Tidbit: 'Extraction' (2020; R)

 

Spoilers ahead.

Ovi Mahajan Jr. (Rudraksh Jaiswal), the son of jailed Indian mob boss Ovi Mahajan Sr. (Pankaj Tripathi), is kidnapped by rival Bangladeshi mob boss Amir Asif (Priyanshu Painyuli), for a ransom. The Australian mercenary, Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth), is brought in to retrieve Ovi and bring him back to India in one piece, by fellow mercenary Nik Khan (Golshifteh Farahani), who has been hired by Mahajan Sr. After Tyler has taken possession of Ovi from Asif's cronies, and sent proof of life to Nik, he heads to the extraction point, with his young charge. 

Meanwhile, Nik waits for full payment for the job, to be wired by Mahajan Senior's people, but only part of it is sent. Ovi's father instead chooses to send in one of his own men, Saju Rav (Randeep Hooda), whose family he has threatened to kill, to complete the job by killing Tyler and crew, and bringing Ovi home, so that he doesn't have to pay in full for the extraction. Nik realises that they have been betrayed and alerts Tyler. But Saju has already killed some of Nik's crew, and is on Tyler and Ovi's tail. Also on Tyler and Ovi's tail, is the whole Dhaka Police Force, who are in Asif's pocket. So begins Tyler and Ovi's perilous journey to get out of Bangladesh alive. At least that's how I understood the story.

We start out in the future, on a vehicle-covered bridge in Bangladesh, where Tyler (Hemsworth) suffers what seem like fatal bullet wounds, and sees visions of his deceased son, while leaning on an abandoned car, seemingly drawing his last breaths. 

We come to the present. Tyler is hanging out with his two buddies, drinking beer, near the edge of a high cliff, in The Kimberley, in Australia. One of Tyler's buddies tosses a rock over the edge, into the water down below, to gauge the height of the descent. The other reckons it's a 30 metre drop. Tyler gets up from his nap, gives his beer to his buddy to hold, and without missing a beat, leaps off the edge into the water below. Tyler's buddies are in awe. Meanwhile, underwater, Tyler holds his breathe and sits in a lotus-like position, and cries over his deceased son. 

Tyler weeps while underwater

Nothing is spelled out, but l can tell that this is a deeply anguished man who seeks death; who's trying to die. I know that his son died, but l don't know how, and suspect, wrongly, that it might be his fault. All this is conveyed through skilfully crafted visuals, without any overt reference. It's absolutely amazing. Hemsworth is a gifted actor. He emotes beautifully. By the time Tyler's comrade Nik (Farahani) says to him "You're hoping if you spin the chamber enough times you're going to catch a bullet," we the audience, are already aware of it, but her choice of words is noteworthy nonetheless.

Nik hires Tyler

 

 

Saju Rav 

 

One of my most favourite scenes, is when Tyler and the 'package' Ovi (Jaiswal), are in Tyler's comrade, Gaspar's (David Harbour) home. They've been through some harrowing experiences together, thus far, and Ovi would like to know more about his saviour. He starts a conversation. Ovi tells Tyler that he looks more like a Brad than a Tyler. And when Tyler tells Ovi that his last name is Rake, Ovi says it's a strange name, because it's the name of a garden tool.

Tyler and Ovi at Gaspar's

 When Ovi asks about Tyler's deceased son, Tyler tells Ovi that he died from lymphoma, and that he volunteered to go and fight in Afghanistan, leaving his wife and son alone, because he was afraid to watch his son die. Tyler goes on to insist, with teary eyes, that he isn't a brave person, as Ovi says he is. And Ovi, trying to console Tyler, shares a quote he read in a book: "You drown not by falling into the river, but by staying submerged in it." It's such a moving exchange between the two. You can't help but care about them more.

Tyler falls off the bridge, into the river, in Bangladesh

Water seems to be an important element in this film. Tyler cries while submerged in water, at the beginning; Ovi shares a water-based metaphor with Tyler, to console him; when Tyler is seemingly fatally shot, on the bridge, towards the end, he staggers to the railing and plunges into the river below; and months after the extraction, Ovi jumps into a pool, holds his breath and lingers underwater, and then rises to the surface as if he senses a familiar presence above. There's symbolism that I'm yet to decode. 

Ovi rises to the surface, seemingly having sensed a familiar presence

Also, some of the end credits play over a watery backdrop which gives the sense of a descent into deep water, with a few soft rays of light shining through the surface. 

I was so impressed when Nik shot down Asif's troublesome helicopter with an RPG, l did an air punch. "Go, Golshifteh," l said. I fell in love with her all over again; having first fallen for her when l saw her play Aisha, in Ridley Scott's 'Body of Lies' (2008). And when she took out Asif's sniper, who killed Saju (Hooda), and was now aiming to kill Tyler too, l was absolutely beside myself with excitement.

Nik's marksmanship is revealed

I was pained to have to guess at what was being said, in the scenes and moments when Hindi and Bengali were spoken, because the copy l watched didn't have English subtitles. Knowing what was said would have undoubtedly enhanced my enjoyment of 'Extraction'.

To the filmmakers' credit, l cared so much about Tyler and Ovi's safety, l was quite on edge when they began their journey to the extraction point. l had a strong urge to stop the movie so l wouldn't see anything bad happen to them. I feared that in my fatigued state, after a long hard day at work, l wouldn't be able to handle seeing harm come to characters l cared about.

I was pleased to discover, in the end credits, that the director Sam Hargrave, played a character in the film, the sniper Gaetan. When l looked him up on the web, and discovered that Hargrave is also a stunt coordinator and stunt man, l was quite impressed. To have those three skills as an individual, gives him a huge edge.

And when l discovered, also in the end credits, that Joe Russo had written the story, and written the screenplay with his brother Anthony (and Ande Parks); and that Henry Jackman had composed the score (with Alex Belcher)-- it all came together for me. That, and the multi-skilled director, explained why 'Extraction' was such a well-crafted movie. 

The Russos, with Jackman on music, gave us the scintillating 'Captain America' films; 'The Winter Soldier' (2014) and 'Civil War' (2016). They also gave us the magnificent 'Avengers' films; 'Infinity War' (2018) and 'Endgame' (2019), albeit with Alan Silvestri on music. I'm more curious now, about '21 Bridges' (2019), a film the Russos made with the late Chadwick Boseman, which I'm yet to see.

Other noteworthy things l saw in the end credits, are that Chris Hemsworth is one of the producers of 'Extraction', and Michael Lehr is the fight coordinator. I'm fascinated by Hemsworth's branching into producing. I wonder to what degree he creatively shaped this film, outside of playing the lead, that is. 

I made sure to watch out for the fight coordinator's name because the fights in 'Extraction' are a joy to watch. The three qualities l look for, are evident: grace, clarity and power. Side note: Lehr has a profile on www.istunt.com. 

The director of photography is Newton Thomas Sigel, a familiar name. He's worked on other films l've enjoyed, like 'X2: X-Men United' (2003) and 'X-Men: Days of Future Past' (2014). I enjoy the beautiful yet foreboding look of the Bangladesh capital Dhaka (actually India/Thailand), and the beautifully dreamy look of Tyler's memory of his son.

 

 

Tyler sits on the porch, while Nik's chopper flies away

The famous doorway shot from 'The Searchers' (1965)

That shot from inside Tyler's shack, when he's sitting outside, on the porch, with his back to the camera, while Nik's helicopter takes off and flies away, I wonder whether that was inspired by the famous doorway shot from John Ford's 'The Searchers' (1965). 

I recognised David Harbour, who plays Gaspar, Tyler's buddy who betrays him, from the 'Black Widow' (2021) trailers. I haven't yet seen said movie.

When Tyler is fighting Ovi's captors, he impales one of them on, wait for it... a rake. As Tyler's last name is Rake (a garden tool, as Ovi pointed out), I wonder whether that was mere coincidence or some kind of dark in-joke. 

I'm sure Hemsworth must have enjoyed speaking in his native Australian accent, as Tyler Rake. I wonder whether he insisted that Rake be an Aussie.

Tidbit: 'Sonic the Hedgehog' (2020; PG-13)

Sonic the Hedgehog (voiced by Ben Schwartz) is born with superpowers, and there are those who will stop at nothing to harness his abilities for evil ends. One day, some goons come to capture Sonic. To keep him safe, Sonic's owl guardian, Longclaw, sends him to earth, with a bag of gold rings that enable Sonic to open a portal into a new world, to escape danger.

On earth, in Green Hills, Montana, Sonic is safe. Until one night, while playing baseball alone, he runs around the pitch so fast, out of frustration from loneliness, that he causes an energy burst that shuts down electricity supply for miles around. The government summons tech master Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) to investigate. This eventually puts Robotnik on Sonic's trail, bringing Sonic's lonely, secret existence to an end.

Side note: One of the first, if not the first, review that l wrote, was of a 'Sonic the Hedgehog' video game. I typed it out on an actual paper-fed typewriter, with ink and ribbon, in typing class, in secondary school. I was 15 years old, and it was 1996. l'd been inspired by the TV series 'Video Power' (1990-1992), in which the adventures of a group of animated characters drawn from video games, accompanied a segment in which a boy called Johnny Arcade rated various console video games.

 

 

That scene in the biker bar, when commotion breaks out and everyone's fighting, and Sonic moves to get his new pal Tom Wachowski (aka Doughnut Lord) (James Marsden) out of danger, and he runs so fast that everything has to be in slow motion, so we see what Sonic and the bar patrons are doing... it felt derivative; an almost exact imitation of the prison escape scene from 'X-Men: Days of Future Past' (2014), in which the ultra fast Quicksilver gets Charles, Erik and Logan, out of a sticky situation. Maybe it was well-meaning homage and not lazy imitation, I don't know.

 

Sonic's archnemesis Dr. Robotnik, played here by the svelte Jim Carrey, is obese in the animated TV series, and in the video games. Is it a move towards political correctness, to not make Robotnik overweight, here? I wonder.

Could the pairing of James Marsden and (the stunner) Tika Sumpter, as the Wachowskis, Tom and Maddie, respectively, be the result of an attempt at 'diverse casting'? I wonder.

It's interesting that Neal McDonough, who appears briefly in this movie, in a rather humorous scene, as a military official (Major Bennington), played the uber villain M. Bison, in 'Streetfighter: The Legend of Chun-Li' (2009), which draws from a legendary video game series from CAPCOM, yet 'Sonic' draws from video games by SEGA, a rival game publisher.

That scene towards the end, when a seemingly dead Sonic is resuscitated when Tom calls him 'friend', and returns infinitely more energetic than before, shooting Thor-like bolts from his body, and does his classic, whirling bad-guy-bashing moves from the video games, is rather exciting.

I found the plot a little too simple and sugar-coated, granted l'm well out of the age bracket that the movie is aimed at. 😃

However, 'Sonic the Hedgehog' is a somewhat clever little homage to friendship.

Postscript: 

There used to be a computer shop called Hi-Tech or Hi-Tec, in the city centre of Bulawayo, that sold video games. 

In my early teens, I'd visit the shop, just to see what new stock they had. Sometimes I'd walk past and there'd be a video game playing on one of the TV/computer screens and I'd look longingly, through the window, wishing I had a video game console.

I especially remember seeing 'Sonic the Hedgehog' gameplay, through the window, and being in awe. We never got 'Sonic' or a SEGA console. But we did eventually get one of those cheap, knock-off-ish consoles that came with a bunch of games on a single cartridge. 

It wasn't SEGA or Nintendo, but it was better than nothing. 😃

Review: 'Marie Antoinette' (2006; PG-13)

 

Marie Antoinette (Kirsten Dunst), a teenage Austrian archduchess, is married off to Louis-Auguste (Jason Schwartzman), heir apparent to the throne of France, to strengthen ties between the two nations. Marie goes on to become the infamous queen, when Louis-Auguste becomes Louis XVI, after his grandfather's passing. Because of harmful propaganda aimed at her, and Marie's own political missteps and extravagant ways, she brings about her and her husband's downfall.

I revisited this recently. I must say, l had a smile on my face throughout most of it. There's a great deal to enjoy, yet l missed most of it the first time round.

 
There are amazing subtleties in the sound design, especially noticeable in a certain dinner table conversation, just after Marie's arrival in France. You hear the off-screen speakers and get a sense that they are sitted at the table, though you can't tell where. You get a strong sense that it's a three-dimensional space. It's subtle yet impactful.

There's a humorous jibe at Austrian cuisine, something to do with apple strudel, during the 'crossover' ceremony, when Marie leaves behind her homeland and its mores, and meets her French in-laws for the first time. 

 

This time, l felt the weight on her shoulders, to not only bear a child, but a male child, an heir to the throne of France. I felt her frustration at getting her shy, awkward husband to merely look at her, in bed, let alone sleep with her.

 

This time I was attuned to the myriad gestures, etiquettes and protocols of French custom and culture, some of which Marie found ludicrous, as did I. However, there is an undeniable beauty to some of it.
 

Marie's in-laws stand in front of her and her husband's ornate four-post bed, and watch intently, as the two of them get into bed. Her in-laws, again watch intently, as she gives birth. Wow.

l enjoyed Danny Huston's dignified turn as Marie's older brother, Emperor Joseph II. His conversation with his brother in law, Louis XVI, Marie's husband, to encourage him to take the initiative in the bedroom, in siring children, is charming in its awkwardness.

 

Steve Coogan, as Mercy, Austrian ambassador to France, and Marie's advisor, awww, he's quite endearing. He reminds me of what Hector Elizondo's hotel manager was, to Julia Roberts' streetwalker, in 'Pretty Woman' (1990); a gentle, patient potter, gently molding rough clay into fine pottery.

 
Rip Torn, as Louis XV, Marie's father-in-law, is charmingly and poignantly decadent.

 
This time I recognised the French actor, Mathieu Amalric, in a scene at the masked ball in Paris, where he unknowingly tells a masked Louis XVI, who at the time hadn't yet consummated his marriage to Marie, that he is capable of bearing children with Marie.

I so adore Rose Byrne as Duchesse de Polignac. She has a charming carefreeness and sensuality. Asia Argento as Madame du Barry, the king's beloved harlot, is sort of like a dark serpent in the Versailles court. Argento does a commendable job of imbuing du Barry with a dark aura.

The music in this, is absolutely sublime, magnificent. One noteworthy musical moment is Marie's theatrical performance, for family and friends, in her private theatre. Another, is at her country retreat, when two minstrel players delight her, and us the audience, with a tune. There are many more.

 

 

The cinematography is quite something too. Some of the images have a transcendent beauty. Scenes set at Marie's private country retreat, yield some of these images. One unforgettable image, is of Marie and her companions, in their finery, sitting on the green, grassy edge of a lake as the water catches the first golden rays of the rising sun. Another is of Marie and her daughter, in white frocks, with a lamb, playing in green grass. There are many more. This film is a feast for the senses.

 

 
Jason Schwartzman is at once annoying and endearing, as Marie's husband. Jamie Dornan, who plays Count Axel Fersen, a dashing war hero who unlawfully beds Marie at her country retreat, bears an uncanny resemblace to Ben Barnes, whose body of work includes playing Prince Caspian in the second and third 'Chronicles of Narnia' movies, in 2008 and 2010 respectively. I'll say this, l can see why Marie fell for Fersen. 😄

 

In one dinner scene, when Marie is still new in Versailles, perhaps the same scene I mentioned earlier, someone admiringly describes her as looking like a piece of cake, and it's clear to see why. She has a delicate, rouged-cheek beauty.

 

When you can't see the beauty of a film, perhaps leaving it for some years, and returning to it when you're a little less naive, is the thing to do. I didn't enjoy this film, the first time I saw it in 2012/13, though I had a sense it was worth coming back to. But when I watched it in 2021, 8/9 years later, I was enthralled.

What's 'Marie Antoinette' getting at? It's a nuanced, sensual, celebratory, candy-coloured, rock music-infused, coming-of-age tale that depicts the transience of innocence, youth, empire, and life itself.
 

That's what l see, anyhow.

Tidbit: 'Red Notice' (2021; PG-13)

 

l watched this through a drowsy haze. As such, I might recant some of my thoughts. 

I admire how they try to flip convention on it's head, and tell an old story in a new way. The double-double-double-double-crossings, and twists, start to feel implausible though. Ryan Reynolds seems to be doing his usual schtick; sort of playing Deadpool-lite, without the red suit. Dwayne Johnson is unusually unheroic, unlike the 'alpha male' roles we're used to seeing him play, where he's solving problems mostly with brute strength and bullets. Gal Gadot is curiously not believable, in her performance. She seems to be 'phoning it in'. Something is amiss. The villain, a man who enjoys throttling people to death, is a cardboard character; not nuanced or interesting at all. 

'Red Notice' has moments of enjoyable humour and action though, but they're few and far between. Interestingly, a great deal of CGI--it's quite plain to see--is used in the action sequences in 'Red Notice', yet the action retains a fairly visceral quality. It retains a sense of danger. There are two impressive, swirling camera moves that are either CG or captured with a drone; a noteworthy joke that gently jibes at Amazon's Alexa; and a fun little nod to Indiana Jones. 

There are hints of 'True Lies' (1994; R) and 'Get Smart' (2008; PG-13) in a dance scene between Johnson and Gadot, but especially 'True Lies'. What's missing is the tango piece 'Por Una Carbeza', to make it an overt reference to the 1994 film. There's also hint of a sequel, at the end, and if it's anything to go by, then the franchise is off to a not-so-good start, l feel. 

However, I did learn that gold reflects radiation, and as such, it appears red on a heat scanner. If it appears blue, its not gold. 😊

Tidbit: 'Enemy at the Gates' (2001; R)

 

 

In August, this year, I watched this 20-year-old movie, for the first time. I had long been curious about it. That curiosity partly came from a glowing review that a fellow student gave it, back in 2001/2002, in art school. The rest of it, maybe came from film magazines and articles on the Internet.

For a long time I had it in my head that it had been directed by Wolfgang Petersen ('Das Boot', 'Enemy Mine'); perhaps because of the word 'Enemy', in the titles 'Enemy Mine' and 'Enemy at the Gates'.
 

It was, instead, directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, and co-written by Annaud and Alain Godard.
 

No one puts on an accent. There are English and American actors playing either Russian or German officers, and it somehow works. Bob Hoskins is impressively intense and intimidating, as Nikita Khrushchev, First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Jude Law is quite likeable as the legendary Russian sniper, Vasily Zaitsev. Rachel Weisz is endearing as Tania Chernova, Zaitsev's love interest. Ed Harris is quietly effective as German sniper, Erwin Konig, who's sent to Stalingrad to kill Zaitsev. Joseph Fiennes' Russian commissar, Danilov, seems to be in Zaitsev's shadow, from the first moment we meet him, up to the moment that he sacrifices himself, and is killed by Konig's sniper bullet. Ron Perlman's Russian sniper, has an annoying sarcasm.
 

'Enemy at the Gates' vaguely reminds me of Spielberg's 'Saving Private Ryan' (1997), even though the carnage at the beginning of Annaud's film, seems like a walk in the park when compared to the jarring beach landing sequences in Spielberg's film. I guess it's mainly because both are World War 2 films that focus on infantrymen (and women). I was pleased to discover that there was a real Vasily Zaitsev, and that his rifle is on display in a “Stalingrad battle” museum, where everyone can see it. I was surprised to see women fighting alongside men, on the front lines, in this movie. It turns out it actually happened.
 

Annaud does not hold back in depicting sexual intimacy, as clearly shown by his 'La'Amant/The Lover' (1992). There's a moment of physical intimacy between the lovers, Vasily and Tania, that takes place in rather restricted conditions (they are in crammed quarters, surrounded by sleeping soldiers, and have to make certain they're neither seen nor heard), yet it has a searing intensity. I can't help but wonder whether it was Weisz's exposed body that we saw in that love scene with Law, or a body double's.
 

This movie has a magnificent score by the late James Horner. But the one theme that, to me, stands head and shoulders above the rest, is the one called 'Tania'. It's the one piece of music that sort of defines 'Enemy at the Gates', for me. It captures Vasily and Tania's romance, beautifully. That theme, the endearing performances of Law and Weisz, and the strong chemistry between the two, are mainly why I'll be revisiting 'Enemy at the Gates' for years to come.

Tidbit: 'Marie Antoinette' (2006; PG-13)

I watched this movie, some 9 years ago, because the poster is a sight for sore eyes; Kirsten Dunst can act; and l had heard or read, that the Queen of France, Marie Antoinette, had arrogantly said that her peasant subjects, who couldn't afford ordinary bread, should eat brioche instead. And that that had grave consequences for her. Also, the film's writer-director, Sofia Coppola (cousin of Nicolas Cage), is highly regarded. Also, 'Marie Antoinette' reminded me of 'Amadeus' (1984; PG), which is set in a similar time, and which l thoroughly enjoyed. Anyway, l missed the point of Coppola's film. Perhaps when l revisit it now, after so long, I'll see what it's getting at.

Tidbit: 'Atomic Blonde' (2017; R)

Three things stood out: the evocative cinematography, colour grading and raw, gritty fights. 

I found the plot complicated, but it'll probably become less so with subsequent viewings. 

There's a sapphic romance here. 'Anna' (2019; R), another high profile spy movie fronted by a female, also has a sapphic romance. As a doe-eyed Christian viewer, this raises questions around morality. But l digress. I wonder though, whether Luc Besson, the writer-director of 'Anna', took inspiration from 'Atomic Blonde'. 

Aficionados of martial arts movies will recognise Daniel Bernhardt, who replaced Jean-Claude Van Damme in the 'Bloodsport' movie franchise. Bernhardt plays a goon, here. James McAvoy is, to his credit as an actor, frustratingly ambiguous as rogue agent Percival. You never know what his intentions are, or whose side he's on. 

Charlize Theron displays amazing grit and athleticism in playing CIA agent Lorraine Broughton, who's an expert in hand-to-hand combat, amongst other things. Toby Jones' character, Eric Gray, is as dislikeable as his Hydra minion in the 'Captain America/Avengers' movies. 

I don't know what to make of the performances of John Goodman (CIA official, Kurzfeld), Sofia Boutella (Delphine), Eddie Marsan (Spyglass) and Til Schweiger (Watchmaker). But I suppose they were adequate. 

'Atomic Blonde' is fair, l think.