten son, John McClane (Bruce Willis) is once again on the road headed for Russia in an attempt to bring him home. Little does John know (or maybe he does) chaos awaits them both as his son Jack (Jai Courtney); a CIA operative, is determined to stop a nuclear heist. John on the other hand, consistently reminds us of how he is on vacation and just wants to get them both home safe. Given John's past, he can't help but get sucked into a 15 minute car chase that eventually leads to a movie mashed up of sequences of loud noise and over the top stunts, bad CGI and irrelevant explosions...oh and a Yippee Kai Yay without the Motherfucker!

John McClane's return is poorly played out with a dumbed down act of what he once was. Fans of the franchise will fail to recognise this nice, happy-go lucky soccer dad wanna-be that just doesn't fit the character we once knew. He is overshadowed by his son's irritating ego, having a moan in every sequence about how he never had a father-son relationship. The catchphrases and references of the past are scrapped, with a plethora of family cliche's and nonsense shoot-outs along with aiming for a younger demographic has ultimately distinguished the gritty elements that made the originals so popular.

The one thing that stood out in the originals was the fact that each movie supported a significant bad-guy that McClane struggled to cope with, but inevitably came out on top. However the latest is just a rampage of bad-guys coming and going; Alik (Radivoje Bukvic) is one of them who completes a cast that failed to make any real impression. Heck, even 4.0 had  who wasn't great, but was not bad either. We don't even get a Timothy Olyphant this time around!

This is unfortunately another bad movie from John Moore; responsible for Max Payne (2008) and The Omen (2006). John's Die Hard is painted with exaggerated action attempts that in parts are visually fantastic, but far from believable. The heavy music over each shoot-out is typical of modern day block-busters that aim to grab your attention visually, not logically. When Die Hard 4.0 was released in 2007 there was a critical parade of disgust due to its PG12 rating. So there was high hopes for Die Hard this time round with its R-rated 15s but its lack of logic, significance and drama - Jai Courtney sums up what is a silly action movie that should by all means distant itself from the die hard franchise.

3/10









Monday 11 February 2013

Zero Dark Thirty

Zero Dark Thirty - Slightly boring with a climax we have all been waiting for


Kathryn Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty has created some ripples throughout America. The media have chosen to ignore the well crafted scenes and nit-pick at the pros and cons of the reality portrayed in the movie. Whether the events in this movie are true (apparently they are) or not, the story is a fine show case of film-making following the Hurt Locker in 2008.
 
Maya (Jessica Chastain) is a CIA operative who is at the centre of the prolific search fro Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. Post 9/11, US detainees are using interrogation tactics to locate the where- abouts of the bearded terrorist. One such detainee is Dan (Jason Clarke); a determined individual who uses tactics such as water-boarding (a way of drowning the captive using a cloth and bucket).
 
With a view from the sidelines, Maya fails to see any light at the end of the tunnel regarding the military's tactics. Rather than capturing known associates, Maya believes in taking a softer approach, tracking the movements of Al Qaeda associates, using them as informants, articulating a more approchable tactic to finding Bin Laden.
 
Maya struggles in evaluating her steady approach to Joseph (Kyle Chandler), who is reluctant to involve her at the centre of a media storm which he considers is best handled by US forces.
 
Zero Dark Thirty is another provocative and controversial approach from , consistently portrayed as another brave creation in film-making. Jessica Chastain leads the way in what is a broad cast on paper, but credential actors such James Gandolfini, Joel Edgerton and Mark Strong make nothing short of a cameo appearance - although Mark showcases a fine "nibble" of authority acting.
 
The overall plot is mundane, with some interesting scenes and some that are simply pointless. The movie is reflecting deep and important issues in the world today, but I felt it failed to maintain my interest all the way to the point when the Navy Seal team get information which suggests they may have identified Bin Laden's hideaway. Bigelow captures the dramatic operation - the capturing of the terrorist - so remarkably realistic that the climax of the movie leaves a satisfying taste in the mouth of those who have been biting their nails for the previous half hour!
 
Kathryn Bigelow's latest offering in a career marked by controversy, results in a movie that lacks any real stand-out performance. Zero Dark is a movie that is already talked about as a film worthy of Oscar recognition but in my opinion, the standard of the plot was smothered by the hype and build up that one can not help to be slightly disappointed. It lacks any chance of winning an Oscar this year.
 
Overall: Zero Dark is entertaining in small quantities. While some of the dialogue may seem drawn out at times, the frenetic, yet exciting ending might be enough to satisfy the average cinema-goer.
 
7/10