REVIEW: “All the Old Knives” (2022)

March 23, 2023 by Keith Garlington

I’ve always had a soft spot for dense talky thrillers. When done well they highlight good screenwriting while giving actors the dramatic material to burrow deep into their characters. And when combined with the right director, able actors, and strong script, a simple conversation in a restaurant can be as tense and engrossing as any well-done nail-biting action sequence.

Based on the book by Olen Steinhauer, “All the Old Knives” delivers that kind of dialogue-heavy experience but with a strong romantic underpinning that sets it apart. Steinhauer, who also wrote the screenplay, teams with director Janus Metz and a lights-out cast to craft a heady and intelligent cloak-and-dagger mystery steeped in governmental intrigue, deep-rooted espionage, and betrayal.

The movie opens up in 2012 Vienna, with a room of stunned CIA agents getting word that hijackers have killed every passenger and crew member aboard Turkish Alliance flight 127. A shocking 120 men, woman, and children murdered inside the plane as it sat on the tarmac of Vienna’s international airport. The events of Flight 127 loom over the rest of the story like a dark ominous cloud.

Jump ahead eight years. Langley has reopened the investigation into flight 127 following the capture of a terrorist who was involved in the planning of the hijacking. He’s made a claim that the terrorists had help from inside the CIA’s Vienna station. CIA Chief Vick Wallinger (Laurence Fishburne), who was head of the CIA operation in Vienna, is tasked with combing over his old team to find out if they had a mole in their midst. He calls in case officer Henry Pelham (Chris Pine), a trusted agent who was also in Vienna eight years earlier. Vick sends Henry to discover the truth so they can finally close the books on Flight 127.

Before anything else, there are two former colleagues Henry will need to rule out first. Bill Compton (Jonathan Pryce), the Vienna station’s second in command now residing in London. And Celia Harrison (Thandiwe Newton), a wife and mother of two and Henry’s former lover. Both were key members of the Vienna team and both are potential suspects. From there the movie follows Henry’s meetings with Bill and Celia, hopping back and forth on the timeline as they each try and recall the events of that traumatic day.

The movie looks like a spy thriller, sounds like a spy thriller, and mostly plays like a spy thriller. But when it comes to mystery and truth-digging, it’s just as much about the core relationship between Pine’s Henry and Newton’s Celia. As the truth about Flight 127 is slowly unearthed, so are the details of their steamy romance which all but ended the day of the massacre. Metz and Steinhauer do a stellar job weaving together both threads of their story while bouncing back-and-forth from the past to present day. And pacing is everything in a slow-boil like this. “All the Old Knives” is definitely slow, but Pedersen keeps it at a steady boil.

Overall this is a fun and engrossing throwback thriller that’s a far cry from the more action-packed showy side of spy movies. It mines it’s tension from the emotions and intensity of its characters which lets the performances really shine. The cast sinks their teeth into this cerebral and tightly wound story which keeps us guessing right up to its solid payoff. It might not play as well for the more action-hungry crowd. But any fan of rich, layered, dialogue-driven thrillers will enjoy what “All the Old Knives” has to offer. “All the Old Knives” is streaming now on Amazon Prime.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

New on Home Video: “All Quiet on the Western Front” 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray Collector’s Edition Mediabook

March 22, 2023 by Keith Garlington

Netflix in conjuction with capelight pictures has announced the release “All Quiet on the Western Front” on home video. This attractive 2-disc Limited Collector’s Edition Mediabook contains both the 4K UHD and Blu-ray versions of the movie along with a 24-page booklet. The film is a stunningly made epic-scaled polemic from director Edward Berger who delivers some of the grittiest and most visceral battle sequences ever put to film. Yet, much like the classic 1929 novel that inspired it, the human cost always remains the movie’s focus. Read my full review of the film HERE.

This handsome new 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray Collector’s Mediabook Edition of “All Quiet on the Western Front” hits shelves on March 28th, 2023. See below for a full synopsis and breakdown of the bonus features.

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:

Year: 2022

Rating: R

Runtime: 147 Minutes

Directed by: Edward Berger

Cast: Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Aaron Hilmer, Moritz Klaus, Edin Hasanovic, Adrian Grünewald, Thibault De Montalembert, Devid Striesow, Daniel Brühl

Producers: Malte Grunert, Daniel Dreifuss, Edward Berger

Executive Producers: Daniel Brühl, Thorsten Schumacher, Lesley Paterson, Ian Stokell

Written by: Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson, Ian Stokell

Based on the Novel by Erich Maria Remarque

Spring 1917. 17-year-old Paul Bäumer (Felix Kammerer) and his friends are extremely eager to go to war, to beat the French soundly and march to Paris victorious. This is how the boys imagine it. This is the war they are promised by their principal in a rousing speech. With jubilation, fanfare and song, the “youth of iron” marches off – for Emperor, God and Fatherland.

The enthusiasm, however, does not last long. When they arrive at the Western Front after days of marching. It’s pouring rain. The trenches are filling up and fast becoming a swamp. But the French do not wait to attack. Flares rise up, brightening no-man’s land with a surreal beauty. Until all hell breaks loose again and the French bombard the trenches.

What follows portrays Paul and his comrades’ first-hand experience of how the initial euphoria of war turns into horror, suffering and fear as they desperately fight for their lives in the trenches.

Winner of 4 Oscars including “Best International Film”, “Best Cinematography”, “Best Original Score, and “Production Design”.

Winner of 7 BAFTAs including “Best Film”, “Best Director”, “Best Film Not in the English Language” and “Best Adapted Screenplay”.

Special Features:

24-page booklet
Making-of Featurette
Theatrical trailer
Teaser

The 4K UHD features the original German audio (with English subtitles) in Dolby Atmos audio of the original and 4K Dolby Vision image for the perfect picture and sound quality. The mediabook packaging comes with a 24 page booklet that includes “SHARING THE GERMAN PERSPECTIVE“ – a conversation with director Edward Berger and “A MACHINE OF DEATH UNLIKE ANY EXPERIENCED BEFORE” – an interview with historian and professor Daniel Schönpflug on the historical background of All Quiet On The Western Front.

Language & Audio Options:

UHD: Dolby Atmos German, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 English, Dolby Digital 5.1 French, Spanish, Italian, Turkish, Polish, Ukrainian, Czech, Hungarian and Spanish (Latin America); Audio descriptions Dolby Digital 2.0: German, English, French, Spanish, Italian and Spanish (Latin America)

Blu-ray: Dolby Atmos German, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 English, Dolby Digital 5.1 French, Spanish, Italian, Turkish, Polish, Ukrainian, Czech, Hungarian and Spanish (Latin America); Audio descriptions Dolby Digital 2.0: German, English, French, Spanish, Italian and Spanish (Latin America)

Subtitles:

English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Spanish (Latin America), Portuguese, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Turkish, Polish, Ukrainian, Czech and Hungarian; SDH: English, German and Spanish (Latin America)

Aspect Ratio:

UHD: 2.39:1 (4K, Dolby Vision, HDR10) BD: 2.39:1 (1080p)

REVIEW: “Supercell” (2023)

March 22, 2023 by Keith Garlington

Director Herbert James Winterstern takes a swing at the disaster genre (sort of) in his feature film directorial debut “Supercell”. As you can probably tell by the not-so-cryptic title, it’s a killer storm movie set in North Texas and the Midwest. That’s prime territory for a movie like this. Unfortunately the storm-chasing in this modestly budgeted feature never amps up the excitement the way it needs to. And the human drama (though well-intended) isn’t strong enough carry us through.

Winterstern knows his way around filmmaking, having worked as a producer, writer, editor, cinematographer, and in a number of other behind the scenes technical roles. Here he directs from a script he co-wrote with Anna Elizabeth James. Their story attempts to meld straight-up genre thrills with a rather tepid family drama. There’s certainly some heart behind certain characters and you can almost sense a Spielbergian influence in how Winterstern and James handle one teenage boy’s journey. If only the performances had the same voltage as the massive CGI storm cells looming over the plains.

“Supercell” features an interesting supporting cast. First is Skeet Ulrich (“Scream”) who has been popping up in several films lately. It’s good to see. Then you have Alec Baldwin who is currently embroiled in a legal battle following a fatal on-set accident while shooting the movie “Rust”. And there’s Anne Heche, appearing in one of the late actress’ final roles.

The lead is Canadian actor Daniel Diemer who plays Will Brody, the son of renowned storm-chaser Bill Brody. Ten years ago his father was killed chasing a massive tornado near Wichita Falls, Texas. Since then, Will has been raised by his struggling mother Quinn (Heche). She once worked side-by-side with her late husband studying storms. After moving to Florida and filing bankruptcy, she now works cleaning houses to provide for her son.

Lately Will has taken an interest in his father’s work, but Quinn is quick to discourage him. She wants Will to go to college. “It’s your way out, ” she reasons, fearing he’ll meet the same fate as his father. But one day Will receives an old journal in the mail that belonged to his dad. Ignoring his mother’s wishes, Will sneaks off and follows the return address to the Texas home of his uncle Roy (Ulrich).

Once a studier of storms himself, the embittered Roy now drives for a storm-chasing tour line (are those really a thing???) owned by the surly Zane Rogers (Baldwin). An angry Quinn gets word that her son is with Roy and heads to Texas with Will’s soon-to-be girlfriend (Jordan Kristine Seamón) in tow. But wouldn’t you know it, the mother of all storms is brewing which manages to bring all the parties together in its dangerous path for a predictable and rather hammy climax.

It’s hard to watch the movie and not see it as a low-budget take on “Twister” (there’s actually a terrific nod to that 1996 film and Bill Paxton that’s easy to miss). But to Winterstern’s credit he does a lot with the resources he has. There are some stunning wide angle shots showing off the ominous clouds building up across the horizons. And we get a couple of nail-biting moments of pure intensity, the best taking place during a brutal hail storm. Winterstern puts us inside Roy’s van as three-inch hail beats it to a pulp. His shooting and cutting of the scene is top-notch.

But too much of the story is handcuffed by predictability, contrivances, and some shaky character work. Ulrich is a nice fit for Roy, although the character could use more depth. Much the same, Baldwin gives a solid performance. But his character was all over the map and (especially in the final third) never made sense to me. Heche struggles and it’s hard to put a finger on why. Quinn in pretty straightforward, but Heche often feels out-of-sync. And poor Seamón is reserved to being a tag-along with no real story of her own.

There are a few other issues that bring the movie down a bit (getting off to a slow start, composer Corey Wallace’s dramatic yet overbearing score, etc.). But I do appreciate the movie’s attempt at making something other that digitalized disaster porn. While they aren’t quite realized the way they need to be, the characters are the centerpiece. Diemer is a sturdy enough lead and gives the movie a good anchor. But there’s only so much weight he can carry. Ultimately we’re left wanting more, both from the human drama and the computer enhanced storms. “Supercell” is now showing in select theaters and on VOD.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

RETRO REVIEW: “The Mechanic” (1972)

March 21, 2023 by Keith Garlington

“The Mechanic” was the second of six movies Charles Bronson and director Michael Winner made together. The action thriller came fresh off the heels of their 1972 revisionist Western “Chato’s Land” and just a couple of films before their most noted collaboration “Death Wish”. Although it received mixed reviews at the time of its release, “The Mechanic” has long been appreciated by Bronson fans and even inspired a 2011 remake starring Jason Statham.

Among the film’s most memorable features is its riveting opening. At just over 15 minutes, with no dialogue, and shrewdly shot by cinematographer Richard Kline, we watch as a highly skilled contract killer (Bronson) sets up shop in an upstairs room above a city pawn shop. There he monitors a man in an apartment directly across the street from his. The assassin notes every detail of the man’s room and memorizes his routine. Then we watch as he meticulously executes his assignment with lethal precision.

The hitman is Arthur Bishop, who is also known as a “mechanic”. He takes exclusive contracts from an international crime syndicate referenced only as “the Association”. Arthur is an expert at his craft, known for his dependability and efficiency. While killing for hire is an ugly job, it pays well, allowing Arthur to live a life of comfort. When not planning and carrying out hits, he loses himself in what he enjoys most – art, a good pipe, and his red silk pajamas.

But we also see signs that Arthur’s work is taking a toll. He takes antidepressants and even ends up in the hospital after an anxiety attack. He frequently visits a call girl (played by Brosnan’s wife at the time, Jill Ireland) to help with the loneliness and isolation his job demands. He pays her to pretend to be in love with him, faking a romantic relationship and even writing fake love letters to help him feel something similar to affection.

Arthur is contacted by his bosses who want one of their owned whacked. They put out a contract on Harry McKenna (Keenan Wynn), an old acquaintance of Arthur’s father who has gotten crossways with the higher-ups. Despite being friendly with his target, Arthur carries out the job without hesitation. As a result, Harry’s cocky and entitled 24-year-old son Steve (Jan-Michael Vincent) inherits his father’s fortune.

If you’ve seen a mob movie or two you may think you know where the story is heading – an angry son sets out to get revenge on the man who killed his father. But writer Lewis John Carlino doesn’t go the predictable route. Instead he throws us a twist. Instead of a quest for vengeance, Steve wants to learn more about his father’s business. He’s especially interested in contract killing. So he seeks out Arthur, knowing he did some work for his father but not knowing he’s the guy who killed him. Or does he? We don’t know, and Carlino does a good job keeping us wondering.

Arthur ends up breaking one of his rules and takes Steve on as his apprentice. It creates an interesting dynamic and builds a satisfying tension. We’re left asking a number of questions. How much does Steve know? Is Arthur letting his guard down? What will the crime bosses do once they get wind that Arthur has brought an unvetted newcomer into their fold? Winner does a good job planting those questions in our minds and unveiling the eventual answers.

The movie bogs down a little once Arthur begins teaching and training Steve in his new craft. Yet these scenes do have value as they help give shape to the relationship between the two characters. But things pick up pretty quick after Arthur takes Steve on his first job, and later when the two head to Naples to knock off a mobster who’s about to talk to the local police. Each scenario is flavored by some good action, particularly one thrilling off-road motorcycle chase, and an even more exciting car chase and shoot-out across the Italian countryside.

Through it all Bronson leads with his signature tough-guy grit and stoicism. It’s a really good performance for a role that was right in his wheelhouse. Vincent, who had a successful but troubled career, is a little more inconsistent. He starts to settle in later in the movie, but early on his attempts at portraying Steve’s spoiled narcissism is a bit spotty.

As for Winner’s direction, he does a solid job building up and bringing together the story and its characters. Aside from a sluggish middle patch, the pacing is good and the payoff is still a satisfying punctuation mark. “The Mechanic” remains a solid entry in Bronson’s filmography and one that sits comfortably in the middle of arguably the best five-year run of the late actor’s four-decade-plus career. I love that it still holds up after 50 years, and it still shows why Charles Bronson was once considered the quintessential movie tough guy.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

REVIEW: “Inside” (2023)

March 20, 2023 by Keith Garlington

(CLICK HERE to read my full review in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

I’ve always been impressed with Willem Dafoe’s broad range and versatility. With “Inside”, the seasoned and routinely compelling actor takes center stage in a high-concept genre confection from first time feature film director Vasilis Katsoupis. Penned by Ben Hopkins, working from a story by Katsoupis, “Inside” is a movie that sits somewhere between a stark survival thriller and a twisted exercise of the mind. And it sees Dafoe doing something he’s no stranger to – running his character through a mental and emotional wringer.

While you could call it a pandemic-era parallel or a genre lover’s cocktail, “Inside” has a lot more on its mind. It touches on isolation, anxiety, and the need for human connection. But at its core, the film explores the idea of art and its inseparable bond to the human will. It subtly (and occasionally not so subtly) poses thoughtful questions surrounding the purpose of art, keeping its answers vague enough for us to wrestle with.

Interestingly, the movie’s themes aren’t simply laid bare. It takes effort and plenty of observation to get what Katsoupis is going for. Clues are left like bread crumbs, scattered about and easy to miss if you aren’t paying attention. That may sound like a lot of work, but it invigorates the movie and keeps it from being just another solo survival experience.

Katsoupis wastes no time cranking up his story. Dafoe plays Nemo, a name that’s never revealed until the end credits. He’s an art thief who we first meet as he’s breaking into a lavish ultra-modern Manhattan penthouse belonging to a mysterious (and insanely wealthy) collector who is away in Kazakhstan. Nemo is aided by a voice on his two-way radio who first walks him through deactivating the security system. From there he’s told he has seven minutes to swipe a series of prized Egon Schiele paintings, most notably a self-portrait valued at a cool $3 million, and then make his escape.

Nemo nabs several expensive pieces but is surprised to find the self-portrait missing. With time running out, he’s forced to cut and run. But suddenly the security system malfunctions, sealing him behind locked doors, reinforced walls, and panes of unbreakable glass. His handler promptly abandons him, leaving Nemo to fend for himself. At first he frantically looks for a way to break out before the cops arrive. But it quickly becomes evident that no one is coming, and he is indeed trapped, left to his own faculties.

For the next little bit Katsoupis hones in on Nemo’s search for a way out of his posh impenetrable prison. He starts by chipping away at a gaudy ornate wooden door with his pocket knife. He attempts to bust out the giant windows overlooking the city. He tries to make a call but the phone is dead, and he can’t get online because there’s no internet service. It doesn’t take long before the realization of his situation sets in.

From there, Nemo’s ingenuity shifts away from escaping and towards survival. The dichotomy is almost surreal. There he sits in an ultra modern home surrounded by priceless works of art. In fact, you could say the penthouse itself is an art piece. But for Nemo it quickly becomes a hellish cell. Suddenly the heat turns on, sending temperatures climbing to over 100 degrees. Even worse, there’s no running water, and the refrigerator and cabinets are mostly bare.

As days rapidly pass, everything becomes expendable in the interest of staying alive and holding onto his sanity. And that includes the art, whether it’s using an expensive statuette to wedge a door open or busting a framed painting to use the wood and canvas. Yet even in Nemo’s dire circumstances, the movie shows the deeper values of art. For instance, as the freedom of the New York City skyline sits beyond panes of unbreakable glass like a cruel tease, art proves to be a soothing balm. Whether Nemo is sketching on shreds of paper or creating his own mural, we see his inherent urge to create and express.

It feels like a disservice to say much more as “Inside” is all about submerging us into the experience of its central character. It may sound dark and dour, and frankly it kinda is. There are brief moments of levity (such as “Macarena” by Los Del Río playing whenever the refrigerator door is left open too long). But through Katsoupis’ lens the feeling of confinement and being cut off from the outside world is palpable. And Dafoe’s physical and psychological transformation makes it all the more harrowing. His character may be a tad too opaque, but he’s fascinating nonetheless. Much like this reasonably demanding and slyly absorbing movie. “Inside” is out now in theaters.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

Lance Reddick (1962 – 2023)

March 17, 2023 by Keith Garlington

It’s a sad day. Reps have confirmed that Lance Reddick, the charismatic star of countless movies, television shows, and video games, passed away this morning in his Studio City, Los Angeles home. It’s believed to be from natural causes. He was 60.

I’ve long loved Lance Reddick, and he had the innate ability to make anything he was in better. The Baltimore born Yale graduate appeared in such hit television shows as “Oz”, “Fringe”, “Bosch”, and “The Wire”. He’s been a signature voice in the popular video game franchise “Destiny” since 2014. But he’s probably best known for his reoccurring role in each of the “John Wick” films. He played Charon, the scene-stealing concierge at the Continental Hotel in New York City. Just recently he had been doing press tours for the upcoming fourth installment due in theaters next week.

Lance Reddick is survived by his wife, Stephanie Reddick and his children, Yvonne Nicole Reddick and Christopher Reddick.