Cronenberg is a twisted individual, but I will give him credit for one thing, he definately takes the movie out of movie violence. I have never been in a brutal knife while steaming in suana, but I imagine it would go a little something like what happened during this movie. There is not sensationalism with Cronenberg he depicts violence as it might actually go down. The violence is brutal and uncontrolled and bloody. His fight scenes are not ten minute choreographed dance numbers, they are knock down drag out, bloody messes that makes the audience cringe and squirm at what they are watching. He does what he does and he does it really well. Cronenberg's graphically violent tendencies aside, which is in now way a knock, Eastern Promises shows western audiences a side to the Russian mafia they have never seen before.
Eastern Promises is the story of a baby, a baby whose mother, a teen-aged prostitute who is raped by the head of the Russian mafia, and than beaten, she later dies at the hospital during child birth. The mother leaves behind a diary that reveals all the terrors she suffered at the hands of the Russian Mafia. The nurse that delivered the baby, Naomi Watts finds the diary and tries to get it translated by taking it back to the very same people that killed the girl. At this restaurant she meets and falls for an undercover agent for Scotland Yard, Viggo Mortensen, posing as a driver trying to make his way up the crime ladder. What follows is a story of how this nurse intent on finding locating this dead girl's family comes to adopt this little child, but getting her father, one of the mafia heads, killed.
It is hard to describe this movie in a few words. There are romantic elements amid splashes of suspense and violence. This movie is a slice out of the lives of the characters we meet on screen. This does not tell a whole story, but rather the turbulent begining of child's life through the lense of her mother's death. We are not entirely sur of what happened before this moment or after all we are given is this breif view into their lives.
In the end it is a good movie, not great because frankly not enough happens for me and I can really do without the naked guy on guy on guy bloody suana brawl. To his credit Viggo does whatever is asked of him and David C. makes movie violence look as close to real thing as possible. Not a must see, but worth a watch for sure.
GRADE - C+
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Shoot'Em up
I am skipping the pleasantries and getting right down to business. I am not exactly how I feel about this movie, I am not even sure I can give an effective recap. Clive Owen is Smith, an off the grid former British super soldier that is just trying to stay out of trouble, Paul Giamatti is Hertz, the kind of trouble Smith is trying to avoid and Monic Bellucci is Donna Quintano a lactating prostitute that specializes in... special kind of fetish. The characters are strange enough and the cast is talented enough to make it work, sort of.
The movie is about a baby, a special baby bred for a special purpose, Owen doesn't know the baby is special when he saves the baby's life, but he does and that puts him in Giamatti's cross hairs. Owen goes to Bellucci for help with tacking care of the baby, Giamatti tracks them both down and with a name like Shoot'Em Up, you can imagine what happens.
It is clear that director, Michael Davis was making a tongue and cheek action movie with ridiculous action sequences and spectacular special effects. That is was cool and the cast was cool, but the movie the story, well I guess I should not have expected much. I am guessing that it was written to be ironic and more of a satire, thus the really ridiculous actions scenes, for example a gun fight while sky diving. Either that or Owen and Giamatti read the script and figured this would be a good chance for them to make a movie without having to break a sweat. Owen's character was really a montange of a bunch of other characters he has already played and Giamatti, well I think he so this as his chance to just be rediculous and no one would notice. As for Bellucci, she talented no doubt, this movie doesn't do her much justice, but it definately played up her hotness and yeah she is blazin. That is the sound of Diane Lane getting bumped of the list and replace by Bellucci.
Unless you have a good sense of humor or are able to enjoy a really superficial action movie I would not recommend this. I enjoyed myself, but I was not jumping out of my seat. Some cool visuals, but nothing to go nuts over, well maybe the scene from the hotel, yea good stuff.
GRADE - B-
The movie is about a baby, a special baby bred for a special purpose, Owen doesn't know the baby is special when he saves the baby's life, but he does and that puts him in Giamatti's cross hairs. Owen goes to Bellucci for help with tacking care of the baby, Giamatti tracks them both down and with a name like Shoot'Em Up, you can imagine what happens.
It is clear that director, Michael Davis was making a tongue and cheek action movie with ridiculous action sequences and spectacular special effects. That is was cool and the cast was cool, but the movie the story, well I guess I should not have expected much. I am guessing that it was written to be ironic and more of a satire, thus the really ridiculous actions scenes, for example a gun fight while sky diving. Either that or Owen and Giamatti read the script and figured this would be a good chance for them to make a movie without having to break a sweat. Owen's character was really a montange of a bunch of other characters he has already played and Giamatti, well I think he so this as his chance to just be rediculous and no one would notice. As for Bellucci, she talented no doubt, this movie doesn't do her much justice, but it definately played up her hotness and yeah she is blazin. That is the sound of Diane Lane getting bumped of the list and replace by Bellucci.
Unless you have a good sense of humor or are able to enjoy a really superficial action movie I would not recommend this. I enjoyed myself, but I was not jumping out of my seat. Some cool visuals, but nothing to go nuts over, well maybe the scene from the hotel, yea good stuff.
GRADE - B-
3:10 to Yuma
Alright, alright, so I am a little behind. Things have been crazy this month and well, well anyway I am back on track and ready to spit some knowledge about this Fall's flicks. And what a way to kick off the fall than with a good ole fashion Western chaulk full of six shooters, stage coaches, a gang of mean cusses, and indians (i know the correct term is native americans, but I am working on a theme, anyway) hard to ask for much more than that. 3:10 to Yuma is the story of a wounded Revolutionary War veteran who establishes a small ranch in Arizona only to have it threatened by a wealthy land owner who wants him off his land so that he can clear it for the rail road. Christian Bale plays the role of Dan Evans, the small rancher trying to support his family. Just as things seems beyond saving Bale is given the opportunity to save his land and home by escorting one of the west's most notorius theieves, Ben Wade played by Russell Crowe, to a train station where he will board the 3:10 train headed to Yuma where Wade will be imprisoned and eventually executed. During thier journey to the train station Wade and Evans learn that there is more to the other than can be seen on the outside and eventually come to respect and appreciate one another.
Given the story and strength of the cast it is hard to imagine that this wouldn't be a great movie and other than a rather peculiar ending, which didn't hurt the movie it was just weird, this was a great movie. Christian Bale can pull of the pensive, introspective character as well as anyone in teh business and for a change Russell Crowe did not cry in one of his movies, not that there is anything wrong with that. In addition to a great cast, the movie was very well done. The director, James Mangold, did a great job making the film look like it was shot entirely on location and included some great enviornments.
I don't really consider myself a western type of guy. I am definately a bigger fan of the modern western more than the John Wayne of even early Clint Eastwood films, but this was really a solid flick, from begining to end it did not drag and fall off in the middle, but maintained momentum through the entire movie. I definately recommend it to anyone old enough to get in. This is a good time.
GRADE - B+
Given the story and strength of the cast it is hard to imagine that this wouldn't be a great movie and other than a rather peculiar ending, which didn't hurt the movie it was just weird, this was a great movie. Christian Bale can pull of the pensive, introspective character as well as anyone in teh business and for a change Russell Crowe did not cry in one of his movies, not that there is anything wrong with that. In addition to a great cast, the movie was very well done. The director, James Mangold, did a great job making the film look like it was shot entirely on location and included some great enviornments.
I don't really consider myself a western type of guy. I am definately a bigger fan of the modern western more than the John Wayne of even early Clint Eastwood films, but this was really a solid flick, from begining to end it did not drag and fall off in the middle, but maintained momentum through the entire movie. I definately recommend it to anyone old enough to get in. This is a good time.
GRADE - B+
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