Category: Thriller

TRIPLE 9

Director: John HillcoatTRIPLE 9

Writer: Matt Cook

Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Casey Affleck, Anthony Mackie, Woody Harrelson, Aaron Paul, Norman Reedus, Clifton Collins Jr., Kate Winslet.

TRIPLE 9 was edge-of-the-seat, hard hitting and a great, well-rounded story.

Set in Atlanta, Georgia, Michael Atwood (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is an ex-military soldier who heads a crew with two brothers, Gabe (Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad)) and Russell (Norman Reedus).

Caught up in dirty dealings with a Jewish Russian Mafia, Michael and his crew recruit two dirty cops, Marcus (Anthony Mackie) and Franco (Clifton Collins Jr.) to help rob a bank in order to obtain a safe deposit box containing information to overturn the recent conviction of the Maria boss. But the boss’ wife, Irina Vlaslov (Kate Winslet) withholds payment. The information’s not enough.

Using brutal intimidation, Irina sends the crew off to a second job.  This is a tight-knit crew, but when faced with the impossible, the ties of family and brothers in arms gets stretched to breaking point.

The complication of morals versus survival shows each of the characters for who they truly are. Each action peeling back another layer, showing the good to be bad and the bad to be good.

Reminiscent of one of my favourites, Heat (1995), TRIPLE 9 was brutal without getting caught up in the details: bloody plastic in the boot of a car tells enough of a story.

I liked this film because it went beyond all expectations. The story just kept unfolding to its bloody conclusion. I couldn’t look away: cringing, gasping, hoping and ultimately smiling contently at a well thought-out conclusion.

The camera work was great without being over-done. The image of shadows behind the curtain surrounding a hospital bed ominous, knowing the faceless really is a monster.

Although all performances were well executed (I will always and forever be a fan of Woody Harrelson), the stand-out for me was Casey Affleck as the good cop, Chris Allen. A strong, believable character who balanced the rest of the cast extremely well. And the balancing of all the strong characters within the storyline is what makes TRIPLE 9 such a success.

One of the best movies I’ve seen for a while and I’m now convinced my favourite genre is Crime Thriller – would definitely recommend this one.

 

Concussion

ConcussionDirected and Written by: Peter Landesman.

Based on: an exposé, ‘Game Brain’ published in GQ, 2009, by Jeanne Marie Laskas.

Starring: Will Smith, Alac Baldwin, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Arliss Howard, David Morse, Paul Reiser, Albert Brooks.

Based on an exposé, ‘Game Brain’, Concussion is based on the true story of a Nigerian Doctor, Dr Bennet Omalu (Will Smith) and his discovery of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE): a brain disorder he discovered while conducting a post mortem on the famous football player, Mike Webster (David Morse).

In answer to the question: why are all these professional football players going mad and killing themselves? Dr Omalu, thinking he’s doing the right thing by sharing his scientific knowledge, and publishing his discovery in the scientific journal, Neurosurgery, inadvertently takes on the multi-billion dollar industry that is the NFL.

Headed by a Rheumatologist (a doctor who specialises in arthritis, disorders of the muscles and joints not brain), the NFL’s Mild Traumatic Brain Injury committee demands a retraction of the journal article, stating the information is false. Standing by the science of CTE, Dr Omalu must face the pressure from the NFL against his own credentials and the pressure against his colleagues and his wife, Prema Mutiso (Gugu Mbatha-Raw).

I was more interested in the science of the story, which was shown to the audience without getting too technical. A notable scene with the good Dr Omalu jerking a walnut from side-to-side in a water-filled glass jar to demonstrate how multiple hits to the head effect the brain. Or how the woodpecker uses its tongue to wrap its brain in a protective ‘seat belt’ in order to save its brain from the G-force of its pecking against a hard surface. The human brain has no such anatomical protection: ‘God did not make humans to play football’, states Dr Omalu.

But there was also politics and drama here with a ‘David and Goliath’ theme, with the ‘wickedness’ that is corporate America against the rational of proven scientific evidence. For a person to suffer the symptoms of very early dementia and depression to such an extent as to commit suicide, and for the diagnosis of such symptoms to be ignored is a tragedy against humanity.

Being compared to the legal case made against the tobacco companies regarding the ill effects of cigarettes, Concussion could easily have turned very one-sided. I was glad the beauty and grace of the sport was noted – but the obvious effects of multiple head injuries was a sad and hard fact to ignore. Also making me wonder, even though a very different sport, about the injuries being made to the brains of our Aussie Rule footballers.

Although Will Smith was well-cast, I found the science to be the most absorbing and interesting aspect of the film. Perhaps the film would have been more successful as a documentary, to highlight the scientific and political aspects rather than the drama.

But certainly, overall, a well-handled emotive and very interesting and absorbing movie.

 

The Hateful Eight

The Hateful EightWritten and Directed By: 

Quentin Tarantino

Starring: 

Samuel L. Jackson as Major Marquis Warren

Kurt Russell as John ‘The Hangman’

Jennifer Jason Leigh as Daisy Domergue

Tim Roth as Oswarldo Mobray

Michael Madsen as John Gage                         

Walton Goggins as Sheriff Chris Mannix

Bruce Dem as General Sanford Smithers

Demián Bichir as Bob12507479_10153989110359924_2847167535995967292_n[1]

Zoe Bell  as Six-Horse Judy                              

James Parks as O. B Jackson

Original Music Composed and Conducted By: 

Ennio Morricone

Cinematography:

Robert Richardson

Running Time:   

187 min

Set in the middle of a Wyoming winter, a bounty hunter, John, The Hangman (Kurt Russell), is forced to take shelter with his prisoner in Minnie’s Haberdashery, along with six other dubious characters, making a total of 8 hateful (seeming) strangers.

This is a great movie to show in Ultra Panavision 70mm film as it’s all about the snow, the horses and most importantly, the facial expressions of the characters who tell the story.

There’s some amazing dialogue here (particularly well expressed by Walton Goggins as Sheriff Chris Mannix. Boy does Walton have a silver tongue!), but it’s also about what’s left unsaid, what the wink of a bruised eye can express, that words cannot.

Jennifer Jason Leigh’s expressions were so convincing, Daisy Domergue could be mistaken for a reptile disguised as a human.

Director, Quentin Tarantino in an interview on Triple J (18/01/16) described Daisy as, ‘Hiding in plain sight’. Samuel L Jackson playing the part of Major Marquis Warren is shown to be noticing and clocking all that is not right. Tarantino states – ‘Taking it all in and staying silent with his hand on the butt of his gun because he’s in a room full of white people he doesn’t trust’. And with the rich detail of the 70mm film, every expression is captured and shown to the audience.Samuel L Jackson

I liked the Overture with the stark black and red stencilled image of the six-horse drawn stage coach slowly becoming more vivid with the build-up of music composed and conducted by Ennio Morricone. A great way to settle the audience and slowly capture their attention before the beautiful wide screen scene of the image taking life, of the stage coach been driven through the falling snow.

The first 2 hours went by surprisingly quickly. There’s not a lot of action here. But the dialogue between the characters is hugely entertaining. The depth of thought put into the characters: Samuel L. Jackson as Major Marquis Warren, Walton Goggins as Sheriff Chris Mannix and Jennifer Jason Leigh as Daisy Domergue was particularly impressive.  And the not so subtle gallows humour and O. B’s bad luck is gloriously funny.

After the Intermission and release of tension, the buzz in the bathroom, you come back to be taken in for the film’s dramatic conclusion.Quentin Tarantino_autograph

Not for the light-hearted. There are some truly terrible scenes and brain been blown into people’s faces, etc. This is an R rated film for a reason.  Not that I don’t mind a bit of stylised blood and guts.  But the film wasn’t perfect. I wasn’t convinced by the addition of Zoe Bell as Six-Horse Judy with her New Zealander accent… in the middle of Wyoming… in the 1870s… But I was pleasantly surprised by the humour.

The acting and writing of this movie is enough to rate this film highly. The 70mm film, program and special screening are Tarantino showing The Hateful Eight in its absolute best making the viewing an event.

Really, what fun. I’m still smiling.

 

The Revenant

The RevenantDirector:  Alejandro Gonzáles Iñárritu

Writers: Mark L. Smith and Alejandro Gonzáles Iñárritu

Based in part on the novel by Michael Punke, ‘The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge’.

Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki

Starring:    Leonardo Di Caprio, Tom Hardy, Will Poutter and Domhnall Gleeson.

Revenant: A person who has returned, especially supposedly from the dead.

Hugh Glass (Di Caprio), is part of a furring team, out in the wintery wilderness of Montana. In the 1820’s, this was a fight for survival against the natives, against the cold, starvation and the wild animals.

After been attacked by a bear, Glass is left for dead, only to rise again to avenge the murder of his son.

I have to admit I was apprehensive about watching this film, thinking I’d be confronted with war-like graphic violence. If not for the beauty of the landscape captured by Emmanuel Lubezki (also cinematographer of Gravity (2013) and Birdman (2014)), this would have been a cruel film. Think dripping snow, captured leaves in ice, the endless sky and trees creaking and waving in the wind; a pack of wolves taking down a stray buffalo. The reality of nature is that it’s both a heaven and a horror.

The director, Alejandro (Birdman (2014), Babel (2006), Amores Perros (2000)), insisted on filming 93% of this movie at exterior locations – Calgary in Alberta, Canada, Montana, United States, and the southern tip of South America, Argentina. Di Caprio certainly earned his award with this one. Just the cold itself, and all those icy rivers…

Brutal humanity is likened to the harshness of a winter’s landscape. How quickly a human can turn to animal instinct for survival is a harsh reality of the characters of this film. People do what they have to, to survive. It’s a fight to stay human, to give food and shelter. A choice has to be made. And with cleverly executed filming and directing, we see Glass up close, we see his pain and his will to survive. We see others who give and others who take – it’s a harsh reality. This is a revenge movie after all, but I’m glad it was balanced with some light, the murmurings of a loved one, a bird taking flight, the sun reflected on snow.

I liked the flavour Alejandro gave the film. There is a real authenticity here, thanks to Di Caprio, but Alejandro has given the film something almost mystical. Nature untouched, is a bit like magic. The Native Americans believed in the will of the trees and the wind, and I think Alejandro managed to capture some of this magic. Not an easy feat and worth watching.

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SPECTRE

SpectreDirector:              Sam Mendes

Screenplay: John Logan, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade; Jez Butterworth

Story: John Logan, Neal Purvis; Robert Wade.

Starring:  Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Léa Seydoux, Monica Bellucci;  Naomie Harris.

An entertaining Bond classic with great acting, brilliant cinematography (Hoyte van Hoytema) and a neat story.

This is the second Bond film directed by Sam Mendes, Skyfall being the first.  Who can forget the terrible oversight of casting Kincade, the groundsman of Skyfall, up in the Scottish Highlands, with an American accent?! Myself and the attending audience heaved a huge sigh of disappointment, tainting the rest of an otherwise good film.   Besides this oversight, I found SPECTRE to be the more entertaining.

Bond’s childhood is once again the subject of this movie, his upbringing drawing Bond into the world of SPECTRE and its world domination through Orwell’s nightmare – Big Brother watching us all. Information is power, and being the classic Bond, M wasn’t having any of it – indeed! Yes, a classic – Bond battling the hi-tech villain, Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz), the Bond girls, with Monica Bellucci still such an elegant, beautiful woman. And I just loved the car, an Aston Martin DB10, yum, yum.

There was a quiet section where I then noticed the young teen kicking the back of my seat, and then the young guy next to me chewing his fingers off… It’s a long movie for some (2 hours 30 mins), as are all the Bond films. But then it was back to the action and I was absorbed again.  ‘You’re like a Kite dancing in a hurricane’, is one piece of dialogue that stuck in mind.

There’s certainly a formula to the Bond films, and yes, there was a bit going on here… But I found SPECTRE to be an entertaining movie, shown with a wry sense of humour.

And you’ve just gotta love the sincere look of Daniel Craig as Bond.

 

Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension

Paranormal Activity The Ghost DimensionDirected by: Gregory Plotkin

Written by: Jason Harry Pagan, Andrew Deutsehman, Adam Robitel and Gavin Heffernan

Starring: Chris J Murray, Brit Shaw, Dan Gillas, Ivy George and Olivia Taylor Dudley.

What a well-timed pre-Halloween release. And finally, a movie well suited to watch in 3D. Well, more like 4D with the vibrating floorboards of the thumping bass in the eerily empty Monday matinee cinema I was in. Love it!

So, the final piece of the puzzle: another family, another chosen child and Toby back and now more visible and real than ever.

The premise of using (yet another) camera, was cleverly written into the story. Finding excuses to always be filming the family life in the house must be getting thin on the ground after the 6th in the series, but I think this spiritual camera business was a smart idea. This time, the audience can actually see the daemonic being that is Toby.

The acting of the dad, Ryan Fleege (Chris J Murray), was a bit strained at times. His brother, Mike Fleege, and uncle to young Leila (Ivy George) was a good edition, releasing the tension with a bit of humour. Not really sure of the role, Skyler (Olivia Taylor Dudley), with the short denim shorts and tight white singlet top, the friend, if only for a bit of eye candy. But I guess with both the uncle and friend, the audience was given space in between the scary bits.

Even though I knew what was coming, it was nice to have the series tied off. I was scared but still smiling because I love a good horror thriller, and I found The Ghost Dimension to be entertaining.

The paranormal series doesn’t get as much kudos as they deserve. Horror thrillers seem to rate poorly against dramas, and I think this is unfair. This is a different movie experience and I enjoyed it.

 

Sicario

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Written by: Taylor Sheridan

Starring: Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro, Josh Brolin

I can’t fault this film.

This is a story of Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) an FBI Critical Incident Response Group Agent, thrown into the world of a Mexican drug cartel and the CIA’s fight to control the violence. And like Kate, we, the audience don’t know where it’s all going to lead.

This was a very well thought-out film: story, characters, soundtrack, cinematography and editing all combined to create tension and to keep the audience guessing. Sicario is more about the tension then violence. If the violence didn’t add to the story, then it wasn’t included. Clever devises and the imagination of the audience was left to piece the action together.

The cinematography (Roger Deakins) was a stand out for me: skies of rain, grainy black and green, infra-red; the silhouette of figures in army fatigue against an apricot sunset. The change in the visual imagery was used to create different moods and to keep the eye interested. With the ominous (there really is no other word) soundtrack by Jóhann Jóhannsson adding to the darkness and intensity.

There are some great characters here. Particularly Alejandro, played by Benicio del Toro (fans of The Usual Suspects will recognise) – likable yet terrifying. And I have to say I enjoyed the added texture of Spanish throughout the film. Matt, played by Josh Brolin (think, No Country for Old Men, also cinematography by Roger Deakins and another favourite of mine) was also a very interesting, well-rounded character who could make you laugh, but then turn you cold with a smile. I will be on the lookout for any upcoming films featuring Josh Brolin.

But it really comes down to the directing in the end. Denis Villeneuve has been around for a while: Incendies, (2010), Maelström (2000), Prisoners (2013). He is also set to direct the sequel to Blade Runner – very exciting stuff!

If you haven’t watched Sicario yet, you’re in for a treat.

 

Crimson Peak

Crimson PeakDirector: Guillermo del Toro

Screenplay: Guillermo del Toro, Matthew Robbins, Lucinda Coxon

Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain, Mia Wasikow, Charlie Hunnam, Jim Beaver

Yes, there is lots of red. And perhaps I should have drunk some red to get through this one.

It’s one of those movies I just have to watch. Ghosts, a love story and blood. I love the romantic gothic, old fashioned gore, and Crimson Peak looked to meet all my expectations.

Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikow), believes in ghosts. She can see ghosts: some are good, some are bad, and they’re all pretty scary. Yes, there’s the classic love story of girl meets Baronet bad boy. And there are surprisingly graphic bloody bits. But Crimson Peak just didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

I’m not sure if it was the acting or the story that annoyed me. But I was disappointed to see Charlie Hunnam, you know, the guy out of Sons of Anarchy, playing the part of Dr. Alan McMichael. What a waste. I found Mia Wasikow, playing Edith Cushing, a bit forced. This also could have been the script writing. But I found her the same in Alice in Wonderland (2010), so maybe I’m just not a big fan. There were a few red (ha, ha, excuse the pun) herrings in the story as well. Nothing was ever made of Edith being a writer, yet this seemed the most important part of her character.

The saving grace was the visual effects. There’s something about falling snow within a grand old castle. With chandeliers, sweeping staircases and dark ghosts creeping out of the shadows. Very nicely done, if not over-done. Really, there can be such a thing as too much crimson!

I’d say Crimson Peak is suited to a younger crowd, even with the gory bits. Those who enjoyed The Twilight Saga film series would probably enjoy this film. More of a teen love story with ghosts and guts.

The prevailing feeling was a bit, ho-hum, for me.

 

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