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Russ Troutt (291 KP) rated The Devil All the Time (2020) in Movies
Sep 23, 2020
Brothers and sisters, let me preach to ya for just a moment, and give praise to The Devil All The Time. I haven't read the good book, that the screenplay is based off of, but I can tell you the movie is great; one of my favorites I have been able to bear witness to this year. Amazing perfromances from the killer cast of Tom Holland, Bill Skarsgard, Haley Bennett, Kristin Griffith, Jason Clarke, Riley Keough, Robert Pattinson, Sebastian Stan, and many more. There may be a lot of no-good sons of bitches out there in this world, but I can tell you who's not not one of them and that's Antonio Campos, the director of The Devil All The Time. He photographed one helluva movie and I cannot wait to see more of his work.
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Swallow (2019) in Movies
Jan 13, 2021 (Updated Jan 13, 2021)
To be fair, I'd rather swallow a screwdriver than hang out with rich white people too. Gorgeous, nasty, and mean - but never disrespectful. Medically accurate? Perhaps not, but these seldom ever are anyhow so what can you do? In fact I found this to be much more compelling and satisfying as a depiction of obnoxious old-money business whities having their perfect little synthetic image destroyed by people who refuse to shape themselves around it than a portrait of pica. As everyone has already pointed out, Austin Stowell and in particular Haley Bennett are just astounding - easily not only her best performance to date, but the type of galvanizing role that should propel her star-power vastly beyond just Jennifer Lawrence comparisons considering that this is way better work than anything J-Law has done in years anyhow (excluding đźđ°đ”đ©đŠđł! [I'm a simp for stupid, manic arthouse cinema I know you don't have to tell me]). Deeply, deeply, *deeply* unsettling - can pleasantly report that its reputation is as airtight as claimed. Super messy but I think that gives it more character tbh, and what an excellent use of music. A bit too on-the-nose at times but also the type of movie that's destined to be misinterpreted by morons everywhere.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Hillbilly Elegy (2020) in Movies
Apr 14, 2021
Decent - with 3 strong female performances
Glenn Close is one of the most lauded Actresses of our time and her current streak of 7 Academy Award nominations without a win is a record. It would be ironic, indeed, if she would win her first Oscar with this, her 8th Oscar nomination, this time as Best Supporting Actress in HILLBILLY ELEGY.
Written by Vanessa Taylor and based on the book (and true story) by J.D. Vance, HILLBILLY ELEGY tells the tale of J.D. (naturally enough), who overcomes his impoverished roots and dysfunctional family background to become a star Law Student at Yale.
Gabriel Basso plays J.D. as the Law Student and he is just not charismatic enough to shine in this role especially as he goes up against 3 talented actresses that have PLENTY to sink their considerable acting chops into.
Close plays âMamawâ, the grandmother of the clan. She is a no-nonsense, pragmatic matriarch that lives and breathes (through cigarette clogged lungs) âFamily Firstâ. Itâs an interesting and strong performance by Close, but she does teeter into âGranny Clampettâ territory at times for me. Itâs a good performanceâŠbut the one that will finally get Close her Oscar? I donât think so.
Amy Adams steals the movie as J.D.âs mother (and Mamawâs daughter), Bev. She is (as we say in these parts) âa whole thingâ. Her Bev is self-centered, clawing, desperate and constantly wondering why the world doesnât give her the things that she is deserved. Nothing is EVER her fault and if you donât believe me, just ask her. Adamsâ performance is the strongest in this film and she never crosses the line into caricature.
One last moment of credit needs to be given to Haley Bennett as J.D.âs sister Lindsay, who is often the one stuck taking care of their Mother. When I first saw Bennett a few years back in 2016 in back to back strong performances in THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN and THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, I thought we were watching the emergence of a star. Itâs good to see her on the screen again.
Credit for these performances must go the unlikely person helming this film, good olâ, reliable Ron Howard whoâs workmanlike Directorial instincts and style lends itself very well to this, often told, type of story. Itâs nothing flashy, but gets the job done.
And that pretty much sums up my feelings towards this film ânothing flashy, but gets the job doneâ, not the greatest film to come out in 2020 - but it is layered with 3 strong female performances by Adams, Bennett and Close so that makes this film one good enough to check out.
Letter Grade: B-
6 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Written by Vanessa Taylor and based on the book (and true story) by J.D. Vance, HILLBILLY ELEGY tells the tale of J.D. (naturally enough), who overcomes his impoverished roots and dysfunctional family background to become a star Law Student at Yale.
Gabriel Basso plays J.D. as the Law Student and he is just not charismatic enough to shine in this role especially as he goes up against 3 talented actresses that have PLENTY to sink their considerable acting chops into.
Close plays âMamawâ, the grandmother of the clan. She is a no-nonsense, pragmatic matriarch that lives and breathes (through cigarette clogged lungs) âFamily Firstâ. Itâs an interesting and strong performance by Close, but she does teeter into âGranny Clampettâ territory at times for me. Itâs a good performanceâŠbut the one that will finally get Close her Oscar? I donât think so.
Amy Adams steals the movie as J.D.âs mother (and Mamawâs daughter), Bev. She is (as we say in these parts) âa whole thingâ. Her Bev is self-centered, clawing, desperate and constantly wondering why the world doesnât give her the things that she is deserved. Nothing is EVER her fault and if you donât believe me, just ask her. Adamsâ performance is the strongest in this film and she never crosses the line into caricature.
One last moment of credit needs to be given to Haley Bennett as J.D.âs sister Lindsay, who is often the one stuck taking care of their Mother. When I first saw Bennett a few years back in 2016 in back to back strong performances in THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN and THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, I thought we were watching the emergence of a star. Itâs good to see her on the screen again.
Credit for these performances must go the unlikely person helming this film, good olâ, reliable Ron Howard whoâs workmanlike Directorial instincts and style lends itself very well to this, often told, type of story. Itâs nothing flashy, but gets the job done.
And that pretty much sums up my feelings towards this film ânothing flashy, but gets the job doneâ, not the greatest film to come out in 2020 - but it is layered with 3 strong female performances by Adams, Bennett and Close so that makes this film one good enough to check out.
Letter Grade: B-
6 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Hardcore Henry (2016) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019 (Updated Aug 6, 2019)
Hardcore Henry is unlike anything weâve ever seen on film before. Its fast, action packed, gratuitous and downright fun. The story is simple. The avatar character Aken wakes up and doesnât quite know what is going on.
He sees a friendly face (Haley Bennett) and everything seems to be fine. Until unexpectedly all hell breaks loose. Now he is on a constant fast paced run for his life from one point to anther being led by Jimmy (Sharlto Copley) presumably someone who understand what is going on.
The film is shown through us entirely in the first person perspective of Aken. There is no steady cam work which may cause some to become a little nauseated. I am someone who has gotten motion sickness from a lack of steady cam in movies before, however the film has a fisheye lenses style which breaks the ârealismâ view just enough to cause the constant first person motion to become tolerable and less nauseating. I did not get sick at all and neither did two other friends who watched the film as well. So if that is your concern, give the film a chance as it may not be as bad as you think.
In the end, Hardcore Henry isnât something for everyone. I would not recommend this to my mom. And I would not equate this to a first person shooter videogame like most others are. If you were to compare this film to a videogame, it feels more like playing Mirrors Edge than a first person shooter. Still, if you are looking for a fun, action packed, fast paced experience that has better plot points than Batman vs Superman, then give Hardcore Henry a shot. You have never experienced something quite like this before.
He sees a friendly face (Haley Bennett) and everything seems to be fine. Until unexpectedly all hell breaks loose. Now he is on a constant fast paced run for his life from one point to anther being led by Jimmy (Sharlto Copley) presumably someone who understand what is going on.
The film is shown through us entirely in the first person perspective of Aken. There is no steady cam work which may cause some to become a little nauseated. I am someone who has gotten motion sickness from a lack of steady cam in movies before, however the film has a fisheye lenses style which breaks the ârealismâ view just enough to cause the constant first person motion to become tolerable and less nauseating. I did not get sick at all and neither did two other friends who watched the film as well. So if that is your concern, give the film a chance as it may not be as bad as you think.
In the end, Hardcore Henry isnât something for everyone. I would not recommend this to my mom. And I would not equate this to a first person shooter videogame like most others are. If you were to compare this film to a videogame, it feels more like playing Mirrors Edge than a first person shooter. Still, if you are looking for a fun, action packed, fast paced experience that has better plot points than Batman vs Superman, then give Hardcore Henry a shot. You have never experienced something quite like this before.
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated The Girl on the Train (2016) in Movies
Sep 29, 2021
You wonât uncork a bottle of Malbec again without thinking of this filmâŠ
âThe Girl on a Trainâ is the film adaptation of the best-seller by Paula Hawkins, transported from the London suburbs to New Yorkâs Hastings-on-Hudson.
Itâs actually rather a sordid story encompassing as it does alcoholism, murder, marital strife, deceit, sexual frustration, an historical tragedy and lashings and lashings of violence. Emily Blunt (âSicarioâ, âEdge of Tomorrowâ) plays Rachel, a divorcee with an alcohol problem who escapes into an obsessive fantasy each day as she passes her former neighbourhood on her commute into the city. Ex-husband Tom (Justin Theroux, âZoolander 2â) lives in her old house with his second wife Anna (Rebecca âMI:5â Ferguson) and new baby Evie. But her real fantasy rests with cheerleader-style young neighbour Megan (Haley Bennett) who is actually locked in a frustratingly child-free marriage (frustrating for him at least) with the controlling and unpredictable Scott (Luke Evans, âThe Hobbitâ). A sixth party in this complex network is Meganâs psychiatrist Dr Kamal Abdic (Ădgar RamĂrez, âJoyâ).
In pure Hitchcockian style Megan witnesses mere glimpses of events from her twice-daily train and from these pieces together stories that suitably feed her psychosis. When âshit gets realâ and a key character goes missing, Megan surfaces her suspicions and obsessions to the police investigation (led by Detective Riley, the ever-excellent Allison Janney from âThe West Wingâ) and promptly makes herself suspect number one.
Readers of the book will already be aware of the twists and turns of the story, so will watch the film from a different perspective than I did. (Despite my best intentions I never managed to read the book first).
First up, you would have to say that Emily Bluntâs performance is outstanding in an extremely challenging acting role. Every nuance of shame, confusion, grief, fear, doubt and anger is beautifully enacted: it would not be a surprise to see her gain her first Oscar nomination for this. All the other lead roles are also delivered with great professionalism, with Haley Bennett (a busy month for her, with âThe Magnificent Sevenâ also out) being impressive and Rebecca Ferguson, one of my favourite current actresses, delivering another measured and delicate performance.
Girl on a Train, The
Rebecca Ferguson as Anna â âthere were three of us in this marriage so it was a bit crowdedâ
The supporting roles are also effective, with Darren Goldstein as the somewhat creepy âman in the suitâ and âFriendsâ star Lisa Kudrow popping up in an effective and pivotal role. The Screen Guild Awards have an excellent category for an Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture, and it feels appropriate to nominate this cast for that award.
So itâs a blockbuster book with a rollercoaster story and a stellar cast, so what could go wrong? Well, something for sure. This is a case in point where I suspect it is easier to slowly peel back Rachelâs lost memory with pages and imagination than it is with dodgy fuzzy images on a big screen. Although the film comes in at only 112 minutes, the pacing in places is too slow (the screenplay by Erin Cressida Wilson takes its time) and director Tate Taylor (âThe Helpâ) is no Hitchcock, or indeed a David Fincher (since the film has strong similarities to last yearâs âGone Girlâ: when the action does happen it lacks style, with the violence being on the brutal side and leaving little to the imagination.
Itâs by no means a bad film, and worth seeing for the acting performances alone. But itâs not a film I think that will trouble my top 10 for the year.
Itâs actually rather a sordid story encompassing as it does alcoholism, murder, marital strife, deceit, sexual frustration, an historical tragedy and lashings and lashings of violence. Emily Blunt (âSicarioâ, âEdge of Tomorrowâ) plays Rachel, a divorcee with an alcohol problem who escapes into an obsessive fantasy each day as she passes her former neighbourhood on her commute into the city. Ex-husband Tom (Justin Theroux, âZoolander 2â) lives in her old house with his second wife Anna (Rebecca âMI:5â Ferguson) and new baby Evie. But her real fantasy rests with cheerleader-style young neighbour Megan (Haley Bennett) who is actually locked in a frustratingly child-free marriage (frustrating for him at least) with the controlling and unpredictable Scott (Luke Evans, âThe Hobbitâ). A sixth party in this complex network is Meganâs psychiatrist Dr Kamal Abdic (Ădgar RamĂrez, âJoyâ).
In pure Hitchcockian style Megan witnesses mere glimpses of events from her twice-daily train and from these pieces together stories that suitably feed her psychosis. When âshit gets realâ and a key character goes missing, Megan surfaces her suspicions and obsessions to the police investigation (led by Detective Riley, the ever-excellent Allison Janney from âThe West Wingâ) and promptly makes herself suspect number one.
Readers of the book will already be aware of the twists and turns of the story, so will watch the film from a different perspective than I did. (Despite my best intentions I never managed to read the book first).
First up, you would have to say that Emily Bluntâs performance is outstanding in an extremely challenging acting role. Every nuance of shame, confusion, grief, fear, doubt and anger is beautifully enacted: it would not be a surprise to see her gain her first Oscar nomination for this. All the other lead roles are also delivered with great professionalism, with Haley Bennett (a busy month for her, with âThe Magnificent Sevenâ also out) being impressive and Rebecca Ferguson, one of my favourite current actresses, delivering another measured and delicate performance.
Girl on a Train, The
Rebecca Ferguson as Anna â âthere were three of us in this marriage so it was a bit crowdedâ
The supporting roles are also effective, with Darren Goldstein as the somewhat creepy âman in the suitâ and âFriendsâ star Lisa Kudrow popping up in an effective and pivotal role. The Screen Guild Awards have an excellent category for an Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture, and it feels appropriate to nominate this cast for that award.
So itâs a blockbuster book with a rollercoaster story and a stellar cast, so what could go wrong? Well, something for sure. This is a case in point where I suspect it is easier to slowly peel back Rachelâs lost memory with pages and imagination than it is with dodgy fuzzy images on a big screen. Although the film comes in at only 112 minutes, the pacing in places is too slow (the screenplay by Erin Cressida Wilson takes its time) and director Tate Taylor (âThe Helpâ) is no Hitchcock, or indeed a David Fincher (since the film has strong similarities to last yearâs âGone Girlâ: when the action does happen it lacks style, with the violence being on the brutal side and leaving little to the imagination.
Itâs by no means a bad film, and worth seeing for the acting performances alone. But itâs not a film I think that will trouble my top 10 for the year.
Darren (1599 KP) rated The Red Sea Diving Resort (2019) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Story: The Red Sea Diving Resort starts as Ari (Evans) an American Ari (Evans) working for the Israel Mossad agents rescues refugees from Ethiopia with his latest mission seeing Kabede (Williams) rescued. Ari does become grounded, but isnât willing to let more innocent people murder, he comes up with an idea that could see thousands rescued.
Ari puts together a team including Rachel Reiter (Bennett), Jake (Huisman), Max (Hassell) and Sammy (Nivola) with the plan to lease a hotel known as the Red Sea Diving Resort to use it to get refugees out of Africa back to Israel. This is one of the riskiest rescue attempts tried and one that will bring history to life.
Thoughts on The Red Sea Diving Resort
Characters â Ari Levinson is leading an Israeli group of agent, who are trying to rescue Ethiopian refugees by taking them through Sudan, giving them their only hope to make it out alive. He is willing to risk everything to make it happen by taking a mission which will risk their own lives to lead them out to see, remaining calm through the operations which will see them become targets of the local generals. Rachel is one of the team, just by being a woman she is risking even more than the rest, though her language skills are key to the whole operation. Kabede Bimro is the connection with Ari that leads the refugees to him, he becomes one of the most wanted men because of his actions, but will risk everything for his own family. Ethan Levin is the one that tries to control Ari on his mission, he doesnât agree with most of what he does, knowing if he was to get caught it could create an international incident.
Performances â Chris Evans takes his first major role since leaving the role as Captain America, he does show he can handle the serious side of acting even though his character does feel like branch of what Captain America stood for. Haley Bennett is strong throughout, in a world that her character shouldnât feel safe in. Ben Kingsley does what you would expect in his authority role, while Michael Kenneth Williams is the most interesting character though we could have spent more time with his character.
Story â The story here follows an Israeli agent that risked everything to try and rescue as many Ethiopian refugees as he could using a Sudanese hotel as a cover to hide them and move them through to safety despite heavy pressure from the military forces in the country. This is another incredible story of how somebody and their team would do the right thing for the human race that would be left facing a future which would see them killed or forced into slavery if they couldnât get free. It should be seen to highlight the continuing problems in the world along with the incredible work that was done. We are kept waiting to see how many will get rescued and how they will overcome the obstacles placed in their way, though it would be fair it wouldnât be a story if they had failed.
History â This is a moment in history which showed a country reaching out to help in secret when another country would rather butcher their own people.
Settings â The film creates the realistic settings that only make this feel like we are part of the era it is set in, we see how much was being risked in what could be considered a calm location of a hotel.
Scene of the Movie â Runway.
That Moment That Annoyed Me â The fact that his behaviour actually still happens in the world.
Final Thoughts â This is a highlight on just what was risked to save thousands of stranded refugees, it has top class acting and shows that we can achieve great things if we worked together.
Overall: Brilliant look at bravery.
Ari puts together a team including Rachel Reiter (Bennett), Jake (Huisman), Max (Hassell) and Sammy (Nivola) with the plan to lease a hotel known as the Red Sea Diving Resort to use it to get refugees out of Africa back to Israel. This is one of the riskiest rescue attempts tried and one that will bring history to life.
Thoughts on The Red Sea Diving Resort
Characters â Ari Levinson is leading an Israeli group of agent, who are trying to rescue Ethiopian refugees by taking them through Sudan, giving them their only hope to make it out alive. He is willing to risk everything to make it happen by taking a mission which will risk their own lives to lead them out to see, remaining calm through the operations which will see them become targets of the local generals. Rachel is one of the team, just by being a woman she is risking even more than the rest, though her language skills are key to the whole operation. Kabede Bimro is the connection with Ari that leads the refugees to him, he becomes one of the most wanted men because of his actions, but will risk everything for his own family. Ethan Levin is the one that tries to control Ari on his mission, he doesnât agree with most of what he does, knowing if he was to get caught it could create an international incident.
Performances â Chris Evans takes his first major role since leaving the role as Captain America, he does show he can handle the serious side of acting even though his character does feel like branch of what Captain America stood for. Haley Bennett is strong throughout, in a world that her character shouldnât feel safe in. Ben Kingsley does what you would expect in his authority role, while Michael Kenneth Williams is the most interesting character though we could have spent more time with his character.
Story â The story here follows an Israeli agent that risked everything to try and rescue as many Ethiopian refugees as he could using a Sudanese hotel as a cover to hide them and move them through to safety despite heavy pressure from the military forces in the country. This is another incredible story of how somebody and their team would do the right thing for the human race that would be left facing a future which would see them killed or forced into slavery if they couldnât get free. It should be seen to highlight the continuing problems in the world along with the incredible work that was done. We are kept waiting to see how many will get rescued and how they will overcome the obstacles placed in their way, though it would be fair it wouldnât be a story if they had failed.
History â This is a moment in history which showed a country reaching out to help in secret when another country would rather butcher their own people.
Settings â The film creates the realistic settings that only make this feel like we are part of the era it is set in, we see how much was being risked in what could be considered a calm location of a hotel.
Scene of the Movie â Runway.
That Moment That Annoyed Me â The fact that his behaviour actually still happens in the world.
Final Thoughts â This is a highlight on just what was risked to save thousands of stranded refugees, it has top class acting and shows that we can achieve great things if we worked together.
Overall: Brilliant look at bravery.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Girl on the Train (2016) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
Rachael (Emily Blunt) is a woman who has hit rock bottom. Her downward spiral has cost her a marriage, her career, and everything else she cherished and left her a severe alcoholic. Rachael is so far gone that she rides the commuter train into New York every day secretly drinking along the way. There is some method to this madness as the train goes by her former home and this allows Rachael a look in at the woman who replaced her and the new family her ex now enjoys.
In the new film âThe Girl on the Trainâ, based on the book of the same name by Paula Hawkins, the locale has been changed from London to New York but much of the content has been left unchanged which should thrill fans of this highly popular novel.
Rachael has become fascinated with a couple two houses down from her old home and she watches and fantasizes about the perfect life she imagines they have.
The reality is that Megan (Haley Bennett) is living in a controlling and abusive relationship and holds a dark secret of her own which she reveals to her therapist as well as her desire to run away and also take him as a lover.
When Rachael sees Megan in an embrace with someone other than her husband one day, she decides to confront Megan and express her anger over her assumed infidelity even though Rachael has never met her much less learned her name and only knows of her from being in the same workout class and seeing her on the train.
Rachael awakens one morning covered in blood and in a have and is unable to remember what has happened. To make matters worse, Megan has gone missing and her husband is the primary suspect in the disappearance.
Despite being warned away numerous times by her ex Tom (Justin Theroux) and his wife Anna (Rebecca Ferguson), Rachael continues to regain her memories of what happened that evening even though she continues to have issues differentiating reality from fantasy in a situation with high stakes and dire consequences.
What follows is a compelling thriller that kept me interested even though I was able to unravel the mystery 30 minutes or so before the conclusion of the film. I had not read the book or much on the film going in as I wanted to try to crack the mystery without any additional help, but still found it an interesting and entertaining film. There was more eroticism than one may expect at first glance but the film weaves a great story of multiple characters all with various degrees of dysfunction.
The cast is very strong and take what could at first be a routine mystery and turned it into one of the best and most entertaining Dramas of the year.
http://sknr.net/2016/10/07/the-girl-on-the-train/
In the new film âThe Girl on the Trainâ, based on the book of the same name by Paula Hawkins, the locale has been changed from London to New York but much of the content has been left unchanged which should thrill fans of this highly popular novel.
Rachael has become fascinated with a couple two houses down from her old home and she watches and fantasizes about the perfect life she imagines they have.
The reality is that Megan (Haley Bennett) is living in a controlling and abusive relationship and holds a dark secret of her own which she reveals to her therapist as well as her desire to run away and also take him as a lover.
When Rachael sees Megan in an embrace with someone other than her husband one day, she decides to confront Megan and express her anger over her assumed infidelity even though Rachael has never met her much less learned her name and only knows of her from being in the same workout class and seeing her on the train.
Rachael awakens one morning covered in blood and in a have and is unable to remember what has happened. To make matters worse, Megan has gone missing and her husband is the primary suspect in the disappearance.
Despite being warned away numerous times by her ex Tom (Justin Theroux) and his wife Anna (Rebecca Ferguson), Rachael continues to regain her memories of what happened that evening even though she continues to have issues differentiating reality from fantasy in a situation with high stakes and dire consequences.
What follows is a compelling thriller that kept me interested even though I was able to unravel the mystery 30 minutes or so before the conclusion of the film. I had not read the book or much on the film going in as I wanted to try to crack the mystery without any additional help, but still found it an interesting and entertaining film. There was more eroticism than one may expect at first glance but the film weaves a great story of multiple characters all with various degrees of dysfunction.
The cast is very strong and take what could at first be a routine mystery and turned it into one of the best and most entertaining Dramas of the year.
http://sknr.net/2016/10/07/the-girl-on-the-train/
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Equalizer (2014) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Iâm not going to waste ANY time getting started with this one. No, youâre not daydreaming. Denzel Washington has teamed-up again with director Antoine Fuqua and once again, theyâve created another outstanding masterpiece of a movie. In fact, the film has seen such postive reviews so far that thereâs already talk of a sequal and even a possible franchise. After seeing the film myself, I would not be surprised in the least if
these rumors were true. A sequel would certainly be one worth the wait.
Based on the T.V. show of the same name which ran from 1985 to 1989 and starred Edward Woodward, the movie adaption of âThe Equalizerâ stars Denzel Washington, Chloe Grace
Moretz, Marton Csokas, David Harbour, Haley Bennett, Melissa Leo, and Bill Pullman.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, The Replacement Killers), âThe Equalizerâ premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6th and is set for itâs
U.S. premiere on Friday the 26th.
Denzel Washington portrays McCall, a man who has recently settled down to begin a new life quietly putting his mysterious past behind him. By day, he manages a large hardware store.
His nights are spent in quiet solitude with the exception of his visits to the 24-hour diner for tea down the street from his home where he befriends Teri (Moretz), an aspiring singer forced to work as a callgirl for a group of violent Russian mobsters based in Boston.
One night Teri goes missing and McCall learns that she was severly beaten by her pimp. Unable to sit by and watch the life of his friend ruined and perhaps ended, McCall emerges from his self-imposed retirement and armed with his âdeadly skillsetâ sets out to seek revenge anyone who preys upon the weak and finds his desire for justice reawakened.
âAre The Odds Against You? Need Help? Call The Equalizerâ
Iâm going to call this one right now: 4 out of 5 stars. Honestly, I really couldnât find anything about the film I DIDNâT like. Sometimes the film slowed down, then it was like a switch was hit and it speed right back up but it was always good.
When the film did move to a slow pace, it was only to give âinsightâ into the mindset of the McCall character. Particularly in the beginning when youâre learning about him.
Itâs almost immediately inferred that heâs trying put his mysterious past behind him and settle into his new, quiet life. When McCallâs friend Teri is placed in jeopordy though, itâs like listening to the engine of a race car being started and primed. You know trouble is about to go down and McCall is going to be the one who âdealsâ with that trouble.
The film is violent. Definitely too violent for the kids. It does deliver though. A âdo unto othersâ film, if you will. Denzel depicts the ultimate interpretation of the phrase âWhat goes around, comes aroundâ and does it with style.
these rumors were true. A sequel would certainly be one worth the wait.
Based on the T.V. show of the same name which ran from 1985 to 1989 and starred Edward Woodward, the movie adaption of âThe Equalizerâ stars Denzel Washington, Chloe Grace
Moretz, Marton Csokas, David Harbour, Haley Bennett, Melissa Leo, and Bill Pullman.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, The Replacement Killers), âThe Equalizerâ premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6th and is set for itâs
U.S. premiere on Friday the 26th.
Denzel Washington portrays McCall, a man who has recently settled down to begin a new life quietly putting his mysterious past behind him. By day, he manages a large hardware store.
His nights are spent in quiet solitude with the exception of his visits to the 24-hour diner for tea down the street from his home where he befriends Teri (Moretz), an aspiring singer forced to work as a callgirl for a group of violent Russian mobsters based in Boston.
One night Teri goes missing and McCall learns that she was severly beaten by her pimp. Unable to sit by and watch the life of his friend ruined and perhaps ended, McCall emerges from his self-imposed retirement and armed with his âdeadly skillsetâ sets out to seek revenge anyone who preys upon the weak and finds his desire for justice reawakened.
âAre The Odds Against You? Need Help? Call The Equalizerâ
Iâm going to call this one right now: 4 out of 5 stars. Honestly, I really couldnât find anything about the film I DIDNâT like. Sometimes the film slowed down, then it was like a switch was hit and it speed right back up but it was always good.
When the film did move to a slow pace, it was only to give âinsightâ into the mindset of the McCall character. Particularly in the beginning when youâre learning about him.
Itâs almost immediately inferred that heâs trying put his mysterious past behind him and settle into his new, quiet life. When McCallâs friend Teri is placed in jeopordy though, itâs like listening to the engine of a race car being started and primed. You know trouble is about to go down and McCall is going to be the one who âdealsâ with that trouble.
The film is violent. Definitely too violent for the kids. It does deliver though. A âdo unto othersâ film, if you will. Denzel depicts the ultimate interpretation of the phrase âWhat goes around, comes aroundâ and does it with style.
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated The Girl on the Train (2016) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019
A Victim of its marketing
Itâs always refreshing to see a film released primarily for the adult market. We all loved The Hunger Games, but imagine what the series couldâve been like had the franchise been given a 15 or even an 18 certification.
And Fifty Shades of Grey may have its critics (me being one of them) but at least it appealed to those of us not interested in sharing cinema screens with rambling tweens. The finest of the adult genre? Well, that has to be Gone Girl. But now thereâs a new kid on the block, ready to steal its crown. Is The Girl on the Train a worthy adversary?
Alcoholic Rachel Watson (Emily Blunt) catches daily glimpses of a seemingly perfect couple, Scott (Luke Evans) and Megan (Haley Bennett), from the window of her train. One day, Watson witnesses something shocking unfold in the garden of the strangersâ home. Rachel tells the authorities what she thinks she saw after learning Megan is missing. Unable to trust her memory, the troubled woman begins her own investigation, while police suspect that Rachel may have crossed a dangerous line.
Emily Blunt has become one of Hollywoodâs finest actors, constantly adding new genres to her resume. From The Devil Wears Prada to Sicario and beyond, there is nothing she wonât try and The Girl on the Train is bolstered by a career-best performance by the actress. Itâs never easy to play a drunk convincingly; you can look to some UK soap operas for proof of that, but she manages to pull it off exceptionally well.
Of the supporting cast, only Justin Theroux makes a lasting impact as Rachelâs ex-husband Tom, now living with his new wife Anna â a lacklustre Rebecca Ferguson. It would be unfair to sling too much mud at a very talented group of actors, but up against Blunt, there really is no comparison.
Elsewhere, the complex narrative of Paula Hawkinsâ book translates to a rather messy filming style when viewed on the big screen. Continuous flashbacks from within Rachelâs mind are handled reasonably well by director Tate Taylor (The Help) and he manages to wrench everything together to stop the plot from becoming incoherent.
Unfortunately, The Girl on the Train is a victim of its own intense marketing campaign. The trailers have given away far too much for those who havenât read the book and whilst the twists and turns arenât immediately obvious, some of the Cluedo-esque fun has been removed. Itâs clear Dreamworks wanted the film to resemble Gone Girl as much as possible, aiming to attract a similar audience, but this may have backfired slightly.
Overall, The Girl on the Train is a particularly faithful adaptation of the novel of the same name, held up by an intense and frankly incredible performance by Emily Blunt. Unfortunately, some of the filmâs suspense has been lost by a poorly executed marketing campaign and as such it becomes a passable addition to the adult thriller genre. This yearâs Gone Girl it is not.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2016/10/06/a-victim-of-its-marketing-the-girl-on-the-train-review/
And Fifty Shades of Grey may have its critics (me being one of them) but at least it appealed to those of us not interested in sharing cinema screens with rambling tweens. The finest of the adult genre? Well, that has to be Gone Girl. But now thereâs a new kid on the block, ready to steal its crown. Is The Girl on the Train a worthy adversary?
Alcoholic Rachel Watson (Emily Blunt) catches daily glimpses of a seemingly perfect couple, Scott (Luke Evans) and Megan (Haley Bennett), from the window of her train. One day, Watson witnesses something shocking unfold in the garden of the strangersâ home. Rachel tells the authorities what she thinks she saw after learning Megan is missing. Unable to trust her memory, the troubled woman begins her own investigation, while police suspect that Rachel may have crossed a dangerous line.
Emily Blunt has become one of Hollywoodâs finest actors, constantly adding new genres to her resume. From The Devil Wears Prada to Sicario and beyond, there is nothing she wonât try and The Girl on the Train is bolstered by a career-best performance by the actress. Itâs never easy to play a drunk convincingly; you can look to some UK soap operas for proof of that, but she manages to pull it off exceptionally well.
Of the supporting cast, only Justin Theroux makes a lasting impact as Rachelâs ex-husband Tom, now living with his new wife Anna â a lacklustre Rebecca Ferguson. It would be unfair to sling too much mud at a very talented group of actors, but up against Blunt, there really is no comparison.
Elsewhere, the complex narrative of Paula Hawkinsâ book translates to a rather messy filming style when viewed on the big screen. Continuous flashbacks from within Rachelâs mind are handled reasonably well by director Tate Taylor (The Help) and he manages to wrench everything together to stop the plot from becoming incoherent.
Unfortunately, The Girl on the Train is a victim of its own intense marketing campaign. The trailers have given away far too much for those who havenât read the book and whilst the twists and turns arenât immediately obvious, some of the Cluedo-esque fun has been removed. Itâs clear Dreamworks wanted the film to resemble Gone Girl as much as possible, aiming to attract a similar audience, but this may have backfired slightly.
Overall, The Girl on the Train is a particularly faithful adaptation of the novel of the same name, held up by an intense and frankly incredible performance by Emily Blunt. Unfortunately, some of the filmâs suspense has been lost by a poorly executed marketing campaign and as such it becomes a passable addition to the adult thriller genre. This yearâs Gone Girl it is not.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2016/10/06/a-victim-of-its-marketing-the-girl-on-the-train-review/
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated The Magnificent Seven (2016) in Movies
Sep 29, 2021
A Hornery Exit.
As a big fan of the original â a staple of many Bank Holiday afternoons in my youth â I was prepared to be sniffy about this remake and came to the film on my high-horse (I left that tied to the rail outside the cinema by the way). But I was surprised to have my expectations reset.
Possibly on the basis that Trump has been given the Mexicanâs a good bashing lately, the villain of the piece in this film is updated from Mexican bandit Calvera to Sacremento based land-snatcher and all round bad-egg Bartholomew Bogue (an expressionless Peter Sarsgaard). After ripping through some of the inhabitants of Rose Creek in a brutal pre-title sequence, widowed sharp-shooter Emma Cullen (Haley Bennett, âThe Equalizerâ) heads into the West on a recruiting mission for hired guns. She first recruits the bounty hunter Chisholm (sing âChisum, John ChisumâŠâ⊠no, sorry different Western) played by Denzel Washington. Washington matches Yul Brynnerâs famous black outfit, and unlike Brynner is obviously able to finish off the ensemble naturally!
They recruit another six (whoâd have thought it?) including wise-guy gambler Faraday (Chris âGuardians of the Galaxyâ Pratt); famed confederate sniper Goodnight Robicheaux (Ethan Hawke); his nifty knife throwing Asian sidekick (but good for the Far East box office) Billy Rocks (Bjung-hun Lee, from Terminator: Genisys); and religious bear-of-a-man Indian-hunter Jack Horne (Vincent DâOnofrio, âJurassic Worldâ). After trying to whip the incompetent townsfolk into shape, and setting some Home-Alone style surprises, the stage is set for a showdown as Bogue whips up an army to re-take âhisâ town.
I like classic Westerns, with John Fordâs Rio Bravo being a particular favourite. In my view the problem with many modern Westerns is that they try too hard to shock (Tarentinoâs recent âHateful 8â was a case in point: a promising start ruined by gratuitous over-the-top violence). âThe Magnificent Sevenâ doesnât make that mistake, and while the squib-master and blood-bag boy are heavily employed throughout, nothing is too excessive: in fact, my view â and I donât often tend in this direction â is that the censors rather over-egged the UK 12A rating on this one and could have gone with a 12. Director Antoine Fuqua has produced a film that is highly respectful of its heritage: perhaps to the point where many scenes might be deemed to be clichĂ©d. But I personally warmed to that.
Denzel Washington was born to be in a Western like this and the emerging Chris Pratt does his star potential no harm by turning in a stellar performance adding both levity â with some whip-sharp lines â and screen presence in the role made famous by Steve McQueen. (Although no one comes close to the screen presence of McQueenâŠ. Look up âreal manâ in the dictionary and his picture is there!) Also effective is Ethan Hawke in the nearest thing to the Robert Vaughan character in this film.
Where the adapted script by Richard Wenk and Nik Pizzolatto falters somewhat is in the motivations of the characters, which come across as superficial and unconvincing. (Perhaps âsellingâ was a whole lot easier in the Old West?) It is even unclear at the end of the film whether the survivors (and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the seven donât all make it!) actually take their payment, or even a âshare of the goldâ that the town is sitting on. It makes for an unsatisfactory closure. The degree of racial harmony present in the film is also difficult to buy into, and the script could have made something more of this.
The film soundtrack marks the swan-song of the late James Horner, so tragically killed in a plane crash last year at the age of just 61. As the natural successor to the great John Williams and the late Jerry Goldsmith, Hornerâs loss was a terrible one. The film is dedicated to him. Although the soundtrack was completed by Simon Franglen, there are flourishes of classic Horner, most notably in the first Rose Creek showdown scene. There is also a treat to the ears over the closing credits which is very welcome.
Although the film draws natural comparison with its 5* classic predecessor, this is a good film in its own right â a genuinely pleasant surprise. Perhaps its done well enough that we might get to now see a remake of âThe Return of the Sevenâ. I hope so⊠âthe Western is dead⊠long live the Westernâ!
Possibly on the basis that Trump has been given the Mexicanâs a good bashing lately, the villain of the piece in this film is updated from Mexican bandit Calvera to Sacremento based land-snatcher and all round bad-egg Bartholomew Bogue (an expressionless Peter Sarsgaard). After ripping through some of the inhabitants of Rose Creek in a brutal pre-title sequence, widowed sharp-shooter Emma Cullen (Haley Bennett, âThe Equalizerâ) heads into the West on a recruiting mission for hired guns. She first recruits the bounty hunter Chisholm (sing âChisum, John ChisumâŠâ⊠no, sorry different Western) played by Denzel Washington. Washington matches Yul Brynnerâs famous black outfit, and unlike Brynner is obviously able to finish off the ensemble naturally!
They recruit another six (whoâd have thought it?) including wise-guy gambler Faraday (Chris âGuardians of the Galaxyâ Pratt); famed confederate sniper Goodnight Robicheaux (Ethan Hawke); his nifty knife throwing Asian sidekick (but good for the Far East box office) Billy Rocks (Bjung-hun Lee, from Terminator: Genisys); and religious bear-of-a-man Indian-hunter Jack Horne (Vincent DâOnofrio, âJurassic Worldâ). After trying to whip the incompetent townsfolk into shape, and setting some Home-Alone style surprises, the stage is set for a showdown as Bogue whips up an army to re-take âhisâ town.
I like classic Westerns, with John Fordâs Rio Bravo being a particular favourite. In my view the problem with many modern Westerns is that they try too hard to shock (Tarentinoâs recent âHateful 8â was a case in point: a promising start ruined by gratuitous over-the-top violence). âThe Magnificent Sevenâ doesnât make that mistake, and while the squib-master and blood-bag boy are heavily employed throughout, nothing is too excessive: in fact, my view â and I donât often tend in this direction â is that the censors rather over-egged the UK 12A rating on this one and could have gone with a 12. Director Antoine Fuqua has produced a film that is highly respectful of its heritage: perhaps to the point where many scenes might be deemed to be clichĂ©d. But I personally warmed to that.
Denzel Washington was born to be in a Western like this and the emerging Chris Pratt does his star potential no harm by turning in a stellar performance adding both levity â with some whip-sharp lines â and screen presence in the role made famous by Steve McQueen. (Although no one comes close to the screen presence of McQueenâŠ. Look up âreal manâ in the dictionary and his picture is there!) Also effective is Ethan Hawke in the nearest thing to the Robert Vaughan character in this film.
Where the adapted script by Richard Wenk and Nik Pizzolatto falters somewhat is in the motivations of the characters, which come across as superficial and unconvincing. (Perhaps âsellingâ was a whole lot easier in the Old West?) It is even unclear at the end of the film whether the survivors (and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the seven donât all make it!) actually take their payment, or even a âshare of the goldâ that the town is sitting on. It makes for an unsatisfactory closure. The degree of racial harmony present in the film is also difficult to buy into, and the script could have made something more of this.
The film soundtrack marks the swan-song of the late James Horner, so tragically killed in a plane crash last year at the age of just 61. As the natural successor to the great John Williams and the late Jerry Goldsmith, Hornerâs loss was a terrible one. The film is dedicated to him. Although the soundtrack was completed by Simon Franglen, there are flourishes of classic Horner, most notably in the first Rose Creek showdown scene. There is also a treat to the ears over the closing credits which is very welcome.
Although the film draws natural comparison with its 5* classic predecessor, this is a good film in its own right â a genuinely pleasant surprise. Perhaps its done well enough that we might get to now see a remake of âThe Return of the Sevenâ. I hope so⊠âthe Western is dead⊠long live the Westernâ!