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Persian Surgery Dervishes by Terry Riley
Album
This classic minimal music album is now available again on vinyl for the first time since the 70s....
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White Fragility
Book
'With clarity and compassion, DiAngelo allows us to understand racism as a practice not restricted...
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Much Ado About Nauticaling
Book
The bubbly fun of a rom-com meets the irresistible quirkiness of a cozy mystery in this buoyant new...
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ABC – Live TV & Full Episodes
Entertainment and Lifestyle
App
Catch up on the latest episodes* of your favorite ABC shows, watch on-the-go, and stream live** TV -...
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Sketches of Brunswick East by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
Album Watch
Just when you think you have King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard sussed they throw a curveball - in the...
jazz pop
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Getting Off: One Woman's Journey Through Sex and Porn Addiction
Book
A courageous account of one woman's unflinching and ultimately hopeful journey through sex and porn...
biography
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FarmVille 2: Country Escape
Games and Entertainment
App
**App Store Best of 2014** Escape to the world of farming, friends and fun! Go on farm adventures to...
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Chasing Darkness
Book
Elvis Cole is Back--In a Desperate Fight to Clear his Name... It's fire season, and the hills of...
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Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated The creator (2023) in Movies
Sep 28, 2023
Director Gareth Edwards presents a future where A.I. has evolved to be incorporated into all aspects of society ranging from medical to production and the military.
When a deadly attack hits Los Angeles, the United States declares war on A.I. units and not only bans them but looks to hunt down and eliminate all units worldwide.
This causes an issue with the Asian Block where A.I. units are manufactured and actively incorporated into society with zero prejudice or concerns.
Joshua (John David Washington), sits out the conflict in Asia content with his wife and the pending birth of their child. When a U.S. raid arrives it is revealed that Joshua is actually undercover for the military and his wife sees this as a betrayal and flees with her allies and A.I. units but is killed in the process.
Years later Joshua is recruited to take part in a raid to eliminate the person behind the A.I. and take out the new weapon they have reportedly constructed. Unwilling at first; Joshua is convinced by the possibility that his wife survived the attack.
During the raid, it is revealed that the weapon is a robotic child Joshua named Alphie (Madeline Yuna Voyles) and Joshua is forced to flee with Alphie and in doing so; has divided loyalties as his focus is to find his wife despite the U.S. forces in hot pursuit and destroying all the communities with A.I. they encounter.
While parts of the film do tend to run a bit long; the cast is top-rate and the film provides an interesting debate on A.I. and its use in society and does so with a solid amount of action in the process.
4 stars out of 5
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Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Collateral (2004) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
In the new Drama “Collateral”, Max is about to have his notion of life and the world turned upside down by a passenger named Vincent (Tom Cruise), who is a polar opposite of Max in every way. Vincent is a well-dressed business man who hires Max for the evening as he needs to make five stops in order to complete what he says are real estate deals. Although reluctant at first, the thought of $600.00 for a few hours work soon convinces Max to take the job and ferry Vincent around Los Angeles.
En route to the first stop, Vincent questions Max about why he is waiting to start his company when he could easily lease a Town car to get started and expand from there. The question unsettles the usually mild Max as what the stranger is saying makes a lot of sense but it also undermines the fact that Max is uncomfortable with taking the next step be it in his business ventures or in his social life such as calling an attractive attorney who was clearly interested in him.
While waiting for Vincent after the first stop, the sky literally falls upon Max’s word when a body crashes on his cab and Vincent forces Max at gunpoint to hide the body and continue driving him around. Vincent has one evening to complete his rounds and each stop will result in another death despite Max’s best efforts to intervene. No matter what Max attempts to get out of the situation or to again help, Vincent is always one step ahead of him and able to manipulate Max.
It does not take long for the tense situation to escalate as the result of Vincent’s work has not gone unnoticed by the police largely due to Max’s involvement, and this only causes Vincent to become even more focused and even more of a danger to Max as he needs to complete his tasks before morning and stay ahead of the police and other potential dangers.
“Collateral” is a gripping and intense thriller that contains some of the best work Cruise has done in his career as he portrays Vincent as a complex character who does not find fault with what he does and has no qualms about taking life, yet is amazed by Max and his unrealized dreams and moved by a performance at a local Jazz club.
One could almost call Vincent a Gentleman bandit were it not for the vast amounts of death and destruction he leaves in his wake. He is clearly an intelligent person who makes no apologies for what he does as he sees it as an insignificant blip in the vast universe.
Foxx meanwhile plays off character as he plays a very quite and withdrawn individual that has to be forced out of his shell. After years of playing brash and outrageous characters it was refreshing to see this talented actor turn in an emotional yet restrained performance that shows that he is a talent on the rise and if properly used, can be a gigantic star as not only is he capable of humor and drama, he can easily move to action when it is warranted and looks comfy and competent doing so.
The film also has some impressive visuals as Director Michael Mann gives viewers some amazing shots of the L.A. skyline at night, and the way he shoots the streets and back alleys with a neon glow gives the film a very natural look. On more than one occasion, I go a sense of déjà vu as the natural manner in which the surrounding city and citizens behave and look like a day in the life of rather than a movie set.
The film does drag a bit roughly ¾ in and some may find the ending a bit pat, but that being said, “Collateral” is a solid action drama and one of the best films of the year.