REVIEW: “Hitman: Agent 47”

September 19, 2016 by Keith Garlington

Still looking for that one great movie based on a video game? If so take my word for it, “Hitman: Agent 47” ain’t it. Let’s be honest, it’s not like expectations for this film were through the roof. It’s not like this was a ‘can’t miss’ movie. But these things still don’t excuse the film for being this tedious, this inert, and this unimaginative.

This is the second attempt at bringing the Hitman video game franchise to the big screen. The first film came along in 2007 and was universally panned by critics. This 2015 mess of a movie was deservedly met with the same reaction. The sad thing is the Hitman video games offer plenty of good source material for what could be a fun and entertaining action flick.

This time Rupert Friend plays Agent 47, a genetically enhanced hitman working for a mysterious shadow organization. (Interestingly the role was originally slated for Paul Walker prior to his sad and untimely death). He’s on the hunt for a Russian geneticist named Petr Litvenko (Ciaran Hinds), the creator of the Agent program. During his mission he encounters mercenaries from a sinister group called the Syndicate (aren’t all nefarious groups called that) who want Litvenko for their own criminal reasons.

47 discovers Litvenko has a daughter Katia (Hannah Ware) and sees her as the key to finding his creator. The trouble is the Syndicate has discovered her existence as well. In the meantime Katia is vigilantly working to find out who she is. She knows Litvenko’s face but has no idea he is her father. She desperately seeks him out hoping he can shed light on her identity. Obviously all of these paths eventual intersect which makes up the bulk of the story.

Director Aleksander Bach (in his directorial debut) attempts to add some level of uniqueness through his stylized action – slow motion, revolving cameras, bright sterile environments, even brighter blood. When put together it all looks fine, but I was amazed at how little energy it brought to the film. The action definitely has more fire than the story or its characters, but that’s a pretty low bar.

Rupert Friend is good enough as the emotionally void Agent 47 and Hannah Ware has some decent moments. Zachary Quinto shows up but never feels quite right for his role. But you can’t put too much blame on the actors. The material they are given is just so bland. That can be said for the entirety of “Agent 47”. It isn’t an offensively bad movie. It’s not close to being called good either, and that becomes evident early into the film and doesn’t change.

VERDICT – 1.5 STARS

RETRO REVIEW: “Assault on Precinct 13”

September 12, 2016 by Keith Garlington

Before John Carpenter became a horror movie icon for his 1978 classic “Halloween” he made a low budget crime thriller that wasn’t well received at first but eventually blossomed into a cult classic. Since then “Assault on Precinct 13” has gained wider appreciation from critics and huge respect for its impressive accomplishments with a shoestring budget.

Producer J. Stein Kaplan approached Carpenter about making a crime exploitation thriller with only $100,000 to work with. Carpenter would be given full creative control including handling the script. It only took him eight days to finish the story which he stated was heavily influenced by Howard Hawks’ “Rio Bravo” and George Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead”. You see those influences in a number of places. Casting an African-American in the lead role was significant. The plot itself features several callbacks to those classics.

It takes place in a Anderson, California, a crime-riddled suburb of Los Angeles. After six members of a street gang are killed by cops their leaders form a blood pack to avenge their deaths. A series of events brings groups of people together in Anderson’s closing police precinct building. As night falls this group of policeman, prisoners, secretaries, and civilians must survive waves of attacks from heavily armed gang members until help can finally arrive.

Carpenter shot “Assault” in 20 days, meticulously planning his scenes to best utilize his limited funds. When watching the film there is no denying its minuscule budget. You see it in numerous places. But the sheer quality of the suspense trumps nearly every budget limitation. Carpenter demonstrates some of same bubbling tension that would later make “Halloween” so effective.

Carpenter also handled the score, writing the music in only three days. While performing the music he relied heavily on synthesizers and drum machines. The score hops back and forth between surprisingly catchy hooks and tense minimalist chords. While it is absolutely a product of its time, Carpenter’s score does the most important thing – it serves the story well.

“Assault on Precinct 13” made its mark as a griping crime thriller that was never hampered by its low budget. John Carpenter’s violent tale taps into themes of racism, gender roles, personal responsibility, and inner-city violence while also being a groundbreaking action picture. Perhaps it hasn’t aged well in certain areas, but in terms of what I care about the most – high quality storytelling – it hits nearly every right note.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

REVIEW: “The VVitch”

September 8, 2016 by Keith Garlington

Much of the inspiration for the independent horror movie “The VVitch” was gleaned from folktales, journal entries, and court documents from 17th century New England. Writer and director Robert Eggers faithfully and extensively researched with the intent of presenting the most accurate portrayal of his time period and subject matter. As a result he has made one of the few truly unsettling modern horror movies.

It’s not that Eggers only took plot points from old records. He also sought a deeper understanding of the 17th century mindsets towards religion, family, and specifically for this story, the idea of witchcraft. Add to that an almost obsessive attention to detail regarding the visual representation. For Eggers the authenticity of the language and setting was vital.

The story begins with a family being banished from a Puritan settlement due to the father’s unwillingness to compromise his religious convictions. William (Ralph Ineson), his wife Katherine (Kate Dickie), daughter Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy), son Caleb (Harvey Scrimshaw), and two rambunctious twins eventually settle on a patch of land near a sprawling forest.

Over time the family builds a sufficient farm and William and Katherine have their fifth child, Samuel. Everything seems well until one day when Samuel seems to vanish while being closely watched by Thomasin. His disappearance begins a stream of unexplained and disturbing events that threaten the family and leaves them teetering close to madness.

I won’t say anymore, but Eggers plays with a handful of compelling themes. One of the biggest centers around the family’s puritanical faith. There is a genuine faithfulness to God they all share. At the same time the rigidity of their adherence and their inability to live up to their own standards leaves each of them spiritually vulnerable to an evil force lurking in the forest. And it was that same rigidity that caused them to leave the protective walls of the settlement to begin with.

The story’s slow-burn generates a surprising amount of unease. There is an ominous cloud hanging over this family. They can’t see it but we do. With each step forward Eggers adds another layer of suspense and by the film’s end the horrors are so uncomfortably realized that you can’t help but be effected. And it manages this with very little blood and gore. It is the clever melding of setting and subject matter that leaves you squirming.

It seems like I’m often complaining about the scarcity of originality in the horror movie genre. “The VVitch” is definitely original. It features a gripping story sure to be interpreted a number of different ways. The performances are phenomenal. The cinematography is impeccable. The score is haunting. It’s impossible to leave “The VVitch” and not feel you’ve seen something unique.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

REVIEW: “London Has Fallen”

September 2, 2016 by Keith Garlington

Whew, if you thought it was bad when Olympus fell you should see what terrorists do to the city of London in Gerard Butler’s action sequel “London Has Fallen”. And don’t let the laughably bad title fool you, the corniness isn’t just restricted to the name of the movie. It’s in everything from the performances, the dialogue, and the premise itself.

For the sake of full disclosure I admit that I enjoyed Antoine Fuqua’s 2013 action romp “Olympus Has Fallen”. It was a violent, cheesy, and unashamed throwback to the good old action flicks of the 1980s and early 90s. So now we get “London Has Fallen” which has some of the same entertaining silliness of its predecessor. But while not as wretched as some overly sensitive critics say, it is a much lesser movie.

Gerard Butler returns as Secret Service Superman Mike Banning. He still serves as the chief protector of President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart) but is contemplating retirement since he and his wife Leah (Radha Mitchell) are expecting their first baby. But he can’t retire quite yet. Following the death of England’s Prime Minister, President Asher and other world leaders head to London to attend the funeral.

Obviously things don’t go well in London. A terrorist group launches a calculated attack on the world leaders including Asher. It becomes Banning’s top priority to keep the President alive no matter the amounts of bullets, blood, and bone-breaking necessary. It’s really as simple as that. The bulk of the film is Banning leading Asher through numerous gunfights and close encounters.

The movie does try to throw in a few side ventures I suppose in an attempt to add more depth. There is an early hint that the film may explore the moral implications of drone strikes. That’s tossed aside pretty quick. There is also a side story about a mole inside English intelligence. It plays out about as flat and uneventful as possible. Basically anything they try to do to expand the story fails.

Few things other than the action works in “London Has Fallen”. The sense of humor isn’t that funny. The film is littered with dopey and abrasive dialogue. Several returning characters from the first film are given nothing to do. To be honest the wackiness of the premise and the intense action almost saves it. There are a couple of shootouts that are an absolute blast. It’s too bad there isn’t enough surrounding the action to make this worthwhile.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

REVIEW: “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies”

August 26, 2016 by Keith Garlington

I saw the trailer for “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” several times in the theater. The responses from the audiences were always the same – completely quiet until the end when the title popped up. That’s when chuckles could be heard all through the crowd. How can you blame them? It is such an absurdly comical title. It’s also the main reason I was curious to see it.

It surprised me to find this was actually based on a 2009 book parodying Jane Austen’s classic 1813 novel. David O. Russell was originally slated to write and direct but dropped out for scheduling reasons. A carousel of directors would come and go before Burr Steers took the reins of this wacky project. It’s truly something strange to behold.

PPZ is impossible to categorize. It is a veritable smorgasbord of genres. It could be called several things – a comedy, a romance, a period drama, or a horror picture. As you can imagine some of it works better than others, but just watching Steers try to juggle so many components is entertaining in itself. And the fact that it gets as much right as it does is astonishing.

The story goes something like this: It has been a century since a zombie plague ravaged England and the war between folks and flesheaters rages on. Amid this chaotic 19th century world are the Bennet sisters. Living with their parents on the family estate, these five young ladies aren’t your typical prim and proper aristocrats. At their fathers urging, each girl has been extensively trained in the martial arts and in zombie killing. They are just as skilled at wielding a sword as a corset.

Their father (Charles Dance) wants his daughters to be more in tune with weaponry than the kitchen. Their mother (Sally Phillips) wants to quickly marry them off to the most eligible and wealthy bachelors. The oldest daughter Elizabeth (Lily James of Downton Abbey fame) wants nothing to do with marriage but her sisters are intrigued especially when a handsome young suitor named Charles Bingley (Douglas Booth) moves into the neighborhood.

Elizabeth is the centerpiece particularly her relationships with two very different Englishmen. Her refreshing independence butts head with the mannish arrogance of Mr. Darcy (Sam Riley). Then you have the handsome and noble Wickham (Jack Huston), a soldier who woos Elizabeth with his honesty and charm. It surprised me how much time was spent on this romantic triangle.

All of this makes for pretty good high society drama and it nails its distinctly English period flavor. In fact it would easily pass for a straight-laced Austen adaptation if not for those other two ingredients – the comedy and horror. There are a few laughs but for the most part the humor is restricted to the absurdity of what you’re seeing and in many ways it and the horror go hand-in-hand.

As for the zombies, they aren’t really a focus and they certainly aren’t scary. They mainly serve as part of the setting. When they do bleed over into the story the movie takes a bit of a dive. We get several scattered injections of zombie violence that is wacky enough to be funny at first but it eventually loses its effect. That is a problem because the film goes to that well too many times.

PPZ is a peculiar movie that reaches out in so many different directions. Sometimes its vision pays off while other times not as much. The Austen-esque drama is surprisingly good in large part because of the well written characters and solid performances. It’s the other stuff that causes the film to stumble. At times it seems unsure about what it wants to be – serious or parody, and eventually the novelty of the clashing tones wears off. By the end it’s simply too wacky for its own good. But don’t be fooled (by my criticisms or the goofy title). This isn’t a throwaway movie. Despite its issues, it is still fun and manages to be more entertaining than it had any right to be.

VERDICT – 3 STARS

2016 BlindSpot Series: “Touch of Evil”

August 22, 2016 by Keith Garlington

When examining Orson Welles’ career as a director you won’t find a huge volume of movies. What you will find is a filmmaker not only willing, but driven to experiment and explore every facet of making a movie. You see it in “Citizen Kane”, his most acclaimed film and what may be the greatest directorial debut. You see it in his superb period drama “The Magnificent Ambersons. But you may see it best in his 1958 crime noir classic “Touch of Evil”.

Originally hired for the supporting role of Police Captain Quinlan, Welles was convinced to also rewrite the screenplay and direct. The resulting “Touch of Evil” is considered by many to be one of the last great examples of film noir, featuring a fun cast, a twisting story, and a fantastic visual style.

The story is set in a Mexican/United States border town and begins with one of cinema’s greatest openings. A bomb is planted in the trunk of a car. A couple gets in the car and begins to drive through town towards the US border. Welles follows the car in one continuous three-minute shot stopping in traffic and slowly weaving through large numbers of pedestrians.

We the audience know something bad is bound to happen. We just don’t know when. Welles plays with our expectations and strings us along until the car does indeed blow. Among the nearby gathering crowd is Mexican drug enforcement officer Mike Vargas (Charlton Heston) and his new wife Susie (Janet Leigh). Vargas begins an investigation but is pushed aside by Captain Quinlan, an American police investigator who instantly butts heads with Vargas.

The film follows the investigation but it soon takes a backseat to issues of corruption, prejudice, and abuse of power. Welles’ story makes several wild and unexpected turns and the tone gets darker the further it goes. The moody camerawork embraces the visual approaches that made noir such a fascinating cinematic movement and it helps stress the edginess of Welles’ screenplay.

Heston was an odd choice but added star power and heft to the lead role. Leigh is very good and is featured in one of the film’s darker angles. Welles’ performance is also strong as the heavy, unpleasant Quinlan. But you have to tip your hat to the wild array of wonderful side characters who fill in this seedy, shady tale. Joseph Calleia is great as Quinlan’s right-hand man. Marlene Dietrich has a small but captivating role as a local ‘procuress’. Dennis Weaver is uncomfortably weird as a Norman Bates-like hotel night manager. Akim Tamiroff is a hoot playing a scuzzy gang boss. These characters and more pop in and out of Welles’ story and offer up some of the film’s best moments.

The original cut and unquestionably Welles purest vision for the film ended up being chopped, re-edited, and released in a 93 minute form. Over time it has been put back together as well as could be. That’s good for cinema fans because “Touch of Evil” is a movie filled with craft and vision. Its winding labyrinthine plot and deep moody visual style work together magnificently and highlight the very best film noir had to offer.