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David McK (3422 KP) rated The Rock (1996) in Movies
Jul 12, 2023
There was a period during the late 90s, early 90s, where Nice Cage was in full action hero mode.
We're talking the likes of National Treasure, Con-Air, Face/Off. And this, his first entry in that mold from 1996.
Also starring Sean Connery in a Bind-in-all-but-name role, this sees Cage playing the part of an FBI chemical expert who has to accompany Connery and US Marines on a mission to infiltrate Alcatraz (Connery's role being as the only man to ever escape from said prison) after a group of disillusioned Marines - led by Ed Harris - seize control of the island and have chemical weapons pointing at San Francisco.
I think this may be the first Michael Bay film I ever saw; looking back on it now I can see that, even back then, it has all the hallmarks of one of his films!
We're talking the likes of National Treasure, Con-Air, Face/Off. And this, his first entry in that mold from 1996.
Also starring Sean Connery in a Bind-in-all-but-name role, this sees Cage playing the part of an FBI chemical expert who has to accompany Connery and US Marines on a mission to infiltrate Alcatraz (Connery's role being as the only man to ever escape from said prison) after a group of disillusioned Marines - led by Ed Harris - seize control of the island and have chemical weapons pointing at San Francisco.
I think this may be the first Michael Bay film I ever saw; looking back on it now I can see that, even back then, it has all the hallmarks of one of his films!
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Run All Night (2015) in Movies
Jun 11, 2019
Neeson at his gritty best
It’s fair to say Liam Neeson has picked some decidedly dodgy acting jobs since his rise to become an A-list Hollywood action hero. From a disappointing turn in the most recent A Team movie to the laughably bad Taken 3, he seems to have been turned from fan favourite to the butt of so many jokes.
After January’s poorly received Taken 3, Neeson returns to give the genre another go in Run All Night, but does Jaume Collet-Serra’s intriguing direction return him to the top of the food chain?
Run All Night follows the story of Neeson’s Jimmy Conlon as he does his best to keep his son Michael, played by Joel Kinnaman, away from the deadly clutches of Sean Maguire, a brutal underworld gangster portrayed by Ed Harris, after the murder of Sean’s son Danny over the course of 16 hours.
What ensues is a formulaic action thriller featuring by-the-numbers set pieces that are interspersed with some inspiring cinematography and all the actors at the top of their game.
Neeson’s Jimmy is an alcoholic former hit man, previously employed by Maguire, who has decided to move away from his shady past and become a more rounded individual. His interactions with Ed Harris’ brilliant Sean are excellent and the pair have genuine chemistry – it’s just a shame that their backstory isn’t built on a little more.
As the audience follows Jimmy and Michael evading the police, mobsters and professional hired killers, the film traces their backstory, almost using the action-packed set pieces as checkpoints for a bit more history and from a genre that rarely utilises character development, this is a welcome addition.
The cinematography is truly stunning. The sweeping shots of New York City are inspired and the use of tracking and aerial panning instead of simply fading between scenes stylises the film like no other action movie from the last few years.
There is an air of The Taking of Pelham 123 in Serra’s direction, and of course the similarities to Neeson’s Taken and Serra’s very own Non-Stop that also starred the Irish actor are obvious.
Unfortunately, all these comparisons mean that Run All Night isn’t particularly original in premise despite its unique direction. We’ve seen it all before, we saw Neeson running about and shooting bad guys in Taken, Taken 2 and Taken 3. We saw him try to get the bottom of a serious problem in Non-Stop and we saw him take on the role of a troubled alcoholic in The Grey.
Yes, after Taken 3, Run All Night showcases Neeson at his gritty best, but it’s in Ed Harris that we find the most intriguing
character and he puts everything into Sean Maguire – despite his more than familiar name.
Thankfully, Serra and the production crew steered away from creating a film that would please the masses and opted for an often brutal, yet strangely warming action thriller – along the way avoiding the pitfalls of some of Neeson’s previous efforts.
Overall, Run All Night isn’t the disaster it could have been and shows what everyone’s favourite Irish actor is capable of when given the right material to work with. Ed Harris is also on point and Jaume Collet-Serra’s direction goes above and beyond what the genre asks for.
Only an underwhelming final act and a highly unoriginal story stop it from becoming the film it so deeply wanted to be.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2015/03/15/neeson-at-his-gritty-best-run-all-night-review/
After January’s poorly received Taken 3, Neeson returns to give the genre another go in Run All Night, but does Jaume Collet-Serra’s intriguing direction return him to the top of the food chain?
Run All Night follows the story of Neeson’s Jimmy Conlon as he does his best to keep his son Michael, played by Joel Kinnaman, away from the deadly clutches of Sean Maguire, a brutal underworld gangster portrayed by Ed Harris, after the murder of Sean’s son Danny over the course of 16 hours.
What ensues is a formulaic action thriller featuring by-the-numbers set pieces that are interspersed with some inspiring cinematography and all the actors at the top of their game.
Neeson’s Jimmy is an alcoholic former hit man, previously employed by Maguire, who has decided to move away from his shady past and become a more rounded individual. His interactions with Ed Harris’ brilliant Sean are excellent and the pair have genuine chemistry – it’s just a shame that their backstory isn’t built on a little more.
As the audience follows Jimmy and Michael evading the police, mobsters and professional hired killers, the film traces their backstory, almost using the action-packed set pieces as checkpoints for a bit more history and from a genre that rarely utilises character development, this is a welcome addition.
The cinematography is truly stunning. The sweeping shots of New York City are inspired and the use of tracking and aerial panning instead of simply fading between scenes stylises the film like no other action movie from the last few years.
There is an air of The Taking of Pelham 123 in Serra’s direction, and of course the similarities to Neeson’s Taken and Serra’s very own Non-Stop that also starred the Irish actor are obvious.
Unfortunately, all these comparisons mean that Run All Night isn’t particularly original in premise despite its unique direction. We’ve seen it all before, we saw Neeson running about and shooting bad guys in Taken, Taken 2 and Taken 3. We saw him try to get the bottom of a serious problem in Non-Stop and we saw him take on the role of a troubled alcoholic in The Grey.
Yes, after Taken 3, Run All Night showcases Neeson at his gritty best, but it’s in Ed Harris that we find the most intriguing
character and he puts everything into Sean Maguire – despite his more than familiar name.
Thankfully, Serra and the production crew steered away from creating a film that would please the masses and opted for an often brutal, yet strangely warming action thriller – along the way avoiding the pitfalls of some of Neeson’s previous efforts.
Overall, Run All Night isn’t the disaster it could have been and shows what everyone’s favourite Irish actor is capable of when given the right material to work with. Ed Harris is also on point and Jaume Collet-Serra’s direction goes above and beyond what the genre asks for.
Only an underwhelming final act and a highly unoriginal story stop it from becoming the film it so deeply wanted to be.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2015/03/15/neeson-at-his-gritty-best-run-all-night-review/
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015) in Movies
Apr 23, 2020 (Updated Apr 24, 2020)
Your Mission, Should You Choose To Accept It
Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, is the fifth installment of the mission: impossible franchise. This one is better than the fourth one in my opinon. The plot is better, the action is better, the villian is better and the risk/higher steaks are better. I will rank the films after i watch the 6th one, but right now as it stands it goes... 3, 5, 1, 4 and 2.
The plot: With the IMF now disbanded and Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) out in the cold, a new threat -- called the Syndicate -- soon emerges. The Syndicate is a network of highly skilled operatives who are dedicated to establishing a new world order via an escalating series of terrorist attacks. Faced with what may be the most impossible mission yet, Ethan gathers his team and joins forces with Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), a disavowed British agent who may or may not be a member of this deadly rogue nation.
Sean Harris was excellent as the villian, second to phillip seymour hoffman. You really got to hate his guts. Such a badass villian.
A excellent movie, a huge plus from the 4th one.
The plot: With the IMF now disbanded and Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) out in the cold, a new threat -- called the Syndicate -- soon emerges. The Syndicate is a network of highly skilled operatives who are dedicated to establishing a new world order via an escalating series of terrorist attacks. Faced with what may be the most impossible mission yet, Ethan gathers his team and joins forces with Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), a disavowed British agent who may or may not be a member of this deadly rogue nation.
Sean Harris was excellent as the villian, second to phillip seymour hoffman. You really got to hate his guts. Such a badass villian.
A excellent movie, a huge plus from the 4th one.
Blazing Minds (92 KP) rated Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018) in Movies
Nov 1, 2021 (Updated Nov 3, 2021)
Way back in 1996 we were introduced to the movie franchise of Mission: Impossible, now 22 years later (yes you read that right!), we’ve got to the sixth movie, Mission: Impossible Fallout, with Tom Cruise reprising his role of Ethan Hunt and showing us that he is still one heck of an adrenaline junkie with even more edge of the seat stunts and action.
I’ve been looking forward to seeing the team of Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg and Rebecca Ferguson back together in the latest movie and to see Henry Cavill (with that moustache that caused some CGI removal in Justice League), so I popped over to the Scala Cinema in Prestatyn to check out the movie.
Now with all the previous Mission: Impossible movies I went into this one, not really knowing too much about the movie, I like to have the surprises that the franchise throws at you and not have any spoilers, so long story short, all I knew is that the IMF is trying to get their hands back on some stolen plutonium that a new rogue faction called The Apostles want to use to wipe out a third o the world’s population and on the way Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team have to get their hands back on Soloman Lane (Sean Harris) who we last saw in Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation.
I’ve been looking forward to seeing the team of Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg and Rebecca Ferguson back together in the latest movie and to see Henry Cavill (with that moustache that caused some CGI removal in Justice League), so I popped over to the Scala Cinema in Prestatyn to check out the movie.
Now with all the previous Mission: Impossible movies I went into this one, not really knowing too much about the movie, I like to have the surprises that the franchise throws at you and not have any spoilers, so long story short, all I knew is that the IMF is trying to get their hands back on some stolen plutonium that a new rogue faction called The Apostles want to use to wipe out a third o the world’s population and on the way Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team have to get their hands back on Soloman Lane (Sean Harris) who we last saw in Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation.
Tim McGuire (301 KP) rated Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018) in Movies
Oct 7, 2019
274. Mission: Impossible - Fallout. Tom Cruise is totally insane, but, he does make some entertaining flicks, even in this 20+ year film franchise. He does some crazy stunts, the ankle scene, I think is still in there, and its brutal. And he fights Superman! So the main theme to part 6 is this. Ethan Hunt did not kill the bad guy, Solomon Lane from the previous film, played by Sean Harris, a cool creepy character actor, and he's back to tear Ethan Hunt a new butthole, and plans to take a bunch of people with him, including Ethan's ex Julia, what??? And to top it all off, the government bastards don't really trust Ethan, so they send a babysitter, Henry Cavill as August Walker. Ok, so the big mystery of this one... there's a mystery guy out there working against Ethan's team, and they seem to know their every move. So Ethans entire team, and August Walker is out to recapture Solomon and stop the madness before the mystery bad spy can get him. Who could it be??? The basic cast has remained the same, a few additions along the way, and then there's Henry Cavill's character, this one will be tough to figure out. But a really fun entertaining flick... Were they hinting at Ethan Hunt getting a little old?? Several scenes were focused on Hunt catching his breath....maybe its just me... Filmbufftim on FB
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Spencer (2021) in Movies
Nov 11, 2021
Diana hits rock bottom… as does the script.
Discordant strings sound as the royal party arrives at Sandringham for Christmas. “Is she here yet” intones the Queen. “No ma’am” her major domo replies. “Then she’s late”. Cut to a soulful choral version of “Perfect Day” as Diana Princess of Wales (née Spencer) arrives via a dramatic aerial shot. Hugs go to her sons William and Harry before she unhappily stalks through the corridors like a hunted animal.
This is the second movie in a row that I’ve intro’d via a positive emotional response to a great trailer. In the last case – for “Last Night in Soho” – the movie more than lived up to my high expectations from the trailer. But here – oh dear! It comes to something where the very best thing about the film is the trailer.
For, unfortunately for me, this came across as pretentious, vaguely insulting and with a dreadful script.
Plot Summary:
It’s Christmas 1991 at the Sandringham estate. Diana (Kristen Stewart) is the black sheep of the royal family, flouting tradition and always late for every formal event. She sees conspiracies at every turn, suspecting the household coordinator Major Gregory (Timothy Spall) of plotting against her. Her only allies that she can talk to are head chef Darren (Sean Harris) and her dresser Maggie (Sally Hawkins).
Mentally unstable, bulimic and self-harming, Diana must survive a tumultuous three days without destroying the Christmas spirit for her two sons and irreparably damaging her relationship with the wider royal family.
Certification:
US: R. UK: 12A.
Talent:
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Timothy Spall, Sally Hawkins, Jack Farthing, Sean Harris.
Directed by: Pablo Larraín.
Written by: Steven Knight.
“Spencer” Review: Positives:
Kristen Stewart does a simply fabulous job of impersonating Diana. She’s clearly studied a lot of video of the lady in getting to mimic the way she looks, walks and dances. Although I didn’t rate the film, the performance is a cut-above.
It’s an ironic touch that in all of her driving scenes, Diana never wears a seat-belt.
Negatives:
Oh man, Steven Knight’s dialogue here I found to be simply atrocious. Head-in-the-hands bad. I decided about half way through this monstrosity that “The Room” had had its day as a cult student classic, and that “Spencer” should take over in that role.
These things evolve organically over time, but I came up with the following basic rules for a student showing:
Every time Kristen Stewart does a ‘simp’ look to camera, down a shot;
When Darren utters the line “What are you going to do with wirecutters?” the audience yells as one “CUT WIRE!” **;
When Diana intones “Beauty is useless. Beauty is clothing”** the audience should strip to their underwear;
Every time a member of the hunt shouts “PULL!” you throw a stuffed pheasant in the air. Otherwise you keep the stuffed pheasant next to you, and engage in studious conversation with it as the film progresses;
Whenever Anne Boleyn appears, shout “OFF WITH HER HEAD”;
When a character says to Diana “I love you. And yes, in that way”**, the audience must shout “Aye aye” and every female audience member needs to passionately kiss another female audience member; and finally…
When Diana says “Leave Me. I want to masturbate”**, the audience throws dildos at the screen.
** I’d really like to pretend that I made these lines up. They might be paraphrased a bit, but honestly, that’s the gist!
Oh yes. It’s a sure-fire student classic of the future. You read it here first folks! I can see the filmmakers lauding me with praise for turning their movie into a post-release sleeper hit. “WHAT A CULT” they shout at me. “WHAT A CULT”!
The rest of the cast do a good enough job with what they have, but have the general vibe of being embarrassed to deliver the dialogue they’ve been given. Sean Harris – a fine actor – inexplicably spouts Shakespeare like Christopher Plummer in “Star Trek VI”! And one can only assume that Timothy Spall was given direction to act as if he had a whole lemon stuck inside his mouth for the whole movie.
I’ve been a fan of Jonny Greenwood’s music in other movies like “Phantom Thread“. I’ve seen Mark Kermode describe this soundtrack as “fantastic”. But, for me, the intrusive atonal strings and laid-back jazz vibe just didn’t work for me at all.
Summary Thoughts on “Spencer”
As you can probably tell, I hated this one. And the illustrious Mrs Movie Man 100% agrees with me in this assessment. The trailer promised a lot, but the movie delivered very little for me. It just all felt to me like an affront to the memory of Diana. Making a highly fictitious “fable based on a real life tragedy” just feels wrong. This seems particularly the case when the Queen, Prince Charles and (particularly) William and Harry are alive to watch it. What must they think if and when they get to view this?
I was a big fan of Larrain’s 2017 biopic on Jackie Kennedy – “Jackie” – which really covered the very similar ground, of a lady in the focus of publicity struggling with mental illness. But at least that had the benefit of historical distance.
I seem to be swimming against the critical tide here, since the movie currently has an IMDB rating of 7.4/10. But frankly, for me, I thought the recent series of “The Crown” did this so much better.
This is the second movie in a row that I’ve intro’d via a positive emotional response to a great trailer. In the last case – for “Last Night in Soho” – the movie more than lived up to my high expectations from the trailer. But here – oh dear! It comes to something where the very best thing about the film is the trailer.
For, unfortunately for me, this came across as pretentious, vaguely insulting and with a dreadful script.
Plot Summary:
It’s Christmas 1991 at the Sandringham estate. Diana (Kristen Stewart) is the black sheep of the royal family, flouting tradition and always late for every formal event. She sees conspiracies at every turn, suspecting the household coordinator Major Gregory (Timothy Spall) of plotting against her. Her only allies that she can talk to are head chef Darren (Sean Harris) and her dresser Maggie (Sally Hawkins).
Mentally unstable, bulimic and self-harming, Diana must survive a tumultuous three days without destroying the Christmas spirit for her two sons and irreparably damaging her relationship with the wider royal family.
Certification:
US: R. UK: 12A.
Talent:
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Timothy Spall, Sally Hawkins, Jack Farthing, Sean Harris.
Directed by: Pablo Larraín.
Written by: Steven Knight.
“Spencer” Review: Positives:
Kristen Stewart does a simply fabulous job of impersonating Diana. She’s clearly studied a lot of video of the lady in getting to mimic the way she looks, walks and dances. Although I didn’t rate the film, the performance is a cut-above.
It’s an ironic touch that in all of her driving scenes, Diana never wears a seat-belt.
Negatives:
Oh man, Steven Knight’s dialogue here I found to be simply atrocious. Head-in-the-hands bad. I decided about half way through this monstrosity that “The Room” had had its day as a cult student classic, and that “Spencer” should take over in that role.
These things evolve organically over time, but I came up with the following basic rules for a student showing:
Every time Kristen Stewart does a ‘simp’ look to camera, down a shot;
When Darren utters the line “What are you going to do with wirecutters?” the audience yells as one “CUT WIRE!” **;
When Diana intones “Beauty is useless. Beauty is clothing”** the audience should strip to their underwear;
Every time a member of the hunt shouts “PULL!” you throw a stuffed pheasant in the air. Otherwise you keep the stuffed pheasant next to you, and engage in studious conversation with it as the film progresses;
Whenever Anne Boleyn appears, shout “OFF WITH HER HEAD”;
When a character says to Diana “I love you. And yes, in that way”**, the audience must shout “Aye aye” and every female audience member needs to passionately kiss another female audience member; and finally…
When Diana says “Leave Me. I want to masturbate”**, the audience throws dildos at the screen.
** I’d really like to pretend that I made these lines up. They might be paraphrased a bit, but honestly, that’s the gist!
Oh yes. It’s a sure-fire student classic of the future. You read it here first folks! I can see the filmmakers lauding me with praise for turning their movie into a post-release sleeper hit. “WHAT A CULT” they shout at me. “WHAT A CULT”!
The rest of the cast do a good enough job with what they have, but have the general vibe of being embarrassed to deliver the dialogue they’ve been given. Sean Harris – a fine actor – inexplicably spouts Shakespeare like Christopher Plummer in “Star Trek VI”! And one can only assume that Timothy Spall was given direction to act as if he had a whole lemon stuck inside his mouth for the whole movie.
I’ve been a fan of Jonny Greenwood’s music in other movies like “Phantom Thread“. I’ve seen Mark Kermode describe this soundtrack as “fantastic”. But, for me, the intrusive atonal strings and laid-back jazz vibe just didn’t work for me at all.
Summary Thoughts on “Spencer”
As you can probably tell, I hated this one. And the illustrious Mrs Movie Man 100% agrees with me in this assessment. The trailer promised a lot, but the movie delivered very little for me. It just all felt to me like an affront to the memory of Diana. Making a highly fictitious “fable based on a real life tragedy” just feels wrong. This seems particularly the case when the Queen, Prince Charles and (particularly) William and Harry are alive to watch it. What must they think if and when they get to view this?
I was a big fan of Larrain’s 2017 biopic on Jackie Kennedy – “Jackie” – which really covered the very similar ground, of a lady in the focus of publicity struggling with mental illness. But at least that had the benefit of historical distance.
I seem to be swimming against the critical tide here, since the movie currently has an IMDB rating of 7.4/10. But frankly, for me, I thought the recent series of “The Crown” did this so much better.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Possum (2018) in Movies
Nov 7, 2019
Philip is a puppeteer with one of the creepiest puppets you have ever seen, he is returning home to escape after his latest show went terribly wrong and it isn’t long before the strange events continue to plague him. He becomes a suspect in a missing persons case and the puppet he is trying to get rid of, keeps returning for him. Maurice is his stepfather that always pushes him too far, he always seems to be judging Philip. We only truly get to meet two characters with the puppet having a life of its own.
Performances – Sean Harris is genuinely creepy through this film giving a performance that is bound to get him placed in any horror film he wants for years to come. Alun Armstrong does well in the supporting role which does work very well in the film.
Story – The story follows the puppeteer that is haunted by his own puppet while is clearly a metaphor for something else going on in his life. This is a strange film to say the least, it does deal with real issues that can be disguised and will keep you feeling uneasy throughout. We could spend time studying certain issues in this film, but that goes into full spoilers.
Horror – The horror comes from the uneasy feeling we are getting through the film, with just what could be going on, the appearances of the puppet itself, which does look genuinely creepy.
Settings – The settings for this feel only add to the atmosphere involved in the film, each place feels like something terrible could happen.
Special Effects – The effects in the film come from the puppet creation and slow movements that it gives us through the film.
Scene of the Movie – Puppet first appearance.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It is slow in places.
Final Thoughts – This is a movie that does leave you feeling unsettled by what we see with a puppet that just feels difficult to look at.
Overall: Creepy horror.
Performances – Sean Harris is genuinely creepy through this film giving a performance that is bound to get him placed in any horror film he wants for years to come. Alun Armstrong does well in the supporting role which does work very well in the film.
Story – The story follows the puppeteer that is haunted by his own puppet while is clearly a metaphor for something else going on in his life. This is a strange film to say the least, it does deal with real issues that can be disguised and will keep you feeling uneasy throughout. We could spend time studying certain issues in this film, but that goes into full spoilers.
Horror – The horror comes from the uneasy feeling we are getting through the film, with just what could be going on, the appearances of the puppet itself, which does look genuinely creepy.
Settings – The settings for this feel only add to the atmosphere involved in the film, each place feels like something terrible could happen.
Special Effects – The effects in the film come from the puppet creation and slow movements that it gives us through the film.
Scene of the Movie – Puppet first appearance.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It is slow in places.
Final Thoughts – This is a movie that does leave you feeling unsettled by what we see with a puppet that just feels difficult to look at.
Overall: Creepy horror.
JT (287 KP) rated A Lonely Place to Die (2011) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
Set against the sweeping landscape of the Scottish Highlands it would seem like a perfect place as any to stage a cat mouse style thriller – and that is exactly what we get. When a group of climbers out on excursion discover a young girl buried alive with only a tube for air they take the decision to rescue her, which just became their biggest mistake.
It’s a fast paced edge of the seat ride which never stops for a second to catch its breath. George puts in a worthy performance, gripped by fear she runs on adrenalin in order to try and outwit her villainous opponents.
There is something truly unnerving about setting a thriller in such a picaresque backdrop, it worked for The Decent and certainly for Deliverance. Here Gilby does more than enough to raise the tension, from an opening that will surely shake the viewer up it only takes a strangle hold on them further.
The acting is if I’m honest below par from a majority of the party, George shines there is no question of that, but it’s the inclusion of protagonist Sean Harris as Mr. Kidd that really gives the film a chilling edge.
He’s a dead pan actor, that has the look of a complete bastard, cold callous and methodical. When he recalls a past tale during the climax of the film its a reminder that he takes his business very seriously.
George puts in a worthy performance, gripped by fear she runs on adrenalin in order to try and outwit her villainous opponents
For the last act the film moves from the heights of the forest to a small Scottish town deep in a local festival and while you may feel that some of the tension might be lost, think again.
The inclusion of a few bounty hunters adds to the action and elaborates on the plot further, and it races to a pulsating finish. It’s a commendable effort from Gilbey whose last outing Rise of the Footsoldier was also met with great acclaim.
While it may be consigned to the group labelled B-Moives, this has enough to keep even the seasoned film fan strapped to their chairs.
It’s a fast paced edge of the seat ride which never stops for a second to catch its breath. George puts in a worthy performance, gripped by fear she runs on adrenalin in order to try and outwit her villainous opponents.
There is something truly unnerving about setting a thriller in such a picaresque backdrop, it worked for The Decent and certainly for Deliverance. Here Gilby does more than enough to raise the tension, from an opening that will surely shake the viewer up it only takes a strangle hold on them further.
The acting is if I’m honest below par from a majority of the party, George shines there is no question of that, but it’s the inclusion of protagonist Sean Harris as Mr. Kidd that really gives the film a chilling edge.
He’s a dead pan actor, that has the look of a complete bastard, cold callous and methodical. When he recalls a past tale during the climax of the film its a reminder that he takes his business very seriously.
George puts in a worthy performance, gripped by fear she runs on adrenalin in order to try and outwit her villainous opponents
For the last act the film moves from the heights of the forest to a small Scottish town deep in a local festival and while you may feel that some of the tension might be lost, think again.
The inclusion of a few bounty hunters adds to the action and elaborates on the plot further, and it races to a pulsating finish. It’s a commendable effort from Gilbey whose last outing Rise of the Footsoldier was also met with great acclaim.
While it may be consigned to the group labelled B-Moives, this has enough to keep even the seasoned film fan strapped to their chairs.
Darren (1599 KP) rated A Lonely Place to Die (2011) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: A Lonely Place to Die starts as we three climbers Rob (Newman), Ed (Speleers) and Alison (George) showing just how extreme their love for climber is when we see them avoid disaster following an accident. Returning to their holiday trip the friends meet up with fellow climbers Jenny (Magowan) and Alex (Sweeney) to prepare for the biggest climb of their trip.
Heading out on the next day of climbing the friends find a mysterious breathing pipe where they discover a young girl Anna (Boyd) locked in a hole in the ground. Deciding to do the right thing they split up to get help with Alison and Rob heading to Devil’s Drop to get to the village quicker while the rest take Anna for a safe place to wait for rescue.
When one of their own is killed the remaining friends find themselves being hunted down by Mr Kidd (Harris) & Mr Mcrae (McCole) who are after Anna, the friends have to use all their climbing and survival skills to escape this deadly situation.
A Lonely Place to Die is a thriller that goes on to keep the storyline twists coming, the idea of finding a girl trapped in the woods and being hunted down is an easy story and would easily have been enough but adding in the idea of kidnapping hand over works really well. This does mean the introduction too all of the original characters comes off almost pointless because most of them are just disposable but it does get saved with the final act tension. This is one I do feel people will enjoy and with this many twists it never actually gets confusing.
Actor Review
Melissa George: Allison is the experienced climber on a climbing holiday with friends, we see how she can handle herself in the extreme conditions early on but when we see her and her friends find a young girl in the middle of the forest she must find a way out of the mountain range to save the girl. Melissa is always a strong lead in film but I was never sure of her accent in this one.
Ed Speleers: Ed is the least experienced member of the friends that Allison has bought along on the trip, he is reckless but we see how he will do the right thing when needed. Ed is a solid supporting choice but lacks that final moment.
Sean Harris: Mr Kidd is one of the two men hunting the friends down, he is very psychotic as we see him happily watch people die. This is a very good villain because we see his greed and complete lack of care showing through. Sean is good in this role where we see just how twisted his character gets.
Karel Roden: Darko is dealing with Mr Kidd, he is a victim as it is Anna that has been kidnapped for a ransom. He has come prepared to get revenge on the people involved. Karel is good in this role as we see his change as we learn his real position in the situation.
Support Cast: A Lonely Place to Die has a good supporting cast that all do their jobs to make this an edge of your seat ride.
Director Review: Julian Gilbey –
Action: A Lonely Place to Die has a lot of survival action with chasing, climbing and gun fights happening.
Crime: A Lonely Place to Die puts us in the middle of the kidnapping so we actually feel like the one of the climbers stuck in the middle.
Thriller: A Lonely Place to Die keeps us on edge through the whole film as we wonder who will make it out alive.
Settings: A Lonely Place to Die has the first half in the middle of the Scottish Highlands with no means on communication while being chased really does work and the festival finale is a good close for the chaos.
Special Effects: A Lonely Place to Die has good effects when needed but isn’t a film that turns to them.
Suggestion: A Lonely Place to Die is one I think people should watch, I think it is intense thriller with nicely handled twists. (Watch)
Best Part: The twists.
Worst Part: A few loose ends at the end.
Believability: No
Chances of Tears: No
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: No
Budget: $4 Million
Runtime: 1 Hour 39 Minutes
Tagline: Out there, there’s nowhere to hide
Overall: Enjoyable thriller that keeps us on edge throughout.
https://moviesreview101.com/2016/08/06/melissa-george-weekend-a-lonely-place-to-die-2011/
Heading out on the next day of climbing the friends find a mysterious breathing pipe where they discover a young girl Anna (Boyd) locked in a hole in the ground. Deciding to do the right thing they split up to get help with Alison and Rob heading to Devil’s Drop to get to the village quicker while the rest take Anna for a safe place to wait for rescue.
When one of their own is killed the remaining friends find themselves being hunted down by Mr Kidd (Harris) & Mr Mcrae (McCole) who are after Anna, the friends have to use all their climbing and survival skills to escape this deadly situation.
A Lonely Place to Die is a thriller that goes on to keep the storyline twists coming, the idea of finding a girl trapped in the woods and being hunted down is an easy story and would easily have been enough but adding in the idea of kidnapping hand over works really well. This does mean the introduction too all of the original characters comes off almost pointless because most of them are just disposable but it does get saved with the final act tension. This is one I do feel people will enjoy and with this many twists it never actually gets confusing.
Actor Review
Melissa George: Allison is the experienced climber on a climbing holiday with friends, we see how she can handle herself in the extreme conditions early on but when we see her and her friends find a young girl in the middle of the forest she must find a way out of the mountain range to save the girl. Melissa is always a strong lead in film but I was never sure of her accent in this one.
Ed Speleers: Ed is the least experienced member of the friends that Allison has bought along on the trip, he is reckless but we see how he will do the right thing when needed. Ed is a solid supporting choice but lacks that final moment.
Sean Harris: Mr Kidd is one of the two men hunting the friends down, he is very psychotic as we see him happily watch people die. This is a very good villain because we see his greed and complete lack of care showing through. Sean is good in this role where we see just how twisted his character gets.
Karel Roden: Darko is dealing with Mr Kidd, he is a victim as it is Anna that has been kidnapped for a ransom. He has come prepared to get revenge on the people involved. Karel is good in this role as we see his change as we learn his real position in the situation.
Support Cast: A Lonely Place to Die has a good supporting cast that all do their jobs to make this an edge of your seat ride.
Director Review: Julian Gilbey –
Action: A Lonely Place to Die has a lot of survival action with chasing, climbing and gun fights happening.
Crime: A Lonely Place to Die puts us in the middle of the kidnapping so we actually feel like the one of the climbers stuck in the middle.
Thriller: A Lonely Place to Die keeps us on edge through the whole film as we wonder who will make it out alive.
Settings: A Lonely Place to Die has the first half in the middle of the Scottish Highlands with no means on communication while being chased really does work and the festival finale is a good close for the chaos.
Special Effects: A Lonely Place to Die has good effects when needed but isn’t a film that turns to them.
Suggestion: A Lonely Place to Die is one I think people should watch, I think it is intense thriller with nicely handled twists. (Watch)
Best Part: The twists.
Worst Part: A few loose ends at the end.
Believability: No
Chances of Tears: No
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: No
Budget: $4 Million
Runtime: 1 Hour 39 Minutes
Tagline: Out there, there’s nowhere to hide
Overall: Enjoyable thriller that keeps us on edge throughout.
https://moviesreview101.com/2016/08/06/melissa-george-weekend-a-lonely-place-to-die-2011/
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Spencer (2021) in Movies
Feb 10, 2022
Stewart's Performance Elevates a Mediocre Film
Pablo Loraine’s SPENCER is not a subtle film, it shows the confinement and suffocation of Lady Diana Spencer under the watchful eye of the British monarchy and is not shy about who the bad guys are.
This sort of one-sided-ness of storytelling does not a compelling film make, but what does make this film compelling is the outstanding performance that is at the center of this film, Kristen Stewart as Lady Diana Spencer.
Telling the tale of the last Christmas that Diana spent as a member of the Royal family, SPENCER shows a a person in mental distress, living an ordered life that leaves little room for spontaneity or originality - things that Diana had in spades.
The only thing that makes this film work is the Oscar Nominated performance of Kristen Stewart as Diana. The way this movie was filmed, it would have been very easy for Stewart to portray Diana as a one-note victim, by she embodies this character with joy, sorrow, love, anger, depression and acceptance - sometimes at the same time. It is a tour-de-force performance that is well deserved of the Oscar nom.
What doesn’t work is the perspective of the film by Director Pablo Larrain (who also Directed Natalie Portman to an Oscar nom in JACKIE). He, clearly, had a vision and the look of the film is strong. What isn’t strong is the characters apart from Diana. The Royal family (especially Jack Farthings’ Prince Charles and Stella Gonet’s Queen Elizabeth) are mustache-twirling villians, Diana’s sons William and Harry look like they came out of the “Weasley Family” casting agency, while terrific character actors like Sally Hawkins, Timothy Spall and Sean Harris have almost (but not quite) interesting characters that don’t quite gel with what is going on.
But that is besides the point, for this is a story about Diana and Stewart is front and center in almost every scene - and is fascinating to watch - especially as she embodies Lady Diana in the marvelous costumes by Jacqueline Durran.
Come for the look at the Royals, stay for the performance by Stewart - one that I would not be suprised is honored come Oscar night.
Letter Grade: B
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
This sort of one-sided-ness of storytelling does not a compelling film make, but what does make this film compelling is the outstanding performance that is at the center of this film, Kristen Stewart as Lady Diana Spencer.
Telling the tale of the last Christmas that Diana spent as a member of the Royal family, SPENCER shows a a person in mental distress, living an ordered life that leaves little room for spontaneity or originality - things that Diana had in spades.
The only thing that makes this film work is the Oscar Nominated performance of Kristen Stewart as Diana. The way this movie was filmed, it would have been very easy for Stewart to portray Diana as a one-note victim, by she embodies this character with joy, sorrow, love, anger, depression and acceptance - sometimes at the same time. It is a tour-de-force performance that is well deserved of the Oscar nom.
What doesn’t work is the perspective of the film by Director Pablo Larrain (who also Directed Natalie Portman to an Oscar nom in JACKIE). He, clearly, had a vision and the look of the film is strong. What isn’t strong is the characters apart from Diana. The Royal family (especially Jack Farthings’ Prince Charles and Stella Gonet’s Queen Elizabeth) are mustache-twirling villians, Diana’s sons William and Harry look like they came out of the “Weasley Family” casting agency, while terrific character actors like Sally Hawkins, Timothy Spall and Sean Harris have almost (but not quite) interesting characters that don’t quite gel with what is going on.
But that is besides the point, for this is a story about Diana and Stewart is front and center in almost every scene - and is fascinating to watch - especially as she embodies Lady Diana in the marvelous costumes by Jacqueline Durran.
Come for the look at the Royals, stay for the performance by Stewart - one that I would not be suprised is honored come Oscar night.
Letter Grade: B
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)