Today I saw Knives Out, starring Ana de Armas and Daniel Craig.
Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is a wealthy novelist who is found dead of an apparent suicide. While his family swarms to line up for their inevitable inheritances, investigator Benoit Blanc (Craig) appears on scene with the cops to determine whether or not it was really a suicide.
All along, Marta (de Armas), Thrombey's nurse, has a painful secret she's desperately trying to keep under wraps, and the family's black sheep —who cleverly goes by 'Ransom'—(Chris Evans) is most certainly up to something, but we don't know what.
The film starts out as a straight whodunnit with all of the suspicious parties interviewed separately by law enforcement. After the presentation of a certain scenario, it's obvious what happened, so as an audience member you wonder why the reveal was done so early ... until you realize there is a twist. And then another. And then more after that.
All throughout, crackling dialog laced with hilarious listen-close-or-you'll-miss-them lines pepper the story with a strong dose of humor, making this modern mystery a lot of fun.
The only thing I could have done without was the vomiting. Future viewers: Tere's a lot of that, so be forewarned.
Otherwise, sit back and let the ride take you where it will—you won't be disappointed.
~~~
Showing posts with label Daniel Craig. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Daniel Craig. Show all posts
Saturday, December 21, 2019
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Skyfall
Tonight I saw Skyfall, starring Daniel Craig and Javier Bardem.
What a fun ride!
I'll confess that I haven't loved the entire library of Bond movies—and the last one left a lot to be desired—but this one brought me back.
The opening scene is nothing if not exhilarating, with 007 (Craig) jumping trains and operating heavy equipment (yep) to bring down his first enemy of the chase.
Behind the scenes, M (Dame Judi Dench) is calling the shots, and unfortunately not calling them too well. There are moments of worry that the entire film may turn into one long funeral, but of course that's not the case. Bond is back, after all.
And even as wonderful as the two of them are, nothing injects the story with more pizazz than the appearance of villain Silva (Bardem), who appears to relish in the art of revenge.
Bardem is in fact so good in this role, it sort of makes me wish he could just pop in to every movie and "be the bad guy" because he brings his characters to life with such dimension. We fear him, we loathe him and we can't take our eyes off of him.
He's sadistic here, but also sad—showing traces of the time when he was once on the right side of the action. That said, our threshold for tolerating gratuitous violence may be exhausted several times as we anticipate the good triumphing over evil.
Aside from the excessive guns and explosions (it is, after all, a spy film), this story twists and turns with sexy scenes and fast-paced thrills that never disappoint.
The running time of almost three hours just flies by.
~~~
What a fun ride!
I'll confess that I haven't loved the entire library of Bond movies—and the last one left a lot to be desired—but this one brought me back.
The opening scene is nothing if not exhilarating, with 007 (Craig) jumping trains and operating heavy equipment (yep) to bring down his first enemy of the chase.
Behind the scenes, M (Dame Judi Dench) is calling the shots, and unfortunately not calling them too well. There are moments of worry that the entire film may turn into one long funeral, but of course that's not the case. Bond is back, after all.
And even as wonderful as the two of them are, nothing injects the story with more pizazz than the appearance of villain Silva (Bardem), who appears to relish in the art of revenge.
Bardem is in fact so good in this role, it sort of makes me wish he could just pop in to every movie and "be the bad guy" because he brings his characters to life with such dimension. We fear him, we loathe him and we can't take our eyes off of him.
He's sadistic here, but also sad—showing traces of the time when he was once on the right side of the action. That said, our threshold for tolerating gratuitous violence may be exhausted several times as we anticipate the good triumphing over evil.
Aside from the excessive guns and explosions (it is, after all, a spy film), this story twists and turns with sexy scenes and fast-paced thrills that never disappoint.
The running time of almost three hours just flies by.
~~~
Friday, December 30, 2011
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Tonight I saw The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, starring Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig.
It would be impossible not to compare this film to its Swedish predecessor or to the book where the story originated, so I won't pretend I'm trying not to; that said, I'll do my best to focus less on the differences and more on the core quality of the film.
Mikael Blomkvist (Craig) is a Swedish journalist being brought down in the court of public opinion for a story he wrote that turned out to be less than factual. He was most likely set up by the subject of the story, but that is beside the point now that his and his magazine's reputations are ruined. To remove himself from the public eye, he takes a job with a wealthy family to investigate a murder that happened several decades ago.
Lisbeth Salander (Mara) is the damaged, disturbed, unconventional investigator brought in to act as Blomkvist's research assistant. Because of her past mental health issues, she is forced to report to a guardian who is responsible for dispensing her allowances. Unfortunately, her caring guardian becomes hospitalized and she is assigned to a sadistic, horrible guardian who demands sexual favors in return for her own money. She devises a way to prevent this from happening, but in the meantime is brutally raped by the man.
Christopher Plummer plays Henrik Vanger, the wealthy member of a troubled family with a nazi past, desperate to find his niece's killer. As usual, Plummer gives a superb, believable performance in the role, but unfortunately his screen time is too brief.
I think the same of Robin Wright, who makes a fantastic Erika Berger, Mikael's boss and married lover. She's pitch perfect in the scenes she appears in, but they are few and far between.
Overall, the story stays somewhat close to the novel, though a few ridiculous details make me groan with American shame (the McDonald's product placement is blatant; there is a somewhat predictable mention of Ikea). I also agree with other critics who have mentioned that Mara's version of Lisbeth is far too feminine.
Aside from making Lisbeth 'pretty' in certain intimate scenes, she also appears to register emotion with Mikael, which is something the true character never would have done. They aren't a couple, but here, they behave like one.
Daniel Craig is also too good looking and too physically fit to be playing the smoking, eating Mikael. And far to few cups of coffee were consumed to stay true to the native text.
However, Fincher does work his magic in many ways.
The lighting and the shadows and the mood of the film are always spot on. Whether Liseth is blazing down the street on her motorcycle or watching a night vision camera to see who is prowling about the property, the aura of the story is captured in a more spiritual way than that of the original film.
The more linear script by Steven Zaillian also manages to put the sequence of events in layman's terms for the intended American audience, which is probably a good thing for those who became too frustrated and abandoned the book, or are afraid of films with subtitles. The story deserves to be seen, even if digested in a more obvious way.
The violent scenes are no less horrific (especially a post-rape glimpse of Liseth in the shower); the chases no less tense.
All in all, a satisfying, if not yet as accurate retelling of a classic mystery that will certainly be shared for years to come.
~~~
It would be impossible not to compare this film to its Swedish predecessor or to the book where the story originated, so I won't pretend I'm trying not to; that said, I'll do my best to focus less on the differences and more on the core quality of the film.
Mikael Blomkvist (Craig) is a Swedish journalist being brought down in the court of public opinion for a story he wrote that turned out to be less than factual. He was most likely set up by the subject of the story, but that is beside the point now that his and his magazine's reputations are ruined. To remove himself from the public eye, he takes a job with a wealthy family to investigate a murder that happened several decades ago.
Lisbeth Salander (Mara) is the damaged, disturbed, unconventional investigator brought in to act as Blomkvist's research assistant. Because of her past mental health issues, she is forced to report to a guardian who is responsible for dispensing her allowances. Unfortunately, her caring guardian becomes hospitalized and she is assigned to a sadistic, horrible guardian who demands sexual favors in return for her own money. She devises a way to prevent this from happening, but in the meantime is brutally raped by the man.
Christopher Plummer plays Henrik Vanger, the wealthy member of a troubled family with a nazi past, desperate to find his niece's killer. As usual, Plummer gives a superb, believable performance in the role, but unfortunately his screen time is too brief.
I think the same of Robin Wright, who makes a fantastic Erika Berger, Mikael's boss and married lover. She's pitch perfect in the scenes she appears in, but they are few and far between.
Overall, the story stays somewhat close to the novel, though a few ridiculous details make me groan with American shame (the McDonald's product placement is blatant; there is a somewhat predictable mention of Ikea). I also agree with other critics who have mentioned that Mara's version of Lisbeth is far too feminine.
Aside from making Lisbeth 'pretty' in certain intimate scenes, she also appears to register emotion with Mikael, which is something the true character never would have done. They aren't a couple, but here, they behave like one.
Daniel Craig is also too good looking and too physically fit to be playing the smoking, eating Mikael. And far to few cups of coffee were consumed to stay true to the native text.
However, Fincher does work his magic in many ways.
The lighting and the shadows and the mood of the film are always spot on. Whether Liseth is blazing down the street on her motorcycle or watching a night vision camera to see who is prowling about the property, the aura of the story is captured in a more spiritual way than that of the original film.
The more linear script by Steven Zaillian also manages to put the sequence of events in layman's terms for the intended American audience, which is probably a good thing for those who became too frustrated and abandoned the book, or are afraid of films with subtitles. The story deserves to be seen, even if digested in a more obvious way.
The violent scenes are no less horrific (especially a post-rape glimpse of Liseth in the shower); the chases no less tense.
All in all, a satisfying, if not yet as accurate retelling of a classic mystery that will certainly be shared for years to come.
~~~
Friday, December 21, 2007
The Golden Compass
Today I saw The Golden Compass, starring Dakota Blue Richards and Nicole Kidman.
I must confess—I went into this ignorant, having never read the book it's based on. But in this case, I think I probably enjoyed it more as a result.
The story follows the orphan Lyra (Richards), a petite spitfire in the possession of the last magic golden compass. The power it holds is immeasurable, as it has the ability to display the truth in any situation. This upsets the magistrate (a.k.a. church) and the evil Mrs. Coulter (Kidman) pursues her to retrieve the compass, at first kindly offering her a trip north (where many of Lyra's friends have been kidnapped to, and are having their free will revoked) then fiercely hunting her after she escapes.
The way the characters get through this is somewhat confusing, but the ride is so visually stimulating, you can forgive the jumble. A parallel British town is illuminated at each glimpse, while the scenes in the great north make you nearly shiver in your seat, they're so remarkable.
And I musn't conclude my review without a mention of the polar bears. These aren't your typical Christmas-Coke-commerical polar bears, these look and sound like the real deal (well, except when they don human voices and carry on conversations). The growls and snarling teeth are terrifying; the fluffy fur and awkward bodies are endearing. I really wanted my own 'armored bear' after seeing the final fight scene, too.
So really—this film was pretty entertaining. Good, solid acting from the female leads and supporting actors like Daniel Craig and Sam Elliot, and cinematography that's nothing short of beautiful. An easy choice for holiday viewing.
I must confess—I went into this ignorant, having never read the book it's based on. But in this case, I think I probably enjoyed it more as a result.
The story follows the orphan Lyra (Richards), a petite spitfire in the possession of the last magic golden compass. The power it holds is immeasurable, as it has the ability to display the truth in any situation. This upsets the magistrate (a.k.a. church) and the evil Mrs. Coulter (Kidman) pursues her to retrieve the compass, at first kindly offering her a trip north (where many of Lyra's friends have been kidnapped to, and are having their free will revoked) then fiercely hunting her after she escapes.
The way the characters get through this is somewhat confusing, but the ride is so visually stimulating, you can forgive the jumble. A parallel British town is illuminated at each glimpse, while the scenes in the great north make you nearly shiver in your seat, they're so remarkable.
And I musn't conclude my review without a mention of the polar bears. These aren't your typical Christmas-Coke-commerical polar bears, these look and sound like the real deal (well, except when they don human voices and carry on conversations). The growls and snarling teeth are terrifying; the fluffy fur and awkward bodies are endearing. I really wanted my own 'armored bear' after seeing the final fight scene, too.
So really—this film was pretty entertaining. Good, solid acting from the female leads and supporting actors like Daniel Craig and Sam Elliot, and cinematography that's nothing short of beautiful. An easy choice for holiday viewing.
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