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.

Review: 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' (2015; PG-13)

 

 

Mild Spoiler Alert.

Cue the song 'Compared To What', by Roberta Flack. It's 1953. East and West Germany are divided by the Berlin Wall. Suave, star CIA agent, Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill), is sent to East Germany, to get feisty, talented grease monkey Gabby Teller (Alicia Vikander), and bring her to West Germany. Gabby's estranged scientist father, Udo Teller (Christian Berkel), has discovered a way to easily make enriched uranium (the most important ingredient in an atomic bomb), and is feared to be making an atomic bomb for the Nazis. 

The CIA hope that she'll help them find her father, so they can stop him from building the bomb (and take his priceless research for themselves). Meanwhile, the KGB have also sent an agent to East Germany, the far less suave, doggedly determined Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer), to get Gabby, for the same reasons; finding Udo Teller, stopping him from building the bomb, and acquiring his research. Kuryakin tries to stop Solo from getting away with Gabby, to West Germany, and fails. When the CIA and KGB realise that the threat posed by Udo Teller's building an atomic bomb for the Nazis, is far too big for them to stop, individually, they decide to partner up. 

Agents Solo and Kuryakin, who have a seething dislike for one another, are forced to work together. It is discovered that Udo Teller is being held in Rome, by Alexander (Luca Calvani) and Victoria Vinciguerra (Elizabeth Debicki), whom Gabby's uncle, Rudi Teller (Sylvester Groth), works for. Gabby is to pretend to her uncle, that Kuryakin is her fiance, so that Kuryakin can get close enough to gather much-needed intelligence. Kuryakin is to play along, and pretend that Gabby is his fiancee. Solo is to pretend to be an art dealer who deals in rare pieces, as the Vinciguerra's are serious art collectors, so that he can win over Victoria, and syphon top secret information from her. The three--Solo, Kuryakin and Teller--go to Rome. So begins their adventure.

When I saw, in the opening credits, that this was a Guy Ritchie film, I was pleasantly surprised. l had no memory of it, from my first viewing, in 2016 or so, because, rather strangely, I hadn't enjoyed this movie, then. I had relegated it to the mediocre heap. One night, this year, 2021, I decided to revisit 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.', just to remind myself why I hadn't liked it the first time. I was pleasantly surprised, again, when I had a ball watching this movie, the second time round. It seems l've changed in the intervening years, since 2016. I am amazed.
 

At the beginning, when Napoleon is making his way to East Germany, while Roberta Flack's glorious song 'Compared To What', is playing, the footage looks genuinely old, momentarily; it looks convincingly 1950s. I wonder whether that was achieved digitally or practically.

I like the scene when Gabby is trying to break the ice with the Russian spy Illya--swigging wine; dancing, beautifully l must say, to loud music ('Cry To Me' by Solomon Burke); trying to cajole him into dancing with her; tackling him to the ground. It's cute and funny. Vikander is quite endearing here. She's also, at times, beautifully vulnerable. Side note: Alicia Vikander, whom l admire as an actress, seemed to have a less feminine frame, here, than l remembered; her silhouette seemed to be more angular than curvy. American actor Arnie Hammer is believable as quick-tempered Russian spy, lllya Kuryakin; English actor Henry Cavill is believable as suave American spy, Napoleon Solo; there is a palpable irony here. 

l don't quite know what to make of Elizabeth Debicki's turn as Victoria Vinciguerra, wife of wealthy heir Alexander Vinciguerra. Oftentimes, I don't know what to make of diva characters; does such a role ask much of a performer? I guess she was adequate. Hugh Grant is quietly charming, as British intelligence officer Waverly.

In a park in West Germany, when Solo and his boss Sanders (Jared Harris), are walking to the men's restroom, Sanders talks about how they, the CIA, labour tirelessly to save the oblivious citizens, from extinction, and receive no thanks. He says, boastfully, "I tell myself, Solo, that inside every Kraut, there's an American trying to get out". This is just one of many witty moments in this film. Also, Solo nicknames Kuryakin, 'Peril', as in 'the Red Peril'; Kuryakin, in turn, nicknames Solo 'Cowboy'; The Cowboy and the Red Peril--it has a nice ring to it.
 

The music in this is brilliant. Roberta Flack's 'Compared To What' and Nina Simone's 'Take Care of Business', stand out. There are other songs, whose names and artists l don't know yet, that are also notable. Daniel Pemberton's catchy, jazzy score is beautifully elaborate and evocative of the time period. There's a beautiful flute- and drum-based theme, that stands out.

There are two notable moments of exposition. One is when, Solo, Kuryakin and Waverly, are in a helicopter, flying to an aircraft carrier, when Waverly reveals Gabby's affiliation to him, and why she took a course of action that jeopardised Solo and Kuryakin's safety, and mission. Solo then says "Let me translate this into English", and goes on to summarise for us, the audience, rather helpfully, the actual meaning of what Waverly has told them. 

The other moment is when Victoria has gotten away with the fully functional bomb that Teller has built, and our heroes are trying to pinpoint the position of her boat, Diadema, through a radio signal. Diadema is contacted via radio, its captain answers the call. Knowing that Victoria would be listening in on the call, Solo is then put on, to trick her into taking the call. He then speaks to her, as a diversion to keep her on the call long enough to pinpoint her position. A missile, synced to the bomb in Victoria's possession, is then launched her way, from the aircraft carrier that Solo and crew are on. Diadema is blown to smithereens, along with Victoria, and the bomb. This series of events is then explained to us, the audience, through a rerun. I thought this was unnecessary, as the sequence of events was pretty straightfoward.

For me, most of this film's appeal isn't in the action, which is passable, but in the beautifully acted, often witty interactions between the characters; it's in the drama. It's also in the Italian setting and language, the costume design, the subtitles, the cinematography; the artiness of it. It plays, quite enjoyably, like an arthouse film and old TV serial, rolled into one. The man referred to in the title, l wonder who he is. Maybe it's Waverly, because as far as I can tell, he brought Solo, Kuryakin and Teller together, to form U.N.C.L.E. Side note: I noticed Solo stealing the Contessa's bracelet, the third time round (by now I've seen the movie twice, since the debut viewing in 2016). There's a certain satisfaction that comes with spotting such details.

It's interesting to see the creative compromises that filmmaker's make to meet the requirements of an age rating, in the case of this film, PG-13. Kuryakin, while defending himself, fatally attacks Alexander, Victoria's husband, with a knife. Interestingly, the knife remains bloodless. I think keeping the knife bloodless, was one of many compromises, that Ritchie and his collaborators made, to keep the film from getting a more restrictive rating, like an 'R', for example. Was it important for us to see blood on the knife? Mmmaybe not.

Having recently watched Ritchie's 'King Arthur: Legend of the Sword' (2017), the names Lionel Wigram (writer, producer), John Mathieson (cinematographer), and Daniel Pemberton (composer), which appear in the credits of 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.', stood out, because the same names also appear in the credits of the 2017 film. People like to work with people that they have a synergy with.

This is the kind of film that you want to watch multiple times.

Review: 'King Arthur: Legend of the Sword' (2017; PG-13)

Camelot. Man and mage live together in peace. The jealous Prince Vortigern (Jude Law), brother of benevolent King Uther (Eric Bana), secretly strikes a deal with the power-hungry mage Mordred (Rob Knighton). Mordred is to lay siege to Camelot, and defeat King Uther, so that he and Vortigern can seize power. With his powerful sorcery, Mordred attacks Camelot and is about to claim victory, when Uther confronts him with sorcery more powerful than his, in the form of an enchanted sword, given to Uther by the good mage Merlin. Uther kills Mordred, thwarting Vortigern's evil scheme. However, there's conflict in Camelot, ill-conceived reprisal attacks on the mages in the land, are carried out. Uther eventually puts an end to the attacks.

Vortigern, undeterred, seeks, and eventually finds, sorcery powerful enough to enable him to defeat Uther, with huge sacrifice incurred. Vortigern mounts a coup, and seizes power. Having taken the form of a demon warrior of some kind, Vortigern kills the queen, Igraine (Poppy Delevingne), and duels his brother Uther, eventually landing a fatal strike. As Uther draws his last breath, he tosses his enchanted sword in the air, and kneels, while the sword plunges into his back, merging with his body and turning him to stone. Uther's heavy, calcified form, with the sword attached, falls through the pier, into the deep water beneath. Meanwhile, Uther's infant son, and rightful heir to the throne, Arthur (Zac and Oliver Barker), escapes in a skiff, to Londinium. There, Arthur is taken in by prostitutes, and raised in a brothel, where he stays until he's a man (Charlie Hunnam). He learns the ways of the street and becomes a big boss of sorts.

Meanwhile, the water level in the lake where Uther's body sank, has dropped, revealing the sword, its blade encased in stone. Vortigern is told by the syrens (Lorraine Bruce, Eline Powell and Hermione Corfield) that the receded water level means that as evil rises, so too does an opposing force rise to challenge it. Vortigern launches a campaign to find Arthur, so that he can kill him. He rounds up as many men in the kingdom, as he can, of Arthur's age, to come and attempt to pull the sword from the stone, as only Arthur, rightful heir to the throne, can pull out the sword. An altercation, in Londinium, with a band of vikings under the protection of new, despotic King Vortigern, lands Arthur in the hands of the Blacklegs, the evil king's notorious enforcers, who take him back to Camelot, and to The Sword. Arthur extracts the sword from the stone, and is rendered unconscious when the sword's awesome power courses through him. He wakes up in a prison cell, in chains, at which point his uncle, Vortigern, king of Camelot, comes to confront him. So begins Arthur's epic, perilous journey, to accepting his destiny, taking back the throne, and restoring order.

I realised, after watching this film for the first time, that the infant Arthur escaping in a skiff, and being found by women (in this case, prostitutes) who take him into their care, had (with no intention to trivialise the Holy Bible) echoes of the baby Moses' journey, in the Book of Exodus, who was found by Pharaoh's daughter, hidden amongst reeds along the banks of the Nile River, in a reed basket waterproofed with tar and pitch, and taken into her care, thus escaping death. While writing about the film, after having seen it a second time, I picked up on more echoes. Vortigern's treachery and murdering his brother Uther, reminded me of Cain's murder of Abel, in the Book of Genesis. Also, I was reminded of Disney's 'The Lion King'; Uther being the benevolent Mufasa, Vortigern being the treacherous Scar, and the infant Arthur being the cub Simba. Arthur's whole journey; escaping Camelot as a royal infant, because of upheaval caused by a treacherous uncle, growing up in exile, making friends along the way, and returning to Camelot to claim his birthright, is similar to the cub Simba's journey in 'The Lion King'.
 

I was struck by the anachronistic use of 21st Century English in such a medieval-type setting, albeit fantastical, but medieval nonetheless. The oddness of it, is curiously appealing though. I seldom hear the word 'coffers' used in a movie, and here it's said several times. It's likely because most of the movies I watch are of American origin, and their subject matter seldom requires the use of such a word as 'coffers'. I was pleasantly surprised to see David Beckham, in a cameo role, as a Blackleg named rather interestingly, Trigger. He orders Arthur to pull the sword from the stone. "Right. Ten digits round the blunt bit. Give it a tug," Trigger commands. For a moment I couldn't believe it was Beckham, then I thought about how this was a Guy Ritchie film, a filmmaker who, in my mind, is passionately English. Then I resolved that it was indeed David Beckham, the former Manchester United footballer, whose left foot was legendary. Also, Beckham appeared quite briefly in 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' (2015), another Guy Ritchie film, as a projector operator.

There's a trick that Ritchie likes to use, in which the camera locks on an actor's face, in a close-up shot, and moves in sync with the bodily movements of the actor. He uses it here, in a foot chase in which the Blacklegs pursue Arthur and his crew, with humorous effect. "MOVE!" Arthur and his cohorts shout--with the camera closely locked on each of their faces--at people in the street, trying to clear the way. Ritchie used the same camera trick, in a foot chase no less, in 'RocknRolla' (2008).

Charlie Hunnam is charismatic and interestingly ambiguous, as Arthur. He has a funnily deft way of relating both past and future events; of spinning a yarn. There's a moment when he's relating, to a Blackleg allied to him, how he came into possession of viking loot (the aforementioned altercation which, inadvertently took him back to Camelot); he's appealingly articulate and cocky, and takes liberties with the facts. There's another scene where he's explaining to Bedivere why they don't need the support of the barons, to take back the throne. He skilfully paints a scenario for his comrades, in which the barons, whom they haven't approached yet, poke fun at their request for support, and refuse to be led by Arthur, who was raised in a brothel, by prostitutes. The joke has something to do with a 'boudoir'; I couldn't help but laugh audibly. Consequently, they don't approach the barons, and go at it themselves.

Djimon Hounsou, as Pendragon loyalist Bedivere, has gravitas; he, to some degree, moors the film like an anchor. I liked how he was vociferously against sending Arthur to the perilous Darklands, for fear that Arthur might die there, before taking back the throne. "You want him to think big? Give him something big to think about," reasoned the mage (Astrid Berges-Frisbey), in oppostion. Berges-Frisbey is intriguing as the mage. She has a tortured aura about her; she looks like she's had an extremely difficult existence, to the point that smiling and laughing are out of the question. She reminds me of French actress Lea Seydoux. Both have a strong, sort of peculiarly European, sensual appeal.  

Jude Law, whom I admire as an actor, is interesting as Vortigern. He looks genuinely anguished each time he has to make a human sacrifice--first his wife, then his daughter--to the moat hags. Vortigern looks genuinely peeved when trying to get a word in, while his lieutenant Mercia (Peter Ferdinando) unnoticingly carries on speaking. "Mercia!...Do your f&$#@ng job!" Vortigern finally manages. Aussie actor Eric Bana is passable as Uther Pendragon. He has a seriousness and weariness about him, that is fitting for a king. Maggie (Annabelle Wallis), a member of Vortigern's Court loyal to Uther, who helps the resistance, has a marvellous, regal beauty about her. I've seen Aidan Gillen, who plays Pendragon ally Goosefat Bill, in another movie before, but I can't seem to remember what it is.

 
It's not often that l watch a film with characters named Back Lack (Niell Maskell), Wet Stick (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Goosefat Bill (Aidan Gillen), Blue (Bleu Louie Landau), and so on. The names Back Lack and Wet Stick though... there's something comically boudoir-esque about them.

Interestingly, the name Excalibur, given to Arthur's sword, is not uttered in this film, at all. The sword of legend is only referred to as "the sword". The syrens or moat hags, that Vortigern sacrifices his wife and daughter to, are exceedingly creepy; genuinely scary. It speaks to Vortigern's desperation, that he is willing to have dealings with such a vile and frightening entity, in order to become king. This film, unlike its 2004 predecessor ('King Arthur', helmed by Antoine Fuqua), which skims over paranormal phenomena, is unfettered in its depictions of the occult, of evil. To the degree that some would dismiss the movie as 'demonic' or 'satanic' or just plain evil. But evil has to be portrayed as such, evil, so as to be distinguishable from good, and also to underline the seriousness of the threat that our heroes face. This is the stuff of mythology, of folk tales, of... storytelling. I don't know.

The fights in which Arthur uses the sword's magical powers, are impressive to behold, yet difficult to follow. Most of all, the final fight between Arthur and Vortigern, who has transformed into a demon warrior. The fight is awe-inspiring, visually, but disappointingly difficult to follow. I could barely see the strikes, or how they landed. It's difficult, technically, to convincingly pit a fighter with a sword, against a fighter with a double-ended scythe. I hate to say it, but I found the fight to be a chaotic, noisy lightshow.

Arthur, just before his coronation, resolutely tells the vikings that he will not honour the promises made to them by the previous king (the now deceased Vortigern). He then, quite proudly, makes it clear that, by addressing him, they now address England and its people, and that if they disapprove, they can deal with him as the roguish man they met previously, and see how they fare. The vikings acquiesce, and Arthur invites them to join him at his table, for a meal, after which he adds "Why have enemies, when you can have friends?" It's all played beautifully by Hunnam.

I sensed an undercurrent of English pride, running through 'King Arthur: Legend of the Sword', which, though I'm not English, I found appealing.
 

This film is definitely worth a look.

Tidbit: 'Desperado' (1995; R)

They don't make 'em like they used to. I hadn't watched 'Desperado' in 19 years or so. It looks rough around the edges now, but it's still a superbly fun, quirky Latin-flavoured action-comedy-drama. The influence of Hong Kong action movies (likely those of director John Woo, with Chow Yun-Fat playing lead) is quite apparent to me now. The use of slow motion; the hero's dance-like usage of two pistols in elaborately designed, bloody gunfights. It's such a joy to see young(er) versions of Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Steve Buscemi, Quentin Tarantino, Cheech Marin and Danny Trejo. 😊

Tidbit: 'Real Steel' (2011; PG-13)

This is set in 2020, a time when human boxers have been replaced by huge remote-controlled robots (It's 2021 now, and as far as I can tell, boxers are still human, not robots. I guess they didn't look ahead far enough into the future. 😊) There's a scene when Charlie (Hugh Jackman), a struggling former boxer, gets to experience the thrill of fighting in the ring again, via Atom, a tough sparring robot that mirrors human movement, rescued from a junkyard by his estranged son, Max (Dakota Goyo). That scene alone, makes the movie for me. I felt HUGELY rewarded for having stayed with the story, up until that point.

Tidbit: 'Coco' (2017; PG)

One of the things that struck me, is how little we see of the titular character Coco; a wheelchair-bound, lovely old lady, with severe memory loss, whose father was a famous musician, who supposedly abandoned his family. She has little screen time. Instead, Miguel, her great-great-grandson, takes center stage, and through the magic of storytelling, it all weaves back to Coco, and Héctor, her musician father. The sight of Coco, made me think of my maternal grandfather.

Tidbit: 'The Irishman' (2019; R)

Thelma Schoonmaker's editing is leisurely paced and timely, and enables you to savour stellar performances from Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Al Pacino, and others, without interruption. I didn't grasp the minutiae of union politics, which seems to be at the heart of the conflict in this film, but the elegantly simple camera work and editing, and solid acting, kept me attentive nonetheless. De Niro's performance is memorable.

Tidbit: 'Wreck-It Ralph' (2012; A)

When you watch this gem from 2012, you will experience one of three things: 1) You will be thrilled by the genius writing; 2) You will laugh out loud; or 3) You will reach for the Kleenex (or whatever brand of tissue takes your fancy). It's likely though, that you'll experience all of the above, and more. 😊

Tidbit: 'Zack Snyder's Justice League' (2021; R)

Zack Snyder directs Ben Affleck and Gal Gadot

Some of the first comics l saw, when l was 10 or so, were DC comics (that old 'bullet' logo is unforgettable). The feeling l had as l looked at the speech balloons and art, had an indescribable specialness. It felt like stepping into a whole other world, with excitingly limitless possibilities, and an endless supply of fascinating characters. A sort of mental expansion. 'Zack Snyder's Justice League' (2021), gives me a similar experience. 😊

Tidbit: 'Anna' (2019; R)

I hate to write critically of a film by writer-director Luc Besson, l've enjoyed most of his movies; they tend to have heart, a profound message, and solid action. But, and l say this with humility, 'Anna' (2019) leaves much to be desired. However, Sasha Luss, who plays lethal KGB-CIA agent Anna Poliatova, is a pleasure to behold.

Tidbit: 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' (2013; PG-13)

It seems director Jon M. Chu intended to make an awe-inspiringly sprawling, Michael Bay-inspired action adventure, with jaw-droppingly advanced weaponry, amazingly elaborate high-octane action, laugh-out-loud humour, fully fledged characters that the audience would care about, moving moments, and an inspiring pro-G.I. Jane message... but somehow missed the mark. I don't know. Bruce Willis is fun to watch though. 😊

'Rampage' (2018; PG-13): A Rip-roaring Fun Ride

I returned to the rip-roaring fun ride that is 'Rampage' (2018), the other night. I hadn't watched it in a little over a year. I am writing about it, at length, for the first time.

Davis Okoye (Dwayne Johnson) is a jaded primatologist working at the San Diego Wildlife Sanctuary. He has a strong bond with George, an albino gorilla that he rescued from poachers, when he was but an infant. Davis is ex-military, and has fought many battles and seen the horrors that man is capable of, and has conequently developed a general mistrust of people. Kate Caldwell (Naomie Harris) is a grieving, justice-seeking geneticist whose brother died from cancer, when her former employer, Energyne, took her revolutionary genetic work (which could have saved her brother) from her, weaponised it, and fired her. Kate is on a mission to bring her former employers, Claire and Bret Wyden (Malin Akerman and Jake Lacy, respectively), to justice. When Energyne's space-based research lab explodes, and weaponised genetic research samples wind up in three different parts of the U.S., causing Davis' gorilla friend George, a wolf and an alligator, to spontaneosly mutate and grow into giant, raging and destructive animals, Davis' and Kate's paths cross. Davis needs to get George back to normal, and Kate sees the whole mess as an opportunity to finally expose Energyne, but the two get roped into stopping the giant animals from killing masses of people and flattening whole cities, too.
 

One of the things that struck me when I watched 'Rampage' for the first time, was that it was a big budget movie with two 'people of colour' in the lead roles, Johnson and Harris. Granted, after the uproarious triumph of 'Black Panther', whose cast was nearly all-Black, this might not seem like something to point out. But it's SOMETHING. The other thing was that two actors, Jeffery Dean Morgan and Malin Akerman, who played the Comedian and Silk Spectre II, respectively, in 'Watchmen' (2009), were sharing the screen again, here.
 

Johnson carries this film quite impressively; he obviously has strong screen presence, built as he is, but he also lends Davis Okoye, a strength and vulnerability of spirit, that is a pleasure to see. Kate Caldwell's (Naomi Harris) smarts, brains-over-brawn approach, and feminine energy, are the perfect counterpoint to Okoye's hulking, macho brute. Jeffery Dean Morgan's Agent Russell, the 'cowboy' with a southern drawl, is fun to watch. He calls a helicopter a "whirlybird", which sounds funny when said in his unique cadence. Malin Akerman, whom I discovered in Zack Snyder's 'Watchmen', is also a pleasure to watch; you like to dislike her villainess, Claire Wyden. Claire is daring, diabolical, confident and competent; quite unlike her bungling, cowardly brother Brett Wyden (Jake Lacy), and this makes for humorous interactions between them.
 

Okoye and George's relationship is quite a joy to behold. It has a strength, depth, seriousness, and light-heartedness, that is fascinating to watch. It's all set up seemingly effortlessly; it didn't take me long, and with little backstory, to see and appreciate the strong bond between Okoye and George; a real, human actor, and a computer-generated character, albeit anchored on a human stand-in. This beautiful pairing of a real human and a virtual creature, isn't new; it's been done successfully in many movies past. But that doesn't dimish its specialness here. It's a triumph of directing, writing, acting, animation and cinematography; of filmic execution.
 

I like how the end credits graphics are cleverly inspired by, for lack of a better term, genetic sequencing strips. There's a great deal of product placement in this film, some of which I probably missed. Much of it was probably so sneakily done that it went undetected by my conscious mind. I noticed the Microsoft tablet that Claire and Brett use, in their skyscraper office; Okoye's Jeep-like 2004 Ford Bronco concept vehicle; the large flat-screen TV that Kate watches the 'space accident' news piece on; the Black Hawk helicopter that delivers the wolf-hunting crew to their destination, and the various assault rifles the crew uses; the downed Apache attack helicopter that Okoye fires at the giant alligator from (I'm reminded of that National Geographic 'Megafactories' episode, that focuses on the manufacture of Apache attack helicopters); the Northrup Grumman B2 Spirit stealth bomber that ends up not delivering its payload, the 'Mother Of All Bombs' (MOAB), and the two fighters that accompany it; and so on. I wonder whether the huge brands (Ford, Microsoft, Sikorsky Aircraft, Colt Firearms etc.) that advertised their wares in this movie, had any say in the content of the movie; shaped its story in some way(s).
 

I like Kid Cudi's 'The Rage' which plays over the end credits. The rhythm of Cudi's rapping, and the percussion that accompanies it, are absolutely brilliant. He's quite talented. I'm not so enthusiastic about the chorus though; it doesn't quite gel with the verses; it feels alien to the rest of the song; it feels as though it was ripped from a different song and shoehorned into this one. Having said that though, the chorus is, at the same time, somewhat appealing. This is the second well-crafted song I've come across, that Cudi has contributed to a video game-inspired movie; the first is 'Hero', which he made with Skylar Grey, for 2014's 'Need for Speed', which he also acted in. Is it mere coincidence that he's made songs for two video game-related movies? I suspect otherwise.
 

Andrew Lockington's score is brilliant. He composes beautifully for both, big action sequences and quiet 'character-driven' moments. The track 'Gorillas', which we hear in the early moments of the film, is a sublime piece, with ethereal choral voices.
 

There's a hugely satisfying primal/primeval/primordial/visceral/lizard brain appeal in seeing giant creatures destroying giant buildings, and each other. 'Rampage' wouldn't be the enjoyable movie that it is, without the giant, berserking gorilla, wolf, and alligator. They are literally the stars of the show. George most of all though. The action, score, and sometimes risque humour, are a great deal of fun. This movie is also beautifully poignant in some instances.
 

'Rampage' is definitely worth checking out.

Remembering 'The Glimmer Man'

 

I watched the Steven Seagal and Keenen Ivory Wayans movie 'The Glimmer Man' (1996), at the cinema (Elite 400, in Bulawayo), about 22 years ago. That was the last time I watched it. To this day, I remember a scene where Seagal and Wayans go into a small, dimly lit alternative medicine store in Chinatown, following a lead in their investigation. An old Chinese woman running the store, offers ginseng to Wayans, in Chinese, and Wayans says to her, sort of jokingly, "Do you know I'm black? I have no idea what you’re saying". I had to look up that bit of dialogue to make sure that there actually was something of the sort. I had it in my memory as "Does she know I'm black?" That would have been Wayans talking to Seagal. This scene is just about the only one I remember somewhat clearly. I'm not sure why; perhaps it's the comedic element in it; perhaps humour, even subtle humour, makes us remember things a little better. Another thing I remember about 'The Glimmer Man' is how intensely atmospheric it was. There was something about its cinematography that stood out, I can't describe it though, as it's been such a long time.

I think I explored more back then, than I do now. I could go to a movie I'd never heard of and have a good time, even if the movie itself was awful. The theatrical experience, taking in a movie projected on film, the medium it was shot on, was sheer magic. The experience of sitting in the dark, in an optically and acoustically controlled space, and looking at huge images flickering before me, was enough. I think I've lost that innocence. I've become very calculated in my viewing. I follow certain directors' work; I seldom go to movies (especially not since COVID-19 started) or pick up a movie, on a whim. Perhaps there's a way to recapture that innocence. I don't know. But I digress.

I've just had a noteworthy thought, so I'll continue digressing, bear with me. Perhaps the theatrical experience isn't quite what it was before, for me anyway, not because of something as abstract as losing one's innocence, but because of a shift in technology. Du-uh! Nowadays most, if not all movies, are photographed and projected digitally, as opposed to being shot on actual film, and projected on film. Because I swear, taking in a movie, in a theatre, in the '90s, had a visual and aural ambience, that you don't get today. I strongly suspect that that shift from film to digital is what changed everything for me; what my senses picked up on. I'm not knocking digital, it works, but film has a feel that is all its own. For the first time, I think I'm starting to understand why filmmaker Christopher Nolan insists on shooting on film. End of digression.

Wayans' wisecrack in 'The Glimmer Man' is etched in my memory.

Note: Take 99% of the filmic reminiscence above, with a grain of salt. To borrow from Neil Gaiman, memory is gloriously fallible. Plus, I didn't watch the movie discussed, to verify my recollection of it. "Why?" You might ask. Well, perhaps to preserve the purity of this particular memory, errors and all.