recoltes Reviews

The Negotiator (1998)

2 hours and 20 minutes?

[3/10 · 4 August 2013]

This may have been highly rated by many in the 1998 but seen again in 2013 it fails to convince.

The premise is good - two negotiators on opposing sides set up like two chess masters, each trying to out maneuver the other. This set up is not exploited to the full, if at all. The dialogue is never sharp and there is little by way of maneuvering. A missed opportunity with a cerebral actor such as Kevin Spacey on the books.

The direction is claustrophobic, confused and never slick and if you didn't know better you might think it was filmed in the 80's. The Usual Suspects filmed in 1995 could pass for a recent release so I'm not sure how the production of this movie three years later could be so unpolished and dated.

And then there is the Samuel L Jackson character who, having appeared to execute a hostage, stands in a blown out full length window taunting the police. They have at least six snipers with red laser sights traced on his chest and not one of them takes a shot. He has four more hostages to execute and they decline the opportunity to end the siege and save the remaining hostages. That is a suspension of disbelief too far and there are plenty of others.

Hopefully someone will rewrite the script and give this premise the treatment it deserves well inside the 2 hour mark.

The Grey (2011)

Greys Lobotomy

[5/10 · 7 February 2012]

Enjoyed aspects of this movie such as the acting, the survival theme and the scenery. The story line however was full of foolishness on behalf of the characters. Nobody checks the reception of their cell/mobile phone or the radio in the cockpit of the plane after the crash. The collecting of the wallets of the dead as though they were dog tags was pointless when the manifest of the plane minus any survivors would have identified the dead. With the movie finishing in the wolves den the theme could have more accurately been the path to self destruction as opposed to survival.

Alternatively by subtracting how long they were into the flight from how long the flight should have been they could have calculated where they had crashed. Given that there were aggressive wolves in the area they should have discounted escape over open country. Better to circle the wagons and dig in at the wreck site. They should have sealed off an area specifically for sleeping and used the clothes etc. from cargo as insulation. This area should be no bigger than necessary for the seven survivors to make use of body warmth. They could have viewed the wolf pack as a food source to be lured into bear pits dug around the wreck. They should then have waited on the search and rescue teams that would be searching the flight plan of the downed aircraft for wreckage and survivors.

As it is this movie works best as a guide on what-not-to-do if stranded in Alaska and being preyed on by wolves.

Drive (I) (2011)

Drive through LA

[30 September 2011]

A haunting movie with a stilted atmosphere reminiscent of Mulholland Drive though in an altogether different genre. The pink credits beginning the movie and the music throughout are pure eighties and set an offbeat tone against the contemporary LA streets and skyline. Great character studies punctuated by violent action scenes keep the audience immersed in this blood bath of a movie. Some powerful performances, stylish direction and intricate plotting complete this strangely understated production. Drive may not deliver box office gold in the short term though will certainly be paying long term dividends as a reference point for future film noir writers, directors and fans.

The Next Three Days (2010)

masterclass of reluctant violence

[8/10 · 22 January 2011]

A tense and understated performance by Russell Crowe as the husband of a convicted murderer. Crowe gives a masterclass of reluctant violence - required in breaking out his wife - and underpins his performance with many tender moments with his son. The slow moving beginning perfectly mirrors the speed of the legal system, with the pace of the finale matching that of a breakout. As a thriller this one puts you firmly in the shoes of the protagonist and, while this might not be pretty or enjoyable, it offers the escapism delivered by good movies. There may be no Oscars for this movie; the wife's suicide attempts are disappointing when other methods could have been used to convey her distress. A good mother does not leave a child behind nor does she throw herself from a moving vehicle in protest. This is a one man show by Crowe with a short cameo by quality actor; Liam Neeson. Crowe is always thinking, never cowboy, and this performance is one of his best. The direction facilitates this and when you are concentrating on the actor, the direction is fulfilling its role in covering and not driving the story.

The Town (2010)

Heist movie has soul

[8/10 · 8 November 2010]

Ben Affleck was superb as Doug MacRay and as the director takes most of the plaudits for The Town, Jeremy Renner however as James Coughlin is a scene stealer with a coiled spring tension about him. Renner could double for Eminem and it's his energy and menace that keeps viewers on edge for much of this movie. Rebecca Hall as bank manager Claire Keesey does well though her youth and unbusiness-like nature make her unconvincing as a bank manager. The assistant bank manager some 30 years her senior would have made more sense as manager while Hall as his assistant would have been more believable. Later on when she quits her position it would again make more sense as her job would have been more disposable. Would have liked to have seen more of MacRay masterminding the heists as opposed to being told that he was the mastermind. Jon Hamm as FBI Agent Frawley is perhaps bringing too much Madmen to the table, more than Denis Leary did in a similar role he fairly nailed in The Thomas Crown Affair. Blake Lively as bank robber sister Krista Coughlin brings reality to every scene she features in. Gripping movie, the heists are nerve wracking, well balanced throughout with both action and emotional cost. The direction was seamless though maybe the ending with the cash going to an under surveillance ex-bank manager was less satisfactory than it might have been, charity donations included. Worth watching.

The A-Team (2010)

This Plan Comes Together A+

[10/10 · 3 August 2010]

The potential for flopping here was great given that the original series was watched by 80's kids who remember the series as nothing short of brilliant. Nostalgia is demanding and the director here has delivered.

Casting was crucial and with the possible exception of a decade too young Biel this was Oscar standard casting if casting warrants Oscars. Peppard would have picked Neeson were he still around as Neeson equals if not exceeds Peppard's calm control and on screen enjoyment of Cuba's finest. Cooper is sending men back to the gym in numbers and has the Face charm to get them reading whatever they need to read to get his connection with ladies. Jackson and Copley in for Baracus and Murdock owe nobody apologies either and Copley in particular will be on our screens again before the sequel. The bad guys so often overlooked in casting, in this case Wilson and Bloom, supply some of the movies best moments, lines and action.

The plot is never lost here with the A-Team now operating in Iraq to bring it up to 21st Century speed. Something needs to be found, the A-Team are the people to find it and what follows is unrelenting 100mph action with dialogue to match all the way to the credits. It's simple action movie logic with a budget to make the impossible happen before your eyes.

This movie sets a new standard for action movies though only the A-Team franchise offers an excuse for somebody to repeat it. Watch this movie now while it's in the cinema. Director Carnahan has arrived he will be offered more.

Perrier's Bounty (2009)

No Sparkle in this Perrier

[1/10 · 23 July 2010]

Dubliners - especially those who might be involved in shady activity - are well known for their colorful use of the English language yet here the writer has chosen to impose a random, stilted, formal English style of banter on the characters who in turn sound like they are choking on Roget's Thesaurus.

Intermission by the same writer delivered an entertaining roller coaster ride with nods to Tarantino and Ritchie, however the plot never thickens for the thieves in Perrier's Bounty as it careers all about the place like a fun palace dodgem.

The quality actors involved could do little to rescue this crime capers proceedings and are unlikely to save this for their grandchildren either.